 This article is about the N64 variation. For a list of articles with the same name, see Rainbow Road. |
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Rainbow Road is the last track of the Special Cup in Mario Kart 64. This track makes a retro appearance in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the last track of the Lightning Cup.
This Rainbow Road iteration is significantly longer and interesting than the previous Rainbow Road, so long that it is reduced to a single lap in three sections in Mario Kart 8.
Layout[]
Mario Kart 64[]
At 2,000 meters (2 kilometers), Rainbow Road is the longest course in the game and longest 3 lap course in the series, taking a minute and a half on average to complete one lap and approximately five minutes for the whole course. Similar to the original Rainbow Road in Super Mario Kart, the track is set on a rainbow-colord road in the night sky, however the road itself features a semi-transparent stained glass-like appearance as opposed to the original's blocky design. This Rainbow Road uniquely features barricades throughout the entire course, a trait not seen in any other mainline Mario Kart game. Chain Chomps are the main obstacle in the course which travel in the opposite direction. Neon lights of the eight playable characters, as well as the Mushroom and Boo items, can be seen throughout the course.
The course begins with a large drop followed by a gentle uphill stretch, passing through a rainbow ring. From here, the track makes a right turn past neon portraits of Mario, Princess Peach, and Luigi. Afterwards is along straightaway leading to the neon mushroom, followed by a left turn. The road then makes a slight downhill leading to a ring around a star beside the neon boo. The road makes a loop left and slightly upwards, and soon a slight right turn to a straightaway towards a large u-turn passing the neon Donkey Kong and Yoshi. After the u-turn is another straightaway followed by a right turn and dip, and soon approaching a large right turn with the neon lights of Toad and Wario. Finally the course makes a corkscrew left past Bowser's neon light, then a very long straightaway and finishing at the Finish Line.
The music for this course has been remixed in various Mario Kart games, first being reused in Rainbow Road in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and later in Mario Kart 7's Rainbow Road.
Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe)[]
A panoramic view of the course in Mario Kart 8
N64 Rainbow Road has been heavily updated Mario Kart 8, with some unique and new features. The course has received a major aesthetic update now using the "square tiles" rainbow pattern used in Super Mario Kart in a diagonal pattern, and also using the city setting from the Double Dash version of Rainbow Road. Furthermore the star-shaped barricades have been redesigned to resemble launch stars as a nod to Super Mario Galaxy.
The course has received slight changes in layout, a notable difference being the fact that the "smiling star helix" has been switched from the original game to the MK8 version. In the new game, the loop points outwards with anti-gravity section, while in the original N64 game the loop was inside the track, towards the finish line. Also due to its length, the number of laps has been changed to one lap (divided into thirds), similar to the 3DS Rainbow Road. It is the first retro course to use this format, as well as the second retro course to have differing laps after Baby Park in Mario Kart DS. Rainbow Road also currently has the most physical on-stage coins out of any track in Mario Kart 8, at a total of 62.
Other new additions include:
- A flying train circling along the first loop of the track, floating in the sky, with Toads kindly tossing coins onto the track.
- A modification of the second loop (the one which circled around the star in the original version) to support the anti-gravity feature. In addition, the inclined parts of the course are also anti-gravity, including the one after the starting line.
- A final section which includes the gliding launch introduced to the series with Mario Kart 7.
- The majority of the track had their star-shaped guardrails removed, in order to increase the difficulty.
- The replacement of the Chain Chomps from the original track with Bouncing Chomps, which bounce over the track and make it wave near the middle of the track.
- The music is remixed and orchestrated with the live-recorded soundtrack of Mario Kart 8.
- The final turn before the starting line (which is 8-shaped) has been slightly shortened in order to cut down the length from the original.
- The course itself also seems to have been built in a much smaller scale than the original, therefore its length is actually slightly shorter than the original version despite being reduced to single-lap format.
- In addition, with the 1-lap format, the player can complete the track in less than 2 minutes.
- Though the developers removed Wario, Donkey Kong, the Mushroom, and the Boo entirely in this version, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, King Bowser, and Toad are now shown in fireworks, with their colours respectively being red, green, pink, green, green, orange. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and King Bowser now have full bodies rather than being disembodied heads.
- Their poses are also altered. Mario now appears running, Luigi is depicted jumping, Princess Peach is waving, Toad is running but now in the opposite direction, and Bowser does his scary pose, just like the five do in their stamp images in Super Mario 3D World. Yoshi does his pose from his Yoshi: Topsy-Turvy artwork.
Shortcuts[]
- A well-known shortcut can be performed in Mario Kart 64 which can be used to skip about one third of the course at the beginning. Right after the starting line, a racer can jump over the railing on the left (right in Extra while the track starts to slant downhill and land on the section near the star. It is also possible, though far more difficult, to land on the loop itself. ✱ for MK64
Staff Ghosts[]
Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe)[]
| Game | Character | Recorder | Time | Vehicle Combination | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Tires | Glider | ||||
| 8 | 
|
 Nin★Leonel
|
1:33.731 | 
|
|
|
| 8 Deluxe 150cc | 1:33.981 | |||||
| 8 Deluxe 200cc | 
|
 Nin★Fausti
|
1:08.128 | 
|
| |
Glitches[]
Lap skip[]
In Mario Kart 64 it is possible to skip a lap in a similar vein to Frappe Snowland by being knocked off of the course by a shell or another item, then crossing the finish before reaching the bottom of the course. Upon being rescued by Lakitu, he will place the player behind the starting line and crossing it will advance the player to the next lap.
Lap counter break[]
In Mario Kart 8 it is possible to perform a glitch which breaks the lap counter. The player must go backward and when reaching the ramp, use a Mushroom and hop over the fence. The player will be placed behind the ramp and it is possible to drive on the track in the opposite direction. When reaching the first checkpoint, the player can turn around and drive the normal way like they normally would. The second checkpoint will trigger the second "lap" instead of the third one, and the end of the track will trigger the third "lap" instead of ending the race. More details can be found in the video below:
Trivia![]
- It is tied for the longest track of the entire series tying with Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 7, with a total length of two kilometers and approximately 2-3 minute lap times. Consequently, when the track was adapted to Mario Kart 8, they reduced the laps to only one, and divided the course into sections, much like Mario Kart 7's Wuhu courses and Rainbow Road, with 'laps' being checkpoint banners that calculate the player's progress as they drive one circuit around the track.
- This is the first retro course to use Mario Kart 7s "one lap race" format.
- This is also the longest non-DLC track in all the Retro Cups of Mario Kart 8.
- In Mario Kart 64, the neon lights of Mario, the Mushroom, and Boo are the only ones that are animated.
- In Mario Kart 8, this course uses the anti-gravity feature sooner than any other course (barring ones where the anti-gravity feature is activated before the race begins, like GCN Baby Park), right away after the starting line.
- This Rainbow Road, as well as its retro counterpart, SNES Rainbow Road (as a DLC retro course), the new Rainbow Road, and GCN Baby Park, are the only courses in Mario Kart 8 with different colored maps than the others, being rainbow-colored instead of the standard blue. Also, GCN Baby Park and this Rainbow Road have the least and the most obtainable on-track coins in the game, as GCN Baby Park has 16, while this stage has 62.
- The chorus part of this Rainbow Road's music is remixed into Double Dash!!'s Rainbow Road music and 7's Rainbow Road music. In the case of 7, it is given a slight "space" feeling to the music.
- This is one of six courses in Mario Kart 8 where at least one anti-gravity zone doesn't end with a trick ramp or glider ramp, the others being Water Park, Mario Circuit, Twisted Mansion, Rainbow Road, and Wii Wario's Gold Mine.
- In Mario Kart 8, rainbow tiles on this track appear to be made of colored LED lamps, based on its appearance and lighting.
- The Toad locomotive is based upon an LB&SCR E2, and three coaches are based upon LB&SCR Coaches No. 661.
- The railway lines that can be seen from this track, according to the map in Super Bell Subway, connect this city to many other places where tracks of Mario Kart 8 can be found.
- The city below the track resembles Paris, as well as the tower, which is similar to the Eiffel Tower.
- Many of the companies whose advertising signs can be seen in the various tracks have their headquarters in this city.
- In Mario Kart 8, N64 Rainbow Road is the only point-to-point course in the game whose soundtrack speeds up in the third section of the track, unlike in Mount Wario and Big Blue.
- In F-ZERO X N64 Rainbow Road was used as the first course in the Joker Cup and is identical in layout but instead of a bottomless pit beneath the course there's water. Also in the Japan only Expansion Kit there is a remix of Rainbow Road whereas the actual course reuses Drivin Through the Max from Sector Alpha & Beta instead.
- This is the only course in the game whose laps cannot be completed in a minute or less. It is also the first Rainbow Road with this trait, the second being 3DS Rainbow Road.
Gallery[]
Mario Kart 64[]
Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe)[]
Music[]
Previous track:
Banshee Boardwalk |
Current track:
Rainbow Road |
Next track:
None |
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Previous track:
Wii Grumble Volcano |
Next track:
GCN Yoshi Circuit |
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| Mario Kart 64 courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nitro cups | Mushroom Cup | Luigi Raceway • Moo Moo Farm • Koopa Troopa Beach • Kalimari Desert |
| Flower Cup | Toad's Turnpike • Frappe Snowland • Choco Mountain • Mario Raceway | |
| Star Cup | Wario Stadium • Sherbet Land • Royal Raceway • Bowser's Castle | |
| Special Cup | D.K.'s Jungle Parkway • Yoshi Valley • Banshee Boardwalk • Rainbow Road | |
| Battle Courses | Big Donut • Block Fort • Double Deck • Skyscraper | |