Ribbon Road

Ribbon Road
Series	Mario Kart
First Game	Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001)
Creator	Nintendo EAD

Ribbon Road is the second track of the Star Cup in Mario Kart: Super Circuit. The track reappears again in the Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a part of the Bell Cup. The entire road is made of a giant stretch of ribbon.

Course Layout

The original course as featured in Mario Kart: Super Circuit is set in a world made entirely of craft materials and presents, and begins in a straight red road that soon leads to a curve to the right. It is a circular curve that leads the player into boost panels and makes the player boost past and over the section of the road they were in. Here a shortcut may be performed if the player takes all the boost panels and then makes a sharp turn to the right after jumping. It is risky and may land the racer off the track, but it is useful for getting ahead. Past the ramp is a short straight road that turns left into a straight road, and another curve to the left that will also lead the player into boost panels and a ramp that will speed the player past a previous section of the course.

After the second and final ramp is a curve to the right that leads the player into a twisty, but one-directional road that has off road and presents to slow the player. After the twisty road is another twisty road past the curve to the right that leads the player southwest the course and two more minor curves to the left, that leads the player into the southernmost part of the course.

There is a slightly straight, but curvy road in the last straight road before the finish line. The first section of this road is straight, but there is a very minor curve to the left that leads the player even further down the course until they meet a curve to the right that leads into the road with the finish line. It is straight and it leads the player back into the finish/starting line.

Shortcuts

This track has only one shortcut that can be used without a Mushroom. From the first large ramp, the player must drive over all boost panels and take a sharp right turn. This allows them to skip the part of the course that leads to the second ramp.

Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

As it appears Mario Kart 8.

Ribbon Road returns in Mario Kart 8 as a retro course in the add-on pack, Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8, as well as in the base content of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as the second track in the Bell Cup. The course is now set in a child's bedroom at toy size, that not only features gift boxes, similar to the original, but stuffed Yoshis, Koopa Clown Car jack-in-the-boxes, toy versions of karts used in Mario Kart 8, Mini Toads and a Mario Kart 8 poster on the bedroom's wall as well. The track surface now has three different colors of ribbons with the series logo printed on it, instead of just red as in the original.

The course now features a start/finish banner, which is made of coral pink and lavender colored ribbon arches, with the course's name featured on the front star details on the sides of the banner and on the tips of the arches, as well as a wooden ornament made of a ribbon and Super Bell on top. Also, much like GCN Yoshi Circuit and GBA Cheese Land, the modern Mario Kart logo is used instead of the classic logo that the course had in its original appearance.

The course contains three colored sections with castle walls of different colors. Out of the start/finish line, racers travel through the first section, which has red ribbons on pink carpet with castle walls, mini Toads, and Super Bell icons - this section is based on Princess Peach. After doing a three-quarter turn, the racers go through a jump over the track and enter the second section of castle, where the track is now a green ribbon with light green carpet, with Bowser-colored castle walls with his icon on them and wind-up Mechakoopas posing as hazards - this section is based on Bowser. After another three-quarter turn, the racers go through another jump and enter an anti-gravity segment, with floating blue ribbons, blue-white castle walls, with Luma symbols and stars on the spires - this section is based on Rosalina and her power of levitation. The anti-gravity segment ends in a gliding segment, with racers having to dodge Jack-in-the-Box Koopa Clown Cars before returning to the red ribbon portion of the track. After another U-turn, the track returns to the start/finish line.

The music has also been remade, now with a slowed-down surf-rock rendition of the previous theme.

Shortcuts

• Two exist on the anti-gravity portion:
  • The player can make a sharp drift onto a ramp next to the Teddy Buggy statue.
  • Before the main gliding area with the two Jack-in-the-Box Koopa Clown Cars, the player can drift onto a hidden gliding ramp.
• Upon returning to the red ribbon portion of the track, after gliding, players can take a sharp right turn through the ribbon arches using a Mushroom or Star to cut off the wide curve.

Staff ghost

The staff ghost for this course is the Female Villager on the Teddy Buggy with a time of 2:11.839. The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 200cc staff ghost is Isabelle with a time of 1:31.220.

Sponsors

• Kung Fu Lakitu (Poster)
• Lemmy's Tire Service (Logos)
• Mario Motors (Logos)
• Toad Toy Store (Logos)

Trivia

• Multiple Yarn Yoshi figures are visible around the track. They resemble the amiibo.
• Mini Toads from the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series appear at the beginning of the track.
• Karts like Biddybuggies and Teddy Buggies are in the room much bigger than the racers
• A theatrical poster of a fictional film starring a Lakitu called "Kung Fu Lakitu", which is a reference to the 2008 DreamWorks animated film Kung Fu Panda is found on the wall. Its tagline is "Dragon Driftway the Movie", referencing that course.
• Multiple large knitted Yoshis resembling both their appearance in Yoshi's Woolly World and the Yarn Yoshi series of amiibo.
• After the first ramp, there is a boomerang in the background resembling the one from a Boomerang Flower in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World (when used by Toad).
• Toad's character icon artwork from Super Mario 3D World can be seen on two gift boxes, although it is recolored. The 2D artworks of Red Shells, Stars, Fire Flowers, Coins, Green Shells, Bullet Bills, ? Blocks, and Bob-ombs, as well as the Toad Toy Store Logo can be seen on the same wrapping paper as well.
• A Standard Kart structure poster appears on the bedroom wall.