Sky-High Sundae
| Sky-High Sundae | |||||||||||||||
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| Appears in | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass, Wave 2) (2022) Mario Kart Tour (2022) Mario Kart World (2025) | ||||||||||||||
| Cup(s) | Propeller Cup (8 Deluxe) Star Cup (World) | ||||||||||||||
| Tour(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Rally/ies | Ice Rally | ||||||||||||||
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Sky-High Sundae is a race course released as part of Wave 2 of the Booster Course Pass in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, appearing as the fourth and last course of the Propeller Cup, and in Mario Kart Tour debuting as the featured course of the 2022 Sundae Tour. It is set in a large area made entirely of ice cream and other candy-related food high in the sky. It is the first course in the series to be announced for two games simultaneously, and is also the first course to be labeled as a new course for multiple games (later followed by Yoshi's Island and Squeaky Clean Sprint). Sky-High Sundae was one of two courses whose music was used for the reveal trailer for Wave 2 of the Booster Course Pass, alongside DS Waluigi Pinball, not including Mario Kart 8's Rainbow Road, whose music was also used in promotional material for other waves.
Internal data suggests that Sky-High Sundae may have been intended to debut in Mario Kart Tour first: part of the Mario Kart Tour icon of Sky-High Sundae is visible in an unused banner for the Booster Course Pass located in the game's files as of version 2.0.0, released four months prior to the course's official announcement. Furthermore, the filename for the course in the internal data for Mario Kart Tour features the "mob" platform code, which is used for courses originating from the game. While Sky-High Sundae was first released in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a few days prior to its Mario Kart Tour release, it is labeled and marketed in both games as a new course instead of a classic course.[1][2] Its theme was arranged for the Booster Course Pass end credits.
Sky-High Sundae returns as a classic course in Mario Kart World as the third course of the Star Cup.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Course layout[edit]
The course takes place entirely in anti-gravity, making it the fourth course to have this trait after Mute City, GCN Baby Park, and Big Blue, as well as one of two Booster Course Pass courses to have this trait, the other being Wii Rainbow Road. The track starts off in an ice cream parlor that is inside of a giant freezer, after which the racers use Glide Ramps to fly either into or around a giant ice cream cone. Flying into the hole in the cone rewards players with Item Boxes. After that, they land on a helipad resembling a chocolate-covered ice cream cone with a giant H on it. Upon landing, they begin traveling down a light-blue staircase, and at the bottom the path begins curving to the left while proceeding to go up a staircase. At both staircases, there are railings that grant Spin Boosts when driven through. After the upward staircase, the player begins to ascend a slope which splits off into two paths. At the top of those paths, they begin jumping down onto some platforms, which can be landed on both above and below. After the two paths join back together, a path made out of giant ice cream cones circles around an even larger parfait. After turning around, the player jumps between three giant pieces of ice, which lead to a giant ice tray that leads back into the giant freezer where the finish line is. The overall shape of the course resembles that of an oval, similar to GCN Baby Park and Excitebike Arena.
During the race, various advertisements can be seen on giant waffle pieces. At the staircase segment, there are numerous ice cream shops to the right of the path. In the sky, a helicopter modeled after an ice cream cone can be seen, complimenting the helipad seen at the beginning.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Sky-High Sundae appears in Mario Kart Tour, debuting in the 2022 Sundae Tour. The trailer for Wave 2 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, which revealed Sky-High Sundae, also features a note which revealed that the course would be added to Mario Kart Tour as well. The course was later teased by the official Mario Kart Tour Twitter account one day after its release in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which revealed its inclusion in the following tour. It was released in Mario Kart Tour less than a week after its debut in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The course does not feature anti-gravity, and there is a penguin bartender in the freezer in place of a Yoshi. While the handrails do not provide Spin Boosts, the player can perform tricks by hitting the top of the handrails. Additionally, the rotating Item Boxes on the helipad are completely static (with the H being yellow instead of pink). The lining on the glass platforms is white instead of gold. The dark windows of the Ice Café are light. The red icing dabs at the base of the building and other ice shops are pink. Ridges on the pink ice cream scoops allow for tricks to be performed in two spots, unlike in 8 Deluxe. The yellow ice cream scoops are found in place of the red ones. The opaque pieces of ice are translucent. The minimap also features the ice cream cone at the beginning of the track.
The course also appears as Sky-High Sundae R (reversed), Sky-High Sundae T (with ramps), and Sky-High Sundae R/T (reversed with ramps). In the R variant, racers glide over most of the split path section. In the T variant, the glide ramp at the beginning is gone, there are two glide ramps in the split path section which are only usable on lap 2, and racers drive on top of the freezer at the end of each lap. In the R/T variant, a wind propeller changes the route on the final lap; instead of driving along the lower route near the split path section, racers reach a higher route which has a glide ramp. Sky-High Sundae is the first non-city course in the game to debut all four variants simultaneously.
Appearances[edit]
For this course's tour appearances, see List of Sky-High Sundae tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
Top-tier and middle-tier items[edit]
Select "show" to reveal the drivers, karts, and gliders for which Sky-High Sundae and its variants are always favored or favorite courses. For instances in which additional drivers, karts, and gliders temporarily had this course and its variants as favored or favorite courses, see List of Sky-High Sundae tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
| Course | Three-item drivers | Bonus points ×2 karts | Combo bonus ×3 gliders | Two-item drivers | Bonus points ×1.5 karts | Combo bonus ×2 gliders |
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 Normal variant |
          
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 R variant |
         
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 T variant |
      
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 R/T variant |
    
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| * indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 3. ** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 6. *** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 8 for High-End items. | ||||||
Bonus challenges[edit]
| Ring Race | |||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
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Regular |  Ice Mario |
 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
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Sundae Tour (2022) |  Yoshi Cup |
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Sundae Tour (2023) |  Pink Gold Peach Cup | |||||
| Big Reverse Race | ||||||||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Opponents | Tour appearances | Cup | ||||||||
| 7th | 6th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | Extra | |||||
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Regular | Driver | 
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Sundae Tour (2023) |  King Bob-omb Cup |
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Other driver information | Objectives | Tour appearances | Cup | ||
| Driver | Kart | Glider | ||||||||
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R |  White Tanooki Mario |
 Ice-Cream Minibus |
 Mint & Berry Balloons |
 Penguin Toadette |
 Cact-Ice |
 Snow Crystals |
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Sundae Tour (2022) |  Mii Cup |
 Penguin Toad |
 Frosty Bells |
 Aurora Balloons | ||||||||
Mario Kart World[edit]
Sky-High Sundae makes its classic course debut in Mario Kart World, appearing as the third course of the Star Cup and the starting point of the Ice Rally. It is the only course originating from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Mario Kart Tour to appear in the game. The music is mostly identical to its Mario Kart 8 Deluxe version. Like in Mario Kart Tour, the course does not take place in anti-gravity, as the anti-gravity mechanic is absent from the game. The handrails no longer serve as Spin Boost Pillars, instead being lowered and allowing for rail riding. Rail riding has also been added to multiple parts of the track as alternate pathways. The starting line is now set inside a giant ice cream cone. A new path has been added to the split, and the ice cube trays at the end have been replaced with yellow mesh roads. Another new route has been added near the gap at the beginning.[3] Kamek may turn racers into either Chargin' Chuck or Penguin on this course.
Geographically, the course is located slightly north of Wario Shipyard on the far east of the game's map, located on top of a rainbow-colored island.
Routes[edit]
Sky-High Sundae can be used as a route to Cheep Cheep Falls or Salty Salty Speedway. However, the reverse is not true for either course; neither of these two courses can be used as routes to Sky-High Sundae. As such, it is the only Star Cup course that cannot be accessed through Cheep Cheep Falls.
All routes enter Sky-High Sundae from the north entrance. The one-way routes leading to Cheep Cheep Falls and Salty Salty Speedway, as well as the route leading to Wario Shipyard exit Sky-High Sundae through its south exit and through Vanilla Lake, while the routes leading to DK Pass, Starview Peak, and Dandelion Depths exit through the same north path they enter Sky-High Sundae from.
From DK Pass
From Starview Peak (used in the Star Cup)
From Wario Shipyard
From Dandelion Depths
A composite map of all routes leading to Sky-High Sundae
Brands[edit]
- Coconut Café (signs)
- Fountain Café (signs)
- Ice Cream (logos)
- Moo Moo Meadows Milk (signs)
- Yoshi Ice Cream (signs)
Profiles[edit]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- Nintendo Switch News app (US):
- This course first appeared in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass.
- Mmm...ice cream―wait, no! Try not to get distracted by the delicious-looking ice cream buildings stacked throughout the course.
- The entire course is antigravity, so use this to your advantage to pull off as many sweet Spin Boosts as you can.
- Nintendo Switch News app (UK): High-speed thrills and chills await - it's Sky-High Sundae!
Today, we'd like to spotlight a course released as part of the second wave, which is available now: Sky-High Sundae.
This track is a brand new addition to the Mario Kart series, and it has plenty of fresh sights for you to enjoy, with its fluffy ice cream piled building-high... But don't let that distract you! Keep your eyes on the road! And while you may be tempted to slow down and savour the view, the entire course is an antigravity zone, making it really fun to build up a lot of speed by utilising Spin Boosts. Just mind you don't get dizzy! - Nintendo Magazine 2022 Winter: A new course to the Mario series
Mouth-watering ice cream line up like skyscrapers, but don't let them distract you while racing! The entire course is an anti-gravity area, so you'll be able to enjoy an exhilarating race using the Spin Turbo.[4]
Gallery[edit]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
The course icon
The full course icon
Results screen
View of the staircase section
View of the parfait
Peachette, Pink Shy Guy and Toad on the course
The starting area
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Course icons[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart Tour race course icons (original courses) § Sky-High Sundae.
The course icon
The course icon of the R variant
The course icon of the T variant
The course icon of the R/T variant
Screenshots[edit]
View of the starting line
Another view of the starting line
View of the ice cream cone
Alternate view of the ice cream cone
View of a helipad
View of the staircase
View of the staircase & the arched structure
View of the arched structure
View of some wafers
View of the large parfait
White Tanooki Mario and Tanooki Rosalina tricking on the course
Wiggler (Gold), Penguin Mario, Penguin Toad, Penguin Luigi, and Penguin Toadette gliding on the course
Mario Kart World[edit]
World map icon
Course icon
Icon in the Ice Rally
The course from above
The split path
The finish line
Sky-High Sundae at night
Toadette waving while driving on the course
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
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| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Cnsw_28 | Charger NSW Wave 2 Course 8 | |
| Mario Kart Tour | Gmob_IceBuilding | Grand Prix Mobile Ice Building; same as the course's Japanese name | |
| Mario Kart World | IceBuildings[5] | IceBuildings |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | アイスビルディング[?] Aisu Birudingu |
Literally "Ice Building"; the English loanword「アイス」(aisu, "ice") is short for "ice cream" | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 冰品摩天楼[?] Bīngpǐn Mótiānlóu (Mandarin) Bīngbán Mōtīnlàuh (Cantonese) |
Frozen-Dessert Skyscraper | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 冰品摩天樓[?] Bīngpǐn Mótiānlóu (Mandarin) Bīngbán Mōtīnlàuh (Cantonese) |
Frozen-Dessert Skyscraper | |
| Dutch | Stracciatellastraat[6] | Stracciatella Street | |
| French | Cité sorbet[7] | Sherbet City | |
| German | Eiscreme-Eskapade[?] | Ice Cream Escapade | |
| Italian | Cieli stracciatella[?] | Stracciatella Skies | |
| Korean | 아이스크림 빌딩[?] Aiseukeurim Bilding |
Ice Cream Building | |
| Polish | Słodka Kraina Lodów[?] | Sweet Ice Cream Land | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Céus Gelados[?] | Icy Skies | Mario Kart World |
| Altos Sorvetes[?] | High Ice Creams; alto also means "excessive", referring to the amount of ice cream in the course | Mario Kart Tour | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Céus Gelados[?] | Icy Skies or Ice Cream Skies; gelado means both "icy" and "ice cream" in European Portuguese | |
| Russian | Пломбирный пробег[6] Plombirnyy probeg |
Ice Cream Run | |
| Spanish | Cielos Helados[8][9] | Icy Skies or Ice Cream Skies; helado means both "icy" and "ice cream" |
References[edit]
- ^ July 26, 2022. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass Wave 2 Approaches the Starting Line on Aug. 4. nintendo.com. "Sky-High Sundae – The competition may heat up, but that doesn’t mean you can’t chill out in this sweet race, which is filled with larger-than-life desserts at nearly every turn. Prove you’re number one under the sun(dae) in this debut course!"
- ^ August 10, 2022. Race the new Sky-High Sundae course in the Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe games today! nintendo.com.
- ^ Nintendo of America (April 4, 2025). Mario Kart World – Grand Prix Gameplay Day 2– Nintendo Treehouse: Live | Nintendo Switch 2. YouTube. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Magazine 2022 Winter (Digital English edition). nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved December 1, 2022. (Archived December 1, 2022, 20:11:43 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ File name of the course's sticker on the Japanese Mario Kart World online events website, Sign_IceBuildings.png. All course stickers use the prefix "Sign_". Retrieved August 28th, 2025.
- ^ a b In-game name from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World.
- ^ Mario Kart World in-game name from French localization (Uploaded 5 Jun. 2025 on YouTube by Siphano)
- ^ Nintendúo. Jugamos la VERSIÓN FINAL de MARIO KART WORLD (4:40). YouTube (European Spanish). Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ BRCDEvg. Estrenando juntos MARIO KART WORLD (17:24). YouTube (Latin American Spanish). Retrieved June 5, 2025.
