| Mario Kart Ultimate | |
 | |
| Developer(s) | ACL Games, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Wii U |
| Genre | Racing |
| Release | June 29, 2012 July 1, 2012 July 3, 2012 |
| Mode(s) | 1-4 (Local) 1-8 (Online) |
| Ratings | E for Everyone |
| Media | Optical Disc |
Mario Kart Ultimate is the eighth instalment of the Mario Kart series and was released for the Wii U. Like all Mario Kart games, Mario Kart Ultimate introduces new courses, characters and new features. Game modes are also present such as the Grand Prix, Versus, Battle and Time Trial, many of them making use of Nintendo Network II for worldwide online play.
Gameplay
Features
Like in Mario Kart 7 and other previous Mario Kart games, Coins do return, though they act in a very different way. Like in Mario Kart 7, coins, when collected, make you gain speed. Also, coins are used to unlock vehicle parts, though differently. Unlike other games, coins can be used to buy items unlocked in the Mushroom Shop.
Also returning from Mario Kart 7 is the ability to create your own karts. Along with that, you are also able to save karts you create. Vehicle parts can be unlocked by buying them at the Mushroom Shop.
Returning from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is the ability of Special Items. With each character having their own special item, it makes racing more interesting.
Characters
The default Character Select screen
There are a total of 43 characters available to play as in Mario Kart Ultimate, with 13 being default, 15 being unlockable, and 15 being optional, as they must be purchased from the Mushroom Shop.
Default Characters
There are 13 default characters, all of them being defaults from Mario Kart Wii, with the exceptions of Mii and Lakitu.
Varies
Unlockable Characters
Purchasable Characters
Small
New Driver
200 Coins
Small
New Driver
500 Coins
Medium
New Driver
400 Coins
Medium
New Driver
500 Coins
Large
New Driver
200 Coins
Large
New Driver
400 Coins
Courses
Nitro Cups
| Mushroom Cup | Flower Cup | Star Cup | Special Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luigi Circuit | Mario Circuit | Birdo's Shopping Center | Toad Town Caves |
| Mushroom Meadow | Cloud World | Good Egg Galaxy | Clockwork Castle |
| Dimble Wood | Toad Fort | Waluigi's Raceway | Bowser's Castle |
| Dream Kingdom | Sherbet Mines | Hazy Maze Cave | Rainbow Road |
Mushroom Cup
Mushroom Cup is a default cup that consists of the easiest courses.
| Luigi Circuit | A short circuit featuring many jumps over tall pipes. Statues of Luigi fighting King Boo are here, and Luigi's [New] Mansion resides here. |
|---|---|
| Mushroom Meadow | A Meadow in the bottom of a canyon, many Monty Moles reside in the holes in the ground, and an underwater portion. |
| Dimble Wood | A nice tour around Dimble Wood, around the Tower of Yikk and Bubble Lake. |
| Dream Kingdom | A long, 1-lapped course that goes through the multiple realms of Subcon. |
Flower Cup
Flower Cup is a default cup that consists of some of the easier courses.
| Mario Circuit | A tour around Yoshi's Island, starting in the Donut Plains, and ending in the Forest of Illusion. |
|---|---|
| Cloud World | A palace on clouds, where some storks like to fly around. |
| Toad Fort | A large 1-lap course that takes place throughout a large medieval-like fortress , filled with many ? Blocks and Power-Ups |
| Sherbet Mines | A maze of mines on the peak of a mountain. Many Cooligans live in here. |
Star Cup
Star Cup is an unlockable cup that consists of harder courses.
| Birdo's Shopping Center | Apparently Birdo owns a shopping mall, as racers must travel through various fashion shops. |
|---|---|
| Good Egg Galaxy | A gravity-defying racecourse throughout various planets. Get ready to ride on ceilings and walls! |
| Waluigi Raceway | A facdtory in which Bob-Ombs are created. During the final lap, the track takes a change of pace, when a malfunction occurs and forces the racers to take an "alternate route" (aka the more dangerous route). |
| Hazy Maze Cave | A 1-lapped course around a crazed maze, that is so confusing, you have NO IDEA what place you are in until you finish. |
Special Cup
Special Cup is an unlockable cup that consists of the hardest courses.
| Toad Town Caves | A series of interconnecting caves underneath the Toad's hometown: Toad Town. Rushing water and multiple jumps make this course very stunt-filled. |
|---|---|
| Clockwork Castle | A changing day-and-night scenario, in which time is controlled. Clockwork Castle has many gears that interlock to create bridges and many obstacles. |
| Bowser's Castle | Bowser's large castle, complete with many lava pits, thwomps, a few Big Boos, and a giant, fire-breathing mecha Bowser. The course starts in Bowser's throne room and is heavily based off of Kastle Koopa, seen in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 television series. It is one lap. |
| Rainbow Road | Many magic carpets, twists and jumps make this space adventure full of colour. |
Retro Cups
| Shell Cup | Banana Cup | Leaf Cup | Lightning Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNES Choco Island 1 | Wii Grumble Volcano | N64 Royal Raceway | GBA Broken Pier |
| GBA Mario Circuit | 3DS Rock Rock Mountain | GCN Dry Dry Desert | Wii Moonview Highway |
| Wii Koopa Cape | SNES Donut Plains 2 | NDS Wario Stadium | GCN Bowser's Castle |
| DS Shroom Ridge | GCN Mushroom City | SNES Bowser Castle 3 | N64 Rainbow Road |
Shell Cup
Shell Cup is a default retro cup.
| Choco Island 1 | Super Mario Kart |
|---|---|
| Mario Circuit | Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
| Koopa Cape | Mario Kart Wii |
| Shroom Ridge | Mario Kart DS |
Banana Cup
Banana Cup is a default retro cup.
| Grumble Volcano | Mario Kart Wii |
|---|---|
| Rock Rock Mountain | Mario Kart 7 |
| Donut Plains 2 | Super Mario Kart |
| Mushroom City | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
Leaf Cup
Leaf Cup is an unlockable retro cup.
| Royal Raceway | Mario Kart 64 |
|---|---|
| Dry Dry Desert | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
| Wario Stadium | Mario Kart DS |
| Bowser Castle 3 | Super Mario Kart |
Lightning Cup
Lightning Cup is an unlockable retro cup.
| Broken Pier | Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
|---|---|
| Moonview Highway | Mario Kart Wii |
| Bowser's Castle | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
| Rainbow Road | Mario Kart 64 |
Purchasable Cups
| Coin Cup (100 Coins) |
Spike Cup (500 Coins) |
Pipe Cup (800 Coins) |
Champions Cup (1000 Coins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wii Toad's Factory | GBA Yoshi Desert | Koopa Air | AGP Mario Highway |
| Woody's Woods | Spike Desert | DS Tick-Tock Clock | Diamond City |
| GBA Ribbon Road | Wii Dry Dry Ruins | Crimson Bridge | AGP2 Yoshi Park 2 |
| Toybox | GCN Dry Dry Desert | GCN Sherbet Land | Ghost Ship |
Coin Cup
Coin Cup is a purchasable cup with both retro and nitro courses. It costs 100 coins.
| Toad's Factory | Mario Kart Wii |
|---|---|
| Woody's Woods | A large forest based around the tree named Woody. |
| Ribbon Road | Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
| Toybox | A carnival with many toys that the Shy Guy inhabit. |
Spike Cup
Spike Cup is a purchasable cup with both retro and nitro courses. It costs 500 coins.
| Yoshi Desert | Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
|---|---|
| Spike Desert | A windy and sandy desert, filled with pyramids filled with Spikes. |
| Dry Dry Ruins | Mario Kart Wii |
| Dry Dry Desert | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
Pipe Cup
Pipe Cup is a purchasable cup with both retro and nitro courses. It costs 800 coins.
| Koopa Air | A large airport based around Koopa Troopas. |
|---|---|
| Tick-Tock Clock | Mario Kart DS |
| Crimson Bridge | A large, mystery-esque city, with many bridges. |
| Sherbet Land | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
Champions Cup
Champions Cup is a purchasable cup with both retro and nitro courses. It costs 1000 coins.
| Mario Highway | Mario Kart Arcade GP |
|---|---|
| Diamond City | A large, glistening city full of hustle and bustle. |
| Yoshi Park 2 | Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 |
| Ghost Ship | An underwater airship with Boos and fish inhabiting it. |
Battle Courses
| Castle Courtyard | SNES Battle Course 1 |
| Barrel Volcano | GBA Battle Course 4 |
| Jungle Ruins | GCN Luigi's Mansion |
| Windmill Valley | Wii Delfino Pier |
| Castle Courtyard | The courtyard of Peach's Castle |
|---|---|
| Barrel Volcano | The top of a large volcano. With a wooden shack on the side. |
| Jungle Ruins♠ | A large aztec-like area full of monkey statues. |
| Windmill Valley♠ | A large valley full of lots windmills. Based on a stereotypical Dutch village. |
| Battle Course 1 | Super Mario Kart |
|---|---|
| Battle Course 4 | Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
| Luigi's Mansion♠ | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
| Delfino Pier♠ | Mario Kart Wii |
Items
| Item | Rank & Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Shell | A green Koopa shell that will bounce off walls. | 1-8 | Common |
| Triple Green Shells | Three green Koopa shells that work the same as one. | 1-8 | Semi-Common |
| Red Shell | A red Koopa shell that will lock on to the racer ahead. | 1-8 | Semi-Common |
| Banana Peel | A smiling banana peel that will hurt anyone who touches it. | 1-8 | Common |
| Triple Banana Peels | Three banana peels that act the same as one. | 1-8 | Semi-Common |
| Bullet Bill | A speeding bullet that will bring the user up a few places. | 5-8 | Rare |
| Blue Shell | A spiked blue Koopa shell that locks on to first place. | 4-8 | Super Rare |
| Mushroom | A red Mushroom that gives the user a small boost. | 3-6 | Rare |
| Triple Mushrooms | Three Mushrooms that have the same effect as 1 Mushroom. | 5-8 | Semi-Rare |
| Starman | A Star that gives the user invincibility for a small amount of time. | 6-8 | Rare |
| Lightning | A Lightning Bolt that shrinks all racers ahead of the user. | 5-8 | Semi-Rare |
| Blooper | A squid that will cover the racers ahead of the user in ink, blinding them. | 3-8 | Semi-Common |
| Fake Item Box | An item box lookalike that will hurt anyone when touched. | 1-8 | Common |
| Thunder Cloud | An item similar to the Lightning, except it only shrinks the user. | 1-4 | Rare |
| Boo | A silly Boo that will steal an opponents item for the user. | 5-8 | Semi-Common |
| Bumper | A blue and white bumper that will make the person who makes contact with it bounce back. | 1-8 | Rare |
| Freezie | An icy item that acts similar to a Green Shell but will freeze opponents on contact. Can only bounce once. | 4-8 | Common |
| Superball | A ball of iron that, when thrown, will bounce around and will disappear when it stops. | 1-6 | Semi-Common |
| Carrot | A carrot that will give the user rabbit ears. The user, when jumps, will give small earthquake shocks. | 4-8 | Common |
Special Items
Every character has their own special item that can be obtained anywhere from 5-8. Though each character has their own special item, Mii's are able to get any of the items listed below. In the item roulette, they have a golden background instead of the usual white.
| Item | Character | |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Mushroom | Gives the user unlimited uses of Mushrooms for 10 seconds. | Toad |
| Spiny Eggs | Similar to red shells, except stuns for longer. | Lakitu |
| Bubble | Makes a bubble around the user and their kart, creating a shield. | Baby Mario |
| Triple Green Shells | Gives the user three green shells that spin around the kart. | Koopa Troopa |
| Red Fireball | The user throws three red fireballs forward (or backward), burning anyone it touches. | Mario |
| Elemental Ghosts | The user gets Ice, Fire and Water Ghosts that can be thrown at opponents. | Luigi |
| Yoshi Egg | A Yoshi Egg that homes in to the player ahead. Releases 3 random items. | Yoshi |
| Heart | Many small hearts and 3 large ones appear around the user's kart. Hitting 3 items will give them to the player. | Peach |
| Bowser Shell | A large shell that looks like Bowser's. It works like a Green Shell, but can withstand more bounces. | Bowser |
| DK Barrel | A large DK Barrel that acts like the Bowser Shell. | Donkey Kong |
| Wario Bomb | A large bomb with Wario's signature nose & moustache. Explodes 3 times. | Wario |
| Oil Slick | A large bucket of oil that can be dropped to create many oil slicks on the track. | Waluigi |
| Silver Mushroom | Gives the user unlimited Mushrooms for 5 seconds. | Toadette |
| Chain Chomp | Works similarly to Bullet Bills, except it lasts longer. | Baby Luigi |
| Triple Red Shells | Gives the user three red shells that spin around the kart. | Koopa Paratroopa |
| Porcupo | Gives a Porcupo that will stand still. When someone drives by, it will attack them. | Shy Guy |
| Ice Flower | Will give the user an Ice Flower, and the user will freeze enemies on contact. | Penguin |
| Daisy | Works similarly to Peach's Heart, except it can collect 5 objects. | Princess Daisy |
| Birdo Egg | A Yoshi Egg with pink spots, when it hits something, it releases 4 items. | Birdo |
| Magic Paintbrush | The user's kart will become covered in paint, and will last for 10 seconds. If they touch other racers, they will make them spin out. | Bowser Jr. |
| Magic Wand | The user will fire a beam of shapes forward, and will bounce. When it bounces, it makes another beam, and this repeats. | Kamek |
| Hammer | Several hammers are given to the user (who dons a Hammer Suit) and can be thrown forward. | Hammer Bro. |
| Crown | A golden crown which will make the user invisible for a few seconds. | King Boo |
| Angry | The user turns into an angry Wiggler and dashes forward for 10 seconds. Similar to a Bullet Bill, the computer controls the user's course. | Wiggler |
| Chomp Call | The user gets a Chomp Call, which will call 3 smaller Chain Chomps to attack first, second and third places. They will not attack the user. | Petey Piranha |
| Boomerang | The user gains a boomerang, which can be thrown three times before the user fails to regain it. | Boom Boom |
| Durian | The user would throw a Durian, which acts similarly to a Green Shell, but has unlimited bounces, so it would either bounce until it hit someone, or until it falls off a cliff. | Pianta |
Other Items
| Item | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Item Box | A box that will give anyone who makes contact an item. | On course |
| Coin | A coin that acts like money. | On course (1 coin) Item Box (random amounts) |
| CD | A CD that contains music. The music can be changed when unlocked. | Item Box |
Alternate Music
Alternate music for race courses can be unlocked by getting the very rare CD item from an Item Box. Each course has 2 unlockable songs, and they can be changed on the Music menu. Only Nitro courses (including Battle Courses) get extra music.
Yoshi Hunt
Like with Mario Tennis Open, Mario Kart Ultimate also includes special QR Codes that unlock new coloured Yoshis. Below are the Yoshis and then it's own QR Code. There are five characters, Blue Yoshi (released October 1, 2012), Red Yoshi (released December 20, 2012), Black Yoshi (released October 30, 2012) and White Yoshi (released November 10, 2012), along with a rare Metal Mario QR Code (released January 1, 2013). The QR Codes must be scanned by a Nintendo 3DS and then connected to Mario Kart Ultimate for the codes to work.
 Red Yoshi  Red Yoshi QR Code |
 Blue Yoshi  Blue Yoshi QR Code |
|---|---|
 Black Yoshi  Black Yoshi QR Code |
 White Yoshi  White Yoshi QR Code |
 Metal Mario QR Code | |
Beta Elements
Main article: Mario Kart Ultimate/Beta elements
Easter Eggs
Main article: Mario Kart Ultimate/Easter Eggs
Achievements
Unlike previous games in the series, Mario Kart Ultimate uses a special achievement system, which, when completed, earns the player extra coins.
| Achievement | Rewarded Coins | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Red Market | 50 | Buy one item from the shop |
| Ultra Shopper | 500 | Buy every character from the shop |
| Grand Karter | 200 | Win one Grand Prix |
| Locked and Found | 50 | Unlock one character |
| My Favourite! | 50 | Use a saved kart 10 times |
| Toadstar! | 1000 | Unlock all characters |
| Saver | 50 | Save a kart |
| As good as Miyamoto! | 300 | Unlock one Staff Ghost |
| A+ Achiever | 1000 | Unlock all other achievements |
| QR Hunter | 500 | Scan a QR Code for each character. |
Trivia
- This is the first Mario Kart game to include a Random button for cups.
Gallery
