Mario Kart Xtreme

NOTE: This page is getting a major overhaul.

Super Mario Kart: Galactic Circuit (in Japanese: スーパーマリオカート銀河回路) is the upcoming newest main installment in the Mario Kart franchise. It will be developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo, being released for The Galactic Nintendo in mid-2020, and having the classic racing genre. Conspicuously, as with previous games in the Mario Kart series, players participate in racing on various Mario-themed tracks, playing as one of 73 different Mario characters. While racing, the players make use of items found in Item Boxes that either assist their character or hinder opposing characters.

This compiles various features that were present in each game, for example, the Special Items from Double Dash!, the Mission Modes in Mario Kart DS, the underwater and gliding mechanics, the kart customization, and coins from Mario Kart 7, and the antigravitation from Mario Kart 8. In addition to the aforementioned features, a new feature is introduced, which is the Rotor Blades feature; some sections of the tracks now include helipad sections, which turns the vehicle into a helicopter. For these sections, the vehicle will fly in a certain direction, with the camera being tilted.

Super Mario Kart: Galactic Circuit sees the addition of six new cups, the Egg, Cherry, and Golden Mushroom cups, which belong to the Nitro Cups, and the Horn, Bell, and Moon cups, which belong to the Retro Cups. The catch is that the Egg and Bell cups are unlockable instead of being downloadable content.

Game Modes

Grand Prix

Much like past Mario Kart installments, Grand Prix is the main mode of the game, in where 6 engine classes are split, those being 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, Mirror Mode, Countdown, and 200cc, the last three of which are unlockable, obtained after getting a gold trophy on all 150cc cups, a gold trophy on all Mirror Mode cups, and a gold trophy on every engine class cup, respectively. Players can also race in multiplayer or in online mode for the Grand Prix mode as well.

The rank of the cup is determined on how well you've driven during the four races in a certain amount of time, as this is required to unlock some characters.

Time Trials

Time Trial is a mode in where the player needs to complete a course in the fastest time as possible. At the beginning of each race, the player is given three Mushrooms. When competing against a expert ghost, if the player manages to arrive first to the goal than the ghost while exceeding five seconds, the player will unlock a harder version of the ghost. Players can also race against ghosts of other players across the world, or even against themselves.

Versus Mode

Versus Mode is a free mode, as the player can race in a single course, or in a random order. Here the player can also set their own rules such as the appearance of items, deactivating them and setting the difficulty of the racers, as well as activating the "Double Trouble" mode which features the mechanics from Mario Kart: Double Dash!. They can also set the number of races played. Up to 4 players can play at once in this mode.

On the Double Dash mode, only karts and ATVs are available to drive. Tag Team Racing is also a new mode in where it lets you pick 3 of your favorite characters, and when one of them clears a lap, you'll then race with the second character and so on.

Battle

Galactic Circuit brings a whole variety of modes that can be considered as minigames, some of them returning from past Mario Kart games and others being completely new. Battle Modes are played on special arenas rather than courses, named Battle Courses. In most modes the player can either play individual or split into two teams.

Online

As depicted, Online Mode is the mode in where one or two players can play over the internet against other players or friends. Here, players can usually compete each other to win races, cups or the Battle Mode. They can also team up as well, as there's various ways to play in Online.

Player is granted with a certain amount of VR/BR points which indicates the rating of Versus and Battle Modes, starting at 1000 points by default, that can either go up or down, depending on your placement in the races and how well you play with. Rating is also influenced on who do you play against as well. When it comes to courses, the player can vote to race on three different courses, or pick random courses. If more than one player picks a course, there will be a roulette destined to choose the course that will be played on. Players with friends can also set their own rules as well.

The player can:

• Race in Versus mode, being either Double Dash or Tag Team Racing mode, either worldwide, regional, or with friends.
• Opt to make a custom tournament once 11 racers join in.
• Chat via voice along with other players.
• Set Special Tournaments

Mission Mode

A returning mode from Mario Kart DS. In the game, players have to complete a certain number of missions which are useful to test the player's abilities o nracing, varying from simple ones such as picking up coins to other harsh ones such as racing against a character in a small amount of time.

Much like in its origin game, there are eight levels, the first one being easy for beginners to the last one which is much harder, and each level has eight different missions that they need to clear to unlock the Boss Battle, in where they fight against the boss.

Clearing all missions, including the boss of an level makes you unlock a new character.

Stadium

A new mode introduced in this game is the Stadium mode, which allows players to build their own tracks, akin to Super Mario Maker. In addition to normal Mario Kart elements, such as Item Boxes and obstacles, players are able to manipulate the behavior of various elements in unique ways. For example, they can stack enemies, have hazards come out of Item Boxes, change music, etc.

These combinations are possible because editing tools in the game work in tandem with one another. This allows players to enlarge an enemy, grant an obstacle the ability to fly by giving it wings similar to Paratroopa's, combine different attributes, and many others. Players unlock more features as cups are unlocked.

Custom Race

As the name suggests, the mode grants the player the ability to race against opponents on custom-made tracks. In addition, they can choose which engine mode that they want to race on.

Playable characters

Not including drop-down characters, there are 57 characters in the game; 22 starting characters, while the other 36 must be unlocked by meeting certain criteria. There are 5 weight classes in the game, which are Feather, Light, Medium, Cruiser, and Heavy.

NOTE: The brackets next to characters represent drop-down options. Some of these are separate but similar characters, while others are palette swaps. However, these have to be unlocked before they can be used. Palette swaps do not affect actual gameplay, though.

Starters

• Mario (Dr. Mario!, Tanooki Mario, Robo-Mario!, Gold Mario!, Antonio!*)
• Luigi (Kitsune Luigi!, Dr. Luigi!, Ice Luigi!, Mr. L!, Silver Luigi!)
• Peach (Cat Peach, Nurse Peach!, Peachette!, Shadow Queen!)
• Daisy
• Pauline! (Mayor Outfit!)
• Bowser (Dark Bowser!, Meowser!, Bowsette!*, Dry Bowser)
• Bowser Jr. (Koopalings, Shadow Mario!)
• Donkey Kong (Funky Kong!, Cranky Kong!)
• Diddy Kong (Dixie Kong!)
• Penguin! (Coach!)
• Wario (Biker Wario!, Wario Man!)
• Waluigi
• Boom Boom! (Pom Pom!)
• Toad (Toadette, Toadsworth!, Captain Toad!, Colored Toads!)
• Yoshi (Bronze Yoshi!, Crafted Yoshi!, Colored Yoshis)
• Birdo
• Koopa Troopa (Paratroopa, Dry Bones, Spiny Koopa!, Colored Koopas!)
• Baby Mario (Baby Luigi, Baby Yoshi!, Baby Wario!, Baby DK!)
• Shy Guy (Fly Guy!, General Guy!, Snifit!, Colored Shy Guys)
• Boo! (King Boo, Spooky Speedster!)
• Pianta! ( Piantas!)
• Rosalina (Cosmic Rosalina!)

Unlockables

• Lakitu (Lakithunder!, Colored Lakitus!)
• Nabbit!
• Petey Piranha
• Wiggler (Sunshine Wiggler!, Squiggler!, Flutter!)
• Honey Queen (Honeybee!)
• Bandit!
• Hammer Bro.! (Boomerang Bro!, Fire Bro!, Ice Bro!, Sumo Bro!)
• Magikoopa! (Colored Magikoopas!)
• Blooper!
• Professor E. Gadd!
• Sprixie Princess! (Colored Sprixie Princesses!)
• Spike!
• Madame Broode! (Topper!, Hariet!, Rango!, Spewart!)
• Goomboss!
• Fawful!
• King Bob-omb! (Bob-omb Buddy!)
• Plessie!
• Rabbid Mario! (Rabbid Luigi!, Rabbid Peach!, Rabbid Yoshi!, Bwario!, Bwaluigi!)
• Rocky Wrench!
• Eyerok!
• Star Bunny!
• Whomp!
• Kritter! (Colored Kritters!)
• King K. Rool!
• Super Team!
• Luma! (Lubba!, Polari!, Colored Lumas!)
• Dorrie!
• Antasma!
• Pokey!
• Captain Syrup!
• Monita!
• Wart!
• R.O.B. (Red R.O.B.!)
• Virus!
• Mii (Any of the Miis)

Characters marked with an exclamation mark means that the character is new to the Mario Kart series, and characters marked with an asterisk means that the character makes their first appearance in the Mario franchise.

Items

As in all Mario Kart games, Super Mario Kart: Galactic Circuit has Item Boxes and Coins on all tracks, with Double Item Boxes reappearing from Double Dash, Crates reappearing from Mario Kart Wii, and Blue Coins making their debut.

Item Boxes allows the usage of items during races, collected from driving through Item Boxes. Several items, including the Thunder Cloud, Fake Item Box, Super Leaf, Mega Mushroom, and POW Block, return after being removed in previous games, with certain items from Mario Kart Arcade GP installments also included. Meanwhile, several new items are introduced.

Returning Items

• Banana - They are left behind the car, staying in that place and anyone who drives over them will slip and spin uncontrollably.
• Triple Bananas - After gathering and using one, they will trail behind the car and can be thrown or dropped any time. They can also sort of serve as protection against some items like the Red Shells.
• Birdo Egg - Acts like the Yoshi Egg, but it will not follow a player and will bounce around freely, knocking over players.
• Bob-Omb - They can be flung to a farther distance than normal or dropped behind the racer, in where a huge explosion will happen. It will explode faster when there's a racer near to them, though if it's hit, will explode automatically.
• Boo - Makes the driver invisible for ten seconds, and also steals an item randomly from a player ahead of them. If no players have items, the user is given a Mushroom instead.
• Boomerang Flower - Gives the player a boomerang that can be flung in front or backwards, spinning around and hitting any driver who makes contact with, as well as destroying items on the way, such as Bananas or Shells. The boomerang is used with a limit of maximum three times, and in the third time it's flung, the boomerang won't return.
• Bowser Shell - Bowser Shells can be thrown forward or backward. They act like Green Shells, where they will travel in a straight line and bounce off of walls. However, they will knock players over and will destroy most other items it hits. They are also significantly bigger, making them difficult to avoid.
• Bullet Bill - Transforms the user into a Bullet Bill, that moves faster automatically, hitting any driver that crosses into its way, and becoming invincible that no items can harm the user. As the user gets closer to first place, the quicker the effect will wear off.
• Chain Chomp - It pulls the racers forward for a few seconds and bowls over other racers in its path. After a certain amount of time, it abandons the vehicle and goes on its own until it runs off the course.
• Fake Item Box - They can be placed behind the car, staying there. Unlike past games, the Fake Item Box has a more identical color to the regular ones, and slowly rotate, making them harder to identify, if it wasn't for the exclamation mark on the box. However, they can't block Shells, acting as useless defensive items.
• Giant Banana - Once a driver makes contact with the Giant Banana Peel, it not only makes the driver spin out for the same duration as the POW Block from Mario Kart Wii, but it also leaves behind three regular Bananas on the ground. The Giant Banana is resistant to most items, but it can be destroyed with a Bob-omb, Chain Chomp, Yoshi Egg, and Bowser Shell, though the Bowser Shell will get deflected. It can also be picked up by running into it while using the Heart.
• Golden Mushroom - With the Golden Mushroom, players are able to gain a much longer speed boost than the regular Mushroom thanks to its multiple uses. Unlike previous games, where the Golden Mushroom disappears after being used for a set amount of time, players are able to preserve its uses until it cannot be used anymore.
• Green Shell - They are thrown in a straight path, and when it bumps into a wall, it will change it's direction. Hitting a driver will knock them over. When it bumps several times or comes in contact with an item, it will break.
• Fire Flower - This allows the player to throw fireballs for a short time that cause other karts to spin out on impact, similar to Mario and Luigi's Fireballs, except that players can perfectly aim where they want to throw the fireballs.
• Heart - Hearts will orbit around the player. If an item hits them, the Heart will let the player use it for themselves. On use, two hearts will orbit the player, allowing them to use two items.
• Luigi's Fireballs - Luigi's Fireballs function similar to how they were in Double Dash!, except that they can serve as protection and burn other items, and the fireballs can be thrown forward or backward. They also scorch the track when thrown, and are significantly larger. If somebody gets hit by the fireballs, their screen is blinded by tons of Boos that steal their Coins and items.
• Mario's Fireballs - Mario's Fireballs function similar to how they were in Double Dash!, except that they can serve as protection and burn other items, and the fireballs can be thrown forward or backward. They also scorch the track when thrown, and are significantly larger.
• Mega Mushroom - These increase the player's size, making them go faster and granting invincibility for a short time. By running over other players, the user can flatten them, causing them to drive slower for awhile. Unlike previous games, if the user is hit by Lightning while using a Mega Mushroom, they will not return to normal size.
• Mushroom - Using one gives the player a speed boost, much like when driving over a Boost Panel. In Battle Mode, they can be used to steal balloons when making in contact.
• Poison Mushroom - Can be placed behind the car like a banana, only that when someone drives over it will be shrunk like the effects of a Lightning Bolt.
• Potted Piranha Plant - After using it, the player will hold a pot of a Piranha Plant, who chomps anyone that gets near to the user, knocking them over. Each chomp gives the user a small boost and tapping the button makes the plant chomp faster.
• POW Block - After using it, it will crush three times, and causes the drivers ahead to spin uncontrollably though won't affect drivers that are in the air. Bikers can also perform tricks and stunts to slightly weaken the block.
• Red Shell - When they are thrown, will start following the next driver in front to them, knocking them over. However if they touch a wall, they will break.
• Spiny Shell - When used, the Spiny Shell will fly through the track to the first placed racer, and crash onto it, emitting a large explosion that will also hit anyone on their way.
• Star - When used, it will make the driver invincible, gaining a speed boost, and anyone who makes contact with them will be knocked over and items will break in contact. The effect wears off after a while.
• Super Horn - When used, it blasts a huge expansive sound wave, that can destroy even the Spiny Shell. It will destroy other items and knock over characters that get into the radius as well.
• Thunderbolt - When used, the Thunderbolt will shrink every user except for the driver that used it, slowing them down. The effects will wear off after a while, being quicker for drivers that are closer to last place and more enduring for the drivers that are in top positions.
• Triple Green Shells - When used, will grant three Green Shells that spin around the driver's car, acting sort of a shield. The drivers can launch them as well though the other remaining will spin on the car still, until they are used.
• Triple Red Shells - Much like the Green Shells, after used, they will orbit the car, acting like a shield, and can throw them away. Other drivers who come in contact with the shells will be knocked over.
• Triple Mushrooms - Grants you the use of three mushrooms instead of one, giving you the addition of two more speed boosts.
• Yoshi Egg - The Yoshi Egg, when thrown, will travel across the course and target the driver ahead like a Red Shell. If it hits the driver or has travelled a certain amount of distance, the Yoshi Egg will break and reveal three random items. The possible items that are spawned are Mushrooms, Green Shells, Bananas, Super Stars, and Bob-ombs.

New Items

• Honeybee: Acts like a Spiny Shell, as it flies off rapidly and targets the racer in 1st place. However, it bothers the player for 6 seconds, making it difficult for them to focus on the race. After those 6 seconds, it will sting the player, damaging them and making them lose their items, if they have one. After, the player will immediately be affected by one of several curses, including inverted controls, an out-of-control camera, temporary paralysis, having their speed halved, or getting shrinked.
• Rock Mushroom: Encases the driver in a huge boulder which allows them to move faster and knock away opponents. The boulder will automatically explode if the driver hits a wall, is hit by or runs into a hostile item, or after fifteen seconds.
• Inky Piranha Plant: Replaces Blooper from previous games, and can only be found in Double Item Boxes. When used, the Inky Piranha Plant will spit a large ink ball at the other item. If it is an offensive item, then the racer hit by it will be completely covered in ink, and if it is a defensive item, there will be two streams of ink coming from the kart that will form a large puddle of ink on the ground, that will eventually dry out.
• Foo: The Foo will drag behind the user's vehicle, and will blow extremely heavy fog from its mouth, resulting in a huge cloud that obscure the view of players that drive in it. However, the Foo only stays for 10 seconds.
• Chuckya: When activated, a Chuckya will spawn ahead of the player who used it, and proceed to move towards oncoming racers. It will roam on the track for about 30 seconds before detonating, and those that fail to dodge the Chuckya will be picked up and tossed back a short distance. Apart from Stars, Bullet Bills, Rock Mushrooms, and Thunderbolts, the Chuckya is invulnerable to all items.
• Double Cherry: Creates a clone of the user, which will mimic the player's moves. If the clone is hit by an item, it will disappear. All targeting items will affect the clone instead of the user. The player can also use other items, and the clone also can use the item.
• DK Barrel: Once thrown, the DK Barrel will bounce around on the track, seeming to be roaming freely. The catch is that if an opposing driver is nearby, the Barrel will lock on into them and bash them in. When broken, it will release 6 Bananas.
• Goomba: The player can drop 7 Goombas on the track at the same time. As a Goomba would, they will waddle around, and if someone runs into one, they'll spin out. However, if the player is skilled enough at jumping, the player will have the ability to jump on a Goomba's head, get a Coin from it, and avoid spinning out. After a while, the Goombas will disappear.
• Flutter: Once used, a Flutter will appear on the back of the kart and push it forward while flying in the air. The Flutter flies so high, that the player is able to avoid items, including Spiny Shells and Chuckyas. After, the Flutter will disappear and the kart will land safely to the ground.
• Bomb Boo: Like in Super Mario Galaxy, the player is swinging the Bomb Boo around with its tongue (which is an animation). Apart from this, the player can throw the Bomb Boo forward or backward, and it will explode like a Bob-omb on impact, whether if it hits somebody or something else.
• Metal Cap: The player is encased in metal, and becomes invisible, similarly to the Star. This makes the player invulnerable and extremely heavy. However, the player cannot make very high jumps at this point. The effect wears off after a while.
• Kick Bomb: The Kick Bomb will behave similar to Red Shells, but once it hits a wall, it will bounce off of it. Items won't stop the Bomb, and after a while, it will detonate, causing an explosion that is larger than that of a Bob-omb.
• Crown: Once used, the Crown will station itself on the player's head, and the player will automatically get an extremely rare item every 5 seconds. Also, their stats will be boosted to the absolute maximum. After 20 seconds, the Crown disappears.

Exclusive to Battle Mode

In addition, there are items that are exclusive to Battle Mode.

• Cape Feather - The Cape Feather allows the driver to jump upward, performing a trick to gain a speed boost on landing. This can be used to dodge incoming items, as well as steal items and balloons from other players. This can also allow the driver to jump over small walls and barriers.
• Coin Lakitu - This yellow-shelled Lakitu will shield the player and give Coins to the user, also giving a Blue Coin for every 5 Coins he gives out, a Mushroom for every 10 Coins, and a Star for every 15 Coins for a short amount of time. However, the Coin Lakitu may drop a few Bananas on the ground. Wario once tried to sell it in his shop, but who would?
• F.L.U.D.D. - This can be used to spray opponents to blind their screen, making it hard to see, as the water is very thick and droopy, with it also covering the entirety of the screen. In other cases, it can be used on the ground to create small puddles of water that make racers spin out.
• Super Leaf - After using one, it will grow a Tanooki Tail behind the car, spinning around, destroying nearby items, and flipping drivers away. The player can tap the button to keep spinning the tail.

Character Notes

• When Wiggler and Flutter either get hit by an item, they fall off the track, or they use the Dash Pepper, they will get mad and increase speed for a few seconds.
• When Pokey gets hit by an item, he will collapse, immobilizing his vehicle. After three seconds, he will reassemble. This is referencing Pokey obstacles in Mario Kart tracks.
• The Virus function similar to the characters in Mario Kart: Double Dash. The red Virus drives the vehicle, the yellow Virus uses items, and the blue Virus taunts and is charge of winning and losing animations.
  • The same can be said for Eyerok, except that the hand on the left drives the kart and uses the items, while the hand on the right taunts and is charge of winning and losing animations.

Courses

The game has 56 courses total, split among 14 cups, with four courses in each. The Mushroom, Flower, Egg, Star, Cherry, Special, and Bob-omb Cups consist of new courses while the Shell, Banana, Horn, Leaf, Bell, Lightning, and Moon Cups consist of returning courses from previous games, all remastered to fit the additions of gliding, underwater, rotor blade, and anti-gravity sections. 10 of these cups are unlockable, with the Mushroom, Flower, Shell, and Banana cups being available at the start.

Trivia

• Pokey was included as a playable character to reference the flash game Mario Racing Tournament, which included him as a character.
• Nitro Cups were renamed to Modern Cups to better signify the fact that there are new courses in every new Mario Kart game.
• The Snot Bomb is the only item to include a unique animation for characters when it is used.
• Out of all the Mario Kart characters, this one introduces the most so far.
  • Super Mario Kart introduced eight (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Donkey Kong Jr., and Bowser).
  • Mario Kart 64 introduced two (Wario and Donkey Kong).
  • Mario Kart: Double Dash introduced eleven (Daisy, Birdo, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Toadette, Paratroopa, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., Waluigi, King Boo, and Petey Piranha).
  • Mario Kart DS introduced two (Dry Bones and R.O.B., three if counting Shy Guy).
  • Mario Kart Wii introduced six (Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Rosalina, Funky Kong, Dry Bowser, and the Mii).
  • Mario Kart 7 introduced five (Shy Guy, Metal Mario, Wiggler, Honey Queen, and Lakitu).
  • Mario Kart 8 introduced eleven (Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, Ludwig, Baby Rosalina, Pink Gold Peach, Cat Peach, and Tanooki Mario).
  • Super Mario Kart: Switch Circuit introduces thirty-four (Goomba, Monty Mole, Pianta, Pauline, Plessie, Boom Boom, Blooper, Cheep Cheep, Sprixie Princess, Baby Wario, Squiggler, Luma, Penguin, Snifit, Nabbit, Toadsworth, Professor E. Gadd, Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Yoshi, Popple, Kamek, Spike, Boo, Rabbid Mario, Rabbid Luigi, Cranky Kong, Dixie Kong, Fawful, Pom Pom, Pokey, King K. Rool, Eyerok, Virus, and Antasma).