Nintendo Grand Prix/Course Descriptions

Cup 	Courses
Mushroom Cup 	Mario CircuitA simple course, with a wide paved track over rolling grasslands, plenty of Piranha Plants, and a large crowd of Toads cheering the racers on. The course has plenty of turns to catch a Mini-Turbo on, and the tail end of the second lap introduces the racers to the new Pilot form, which carries throughout the entire third lap.
Mushroom Cup 	Wii Luigi CircuitA simple loop with no hazards, a giant crowd of spectators cheers you on from under the shade of a giant Luigi cap. Plenty of opportunities to practice Mini-Turbos and wheelies, and the ramp in the sand (re-)introduces the racers to Glider form.
Mushroom Cup 	Peach's CastleTwisting turns, painting warps, and branching paths make this course a labyrinth as racers dash between landmarks of Mario's first 3D adventure. Locales like Dire Dire Docks introduce the Underwater form, and Rainbow Ride & the Tower of the Wing Cap provide more opportunities to practice Pilot form.
Mushroom Cup 	GCN Daisy CruiserTaking place on Daisy's large cruise ship, this course takes racers on a crash tour throughout the entire cruiser, including the flooded basement. There's also a new shortcut by taking a ramp to launch into Glider form and fly over the very top of the ship near the end.
Flower Cup 	GBA Sky GardenA simple yet highly dangerous cloudtop course, with very little walls to prevent racers from falling off the course. Shortcuts are plentiful, though many require you to use a Mushroom to boost across the thick cloud canopy. To top it all off, a giant blimp with Luigi's face on it circles the track.
Flower Cup 	DS Waluigi PinballA course filled with sharp turns and odd gimmicks, this giant pinball machine features pinballs, bumpers, and electric flippers to get in the way of racers. In laps 2 and 3, the racers are introduced to the new Hovercraft form during the behind-the-scenes machinery portion of the course.
Flower Cup 	Bowser's CastleDeviating significantly from previous Bowser's Castle courses, this incarnation is heavily based on its appearance in Super Mario Galaxy 2. The majority of the course has racers in Anti-Gravity form, only interrupted by a small Swim form section, and there are plenty of lava/fire hazards. The course is also littered with Whomps, Thwomps, and Magikoopas to get in your way.
Flower Cup 	Rainbow RoadA soaring, majestic rainbow streaks through the night sky, with racers atop it as usual. However, this time the Rainbow Road swoops lower, entering Mushroom City and weaving between buildings before speeding past Moo Moo Meadows and catapulting back into space to end the race. The course is in 3 sections instead of laps, and features plentiful Pilot and Hovercraft form sections.
Warp Star Cup	Cookie CountryAnother simple loop, this course is almost entirely in Hovercraft form, with only a short Swim form section. Going from grasslands to caves to shallow pools, Cookie Country holds a complex environment without the course getting too confusing.
Warp Star Cup	AR Celestial ValleyThe first 2-lap course and the second one designed around Hovercraft, Celestial Valley features lots of opportunities to hover-glide, plenty of Boost Pads, and an introduction to Grind Rails. There's also a short Pilot form section, after the racers are rocketed straight up a waterfall into the sky.
Warp Star Cup	Old OdysseyAnother 2-lap course, Old Odyssey contains a wide variety of environments like canyons, forests, tundras, and caverns. Flying through narrow passages in Pilot form, exploring the underside of an iceberg in Swim form, and even driving on the ceiling of a cave in Anti-Gravity form, this course creates a veritable buffet of experiences.
Warp Star Cup	AR Frozen HillsideThe final 2-lap course of this Cup, racers will explore a large floating ice formation as they drive through a brilliant aurora storm. Many sharp turns, a Swim form section, a long set of Grind Rails, and lots of alternate paths await the racers in this maze of ice.
Tomato Cup 	AR Machine PassageStrange, high-energy music accompanies this similarly strange course, as racers in Hovercraft form streak down lifeless passages in this metal maze. A cannon fires the racers out of the building near the end of the course, leading into a short Pilot form section that flies back to the beginning.
Tomato Cup 	The HalberdHeavily themed around the Halberd's appearance in the Subspace Emissary, this course explores both the inside and the outside of Meta Knight's giant battleship. Similar to Machine Passage, the Halberd is filled with technological mysteries; however, the ship is teeming with enemies and weapons, all intent on slowing you down. You might even get a glimpse of Peach, Zelda, and Fox on an important mission...
Tomato Cup 	Mt. DededeThis massive course, much like MK8's Mount Wario, has a distinct start & finish and has 3 sections, instead of having laps. Racers travel through a rocky canyon environment, with a Pilot form section near the beginning soaring over an empty desert and an Anti-Gravity form section along the walls of the canyon. The course ends with the racers streaking through Castle Dedede, based on its appearance in Star Allies.
Tomato Cup 	Another DimensionRacers fly through a vast outer-space environment, with the entire course set in Pilot form. Filled with spike balls, crushing block formations, and flying enemies, the course seems to be simple in design but difficult to navigate in practice. The environment shifts and mutates randomly so that each lap, and each race, is entirely different from the last.
Arwing Cup 	CorneriaLike almost every other course in the Arwing and Wolfen Cups, Corneria allows for driving on the ground but has plenty of Pilot ramps. The environment itself is in the capital city of the planet, very active and chaotic. On the second and third laps, Aparoids swoop in to infect any vehicles or people they find, turning them into hostile obstacles running towards or shooting at you.
Arwing Cup 	MeteoTaking place in deep space, the course is forced in Pilot Form the entire time. The course is a very simple circle with 5 laps, but there are lots of asteroids floating by that easily get in your way. Much like Another Dimension, the asteroid layout is randomized each lap.
Arwing Cup 	Sector XThis course transitions between Pilot and Anti-Gravity Forms frequently as you traverse the wreckage of Andross's research base. It's a 3-section non-looping track, and feels very empty despite the moderate chance of seeing a stray Arwing or two zip past.
Arwing Cup 	VenomA difficult, winding course that takes place in the maze-like tunnels built underneath the surface of Venom, you'll not encounter much on this track. The barren, claustrophobic tunnels have many forks in the road, and you'll rarely even see other racers on your way to the finish. Uniquely, the game doesn't even display what place you're in until you pass the finish line after the third lap.
Wolfen Cup 	Krazoa PalaceDark clouds envelop the castle that once held the great Krazoa Spirits, and SharpClaw soldiers roam carelessly in the hallways. Racers will drive through narrow corridors as Brain Squids (mostly) harmlessly fly past, and warp to the two Force Point Temples- a wide open tropical environment, and a scorching hot volcano region.
Wolfen Cup 	FichinaA wide, barren icescape awaits the racers on Fichina, only broken up by the beginnings of a Cornerian base. Mostly in Pilot Form, racers must evade both Venomians and Star Wolf as they work to take over the planet. The course itself is a large, simple loop, with some ice cave sections and lots of mountainous terrain.
Wolfen Cup 	Moon Mountain PassRacers will blast through otherworldly canyons, lit only by glowing pink flowers and under eternal night. MoonSeeds create pathways out of vine that racers must drive across, and frequent Anti-Gravity areas make this course surprisingly complex and open despite the small size.
Wolfen Cup 	AquasTo finish out the Star Fox courses is the peaceful oceanic environment of Aquas, entirely using Swim form. Underwater ruins crumble around the racers as they blaze past peaceful sea creatures and aquatic vehicles. Not all is perfect, however, as the giant Bacoon awakens from its slumber on lap 3 and attempts to harass the racers.
Balloon Cup 	DKR Windmill PlainsA relatively simple course, racers traverse sunny fields, explore caves lit with torches, and drive under or fly past windmills. Plenty of Pilot ramps are available, and a new underwater path is introduced halfway through the lap.
Balloon Cup 	Monkey MinesRacers speed down dark railway paths dodging minecarts and Kart Kritters, mostly in Hovercraft Form. The midsection of the lap takes the racers into an underground cave, lit with an eerie pink glow and filled with tires to bounce off of.
Balloon Cup 	Cotton Top CoveAn underwater course set in Anti-Gravity Form, racers will explore Bazza-infested waters before being shot out of a Barrel Cannon into a short Pilot Form section. After flying around above a boardwalk, racers dip back underwater to return to the start.
Balloon Cup 	DKR Star CityAfter a psychedelic rainbow tunnel in Anti-Gravity Form and a long bridge in Hovercraft Form, racers must navigate a dense, maze-like city in Drive Form. Item Boxes are scattered everywhere, turning the course into a battleground of shells and bombs.
Banana Cup 	DKBB Mt. DynamiteEntirely in Hovercraft Form, racers enter an active volcano, dodging falling rocks & barrels and exploring caves lit with flowing lava. There are many hard-to-reach shortcuts, including several Barrel Cannons.
Banana Cup 	Autumn HeightsA 3-section non-looping course, racers begin at the peak of a large mountain, rushing down as hot air balloons drift past. They enter a cave filled with minecart rails for section 2 and have to dodge sawmills as they transition to Anti-Gravity Form, before bursting out into a forest at the start of section 3, with many Glider Form sections taking advantage of the wind that the alphorns create.
Banana Cup 	DKBB Cranky's TempleAnother Hovercraft Form course, racers explore a mystical temple floating in the sky, inexplicably owned by Cranky Kong. Following a winding path, racers will find many barrels and bananas, as well as bees and vultures blocking the way. Near the end is a fork in the road, and a Barrel Cannon launches into Glider Form at the end of one of the fork's paths.
Banana Cup 	Planet PlantaenRacers will drive through several villages, going past and even through large banana-shaped Moai statues. The course also travels through a short forest segment before finishing the lap, and the entire track is shaped like a banana.
[other cups & courses coming eventually, remaining list: Ruby, Emerald (F-Zero), Super Sea Snail, Zapfish (Splatoon), Bell (Animal Crossing), Triforce (Legend of Zelda), Ring (Sonic), E-Tank (Mega Man)]
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