Matching 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Quiz

Answer: Mario

Mario Kart Stadium is the ideal first course for a new player of the game to attempt. It is the first track in the four-race Mushroom Cup, which provides a player-friendly introduction to the game. As the name of the course suggests, Mario Kart Stadium takes place in an arena, with a sizeable crowd cheering on the competitors as they race to be the first to complete three laps of the course.

This is one of only two courses in the game to be named after Mario (not including expansion packs or boosters), the other being Mario Circuit.

Answer: Wario

Mount Wario is the concluding race of the Star Cup and it is slightly unusual - though not unique - in that the course is not formed of a closed circuit. This is due to the race taking place on a snowcapped mountain and the track is effectively a skiing piste which takes competitors from the starting line at the top of the mountain to the finish line at the bottom.

Mount Wario is divided into three parts in order to maintain consistency with the rest of 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' but it would be incorrect to think of these parts as laps, rather they function as race sections.

Answer: Bowser

Bowser's Castle is the penultimate course of the Special Cup and is a moderately tricky track to navigate. It is one of the more nostalgic of the newer courses featured in 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' - as distinct from classic courses drawn from previous iterations of 'Mario Kart' - due to it featuring unstable platforms that wobble precariously over pits of lava.

This takes players right the way back to 'Super Mario Bros.' (1985) for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), where Mario has to successfully navigate bridges and lava pits in order to rescue Princess Toadstool (later Princess Peach) from the villainous King Koopa (Bowser).

Answer: Toad

Toad Harbour is one of the many "new" courses that were created for 'Mario Kart 8' and 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'. It is heavily inspired by themes of the Californian city of San Francisco, with many hilly segments to navigate and large trams to avoid. There is, curiously enough, a Princess Peach remodelling of the Statue of Liberty present just a little way off the track which is anything but San Francisco!

Answer: DK (Donkey Kong)

Whilst there is often no real link between the name of the cup and the races that comprise it, on this occasion Banana Cup provides a hint that DK (Donkey Kong) is the correct answer. DK Jungle was first made available to players in the Nintendo 3DS game, 'Mario Kart 7'.

The course itself takes place on Donkey Kong Island and one of the main obstacles is the army of Tiki Goons, enemies imported from 'Donkey Kong Country Returns' (2010, Wii). If a player collides with one of these guys, the kart will come to a standstill and coins will be lost.

Answer: Yoshi

Yoshi Valley is one of a number of courses from 'Mario Kart 64' (1996, Nintendo 64) that were given a new lease of life through their inclusion in 'Mario Kart 8' and 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'. One of the main changes made was to the enemy roster where the porcupines from the original Yoshi Valley were replaced by Goombas. Above the start/finish line is a stylised green and white Yoshi Egg, just in case you had forgotten where you were!

Answer: Wario

Wario Stadium is a fun track that was first rolled out by Nintendo in 'Mario Kart DS' (2005). Both the original and revamped versions of the course feature Fire Bars and Fire Chains, nostalgic references to the original games from the 1980s where Mario has to hop over - or duck under - such obstacles.

Answer: Toad

If you are a fan of nighttime driving then Toad's Turnpike is the course for you! This track takes the form of a highway (motorway) that is approximately shaped like a figure of eight (fitting given the name of the game). One of the main features of the course is that traffic creates obstacles for racers to weave around or, in instances where a vehicle is carrying a ramp, jump over.

Toad's Turnpike made its first appearance in 'Mario Kart 64' (1996), a game released for, as the name suggests, Nintendo 64.

Answer: Sherbet

Sherbet Land, with its frozen race track aesthetic, has its origins in the Nintendo Gamecube entry, 'Mario Kart: Double Dash!!' (2003). Whilst trying to stay on course when travelling at high velocity over snowy roads and expansive ice sheets, players have to also avoid numerous Shy Guys that can be seen skating around.

The Wii U and NS versions of Sherbet Land incorporate underwater routes for those wishing to avoid the ice!

Answer: Rainbow

Rainbow Road, the finale of the Lightning Cup, is a visually appealing race course that is located on a space station; the track itself largely takes the form of iridescent solar panels, hence the name of Rainbow Road.

As this course is set in outer space, it seems fitting that Rainbow Road contains segments of track that utilise anti-gravity, a game mechanic that provides the freedom for competitors to drive their vehicles upside-down or to traverse loop-the-loop sections without falling off the track!