I did this for Wave 1, and I thought it would be interesting to gather early thoughts on the tracks of Wave 2 of the BCP. As with last time, we can't really tell just how toxic a track is going to be yet, but I still think it would be interesting to see what people's thoughts are. Feel free to leave your list, if you would like.
This list is from favourite to least favourite.
1. Tour Sydney Sprint (S tier)
So far my favourite track of the entire BCP. I love the scenery, the turns are extremely smooth and satisfying to do. While the ending of lap 3 is briefly in a narrow hallway, which is annoying, it's not as egregious as say the ending of Tokyo Blur, as such, it's not nearly as detrimental to my overall enjoyment of the track
2. DS Waluigi Pinball (B tier)
When I noticed the cannon glider, I was initially worried it could end up a toxic mess, luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case. This is so far the best pure running track since its DS counterpart, Wario Stadium, it'll be nice to finally have a really good 2nd option for pure running, if not just for variety's sake. There really isn't much to say otherwise, it's Waluigi Pinball, it's iconic for a reason, whether it's how fun the theming is or the exclusive sound effects. I would rate it higher, but the pinball on lap 1 is annoying and the pinball ending lap 3 is not looking to be a fun time either. Other than that though, good track, I look forward to playing it more.
3. GBA Snow Land (B tier)
As it stands, I love what they've done with the track. They took one of the most forgettable MK tracks of all time and actually made it fun to play. I'm not a huge fan of ice tracks due to the traction loss, but this track doesn't feel too awful in that regard, so that's good. I do worry that the track may turn into a track à la Mario Kart Stadium or SNES Donut Plains 3 where it's spammed in lounge and is far too toxic for its own good, however I have faith that the shortcuts, while they do save quite a lot of time, especially the one just before the lake, won't be too deterministic of how the track is played.
4. Tour New York Minute (C tier)
I have a plain neutral opinion of this track. I would rank it higher if it weren't for the slippery road. Nothing too terrible, but I'm not going to want to play this as much as I had initially hoped.
5. Wii Mushroom Gorge (D tier)
While the gap jump returns, as was the case in Mario Kart Wii, that does not save it from being not fun to play, in my opinion. The mushrooms fell weird to go off of, even when super bouncing and there's nothing about the track that appeals to me otherwise. While it looks great, especially compared to its original version, so far, I have not enjoyed my time playing it. I will concede, however, that I could see myself coming around to the track, much like I did for DS Shroom Ridge.
6. SNES Mario Circuit 3 (D tier)
Scaled very largely for some reason; shortcuts that used to only take one mushroom now require you to hop out in order to not lose speed. Otherwise, a pretty standard bagging track, though I don't believe it is on the level of GBA Cheese Land or GCN Dry Dry Desert, it's just this wave's 3DS Toad Circuit.
7. N64 Kalimari Desert (E tier)
No amount of going through the tracks on lap 2, going into lap 3, was going to save this one. While not nearly as bad as it could have been, had the 3 laps just been like the original or MK7's version, it's still the combination of the worst elements of Superbell Subway and GCN Dry Dry Desert.
8. Sky-High Sundae (E tier)
Supremely disappointed how it turned out. While I was at first excited at the prospect of playing a brand new track, when analyses came out saying it was just an oval and essentially Excitebike Arena with anti-gravity, I grew worried. Unfortunately, my worries were confirmed. The first turn with the staircase is extremely awkward to go up, especially when trying to line up with the 4 tight coins. Also the anti-gravity physics do not make for a fun experience, it makes the track feel drawn out and boring, especially on the split path, there really isn't much going on here. The ramps keep you in the air for so long, nose-diving can't even make for a fun, quick experience. The worst track of the entire BCP so far, and I really wish that wasn't the case.
This list is from favourite to least favourite.
1. Tour Sydney Sprint (S tier)
So far my favourite track of the entire BCP. I love the scenery, the turns are extremely smooth and satisfying to do. While the ending of lap 3 is briefly in a narrow hallway, which is annoying, it's not as egregious as say the ending of Tokyo Blur, as such, it's not nearly as detrimental to my overall enjoyment of the track
2. DS Waluigi Pinball (B tier)
When I noticed the cannon glider, I was initially worried it could end up a toxic mess, luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case. This is so far the best pure running track since its DS counterpart, Wario Stadium, it'll be nice to finally have a really good 2nd option for pure running, if not just for variety's sake. There really isn't much to say otherwise, it's Waluigi Pinball, it's iconic for a reason, whether it's how fun the theming is or the exclusive sound effects. I would rate it higher, but the pinball on lap 1 is annoying and the pinball ending lap 3 is not looking to be a fun time either. Other than that though, good track, I look forward to playing it more.
3. GBA Snow Land (B tier)
As it stands, I love what they've done with the track. They took one of the most forgettable MK tracks of all time and actually made it fun to play. I'm not a huge fan of ice tracks due to the traction loss, but this track doesn't feel too awful in that regard, so that's good. I do worry that the track may turn into a track à la Mario Kart Stadium or SNES Donut Plains 3 where it's spammed in lounge and is far too toxic for its own good, however I have faith that the shortcuts, while they do save quite a lot of time, especially the one just before the lake, won't be too deterministic of how the track is played.
4. Tour New York Minute (C tier)
I have a plain neutral opinion of this track. I would rank it higher if it weren't for the slippery road. Nothing too terrible, but I'm not going to want to play this as much as I had initially hoped.
5. Wii Mushroom Gorge (D tier)
While the gap jump returns, as was the case in Mario Kart Wii, that does not save it from being not fun to play, in my opinion. The mushrooms fell weird to go off of, even when super bouncing and there's nothing about the track that appeals to me otherwise. While it looks great, especially compared to its original version, so far, I have not enjoyed my time playing it. I will concede, however, that I could see myself coming around to the track, much like I did for DS Shroom Ridge.
6. SNES Mario Circuit 3 (D tier)
Scaled very largely for some reason; shortcuts that used to only take one mushroom now require you to hop out in order to not lose speed. Otherwise, a pretty standard bagging track, though I don't believe it is on the level of GBA Cheese Land or GCN Dry Dry Desert, it's just this wave's 3DS Toad Circuit.
7. N64 Kalimari Desert (E tier)
No amount of going through the tracks on lap 2, going into lap 3, was going to save this one. While not nearly as bad as it could have been, had the 3 laps just been like the original or MK7's version, it's still the combination of the worst elements of Superbell Subway and GCN Dry Dry Desert.
8. Sky-High Sundae (E tier)
Supremely disappointed how it turned out. While I was at first excited at the prospect of playing a brand new track, when analyses came out saying it was just an oval and essentially Excitebike Arena with anti-gravity, I grew worried. Unfortunately, my worries were confirmed. The first turn with the staircase is extremely awkward to go up, especially when trying to line up with the 4 tight coins. Also the anti-gravity physics do not make for a fun experience, it makes the track feel drawn out and boring, especially on the split path, there really isn't much going on here. The ramps keep you in the air for so long, nose-diving can't even make for a fun, quick experience. The worst track of the entire BCP so far, and I really wish that wasn't the case.