5 Worst Tracks In Mario Kart History, Ranked

There’s a reason Nintendo keeps coming back to Mario Kart. The racing games are just plain fun, and each iteration adds something new while bringing back beloved characters and mechanics. Mario Kart World was the Switch 2 launch game for a reason. Even people who don’t often pick up a controller will rarely say no to a couch co-op round of Mario Kart or two. But that doesn’t mean we love everything about the games. Some tracks get on everyone’s last nerve.

Over the years, Mario Kart has added several new tracks and brought back old favorites with new remastered designs. While some tracks will forever stand the test of time, others never quite captured the love of fans. There have been quite a few hated Mario Kart tracks in series history, but arguably, few have drawn quite as much ire as these 5.

5. Rainbow Road (N64)

I know this might be a hot take, but I’m starting with the bane of my childhood existence. Rainbow Road may be beloved by some, by there’s no denying the track is a lot. All those bright flashing colors are incredibly distracting and leave poor drivers like me flying off into space more often than not. Some may love the challenge, but others would prefer never to touch their kart wheels on Rainbow Road again. More recent iterations have improved on the concept, proving that not everyone hates the Rainbow Road. But even so, those of us who dislike it really dislike it, earning the track a space on this list.

Rainbow Road first debuted in Super Mario Kart on the SNES. Since then, it has reappeared in many renditions of Mario Kart, so we’ll have to be more specific here. I’m awarding the worst track award to the N64 version, which was incredibly long. It offered plenty of time for multiple trips to outer space, which made the torture of this tricky track last even longer. Some racers love the challenge, but honestly, this track will live in infamy for many of us.

4. Banshee Boardwalk (N64)

It feels like a bit of a crime to do this to Banshee Boardwalk during October, but it is what it is. This track could’ve been so good, but it fell pretty short of its potential. The overall vibes are delightfully spooky, but the track falls short of its promise. It throws in some challenges with missing guardrails, giving it a bit of that same Rainbow Road frustration, but my main complaint is that the haunted house doesn’t really deliver.

For those who were kids when Mario Kart 64 came out, this track might’ve been too scary. But for most of us, it could have leaned into the spooky season gaming vibes a bit more. It’s also relatively boring to drive, as there’s not much to it besides Boo floating around and a bit empty brick building. Later haunted tracks have done better, which is probably why this track hasn’t been revisited as often as some other N64 classics.

3. Wario Stadium (N64)

Whereas Rainbow Road earns its place partly by having too much going on, Wario Stadium commits the opposite sin. This track is just plain boring, with not much going on in its design except lots and lots of pictures of Wario. Despite lacking the dynamic features that make other tracks interesting, the N64 Wario Stadium track is quite long. That makes for some boring and repetitive trips around and around this track.

This early take on a stadium course has rarely reappeared in later versions, and for good reason. With dirt mounts and wide roads, this track doesn’t offer much of a challenge or much visual appeal. It existed, and it took forever, and that’s about all it did.

2. Choco Island 2 (DS)

Choco Island 2 debuted in Super Mario Kart, and has since made a few reappearances. Players didn’t love the course even on SNES, but for many, the DS version went from bad to worse. This course is a big old rectangle full of slippery chocolate river hazards, and it’s too short to give you time to recover when you inevitably slip. Not only that, but the DS graphics make it look less like chocolate and more like, well… use your imagination.

Choco Island 2 on DS goes down in history as one of the most hated Mario Kart tracks. It loses the aesthetic of the original while maintaining the annoying mechanics and somehow making them even worse. This track manages to be both boring and frustrating in equal measure, which is probably why it hasn’t really returned since Mario Kart Tour. For most players, this course can stay buried.

1. Vanilla Lake 2 (SNES)

Let’s be honest, the ice mechanic is one of the most infuriating elements of Mario Kart. Vanilla Lake 2 on the SNES has plenty of ice to send you slipping and sliding, making it one of the most frustrating tracks in Mario Kart history. On top of the ice, this track is riddled with snow patches that slow you down and blocks that get in your way.

Both Vanilla Lake tracks get plenty of hate, but 2 takes the cake thanks to taking most of what makes the first track frustrating and somehow multiplying it. The ice blocks are tough to see and basically impossible to avoid, and the course isn’t even interesting in its difficulty, just annoying. Overall, Vanilla Lake 2 will go down in history as one of the worst Mario Kart track designs of all time.

What Mario Kart track makes your personal list of the worst-ever designs? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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