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Mario Kart DS racing guideMario Kart DSGUIDES

Mario Kart DS Courses: All 32 Tracks & 8 Cups

Mario Kart DS has 16 brand-new Nitro courses and 16 Retro courses remade from earlier games, four to a cup. Pick a course for its map, lap walkthrough, tips, hazards and staff ghost time.

Courses
32
Cups
8
Battle arenas
6
Online courses
20
Laps
All 3, except Baby Park (5)

Nitro Grand Prix

Mushroom Cup The easiest Nitro cup: wide tracks and few hazards.

Figure-8 CircuitNew courseStaff ghost 1'36"481Yoshi FallsNew courseStaff ghost 0'57"677Cheep Cheep BeachNew courseStaff ghost 1'43"654Luigi's MansionNew courseStaff ghost 1'59"357

Flower Cup Desert, town and pinball courses with more obstacles.

Desert HillsNew courseStaff ghost 1'31"262Delfino SquareNew courseStaff ghost 1'54"601Waluigi PinballNew courseStaff ghost 2'23"288Shroom RidgeNew courseStaff ghost 2'05"123

Star Cup Snowy mountains, a giant clock and Bowser’s airship.

DK PassNew courseStaff ghost 2'14"607Tick-Tock ClockNew courseStaff ghost 1'54"903Mario CircuitNew courseStaff ghost 1'56"533Airship FortressNew courseStaff ghost 2'07"748

Special Cup The hardest Nitro cup, ending on Rainbow Road.

Wario StadiumNew courseStaff ghost 2'14"868Peach GardensNew courseStaff ghost 1'52"989Bowser CastleNew courseStaff ghost 2'19"661Rainbow RoadNew courseStaff ghost 2'16"246

Retro Grand Prix

Shell Cup Gentle retro courses, one from each earlier game.

SNES Mario Circuit 1Super Mario KartStaff ghost 0'50"688N64 Moo Moo FarmMario Kart 64Staff ghost 1'17"751GBA Peach CircuitMario Kart: Super CircuitStaff ghost 1'12"011GCN Luigi CircuitMario Kart: Double Dash!!Staff ghost 1'29"759

Banana Cup Retro courses including lava jumps and tiny Baby Park.

SNES Donut Plains 1Super Mario KartStaff ghost 1'08"027N64 Frappe SnowlandMario Kart 64Staff ghost 2'08"781GBA Bowser Castle 2Mario Kart: Super CircuitStaff ghost 1'52"258GCN Baby ParkMario Kart: Double Dash!!Staff ghost 0'50"920

Leaf Cup A beach, a chocolate canyon, a rainy airfield and a busy bridge.

SNES Koopa Beach 2Super Mario KartStaff ghost 0'54"847N64 Choco MountainMario Kart 64Staff ghost 2'15"571GBA Luigi CircuitMario Kart: Super CircuitStaff ghost 1'46"581GCN Mushroom BridgeMario Kart: Double Dash!!Staff ghost 1'30"600

Lightning Cup The hardest retro cup: mud, ghosts, clouds and Yoshi Circuit.

SNES Choco Island 2Super Mario KartStaff ghost 1'01"620N64 Banshee BoardwalkMario Kart 64Staff ghost 2'14"403GBA Sky GardenMario Kart: Super CircuitStaff ghost 1'44"400GCN Yoshi CircuitMario Kart: Double Dash!!Staff ghost 1'48"793

Battle arenas

Nintendo DSNitro (new)Twilight HouseNitro (new)Palm ShoreNitro (new)Tart TopNitro (new)Block FortRetro, from Mario Kart 64Pipe PlazaRetro, from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

All courses at a glance

#CourseCupOriginStaff ghostOnline
1Figure-8 CircuitMushroom CupNew1'36"481Yes
2Yoshi FallsMushroom CupNew0'57"677Yes
3Cheep Cheep BeachMushroom CupNew1'43"654Yes
4Luigi's MansionMushroom CupNew1'59"357Yes
5Desert HillsFlower CupNew1'31"262Yes
6Delfino SquareFlower CupNew1'54"601Yes
7Waluigi PinballFlower CupNew2'23"288No
8Shroom RidgeFlower CupNew2'05"123No
9DK PassStar CupNew2'14"607Yes
10Tick-Tock ClockStar CupNew1'54"903No
11Mario CircuitStar CupNew1'56"533Yes
12Airship FortressStar CupNew2'07"748No
13Wario StadiumSpecial CupNew2'14"868Yes
14Peach GardensSpecial CupNew1'52"989No
15Bowser CastleSpecial CupNew2'19"661No
16Rainbow RoadSpecial CupNew2'16"246Yes
17SNES Mario Circuit 1Shell CupSuper Mario Kart0'50"688Yes
18N64 Moo Moo FarmShell CupMario Kart 641'17"751Yes
19GBA Peach CircuitShell CupMario Kart: Super Circuit1'12"011Yes
20GCN Luigi CircuitShell CupMario Kart: Double Dash!!1'29"759Yes
21SNES Donut Plains 1Banana CupSuper Mario Kart1'08"027No
22N64 Frappe SnowlandBanana CupMario Kart 642'08"781Yes
23GBA Bowser Castle 2Banana CupMario Kart: Super Circuit1'52"258No
24GCN Baby ParkBanana CupMario Kart: Double Dash!!0'50"920Yes
25SNES Koopa Beach 2Leaf CupSuper Mario Kart0'54"847No
26N64 Choco MountainLeaf CupMario Kart 642'15"571Yes
27GBA Luigi CircuitLeaf CupMario Kart: Super Circuit1'46"581No
28GCN Mushroom BridgeLeaf CupMario Kart: Double Dash!!1'30"600No
29SNES Choco Island 2Lightning CupSuper Mario Kart1'01"620Yes
30N64 Banshee BoardwalkLightning CupMario Kart 642'14"403No
31GBA Sky GardenLightning CupMario Kart: Super Circuit1'44"400Yes
32GCN Yoshi CircuitLightning CupMario Kart: Double Dash!!1'48"793Yes

FAQ

How many courses are in Mario Kart DS?

32 race courses in eight cups: 16 new Nitro courses and 16 Retro courses from the four earlier games, plus six battle arenas.

What are the Retro cups?

The Shell, Banana, Leaf and Lightning Cups. Each has one course from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, in that order.

What is the shortest course?

By staff ghost time, SNES Mario Circuit 1 (0'50"688) and GCN Baby Park (0'50"920).

Which courses were playable online?

20 of the 32: Figure-8 Circuit, Yoshi Falls, Cheep Cheep Beach, Luigi's Mansion, Desert Hills, Delfino Square, DK Pass, Mario Circuit, Wario Stadium, Rainbow Road, SNES Mario Circuit 1, N64 Moo Moo Farm, GBA Peach Circuit, GCN Luigi Circuit, N64 Frappe Snowland, GCN Baby Park, N64 Choco Mountain, SNES Choco Island 2, GBA Sky Garden, GCN Yoshi Circuit.

Sources & picture credits

Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against the Super Mario Wiki and the Mario Kart Racing Wiki. Kart statistics, staff ghost times and item odds are the values from the game data as transcribed by the Super Mario Wiki. Screenshots, renders and artwork © Nintendo; local copies archived from Super Mario Wiki file pages (listed on the image gallery).