Skip to main content GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love Search GamesRadar+ View Profile Xbox Series X Nintendo Switch Tabletop Gaming Toys & Collectibles Retro Gamer Newsletters Total Film Gaming Magazines Why subscribe? Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Upcoming Switch 2 games Mario Kart World Donkey Kong Bananza The Duskbloods Platforming Games Super Mario Mario Kart's infamous Baby Park was inspired by the 2002 Olympic ice skating track, and Nintendo knew it was going to be "a love-it-or-hate-it kind of course" even during development Dustin Bailey 8 April 2025 "I saw the short track they'd prepared for the ice skating and thought, 'We should make a track like that!'" When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Nintendo) Baby Park might just be the most infamous track in Mario Kart – a simple, NASCAR-style oval with very short laps that ensure the entire field is in constant chaos. It was first introduced in Mario Kart: Double Dash on the GameCube, and a recently translated interview on the game's development suggests that Nintendo knew just how controversial the track was going to be from the start. "We knew fairly early on that we wanted to make a course like that," producer Shinya Takahashi said of Baby Park in an interview with Nintendo Dream magazine, which was published ahead of the game's launch and was recently translated by Shmuplations. "We were designing the courses right at the time the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were underway," chief director Kiyoshi Mizuki said. "I saw the short track they'd prepared for the ice skating and thought, 'We should make a track like that!'" You may like A new Mario Kart World track remakes 1981's OG Donkey Kong with parkour that would make Titanfall 2 blush Mario Kart 9 should step it up a gear by celebrating more of Nintendo's biggest franchises One quick look at any of the speed skating events from those Olympics would make the comparison to Baby Park pretty obvious, but I think the inspiration might be even more clear if you look at Australian skater Steven Bradbury's legendary win in the 1000 meter event. From a distant fifth place, Bradbury snatched the gold medal when every single one of his competitors crashed into each other in the final lap. It is perhaps the most Mario Kart thing you'll ever see in a real-life race. Steven Bradbury Wins Gold - High Quality With Original Australian Commentary - YouTube With that in mind, it's easy to see why the Olympics could've inspired Baby Park, but a short-lived indoor kart racing fad in Japan was also an influence. "Do you remember the 'slick kart' attractions they used to have?" Shinya Takahashi, also a producer on Double Dash, added. "They were only popular for a brief time, but you'd race your kart around a short, very slick indoor track. That was our image for Baby Park." "We made a quick little test track and tried it out, and it was really fun, so we used it as-is," Mizuki said. "The idea was a simple course where everyone can use their items aggressively." Baby Park has been controversial from the start, since it's chaotic even by Mario Kart standards. Nonetheless, following its Double Dash debut it's also appeared in Mario Mart DS, 8, and even the mobile game Mario Kart Tour. It remains to be seen if it'll appear in Mario Kart World, but some fans have already taken note of a spot on the map that looks like it could house the track, and players were already bracing for Baby Park's return from the instant it became clear the new game would let a massive number of racers on-track all at once. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. But Nintendo always knew it was going to be a controversial track, even during Double Dash's testing. "There's players who don't like it too," Mizuki concluded. "It's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of course." Find out where Mario Kart: Double Dash ranks among the best GameCube games of all time. See more Nintendo News Dustin Bailey Social Links Navigation Staff Writer Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. A new Mario Kart World track remakes 1981's OG Donkey Kong with parkour that would make Titanfall 2 blush Mario Kart 9 should step it up a gear by celebrating more of Nintendo's biggest franchises After racing my heart out in Mario Kart World, I'm convinced the 24-player Knockout Tour is a real racing revolution Ahead of the Switch 2, fans excited about Mario Kart 9 are already prophesying the havoc of 24 players in the series' most chaotic map: "I'd just put down the controller" Porting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to the Nintendo Switch was "kind of an afterthought," and now it's so popular that getting fans to switch could be a challenge The Switch 2 surprise I'm most excited about is Mario Kart 9's Yoshi-shaped roadside diner named Yoshi's, which appears to tribute a 32-year old classic SNES puzzler Latest in Super Mario Mario Kart's infamous Baby Park was inspired by the 2002 Olympic ice skating track, and Nintendo knew it was going to be "a love-it-or-hate-it kind of course" even during development Super Mario All-Stars speedrunner sets triumphant world record only to suffer SNES cart tragedy 90 seconds later: "I guess it's not safe to do any more runs until I give it a good clean" Mario Kart World manages to "blur the line" between what is and isn't a course, thanks to its unique open-world layout and off-roading Mario Kart World gameplay showcase proves the rail-grinding mechanic is more than just a slick Tony Hawk-style gimmick: "It opens up so many possibilities" For the first time since Super Mario Kart 33 years ago, Mario Kart World brings the feather back to actual races and it seems like it can even stop the dreaded blue shell A new Mario Kart World track remakes 1981's OG Donkey Kong with parkour that would make Titanfall 2 blush Latest in News How does Pocketpair spend all that Palworld money? Dev says they can take "risks" even if "we don't know what we're doing," trusting the CEO has "squirreled away enough to keep us alive" Mario Kart's infamous Baby Park was inspired by the 2002 Olympic ice skating track, and Nintendo knew it was going to be "a love-it-or-hate-it kind of course" even during development Wildly successful Balatro publisher says more indie devs need funding "that isn't based on making a ridiculous amount of money back" Minecraft movie star Jennifer Coolidge says her on-screen romance with Nitwit the Villager was "like fire" "This isn't Ubisoft": Former Nintendo PR managers say the company's mantra of "respect the value" is why Switch games "don't go on sale" Blizzard details full Diablo 4 roadmap for 2025 with teasers for seasons 9 and 10, reconfirms a new expansion for 2026, and hints at multiple "new IP collabs" More about super mario Super Mario All-Stars speedrunner sets triumphant world record only to suffer SNES cart tragedy 90 seconds later: "I guess it's not safe to do any more runs until I give it a good clean" Mario Kart World manages to "blur the line" between what is and isn't a course, thanks to its unique open-world layout and off-roading How does Pocketpair spend all that Palworld money? Dev says they can take "risks" even if "we don't know what we're doing," trusting the CEO has "squirreled away enough to keep us alive" See more latest Most Popular How does Pocketpair spend all that Palworld money? Dev says they can take "risks" even if "we don't know what we're doing," trusting the CEO has "squirreled away enough to keep us alive" Minecraft movie star Jennifer Coolidge says her on-screen romance with Nitwit the Villager was "like fire" Wildly successful Balatro publisher says more indie devs need funding "that isn't based on making a ridiculous amount of money back" "This isn't Ubisoft": Former Nintendo PR managers say the company's mantra of "respect the value" is why Switch games "don't go on sale" Blizzard details full Diablo 4 roadmap for 2025 with teasers for seasons 9 and 10, reconfirms a new expansion for 2026, and hints at multiple "new IP collabs" 22 years ago, the worst game of all time launched to a Metacritic score of just 8, and now it's on Steam with 83% positive reviews from a whole new generation of garbage lovers After 4 months without an update, Lethal Company is back in business after its creator was “inspired” by playing Steam competitor Repo Palworld developer Pocketpair's publishing arm reveals its next game – a "gorgeous (and somewhat spooky?!)" truck adventure with a "small town mystery" The White Lotus creator Mike White says a cut scene from season 3’s finale saw sparks fly between two characters who we never saw meet: "It had a little bit of a rom-com vibe" Baldur's Gate 3 fans can finally marry Astarion thanks to a new update for Baldur's Village, the Stardew Valley mod approved by Larian Studios lead Swen Vincke himself GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Blue Prince review: "Thisexploration roguelike is like nothing else I've played, and became a puzzle obsession I just couldn't shake" Promise Mascot Agency review: "Yakuza management mechanics are messy, but I'm won over by its truly immaculate bizarre vibes" South of Midnight review: "A spellbinding tale that struggles to find its rhythm" Agricola review: "Accurate representation of the highly competitive and often unstable world of agriculture" Atomfall review: "This isn't British Fallout – it's something much better than that" A Minecraft Movie Review: "Jack Black's irrepressible star turn helps elevate this video game adaptation" The Electric State review: "Although this may be their most visually stunning movie yet, it looks like the Russos are yet to find their footing outside of the MCU" Fight or Flight review: "Slick and silly action sequences garner well-earned John Wick and Bullet train comparisons" Mickey 17 Review: "Bong Joon Ho's best English movie to date and arguably Robert Pattinson's best movie ever" Captain America: Brave New World review: "Anthony Mackie's Cap earns his Stars and Stripes in this uneven, un-MCU thriller" Doctor Who season 2, episode 1 spoiler-free review: "'The Robot Revolution' is an impressive first episode for new companion Belinda Chandra" The Last of Us season 2 review: "Brilliant and visceral but fails to capture the magic of season 1" Devil May Cry review: "Netflix's anime adaptation is dated and clunky, but does capture some of the anarchic spirit of the original games" Lazarus review: "Unfortunately Cowboy Bebop director's new sci-fi anime never quite melds into a harmonious whole" Daredevil: Born Again season 1 review: "There have been far worse Marvel projects, but few as disappointing as this" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Contact Future's experts Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Review guidelines Write for us Accessibility Statement Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Please login or signup to comment Please wait...