In addition to being one of Nintendo Switch's all-time best-sellers, Mario Kart 8 continues to reign supreme as the console's premier racing game. The massive replayability of the beloved game derives from the 48 different race tracks, which are divided among 16 New, 16 Retro, and 16 DLC courses, all with varying difficulty levels.
When it comes to the most distinct challenges in the game, underwater courses often top the list. Driving underwater in MK8 often makes it harder to drift, brake, steer, and remain ahead of the competition for all three laps. That being said, there's no denying the sheer amount of fun it is to navigate the submerged race tracks in the game.
Water Park
The second track of the Mushroom Cup, Water Park is a brand new course first introduced to the series in Mario Kart 8. Set in an aqua-theme-park, much of the racing takes place on an underwater Sub Coaster, a looping rollercoaster studded with spin boost pillars and a large submersible antigravity section.
Because the layout of the map isn't all that difficult, Water Park is extremely fun to repeat, as it genuinely simulates the feeling of being a kid at a theme park. It also has a great shortcut that players can take with a mushroom by speeding across the cool Aqua Cups ride.
Sherbet Land
Aside from hands-down boasting the best song in the entire game, Sherbet Land also boasts one of the largest underwater tracks. Players can either choose to stay above ground and navigate the frozen ice or plunge below the depths to take a riveting alternate path full of speed-boosting Jellybeams.
The awesome retro course recycled from Mario Kart Double Dash!! serves as the second track in the Leaf Cup, where the underwater portion actually becomes a strategic way of avoiding traffic and combat damage.
Wario Stadium
The first track in the Leaf Cup, Wario Stadium is a retro course brought back from Mario Kart DS. The dirt rally track has really gnarly underwater segments that seem to come out of nowhere, forcing racers to choose the right car combos to manage the change in road surfaces.
After taking three successive speed ramps, players launch into the underwater section, where tricks can be performed off of two rapid jumps before heading into a brutal 90-degree turn. If racers manage to stay off the mud and keep pace, a final glider ramp out of the water soars them toward the finish line. Despite being a stellar retro Mario Kart 8 course, the underwater element is brand new and adds a competitive new wrinkle to the racetrack.
Cheep Cheep Beach
One of the more pleasant and relaxing underwater tracks in the game, Cheep Cheep Beach is the third track in the Shell Cup. The retro course returns from Mario Kart DS, where delightful steel drums play over a gorgeous tropical beach location full of fun underwater detours.
Able to drive underwater on the course for the first time in MK8, the clear-blue water makes for optimal visibility, with major shortcuts usable if players obtain stars or mushrooms at the right time. There's also a slew of ramps and speed boosters to hit underwater, giving racers a leg up on their above-ground competition.
Piranha Plant Slide
Despite being one of the hardest tracks to master in Mario Kart 8 (especially on 200cc), Piranha Plant Slide is one of the most memorable underwater tracks MK8 has to offer. The second track in the Lightning Cup is a retro course revamped from Mario Kart 7.
Littered with annoying roadblocks and pitfalls alike, pulling off the successive 90-degree turns in opposite directions while completely submerged is a real challenge. The newfangled antigravity pipeline increases the difficulty level as well as the harrowing intensity, with a cool new waterslide that leads into a submerged plumbing tube full of speed ramps and glider pads.
Dolphin Shoals
The second track in the Star Cup, Dolphin Shoals is a brand new course in Mario Kart 8. Set almost entirely underwater, drivers speed through an undersea cave beside swimming marine life. In one of the most exciting parts of the track, racers drive on top of a Mega Unagi and perform tricks off of the beast like a skateboard ramp.
The only track in series history to begin underwater, Dolphin Shoals starts out in a lake before descending into the depths of the ocean, where players attempt to stay afloat by driving over air bubbles or take a cool hidden shortcut through a cave with a pair of speed ramps. Whether outfitted with one of the fastest Mario Kart 8 car combos or not, Dolphin Shoals is a tough underwater challenge.
Thwomp Ruins
The final track of the Mushroom Cup, Thwomp Ruins is another brand new track in the 2021 Nintendo best-selling game. Set among ancient ruins adorned with ornate caves and Thwomp statues, the track has an awesome two-part underwater segment that truly stands out.
The first comes as players exit a tunnel and face a forked pathway. If drivers stay straight, they will drive into a descending pool of clear water full of ornate stone columns and stairways. If timed right, they can even see the Roller wheel into place like a scene from Indiana Jones, with surrounding walls that resemble the Thwomps' mouths.
Twisted Mansion
The third course in The Flower Cup, Twisted Mansion is a new track in Mario Kart 8 patterned after Luigi's Mansion. The haunted house level does a great job of leaning into the freaky surrealism by having a harrowing underwater portion that doubles as an antigravity section.
As such, it can become difficult to tell when the underwater part begins and where it ends while speeding through the course. After the floors twist and turn into the walls, the submerged area challenges players to take a brutal U-turn around a Bouldergeist-shaped archway before launching off a glider pad. If handled properly, this sequence will almost certainly lead to victory.