Wario Stadium
You might remember the original Wario Stadium from Mariokart 64. It's not the same this time around but it's still full of fun surprises. You'll encounter bumpy roads, sharp turns, fire death traps, and numerous obstacles on your way to the finish line. Boost out of the starting line and start to Drift Boost to your left. After coming out of the turn angle yourself so that you drive straight through the next S-shaped turn rather than wasting time drifting around both direction. Drift Boost left at the end of the "S" then launch yourself off the Booster Pad and hit R before you go airborne to get some extra distance. Drift Boost left again to reach the muddy area.Hit every one of these Booster Pads and angle yourself toward the next one while doing do. Press the R button to hop just before you launch off each one to minimize the amount of time you have to spend in the mud. Drift Boost around the next corner and get ready for another Booster Pad jump. This time make absolutely sure you do NOT hop before you go airborne. It's set up so that you'll be the perfect height to get through the ring just hitting the jump. Aim well and you should also be able to snag one of the item boxes. Same goes for the second one. Around the next corner is another fiery obstacle, spinning flame "Y" shaped things. Avoiding them is easy as pie and all depends on your timing. There are some item boxes between the first and second one so make sure not to miss them. Around the next corner you'll come to another Booster Pad jump. What you want to do is hit it at a perfectly straight angle and jump before you go off. This way you should clear the middle hump and land directly on the third Booster Pad. Jump going off that one again to maintain maximum momentum. From here on out it's a couple of bumpy hills and a final Booster Pad jump to the finish line, nothing tricky.
Peach Gardens
Princess Toadstool's beautiful castle gardens will be the next course on your list. You'll be driving through tall grass and flowers, around hedges and even through a real (albeit extremely easy to navigate) hedge-maze. When the race begins you're sent forward and you'll see an arrow directing you to the left. You would be wise to follow its direction so Drift Boost around this first corner to the left but be very careful as there is no wall on the edge and it can be difficult to see exactly where that edge is. Coming out of the corner pick up one of the item boxes and get ready for the level's primary shortcut. There's an arrow up ahead pointing to the left, however if you have either a Mushroom or Star use them and boost yourself to the right of this arrow and down the path to the right to save a good amount of time.At the top of the hill you can boost through the flowerbed on the right again, or even go "around" it to the right. Both will probably save you a tiny bit of time, the first one more so that the other. At the bottom of the hill is the stage's hedge-maze. Basically it's just a bunch of hedge obstacles one after another. Navigate between them left and right to reach the end with little difficulty, however you should note that there are chomps bouncing around in this area. You'll want to avoid them, but also get close in another sense with the "chain" they drag behind them is actually comprised of item boxes. At the top of the hill afterward either Drift Boost to the right or use a Mushroom / Star to go through the garden if you have one. Drive down the hill and go either left or right at the bottom, then immediately turn again back toward the middle to save a bit of time rather than going around the outside. The final danger of the level comes from the moles jumping up and down around of their holes in this zig-zagging section that takes you to the castle. Try to Drift Boost as much as you can here while avoiding the moles. A final straight on the stone allows you to Drift Boost to the finish.
Bowser's Castle
Bowser's Castle has always been a traditionally difficult course to navigate and this game's incarnation is certainly no different. Drive forward into the mouth of the keep and grab one of the item boxes while keeping an eye on the stomping blocks above to make sure they're not about to come right done on your head (or directly in front of you). You've got a few good corners for Drift Boosting around to the right coming up. After crossing the bridge you'll reach this stage's primary shortcut. There's a section of the course where you have to drive around a circular conveyor belt moving in the opposite direction you are. If you Drift Boost around this it's not too bad and you'll find the exit around the middle of the wall. However, if you keep drifting past the first exit and between a couple of fire pillars, you'll find a second exit which takes you ahead on a perfectly straight path and circumvents the little out-of-the-way you would have had to take if you exited earlier.Avoid the stomping block up ahead and grab one of the items. Start by drifting to the left and moving the D-Pad to prepare for a Drift Boost. You can try to get them repeatedly here but I recommend just drifting to the end and saving the boost for when you reach the straight again. Coming out of here there is an interesting rolling "log" to drive across. This large cylinder will keep spinning (and not always in the same direction) while you drive across it. If you can manage to get to the other side then you can go straight down the hill. If you fall then you have to find the exit and go up an oppositely sloped longer hill. It's not a huge difference, but still better if you try not to fall. After going over the Booster Pad jumps you'll land on some moving platforms. Try to drive down the centre that way you'll see in the area where the platforms are connected at least most of the time. Drift Boost around the next couple of corners and before you know it you're at the finish.
