History VideoGame / MarioKartArcadeGP

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: While also present in the main games, the RubberBandAI is ''utterly merciless'' in these games, particularly ''GP'' and ''GP 2'', where any time when they're not in your view, will reach impossible speeds (in games that lack Mushrooms) to stay right behind you. The FakeDifficulty is likely due to the games being Arcade-only, thus making it harder to win to make players retry.

** The first ''Arcade GP'' locks your character choice to your card, meaning that if you want to play with another character, you'll either have to play without a card or use a different one. ''Arcade GP 2'' no longer ties character to card, letting you pick any character every time you start a new session.

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: While also present in the main games, the RubberBandAI is ''utterly merciless'' in these games, particularly ''GP'' and ''GP 2'', where any time when they're not in your view, will reach impossible speeds (in games that lack Mushrooms) to stay right behind you. The FakeDifficulty is probably due to the games being Arcade-only, thus making it harder to win to make players retry.

* AnnouncerChatter: The second and third arcade games feature an announcer who comments on the race. He doesn't appear in any of the main games.

* AstralFinale: The Rainbow Cup in ''GP'' and ''GP 2'' feature both Rainbow Road equivalents in this game, Rainbow Coaster and Rainbow Downhill, as its only courses.

* AstralFinale: The Rainbow Cup in ''GP'' features both Rainbow Road equivalents in this game, Rainbow Coaster and Rainbow Downhill, as its only courses.

** ''GP DX'' adds Mushrooms after ''GP'' and ''GP 2'' lacked them, thus making the RubberBandAI much more manageable, and if you still fail a race ''GP DX'' repeatedly, you will be given three Mushrooms, which are much more powerful and useful in these games.

* GrenadeHotPotato: The Time Bomb can be thrown forwards and, when it hits another racer, will hover over their heads and explode after 15 seconds. Much like the Lightning Cloud in ''Wii'', the racer can pass it on by bumping into another racer.

* MissionPackSequel: ''GP 2'' is largely an expansion to ''GP'' as opposed to a full fledged sequel, featuring all of the pre-existing content from ''GP'', while adding several new courses, items and characters (such as Waluigi and [[Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} Mametchi]]).

** In ''GP DX'', if no pedal input is detected for the first few seconds of the race, [[GameplayAutomation the game will take over accelerator input]], which can help players too short to reach the pedals or those on cabinets with broken pedals.

%%* AstralFinale: The Rainbow Cup in ''GP''.

%%* FryingPanOfDoom: One of the items introduced in ''GP DX'' that the player can throw forwards.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Diamond City from ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' appears as a course in the original arcade game. However, likely to avoid any potential legal issues (given that they don't have the rights to use the ''[=WarioWare=]'' IP), there are no direct ties or references to the ''[=WarioWare=]'' series in the course outside of some of the buildings from that series appearing (which, even then, have been altered to distance themselves from their ''[=WarioWare=]'' counterparts) and a "blink and you'll miss it" sign promoting Diamond Taxi.

* WashtubThrow: Tubs (or Basins) are throwable items that can be obtained in singles and triples throughout the series. When hitting a player, it flattens them, stopping them in place. ''GP DX'' has the gold tub, which hits a target three times in a row but lacks the flattening effect of a normal tub.

** Diamond City from ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' appears as one of the courses in ''GP'' and ''GP 2''.

* ExtendoBoxingGlove: The Stretch Punch (or Extendable Glove in ''GP DX'') is an item that can only be used by Wario. When used, the user will repeatedly extend it for five seconds, with anyone being hit getting forced to stop.

* PaletteSwap:
** ''GP DX'' does this through DownloadableContent.

*** Mario has two costumes that resemble his Fire and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 Tanooki Suit]] powerups. In contrast to the other outfits, the Tanooki costume is the only unlockable palette swap.

* ThrowABarrelAtIt: The Barrel item can be thrown both backwards and forwards at opponents. If the player wants to be able to use it, they have to be playing as Donkey Kong as the item is exclusive to him.

* PaletteSwap: ''GP DX'' does this through DownloadableContent.
** Toad can be switched out into a blue variation.
** Don-chan can be switched out to him wearing his Strawberry and Hero outfits.
** Yoshi can be switched between red and black variants.
** Mario has two costumes that resemble his Fire and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 Tanooki Suit]] powerups. In contrast to the other outfits, the Tanooki costume is the only unlockable palette swap.
** Luigi has an outfit that resembles his appearance when picking up an [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii Ice Flower]].
** Dry Bowser is relegated to an alternate costume of Bowser in ''GP DX''.
** Just like in ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart8 8 Deluxe]]'', Metal Mario has a Gold Mario palette swap.

* FusionDance: ''GP DX'' introduces the Fusion Kart. If two players are playing in adjacent cabinets and opt to play in co-op mode, they can activate the fusion kart for 17 seconds so long as one player obtains a special power-up in a race. When activated, the player in a lower place is teleported to the other player. While the player who didn't activate the fusion kart drives, the player who did controls a cannon that can shoot an infinite amount of green shells in any direction. The Japanese version lets the player level it up and shoot stronger items and level 6 (the maximum level allows the player to shoot ''Bowser Shells''!

* HealThyself: ''GP'' has special items that automatically remove all bad status c

* FusionDance: ''GP DX'' introduces the Fusion Kart. If two players are playing in adjacent cabinets and opt to play in co-op mode, they can activate the fusion kart for 17 seconds so long as one player obtains a special power-up in a race. When activated, the player in a lower place is teleported to the other player. While the player who didn't activate the fusion kart drives, the player who did controls a cannon that can shoot an infinite amount of green shells in any direction.