Custom Track
A Custom Track is a Mario Kart Wii course which was not created by Nintendo as part of the original game. This refers sepecifically to modifications made by users which change the layout of the track, not just the colors or textures. For a list of custom tracks see List of Custom Tracks. Several Custom Track Distributions are available which allow a user to download a fixed collection of Custom Tracks.
Generations
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Since Mario Kart Wii hacking has been evolving since it started back in 2009, the quality of custom tracks also has and has being divided into generations:
1st Generation
Those are the custom tracks that were modeled with Paint and don't have any solidity at all. They're only flat planes with collision glitches and no walls. Only two custom tracks fit into this generation, Test Circle and Lava Canyon. Both were made by MrBean35000vr and Chadderz in March 2009 and were the first two custom tracks. They only got released as SFP Patches, and are still on the patch server.
2nd Generation
Those are the tracks that were modeled with Paint and have correct solidity mapping. The first track of this kind was Mushroom Peaks, in December 2009. It's still the most famous track of this generation, but Incendia Castle is a close second being one of the two custom tracks so far where you follow a different route each lap (the other being the still unknown Six King Labyrinth).
This generation also includes 3D modeled custom tracks that aren't good looking and could be confused with normal 2nd generation tracks.
3rd Generation
This is the generation that has been lasting for the longest time unsure. It started with the SZS Modifier update in May 2010, that included 3D model importing, making it possible for tracks to me much more detailed. The first test was DS Rainbow Road, by MrBean35000vr, but was never released because it's currently impossible to fix the loop and the corkscrew. The first released track of this generation was ???. As you can see in the Beta Videos Haunted Woods was made with Paint.
Definition:
- Made with 3D modeling editor.
- The model is very hard to make with paint, to make it with paint it needs days and days of pincing.
4th Generation
This generation started in March 2011 with the release of the BRRES Expander, and now custom tracks models have (almost) no limits. The first released track of this generation is Thunder City.
Definition:
- 1. Made with a 3D modeling editor
- 2. When looking at the szs structure, no course is used a a base (files can have a base but it's not specifically based on something).
- 3. Camera positions are set.
- 4. Course is made for online play meaning average TT time is 3,5 minutes at maximum (ports are an exeption to this)
- 5. Made use of a technique to "avoid" size limits.
- 6. Minimal glitches (some are allowed as Nintendo tracks have some too)
- 7. The model is very hard to make with paint, to make it with paint it needs days and days of pincing.
5th Generation
This generation hasn't started yet, but it probably will in some time. When the time is there it will have the following things:
- 1. All of 4th generation
- 2. Shadow effect
- 3. Has the same amount of details as Nintendo tracks have.
- 4. Need to have custom objects (non-custom ones are not forbidden)
6th generation
Since not even the 5th generation has started yet, of course the 6th hasn't. These are the tracks that include very hard to make stuff, courses that belong to this generation are elite tracks, it need to have the following things in order to belong to the 6th generation:
- 1. All of 5th
- 2. Need to be OVER Nintendo quality
- 3. No glitches, strat allowing parts are allowed (RR moonjump like things are not glitches)
Generations
Although the generations happened in a specific order, the custom track releases don't follow then. The first generation has ended with the start of the second and the third generation has ended with the start of the fourth, but second generation tracks didn't stop being made yet, as proven by the latest 2nd gen track Sunset Bridge. The second generation will probably only die when all creators give up of making tracks with Paint and start using 3d model editors exclusively, which will probably take some time.
Retro ported tracks don't follow generations, because they're supposed to be just like the original ones, altrhoug it's possible to say that DS Airship Fortress is in a previous generation than GCN Wario Colosseum, for example.
- Custom
- Retro
- Texture Hacks
- Other