Editing Wii Rainbow Road

{{classic title}}
{{about|the race course from ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''|Rainbow Road as a whole and other versions of the track|[[Rainbow Road]]}}
{{race course infobox
|title=Rainbow Road
|image={{tabber|title1=''Mario Kart Wii''|content1=[[File:MKW Rainbow Road Overview.png|300px]]|title2=''Mario Kart Tour''|content2=[[File:MKT Wii Rainbow Road Scene 1.png|300px]]|title3=''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''|content3=[[File:MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 1.png|300px]]}}
|appears_in=''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' ([[List of games by date#2008|2008]])<br>''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' (2023)<br>''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' (''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'', Wave 6) (2023)
|cups=[[Special Cup]] (''Wii'')<br>[[Spiny Cup]] (''8 Deluxe'')
|tours=[[Space Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Ninja Tour (2023)]]
|based_on=''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''
|online_play=No longer available ([[Wii]])<br>Available ([[Nintendo Switch|Switch]])
|sample=''Mario Kart Wii / Mario Kart Tour''<br>[[File:MKW Rainbow Road Theme.oga]]<br>''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''<br>[[File:Switch Wii Rainbow Road BCP.mp3]]<br>''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' (frontrunning)<br>[[File:Switch Wii Rainbow Road Frontrunning BCP.mp3]]
|map=''Mario Kart Wii''<br>[[File:Rainbow Road MKWii layout.png|140px]]<br>''Mario Kart Tour''<br>[[File:MKT Map RainbowRoadWii.png|140px]]<br>''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''<br>[[File:MK8DX Wii Rainbow Road Map.png|170px]]
|ghost={{ghost|Wii|Nin★Konno|3:05.895|[[File:RosalinaMKW.png|32px|link=Rosalina]][[File:Shooting Star (Rosalina) Model.png|32px|link=Shooting Star (bike)|Shooting Star]]}}{{ghost|Wii <small>Expert</small>|Nin★Syun1|2:44.734|[[File:RosalinaMKW.png|32px|link=Rosalina]][[File:Jetsetter (Rosalina) Model.png|32px|link=Jetsetter]]}}{{ghost|8DX <small>150cc</small>|Nin★Leonel|2:49.574|[[File:MK8 Mario Icon.png|32px|link=Mario]][[File: StandardKartBodyMK8.png|32px|link=Standard Kart]][[File:StandardTiresMK8.png|32px|link=Standard (tire)|Standard]][[File: SuperGliderMK8.png|32px|link=Super Glider]]}}{{ghost|8DX <small>200cc</small>|Nin★Yuya|2:06.146	|[[File:MK8 Luigi Icon.png|32px|link=Luigi]][[File: Mach8BodyMK8.png|32px|link=Mach 8]][[File:SlimTiresMK8.png|32px|link=Slim (tire)|Slim]][[File:MK8ThumbGreenSG.png|32px|link=Super Glider]]}}
}}

'''Rainbow Road''' is the fourth and last course of the [[Special Cup]] in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''. The course is located over [[Earth]]'s atmosphere. If a driver falls off the course, they will burn up in the atmosphere (even if there is a section of the course below them) before getting picked up by [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]].

This course has a ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' theme to it, featuring a [[Launch Star]] and floating [[Star Bit]]s as elements of the track's design and theming. A large galaxy can be seen in the background, as well as sunlight on the Earth's surface. Both of the course's staff ghosts are driven with [[Rosalina]]. The opening to the course's music is similar to the opening portion of [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart DS)|Rainbow Road]]'s music from ''[[Mario Kart DS]]''; later, it uses "[[Egg Planet]]", [[Good Egg Galaxy]]'s theme, as a countermelody underneath its own main melody. An arrangement of this course's music appears as one of the selectable songs in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]''.

This Rainbow Road returns in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' as a [[classic course]] starting in the [[Space Tour (2023)|2023 Space Tour]]. It also returns in ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' in the ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'' as the fourth and final course of the [[Spiny Cup]], and the final course in the game overall.

In ''Mario Kart Wii'', the course appears to be located over the eastern parts of North America, as well as some parts of Europe, Africa, and South America. In ''Mario Kart Tour'' and ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'', the course instead takes place above parts of Europe and Asia. 

==''Mario Kart Wii''==
===Course layout===
[[File:MKWii-RainbowRoad1.png|thumb|left|225px|The downhill portion of the track]]
The course is the longest original course in ''Mario Kart Wii''. It begins with a brief straightaway which has guard rails on both sides. The guard rails then immediately end as the track curves downward and racers drive along a very steep downhill. The downhill immediately contains a [[Dash Panel|dash panel]] that spans the width of the track, followed by two smaller dash panels on the right and left sides of the track respectively. The track then curves upwards, ending in a dash panel ramp. The first set of [[Item Box]]es can be found between this ramp and the steep downhill. After landing, racers gradually descend as they take a left turn followed by three dash panels and another left turn. On the outside of the second turn is a brief [[Half-pipe (object)|half-pipe]] with three Item Boxes on top and some short guard rails on both sides. After the turn there is a portion of track which is moderately wavy at the beginning of the race but becomes more and more wavy as time goes on; racers can perform [[Jump Boost|tricks]] off of the waves and can also make use of the dash panel ramp at the end of this track. There are also three pairs of Item Boxes along the wavy track. 

Upon landing from the dash panel ramp, racers reach a much wider portion of track that has guard rails and curves upward on both sides and leads them into a figure-8 shaped section. In this section, there are two large circular holes in the middle of the track that racers must go left or right around. On both sides of the track there are long half-pipes with sets of Item Boxes on top. The holes in the middle of the track are also entirely lined with simple ramps. After the figure-8, the track makes a slight curve to the right as it narrows and the left guard rail ends. The track then takes a left turn; along this turn, colliding with the right guard rail is able to bump racers, sometimes far enough to knock them off the other side of the track. The right guard rail then ends and there is a more gradual U-turn to the right. Towards the end of this U-turn is another item set, and the U-turn ends with a [[Launch Star]] [[Cannon (Mario Kart series)|cannon]]. This Launch Star sends racers at a steep angle upwards through a rainbow-colored tunnel to a much higher part of the track. 

After the Launch Star ends, racers take a slight right turn followed by a slight left turn. Along the slight left turn are guard rails and four dash panels, and it ends with a unique type of half-pipe ramp that makes racers take a left turn over a gap while they pass through several star-filled rings. As racers land, the track is once again wider but quickly splits into two narrow paths. The right path quickly curves left to cross over to the left side while the left path quickly curves right to cross under to the right side, then both curve again to go the same direction. The right path briefly has guard rails on the right side while it's crossing over, but the paths otherwise function very similarly; each have a small dash panel on the outside of the curve before it crosses over, a small dash panel on the inside of the curve after it crosses over, and a ramp at the end. In both cases, the ramp has guard rails on both sides, three dash panels, and three Item Boxes on top. Racers then reach the final part of the track which is a singular wide U-turn to the left; it has no guard rails, curves downward on both sides, and takes racers through a tunnel of stars and a slight rainbow moving backwards. At the start there is a small dash panel on the inside of the turn, followed by a dash panel on the outside of the turn, and then one last dash panel on the inside of the turn at the end. This then leads into a slight turn right followed by the finish line.

Both the normal and expert staff ghost of this course make appearances as staff ghosts in ''[[Mario Kart 7]]''. The normal ghost, Nin★Konno, appears as the normal staff ghost for {{classic-link|DS|Luigi's Mansion}}, while the expert staff ghost, Nin★Syun1, appears as the expert staff ghost for [[3DS Wario Shipyard|Wario Shipyard]].

===Shortcuts===
[[File:MKW Over The Rainbow Glitch.png|thumb|200px|[[Funky Kong]] flying over the slope]]
The first notable set of shortcuts can be found at the beginning of the track. By using a [[Dash Mushroom|Mushroom]] and jumping at the correct time just before the track curves downwards, the player can fly over the downhill portion and land just before the subsequent dash panel ramp. This saves time due to the player's ground speed not being affected by gravity, thus traveling directly forwards through the air clears the section faster than driving on the track at an angle. Additionally, the player is able to cut off the following turn if they are using an outside drift type vehicle and drift left off the dash panel ramp at the correct angle.

The second notable set of shortcuts can be found at the figure-8 section of the track. By using any speed item, the player is able to fully jump over the holes in the middle. A separate shortcut can also be performed afterwards by simply going off the left side of the track at full speed where the left guard rail ends. If angled correctly, the player gets enough height to clear the gap and skip the left turn, and this can be done without an item.

===Tournaments===
[[File:2009-TournamentNovember2.jpg|thumb|left|The November 2009 2nd Tournament]]
[[List of Mario Kart Wii tournaments#November 2009 Tournament 2|November 2009's second tournament]] required players to complete a Time Trial on a version of Rainbow Road with [[Chain Chomp]]s added: There is one Chain Chomp roaming near the first half-pipe, two rolling around the figure-8 section, one roaming where the track splits, and one roaming along the final left turn. Players start the Time Trial with a set of Triple Mushrooms. This tournament could be a reference to the ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' iteration of [[N64 Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]], as Chain Chomps were also present there. The tournament was restricted to karts only. The official description stated, "Chain Chomps have taken over Rainbow Road in this karts-only Time Trial. Anticipating their movements and avoiding them is the key to a good score."

This tournament was repeated as the first tournament of December 2010, but without restrictions. It was later repeated as the second tournament of August 2011, and the first tournament of November 2012, with the karts only restriction intact for the August 2011 tournament.

{{br|left}}

==''Mario Kart Tour''==
This version of Rainbow Road makes its classic course debut in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'', starting from the [[Space Tour (2023)|2023 Space Tour]]. This makes it the first ''Mario Kart Wii'' [[Special Cup]] course to reappear in a future installment of the series, the sixth Wii course in ''Mario Kart Tour'', the first Wii course since [[Wii Koopa Cape]] in the [[Peach vs. Bowser Tour (May 2022)|May 2022 Peach vs. Bowser Tour]] seventeen tours prior, and the second Wii course to make its classic course debut in ''Mario Kart Tour'', the first one being [[Wii DK Summit]] in the [[Snow Tour]] forty-nine tours prior. The most notable change is that the course has been converted into a two-section track like [[Tour Tokyo Blur|Tokyo Blur 4]], [[Tour New York Minute|New York Minute 4]], and [[N64 Kalimari Desert|N64 Kalimari Desert 2]], with the second section beginning at the Launch Star cannon.

The course layout itself has also received some alterations. The wavy part of the track is now consistent and doesn't change over time, the simple ramps that lined the holes at the figure-8 section are gone, the Launch Star now has a [[Glide Ramp|glide ramp]], and the previously unique half-pipe jump is now effectively parallel to where racers land from the jump, presumably due to the game's different half-pipe physics. Additionally, there are different Item Box placements: Most previous Item Boxes are gone, with the set just before the Launch Star and the set at the end of the split paths as the only retained ones. Instead, an item set is found just before the downhill and a set is found just before the wavy track. Lastly, many more guard rails appear along the sides of the track: The whole portion between the first dash panel ramp and the three subsequent dash panels is covered on both sides, the slight right turn after the Launch Star is mostly covered on both sides, the track just before the split path is covered on both sides, the right path is covered on the left side at its second curve, and the slight right turn at the end is covered on both sides. Unlike other classic courses in ''Tour'', Wii Rainbow Road's scale is larger compared to the original course, most noticeable following the figure-8 section.

The course has also received numerous graphical updates. The starting line and various other course elements now have technicolor ring designs. The road texture is now animated, with pinpricks of light following the path of the course. The background has received quite a few changes, such as the Earth being moved closer to the track and Saturn being moved from the last turn to being right after the cannon. Most notably, the moon is now modeled, is much closer to the track, and has a rocket ship based on the ones from [[3DS Rainbow Road]]. The floating arrows now take on their appearance from [[SNES Rainbow Road]]. The wavy road no longer has a different texture from the main road, and the road texture no longer highlights arcs for the subsequent half-pipes. The two launch stars at the rainbow tunnel are now larger and have been redesigned; they are now big stars with a ring encompassing the inner corners of them. The tunnel now cycles through colors. The launch star at the end of the rainbow tunnel now briefly spins when any racers pass through it, but does not launch them. The tunnel of light surrounding the last bend now has a pattern of rings moving forward with rotating sun-shaped entrances and exits, with the mandatory half-pipe jump also now having a version of this tunnel with simpler entrance and exit points.

This course also appears as '''Rainbow Road R''' (reversed), '''Rainbow Road T''' (with ramps), and '''Rainbow Road R/T''' (reversed with ramps). In the T variant, there are only three [[Item Box]]es, with players being able to collect a fourth via the use of [[item ticket]]s. Because players cannot get [[Frenzy|Frenzies]] from back-to-back Item Boxes, it is the first and only course where receiving three Frenzies is impossible. It is also significantly shorter due to the first two turns being entirely skipped. In the R/T variant, there are three pairs of [[Star Thwomp]]s along the second section, and racers briefly drive underneath the figure-8 section.

The course icon for the R/T variant is slightly incorrect: in it, only one Star Thwomp is shown on the left side of the [[Kanaami Road]] near the figure-8 portion, but when racing, there are two Star Thwomps on each side.

===Appearances===
For this course's tour appearances, see [[List of Wii Rainbow Road tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour|List of Wii Rainbow Road tour appearances in ''Mario Kart Tour'']].

===Top-tier and middle-tier items===
{{MKT favored table|Wii|Rainbow Road}}

===Bonus challenges===
<div class="contentbox mw-collapsible mw-collapsed>
{{MKT bonus challenge table|Time Trial|Wii Rainbow Road}}
{{MKT bonus challenge table|Combo Attack|Wii Rainbow Road T}}
{{MKT bonus challenge table|Big Reverse Race|Wii Rainbow Road}}
</div>

==''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''==
This version of Rainbow Road reappears in ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' as part of the sixth and final wave of the ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'' DLC. It is the fourth and last course of the [[Spiny Cup]], the forty-eighth and last course in the DLC and the ninety-sixth and last course in the game overall. It is also the only course from ''Mario Kart Wii'' added in the 2023 half of the Booster Course Pass not to be the third course of its cup. The course is largely based on its appearance from ''Mario Kart Tour'', only with significant visual upgrades. Unlike other Booster Course Pass tracks, the course model has not been upscaled from ''Tour'', meaning the track is narrower than most other ones in the pass, matching the ''Mario Kart Wii'' version. The entire course is now in [[anti-gravity]], making it the only Rainbow Road, and one of six courses in the game with this distinction, alongside [[Mute City]], {{classic-link|GCN|Baby Park}}, [[Big Blue]], [[Sky-High Sundae]], and the battle course [[Lunar Colony]]. Two [[Spin Boost Pillar]]s have been added along the track; one at the left turn after the figure-8 section and the right turn before the launch star tunnel. In the figure-8 section of the course, the ramps lining the holes and the Item Boxes above the half-pipes have returned, and there are Double Item Boxes at the set before the wavy track. Also, the boost panel at the end of the wavy track now remains slanted upwards, instead of moving along with the wave. Additionally, the wavy section does not get increasingly more bumpy as the race goes on. The required half-pipe jump has been modified from ''Tour'' to be closer to the ''Wii'' original, though it is not identical. The dash panels along the second curve of each split path are now on the outside of the curve, and each dash panel along the final U-turn has been moved to the opposite side of the track. Even more guard rails have been added along the sides of the split path part of the track: Both paths are fully covered on the outside of both of their turns. In the case of the first turns, there are no guard rail gaps between them and the start of the section, and in the case of the second turns, there are no guard rail gaps between them and the dash panel ramps. Unlike in ''Mario Kart Tour'', the course has reverted to having three laps instead of two sections. It is the longest three-lap course in the game, beating [[Toad Harbor]] from the original ''Mario Kart 8'' and {{classic-link|DS|Waluigi Pinball}} and {{classic-link|Wii|Maple Treeway}} from previous waves of the ''Booster Course Pass''.

Visually, the course is also noticeably paler in color compared to how it appeared in ''Mario Kart Tour'', making it closer resemble how it originally appeared in ''Mario Kart Wii''. Additionally, the tiles on the road are smaller compared to how they appear in ''Tour'', giving the road somewhat of a resemblance to ''[[Mario Kart 8]]''{{'}}s own [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)|Rainbow Road]]. The launch star rainbow tunnel has colors stretching from the start to the end like in ''Mario Kart Wii''. The other two tunnels, the one for the half-pipe jump and the other for the bend before the start-and-finish, have their designs look like how the tunnel for the bend was designed in ''Mario Kart Wii'' with the latter having the lights and the rainbow moving backwards once again. The sound effect of the wavy road, the sound effect for the cannon, and the sound effect of the rainbow tunnel of the U-turn have been brought back after being absent in ''Mario Kart Tour''. The minimap has been rotated 90° counterclockwise and lacks a drop-shadow. Additionally, the effect of characters burning up when they fall off the course was retained from ''Mario Kart Wii'', though the effect is shorter and racers fall off more horizontally.

It is also one of two courses from ''Mario Kart Wii'' to appear in Wave 6, the other being {{classic-link|Wii|Daisy Circuit}}. Its music was used for the course overview trailer for Wave 6.<ref>Nintendo of America (November 1, 2023). [https://youtu.be/0-kASUEEXn8 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Wave 6 - Course Overview]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved November 1, 2023.</ref>
{{br}}

==Profiles==
===''Mario Kart Wii''===
[[File:MKW Rainbow Road Trading Card.jpg|thumb|100px]]
*'''European website bio:''' ''Don't get caught stargazing as you power round the multicoloured Rainbow Road. The multiple speed boosts could hurry you along to the finish line or over the edge to your demise. Remember; don't look down!''
*'''Trading card bio:''' ''The layout of ''Rainbow Road'' has changed over the years as it has appeared in a variety of incarnations; the challenge factor has always been high. It's a long track with plenty of opportunities to fall off into space. In ''Mario Kart Wii'', at least one of those opportunities can become a shortcut if you play it right.''

===''Mario Kart Tour''===
*'''''Mario Kart Tour'' Twitter:''' ''The New Year's Tour is coming to a close, but there's still plenty to look forward to in #MarioKartTour! Next up is the Space Tour where you can race down the new Wii Rainbow Road course!''

===''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''===
*'''Nintendo Switch News app (UK): ''Trip the light fantastic on Rainbow Road!'''<br>Today we'd like to present another course released as part of the sixth wave, which is available now: {{Color|blue|Rainbow Road}}.<br>This version of the classic course, first seen in the Wii game {{Color|blue|Mario Kart Wii}}, takes place on a multicoloured racetrack floating in outer space. With most of the track lacking guard rails, you'll need to take extra-special care not to become an unidentified flying object! That's not to say it'll be a slo-mo spacewalk though - a well-timed Jump Boost off of the undulations will earn you a little extra speed, just as slamming into opponents in the course's antigravity environment will activate Spin Boosts!''

*'''Nintendo Switch News app (US)''':{{footnote|main|1}}
**''This colorful course debuted in Mario Kart™ Wii game.''
**''Take a trip out of this world as you race down a rainbow road floating in space. But take care, there are no guardrails to prevent you from driving off the course.''
**''While you can catch jump boosts by leaping from wavy parts of the course, the course’s anti-gravity allows you to get spin turbos by bumping into other players.''
{{footnote|note|1|In the corresponding news article "Wave 6 DLC Spotlight: SNES Bowser Castle 3 & Wii Rainbow Road", a {{file link|MK8D BCP Switch news Wave 6 DLC Spotlight error.jpg|screenshot}} of {{classic-link|3DS|Rosalina's Ice World}} is mistakenly used among those of {{classic|Wii|Rainbow Road}}.}}

==Gallery==
===''Mario Kart Wii''===
<gallery widths=150px>
MKW Rainbow Road Banner.png|The course banner
MKWii-RainbowRoadCoursePreview.gif|A preview of the course
MKWii-RainbowRoad2.png|The wavy road
MKWii-RainbowRoad3.png|The figure-8 part of the track
MKWii-RainbowRoad4.png|The [[Launch Star]] tunnel
MKWii-RainbowRoad5.png|The last tunnel before reaching the finish line
</gallery>

===''Mario Kart Tour''===
====Course icons====
{{main-gallery|Mario Kart Tour race course icons (Wii courses)#Rainbow Road|Mario Kart Tour race course icons (Wii courses) § Rainbow Road}}
<gallery>
MKT Icon RainbowRoadWii MarioSatellaview.png|The course icon
MKT Icon RainbowRoadRWii LuigiKnight.png|The course icon of the R variant
MKT Icon RainbowRoadTWii BuilderMario.png|The course icon of the T variant
MKT Icon RainbowRoadRTWii ToadAstronaut.png|The course icon of the R/T variant
</gallery>

====Screenshots====
<gallery>
MKT Wii Rainbow Road Scene.jpg|View of the starting line
MKT Wii Rainbow Road Starting Line.jpg|Another view of the starting line
MKT Wii Rainbow Road Teaser.jpg|A view of the course
MKT Wii Rainbow Road Scene 2.png|View of the final half-pipe jump
MKT Wii Rainbow Road Final Turns.jpg|View of the final turns
</gallery>

===''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''===
<gallery>
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Course Icon.png|The course icon
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 2.png|View of the cannon
MK8-Course-Wii RainbowRoad.jpg|View of the opening section
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 8.png|View of the circular section
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 4.png|Racers driving on the course
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 5.png|[[Luigi]] on the course
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 6.png|[[Peach]] on the course
MK8D Wii Rainbow Road Scene 7.png|[[Bowser]] on the course
MK8DBoosterPassMiiRacingSuits.jpg|Group artwork of the Mii Racing Suits in the ''Booster Course Pass''. The course appears in this image twice.
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=レインボーロード
|JapR=Reinbō Rōdo
|JapM=Rainbow Road
|Chi=彩虹之路
|ChiR=Cǎihóng zhī Lù
|ChiM=Rainbow Road
|Dut=Regenboogbaan
|DutM=Rainbow Track
|Fre=Route Arc-en-ciel
|FreM=Rainbow Road
|Ger=Regenbogen-Boulevard
|GerM=Rainbow Boulevard
|Ita=Pista Arcobaleno
|ItaM=Rainbow Track
|Kor=무지개 로드
|KorR=Mujigae Lodeu
|KorM=Rainbow Road
|PorA=Avenida Arco-íris
|PorAM=Rainbow Avenue
|PorE=Estrada Arco-Íris
|PorEM=Rainbow Road
|Spa=Senda Arco Iris
|SpaM=Rainbow Path
|Rus=Трасса Радуга
|RusR=Trassa Raduga
|RusM=Rainbow Track
}}

==References==
<references/>
{{MK race courses}}
{{MKW}}
{{MKT}}
{{MK8}}
[[Category:Cosmic areas]]
[[Category:Classic courses]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass race courses]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Tour race courses]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii race courses]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii trading cards]]
[[de:Regenbogen-Boulevard#Mario Kart Wii]]
[[it:Pista Arcobaleno (Wii)]]