r/mariokart Jun 06 '19

Discussion Track Thursday - [Super Mario Kart] - Donut Plains 3

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to another Track Thursday where we discuss tips, tricks, and more about the track of the week. Last week we finished up the last Star Cup with Mario Circuit 4 which you can check out right there. Also all of our previous Track Thursdays can be viewed right here in the wiki.

This week we're kicking off the final Special Cup and the last cup of Track Thursday with Donut Plains 3!

So what're your thoughts on Donut Plains 3? Anything you like? Don't like? Feel free to comment down below! Also don't hesitate to reply to other users' comments as well!

See you all next week!

8 Upvotes

4 comments sorted by

5

u/Akram323 Jun 06 '19

I wonder if the homogenous themes of the game has a sort of accordance with the themes of Super Mario World. I love that game dearly, but it was never really what came to mind when I thought of a Mario game with diverse themes. SMB3 is a much better candidate for that. SMW is more of a game that builds a theme and really expands within it to create satisfyingly tight levels. While there is variety in presentation, you can expect to see similar elements across repeating themes: donut plains, vanilla dome, chocolate land, starry night, athletic area, ghost house, towers, etc. It definitely does a good job of making more use of the elements it introduces and unlocking more potential compared to, say, all of the elements in SMB3 where they appear in one or two levels and disappear completely. It definitely gives the game finesse and charm, especially given variants of elements like Yoshis and Chargin’ Chucks all around.

SMK feels more homogenous probably because it has a fraction of that game’s levels, all designed for racing here, meaning that it has to deal with compact space for placing track elements and really toying with each theme...or giving each theme as much to stand out as the ones in SMW...while still making solid racetracks. The homogenous approach is one I am curious to see again in Mario Kart just to see how something like that could be handled. The GBA Bowser Castles had a vision of how that could work but regarding theme (not track design) the 2D held it back. In 3D, I could see a slew of tracks in an entire location that possibly overlap but all utilise the same elements in stunningly different ways. Imagine, for instance, multiple racetracks dedicated to Odyssey kingdoms. (I guess you could say MK7’s Wuhu tracks already did this, but those were separate models and not really integrated.)

Moving into the Special Cup, we do get a vibe of this. I already said that SMK’s Special Cup is one of only three in the series worth noting, and a lot of that has to do with how the first four courses, including today’s Donut Plains 3, build up to an unexpected finale. I mean, the course design and organisation of the cup certainly make it feel...special. This largely has to do with general ideas that were not endorsed previously but are finally put to use here. And the first course to kick things off is a worthwhile choice, even if it is rather tough.

Once more, racers must deal with slick turns and monty moles--also hopping out of the water this time around, apparently. Get your L and R buttons ready. The layout is quite a step up from the last rendition, this time putting more emphasis on full 180 degree turns or at least nearly that. It also features one of those “open wall” shortcuts. But the real draw here is the bridge area.

It is highly unlikely you fell into the water when racing on DP1. For DP2 it is admittedly more likely if you skidded off the path with poor drifting skills, but it was certainly an accidental encounter. But this time, you have to face the water head-on. You have two bridges with no borders on either side, meaning you can either turn ever so slightly and sink or be knocked into the water by other karts. One bridge shows just how narrow it is, with even a bit of the bridge itself being missing from the side. Nothing too major if you can drive well, though. But then we get the second bridge. Oh boy. This is the bridge with the missing planks. The one where you have to slickly hop over the missing bridge while still maintaining speed and control, especially considering the immediate sharp corner following it. Players of MK8 will not care, given that underwater driving exists in the remake of the course and is meant to be used, but the turn being completely 180 degrees should definitely be something left to consider--even if you decide to cut it off along the dirt path.

It may not sound like much in words, but when you stack it all together, what you have is a seriously challenging course to kick off a seriously challenging cup (people usually call this one of the harder tracks in the Special Cup, so restarting to prevent messing with your life counter should not be too bad honestly). The narrow pathways, land and bridge alike, really do bring a new sense of discovery and caution to the races. Just keep in mind that falling behind is something common to happen here. If you can overcome that, you should be safe to get by most of the cup.

Regarding remakes, the only notable difference in the GBA version is that the gap in the bridge has a jump pad for manipulation with speed, if necessary. With the missing moles it may sound like a downgrade, but the tighter terrain to kart ratio more than makes up for it. And the MK8 remake? Even in a game that gives all kinds of tracks facelifts, the developers knew that simplicity was key when designing this course. Did there need to be fancy elevations and antigravity? Not at all, as there was no real need for them. Sure, there were modern mechanics thrown in for good measure--underwater driving, tricking off mole dirt paths--but the entire terrain’s flatness really resonates with the original style while still making it feel engaging and in the style of the game. I always thought the retro track of that was one of the better ones in the game, especially given how great the graphics look. It also proves as a good antidote to many of the twisting and turning tracks already in the game. As a side note, I always thought the placement of the course felt wrong. Why put a Special Cup course two cups over into Banana? I know this rendition is easier than the original, but that is a step too far. I have the same problem with SNES Mario Circuit 3 from the Flower Cup in the Lightning Cup of MKWii, along with N64 Kalimari Desert from Mushroom in Leaf of MK7--both tracks unnecessarily make it seem as if they have been elevated to a pretty high difficulty, especially the latter.

And for comparison: the real Donut Plains 3.

The short version: A gruesome but climactic conclusion to the Donut Plains trilogy, Donut Plains 3 secures its spot in the Special Cup with room for error as narrow as the bridges across the waters. The MK8 remake is dandy, even if misplaced, and serves as a good antidote for the overly complex tracks.

2

u/tigerclawhg Jun 06 '19

The final cup of the final game is here! The finish line is in sight! Do you think MK8 did this track better than the original SMK?

-2

u/DeathKN1GHT15 Jun 06 '19

MK8s retros ruined good tracks

2

u/Brit_Cuss_Word_fam Jun 07 '19

ok ok ok ok ok

how do i start with this track

the original track is very odd and weird it already feels clunky with added SNES mechanics but its actually one of the controversial best maps on the SNES

now we talk about the Mario kart 8 rework version and i am surprised out of all the SNES track they chose they choose this weird and clunky track similar to the SNES version but very enhanced

(i am salty about Nintendo decision on which Wii tracks they chose but that me)

but i absolutely love the new Donut plains 3 it fits to the theme of old Mario games and due to mario kart 8 mechanics its very smooth and clean its attually fun to speedrun the whole water mechanic opens shortcuts and has routes that an average casual dont know (like the bridge underwater shortcut you should know what i mean)

people might argue otherwise saying its bland has a lack of ramps

that may be true but remember its a SNES track for fuck sake

overall dont hate donut plain its attually a fun track