The Games
Other Stuff 
|
Mario Kart DS Guide____________________________________________ | | | # # | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | | || || | | || ---------------------- || | | || NDS_Master || | | || PRESENTS || | | ...... || ---------------------- || ...... | | ...... || || ...... | | ...... |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ...... | | o ________________________ o | |_________| |---------|--------| | |_________| _________|_|_________|________|_|_|_________ | ___ \ ________________________ /__ __ | | |___| | ||__| |__|| | | Mario Kart DS FAQ | | | _ | | | | _| |_ | Version 0.55 | (X) | | |_ _| | | (Y) (A) | | |_| | Copyright 2005 | (B) | | | NDS_Master | | | |________________________| | |________/ Nintend[]DS \________| | |MIC. [] | |____________________________________________| *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Mario Kart DS: Table of Contents *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 1. Copyright 2. Introduction 3. Version History 4. Controls 5. Characters 6. Karts 7. Items 8. Grand Prix 9. Time Trial 10. Mission 11. Courses 12. Multiplayer *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 1. Copyright 2005 NDS_Master *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* This guide is copyrighted to me, which grants me full permission to use this guide and to post it wherever I want. It also gives me exclusive rights to my guide. Therefore, everyone else does not have permission to use my guide or to post it on any websites, publications, or other documents. To defend my rights, the United States has laws and other countries have international treaties. With its copyright, this guide is under the protection of many countries, and each of them takes stealing literary works very seriously. Should someone plagiarize my works or blatantly steal them, he or she will be performing an illegal act that can lead to dire consequences. Fortunately, there is an easy solution if you want to use my guide. Just ask me. I typically allow websites to publish my works if they simply ask me permission. If you want to use my guides or reviews, contact me and I will quickly consider your request and reply. The answer will usually be yes, but it is imperative that you contact me first to make your usage of my written work legal. Since my e-mail became overcome by spam when I posted it, I no longer use it. Instead, you will have to send me a Private Message via my My Nintendo account. If you don't have a My Nintendo account, you will have to go to Nintendo.com to get one. It's free and easy. Once you have one, just PM me, NDS_Master, with your request. Thanks in advance for only using this guide when you have my permission. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 2. Introduction *=*=*=*=*=*=*=* It's finally here! After months of waiting, Nintendo has finally made perhaps the greatest release of the year. I am partially talking about Mario Kart DS, but I am also talking about online play. Mario Kart DS sets new standards for the popular Mario Kart series, with thirty-two tracks, hordes of characters, and plenty of new and familiar items. With so much replay value and excitement, this game is a dream come true for every racer and Mario fan on the planet. However, it gets even better. Mario Kart represents Nintendo's first major attempt to go online, and it has done so successfully. Now everyone can play against people from all over the world. Gamers will never go without competitors again! As a result of its massive game play, Mario Kart DS has more than enough challenges for both newer players and old pros. Because of its challenge, gamers will need help with Grand Prix mode, Time Trial, and Versus. Whatever mode they need help on, this is the place to be. Maybe you need help just finishing 50 cc Grand Prix. Most likely, though, you need help with advanced strategies for destroying opponents and dominating Time Trial. That's what this guide is for. Browse through it, search for the information you need, and take over the track. You will quickly notice that this guide does not have the most advanced or detailed strategies for this game. Since the game has only been out a short while, I have barely had time to scratch together a decent guide with all of the basic strategies that you need. Despite its lack of expert strategies, this guide will help you with part of the game. As the weeks go by, this guide will quickly expand into perhaps the most detailed and complete Mario Kart DS guide on the planet. Just wait -- and enjoy this first version while you do. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 3. Version History *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* What's different between this version and the versions before it? That is the main question dealing with version history, and that is why this section is in here. For Mario Kart DS version history is extremely important, as I will be constantly updating this guide for the first few weeks of its existence. This section includes the first version information as well as information about upcoming versions and when I expect to have them submitted to GameFAQs. Version 0.2 Monday, November 14 Initial Version This is the first version of the guide. With partial character, item, and control information, it provided the basic for this all-new game. It also had seven course maps and course information for several courses. Version 0.25 Tuesday, November 15 Mini-Update For the second update, I finished a little more of the basic sections and I added a course information for three more courses. I also started working on Mission. Version 0.3 Wednesday, November 16 Update In this version, I did some more work on the Mission and Courses sections. Along with that, I fixed a few inaccuracies I found with my previous version. Version 0.35 Thursday, November 17 Update I didn't get as much done in this version as I would have liked, but I did get some work done on missions, multiplayer, a course, and a few other basic areas. Version 0.4 Friday, November 18 I added quite a bit of mission info along with some other basic info in this version. However, I don't think this will be my only version for today. Version 0.45 Saturday, November 19 Update I did manage to finish this small update on Friday like I had hoped, but I wasn't able to submit it until Saturday. I added course information for two more courses and I wrote some more about Mission mode. Version 0.5 Tuesday, November 22 Major Update Taking advantage of a free weekend, I started working on advanced strategies for a couple of courses, and I wrote down more basic course information. Mission mode has a bit more to it now, as does the Advanced Techniques part of the Controls section. I added quite a bit to the Nintendo WFC portion of Multiplayer, including a section written specifically for all you disconnectors. Go to the very bottom of the FAQ to see it. Version 0.52 Thursday, November 24 Update I did some more basic maintenance work on many parts of the guide, added a map and course information for Pipe Plaza, and I also added some more three star Mission strategies. Currently I have no set order for which missions I am covering, as I am just randomly picking levels and writing strategies for them. Some of the levels have been fairly difficult, so at least visit the Mission section to see if I have covered a mission you need help on. Version 0.55 Friday, November 25 Update It's not much, but I did get a bit more done on Missions and Courses. Version 1.0 December 20 Major Update Who knows how many versions will be in between 0.8 and 1.0? Four, five, nine? It all depends, as I will constantly add new information to improve the quality of this guide. By December 20, however, I want to have in-depth strategies and maps for all of the courses and mode. Once this version is up, I shall continue to work on advanced strategies to make this guide even better. That's it for now. I will still have plenty more to do on the FAQ, but for now the time frame of when that will get done is still unconfirmed. Keep checking back to see what else I am planning to do. *=*=*=*=*=* 4. Controls *=*=*=*=*=* A: Accelerate B: Brake/Reverse X: Use Weapon L: Use Weapon R: Hop/Drift Y: Change Map View Touch Screen: Change Map View Start: Pause =================== Advanced Techniques =================== ------------- Power Sliding ------------- In the midst of a difficult curve, power sliding is an important way to not only make it through the curve, but to also gain some additional speed. When you approach a curve, press R and the direction that you wish to turn. You will want to do this a little before the turn so that you will be in a full drift by the time you reach the curve. Once you have started to drift, as is indicated by dust coming out of your tires, let go of the direction that you are holding for just a split second to press the opposite direction on the D-Pad. Immediately return your finger to its normal position. Your action must be distinct, or it may not work. If done correctly, this will create blue sparks. Wait about a second and do it again. It will turn the sparks orange, and when you let go of R you will receive a burst of speed. Often throughout this guide, I will tell you to start a power slide early. This is simply stressing a fact that should always be true. Whenever you decide to power slide, you need to start a good distance before the actual turn. It takes some time before the power slide is at a maximum turn, so you need some extra room if you want to make a turn without hitting a wall. ------------ Rocket Start ------------ Previously, Mario Kart games required that you press A right before the race began in order to get a power start. In Mario Kart DS, it is a little different. Immediately after 2 appears and becomes as large is it will become, press A and hold it down. When the race begins, your kart will take off with tremendous speed. Should you happen to press A too early, however, a cloud of smoke will indicate that you have stalled. It will take a lot longer to get up to speed if that happens. ---------- Slipstream ---------- When you are behind someone else and you need a boost of speed, taking advantage of a slipstream is exactly what you need to do. As a kart goes forward, it breaks through the air that is normally stationary. The air moves to the side of the kart, so that the kart can go through. In the end, this action causes a slipstream, a V shaped section where the air has already moved away. At the point of the V is the kart (I realize that it is upside-down), and the section behind the kart is the area where the air has moved away. Now, of course, you want to know what the point of this information is. Since the air has moved away, if you drive within the invisible V that is behind another kart, you will go faster since you will not have to battle with the air! Blue streaks will start flying past you when you are in the slipstream, and eventually a blue circular shaped line will start pulsing in front of your kart. That indicates that you have just gained maximum speed from the slipstream, at which time you should pass the kart in front of you. This is useful for stealing places from your opponents. However, if you see someone trailing you closely, especially near the end of the race, you had better do something quickly to get him out of your slipstream before he passes you. ------- Snaking ------- For all the anti-snakers out there who don't want this information spread: I apologize. But, I will still tell about snaking. Basically, snaking is doing power slides while going straight. During a straightway start drifting one direction. Quickly turn that drift into a power slide by press left and right at the appropriate times. Once it is a power slide, release it immediately. Hop and start drifting as soon as you end the first power slide, and do the exact same thing. Keep doing this as long as possible, and you will frequently gain speed boosts. This got the name snaking because you go right, then left, and then right again, so you seem to slither back and forth across the track. However, if you do it well, it will seem like you are merely driving straight rather than actually snaking (or something close to that). It takes practice, but it has tremendous benefits. ============== Screen Display ============== Team Box ____|______________ Item || |_| Lap 1/3| Box--||__| Lap Indicator| | | | Race Screen | | | |Position Wi-Fi | |1st Box \_| |_________________|_| ___________________ |1__| Time 0'00"00 | Character |2__| Race Time| Positions-|3__| | |4__| | |5__| Map | |6__| | |7__| | |8__| | |___________________| Item Box: This displays any items that you are currently carrying. You can only have one item at a time, so be sure to get rid of your current item before attempting to collect a new one. Team Box: If you are playing on a team, your team color will appear here. Lap Indicator: This shows which lap you are on and how many laps there are in the race. Race Screen: If it isn't obvious enough, the race screen is where all the action takes place. You will spend most of your time looking here. Position: Whether you are in first or eighth, your position will appear on the lower left side of the top screen. Wi-Fi Box (When Applicable): This box appears for Wi-Fi races, and it has up to three bars in it. The more bars, the better the wireless connection. Character Positions: When you want to know how your opponents are doing, look here. It has the positions of every single opponent, along with what items they are carrying at the time. Race Time: Displayed in minutes, seconds, and milliseconds, the race time tells you how long you have been racing. Map: To see an overview of the course, look here. *=*=*=*=*=*=* 5. Characters *=*=*=*=*=*=* Mario Kart DS hosts a horde of characters; some them start out as playable characters, others require certain tasks to be completed before they will appear on the character select screen. Each character has his or her individual strengths and weaknesses that will ultimately determine how well they do in a race. =================== Starting Characters =================== ---- Toad ---- A faithful servant of Princess Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is always ready to help out his allies in any way he can. In Mario Kart, though, he doesn't have allies. His small size makes him ideal for acceleration, and he won't be affected as much by tough terrain. -------------- Princess Peach -------------- Although the princess of Mushroom Kingdom may seem helpless because she is constantly imprisoned by Bowser, in Mario Kart she will not need Mario's help at all. Peach is similar to Toad and excels in the same ways. ----- Yoshi ----- This peaceful dinosaur has helped Mario out in many adventures. He tries to avoid conflict, but he is always willing to take on anyone who challenges the peace of his land. As a racer, Yoshi enjoys friendly competition, and his size, which is between medium and small, makes him effective in acceleration and tough terrain. It also gives him a slight advantage in the top speed area. ----- Mario ----- In his first game, Mario debuted as a carpenter. Shortly afterward, he changed his full time occupation so that he became a plumber. On the side, Mario has taken up several hobbies including saving Mushroom Kingdom, golfing, playing tennis, and racing. Mario is the most well rounded character in the game, giving him excellent acceleration and speed. ----- Luigi ----- Often out of the spotlight, Luigi Mario is the brother of the world's most famous plumber. As such, he is also a well-rounded Mario Kart character. ----------- Donkey Kong ----------- Typically, Donkey Kong stays out of Mario's way, keeping to himself on his own island. When it comes to racing, however, Donkey Kong is not afraid of getting in on the action. Though he is a little heavy and slow to start, he can attain great speeds when he gets going. ----- Wario ----- Wario is the nemesis of Mario, and he is also very greedy. In the few games he has starred in, Wario makes it clear that he is all about the money. Despite his heavy weight, which gives him bad acceleration yet good top speed, Wario is not afraid of going for gold on the track. ------ Bowser ------ Once a totally despised criminal, Bowser has occasionally stepped down from his position of evilness to have some fun with Mario and his friends. He is still a long ways from perfect, as he often kidnaps the princess or causes trouble in Mushroom Kingdom. As a racer, Bowser is extremely heavy. That's good for top speed, but horrible for acceleration and off-track racing. ------- Shy Guy ------- This classic baddie appeared in Super Mario Brothers 2, and he has caused trouble for Mushroom Kingdom ever since. In Mario Kart DS, he takes some time off to have some fun racing. Shy Guy is only available in DS download play, and only the person downloading from the main cartridge can play as him. As a light racer, Shy Guy has excellent acceleration and off-road abilities. ===================== Unlockable Characters ===================== ----- Daisy ----- Unlockable: Get gold in every cup on 50cc Retro mode Daisy is a good friend of Princess Peach a good racer. Her karts put her in the medium racing class. ------- Waluigi ------- Unlockable: Get gold on every cup in 100cc Retro mode Waluigi is to Luigi as Wario is to Mario. That's right, Waluigi is Luigi's archrival! Although he doesn't have his own game franchise like Wario does, Waluigi does participate in many of Mario's multiplayer games. --------- Dry Bones --------- Unlockable: Get gold on every cup in 50cc Nitro mode One of Bowser's lowly minions, Dry Bones is a skeletal version of a Koopa. Typically, he lurks around Bowser's castle, waiting to cause serious trouble for Mario when he arrives. Since there is not much to him, Dry Bones is a light racer with excellent acceleration and decent off-road driving. ------ R.O.B. ------ Unlockable: Get gold on every cup in 150cc Mirror Mode Nitro mode. Okay, this is really weird. You get to race as an accessory for the NES! Who would have thought of this? Actually, R.O.B. has been in a game before -- Star Fox 64, where he controlled the main ship, provided maintenance, and offered advice. R.O.B. is completely metal, which makes him very heavy and terrible off of the track. His top speed is good, however. *=*=*=*=* 6. Karts *=*=*=*=* Following the style of Double Dash, Mario Kart DS allows racers to race in different karts. These karts have their own individual abilities pertaining areas including speed, acceleration, and handling, so each player will have to decide which kart he or she feels is best. In this game, karts even have an indicator of the quality of items that players will receive while using the kart. I'll add more info on the karts later, but for now here are the names of the karts and the characters that are typically associated with them (note the use of the word typically). Each character has a light kart, a medium kart, and a heavy kart. Light karts are typically good with acceleration yet low on top speed, while heavy karts are the opposite. Also, light karts only get one mushroom in Time Trial while heavy karts get three. Toad Mushmellow Standard Toad 4-Wheel Cradle Peach Light Tripper Standard Peach Royale Yoshi Egg 1 Standard Yoshi Cucumber Mario Shooting Star Standard Mario B Dasher Luigi Poltergust 4000 Standard Luigi Streamliner Donkey Kong Wildlife Standard Donkey Kong Rambi Rider Wario Brute Standard Wario Dragonfly Bowser Hurricane Standard Bowser Tyrant Daisy Light Dancer Standard Daisy Power Flower Waluigi Gold Mantis Standard Waluigi Zipper R.O.B. ROB-BLS Standard R.O.B. ROB-LGS Dry Bones Dry Bomber Standard Dry Bones Banisher *=*=*=*=* 7. Items *=*=*=*=* Mario Kart games are known for their wacky items. With each ? box, you get yet another chance to score a valuable item that you can throw you opponents' way. These items keep Mario Kart interesting, as they provide an element of randomness while adding a layer of challenge to the game. If you want to be successful, you will need to know how to use and defend against the many items you will encounter in this game. ------- Bananas ------- Bananas are the most boring items in the game. All they do is sit on the track, waiting to slip some character. Once you have a banana, you will want to hold it behind your kart by using the L button. When it is behind your kart, the banana will block one item that is thrown at you -- or it will cause major problems for any opponent that decides to get a little too close. Since the banana is behind your kart, it will also be removed from the inventory slot, allowing you to acquire another item. Despite the advantages to constantly holding a banana behind your kart, you will eventually want to lay the banana so that you can fire another item. Find a narrow stretch of track and lay the banana in a place where your opponents are most likely to run over it. Remember, if all of your opponents avoid the banana, there is a chance that you will hit it on your next lap. Take that into consideration when you are choosing a drop site. Although simply laying a banana is good, it will not help you earn any leads. If you want to gain a position, you will need to throw your banana forward by pressing up when you release L. The banana will go straight for a short distance and drop to the ground, which only gives you a small chance of disrupting your opponent. It is worth the attempt, but beware that you will have to avoid the banana if your opponent escapes. ------------ Banana Bunch ------------ The banana bunch is just like the banana, only more useful. After you get a banana bunch, tap L to hold three bananas behind your kart. These bananas work just like regular bananas, as you can throw them forward or drop them. With three, it's really easy to litter the track and slow your opponents. ------- Blooper ------- A new item for Mario Kart DS, Blooper has one of the most interesting attacks. To release Blooper, press L and send him at an opponent. He will fly over to the opponent and put ink on him or her. If you receive a Blooper, large blobs of ink will appear on the top screen for a while, which will make it difficult to see. To eliminate the ink quickly, use a mushroom or go over a boost plate. ------- Bob-omb ------- With a massive range of effectiveness the Bob-omb is extremely useful, especially on narrow sections of the track. When you get a Bob-omb, you can hold it behind your kart by holding down L. Letting go of L will throw the Bob-omb far ahead of you, where it will bounce for a few seconds and explode. All karts within its explosion will wipe out or fly into the sky. You can also drop it behind you by pressing down when you let go of L. A little later, someone behind you might be feeling some pain. --- Boo --- Dastardly ghosts have infested nearly all Mario games, and Mario Kart is included in the selection. In Mario Kart DS, Boo will steal an item from an opposing played and make you invisible. You can use the item immediately, and the invisibility will last several seconds. Also, you are invincible when you are invisible. ----------- Bullet Bill ----------- A new item for Mario Kart DS, Bullet Bill is a great item to have no matter what place you are in. When you activate this item, you will turn into a Bullet Bill for several seconds. After that, you will not need to do a thing. Bullet Bill will fly across the course on his own at a rapid speed, taking out any enemies he hits along the way. Once a few seconds are up you will return to normal, most likely with a position a few numbers lower. ---------- Fake ? Box ---------- Functioning similarly to bananas, fake ? boxes add another layer of treachery to the game. When you lay a fake ? box, it is exactly the same as a regular ? box -- except it does not have a ? inside it. If an opponent isn't paying attention, it is really easy to mistake it for the real thing. Other than its appearance, the fake ? box is exactly like a banana in every way. ----------------- Green Koopa Shell ----------------- These basic items make racing time very exciting. They not only bounce for a long time but also cause major harm to any karts they come in contact with. Upon discovering a green Koopa shell in your inventory, you should hold it behind your kart by holding the L button. It will block shells and harm tailgaters. To throw the shell, simply let go of L. The green shell will spin straight forward, bouncing of any walls that it comes in contact with. Because it can bounce back and hit you, I recommend that you don't shoot it forward unless you are fairly certain that you can hurt the opponent in front of you. If there's little chance that you can score a hit, press down when you let go of L to shoot the shell backwards. With its surprising speed the green shell can quickly stop someone who is trailing you on a straightaway. ------------------------- Triple Green Koopa Shells ------------------------- When you need a shield and a few good weapons, this is the item to have. Press L once and three green Koopa shells will circle your kart, giving you protection against land-based attack. If you want to attack someone, just press L once to shoot a single green Koopa shell. Once you have shot all three shells, your shield and this item will be gone. As with regular Koopa shells, you can shoot these forward or backward. --------------- Red Koopa Shell --------------- An advanced form of Koopa shells, the ones with the color red have homing abilities. You can hold it behind your kart, but when you release one it will slide forward (or backward, depending on which way you shot it), acquire a target, and roll along the course searching for that target at tremendous speed. Whenever a red shell hits a wall, it will become useless. ----------------------- Triple Red Koopa Shells ----------------------- Perhaps one of the best items in the game, the triple shells mean serious trouble for your competitors. Like the triple green shell, you can press L once to have the red shells circle around you kart. Each one you shoot will home in on the nearest opponent that is ahead of (or behind) you and track him down. Don't shoot all three at once, however, or they will all hit your opponent at about the same time, causing less damage than it would if you waited until he was back on track before pounding him again. ------------------------------ Blue Winged Spiked Koopa Shell ------------------------------ The granddaddy of all Koopa shells, the spiky blue one packs a powerful punch. It is neither stopped by items nor hindered by speed. Once it locks onto its target, there is no stopping it. As soon as it is launched, the blue Koopa shell will fly through the air and seek out first place -- a massive explosion will signify its success. --------- Lightning --------- As the most coveted Mario Kart item, lightning is rare and useful. The only negative part is that you will usually only get it when you are way behind. Unleashing a lightning bolt will zap all opposing players (except for those protected by stars and Boos), causing them to spin out and shrink. In their diminished state, the opposing karts are easy to run over, which will damage the kart and force it to wait a few seconds to return to normal. Small karts can't go as fast as large karts, and they also can't use mushrooms, stars, or Boos. With lightning you have a hefty wild card that you can play against your opponents; just don't give an opponent the chance to steal it from you with a Boo. -------- Mushroom -------- Why are wild mushrooms dangerous to eat? They contain the Mario Bros. equivalent of nitroglycerin! When you utilize it, the mushroom provides a single burst of speed, useful for completing shortcuts or passing competitors. Unfortunately, it only lasts one time and it is not good for much else, unless you happen to hit an opponent and knock them off course. In Balloon Battle you can steal opponents' balloons by hitting them when you are using a mushroom. --------------- Triple Mushroom --------------- The triple mushroom is exactly like the mushroom, except that you get to use it three times. This feature is extraordinarily useful. --------------- Golden Mushroom --------------- All mushrooms need something to look up to, and this is it. The golden mushroom lasts for several seconds, and you can get as many velocity increases out of it as you want. Continuously tap the L button to use this item, and you will keep going faster until the mushroom's time expires. It's the ultimate organic speed device. ---- Star ---- This item is one of the oldest items in Mario history; it has long helped Mario to become invincible and defeat foes. In Mario Kart DS, it does the same thing. Upon activating a star, you will start to flash and exciting music will begin to play. This signifies that you are invincible. When you are invincible nothing -- not bananas, not Koopa shells, not lighting bolts -- will hurt you. It's perfect if you want to avoid a lightning strike, want to knock out competitors (which you can do easily in your powered state), or just want an easier ride to victory. And if being invincible is not enough, the star also makes you go faster. *=*=*=*=*=*=* 8. Grand Prix *=*=*=*=*=*=* While regular races and Time Trial attempts are fun, they are not necessarily the masterpiece of the Mario Kart games. Some would argue with me, and I will let them argue. However, when you are ready for something big, Grand Prix races are the way to go. Grand Prix consists of four circuits placed together in a single cup. Mario Kart DS has eight cups and thirty-two circuits. Depending on how well you place in a specific circuit, you will receive so many points. Once you finish all four circuits, you may or may not receive a trophy depending on what place you earned. A gold cup is for first place, a silver cup is for second, and a bronze cup is for third. Here are the point values for each position. 1st: 10 Points 2nd: 8 Points 3rd: 6 Points 4th: 4 Points 5th: 3 Points 6th: 2 Points 7th: 1 Point 8th: 0 Points Along with the cup, you also get to choose which engine size you will race with. The sizes are 50 cubic centimeters, 100 cubic centimeters, and 150 cubic centimeters. These sizes also signify difficult in a way. The larger the engine, the faster you go. The faster you go, the harder it is to focus on the race and to know what to do. The harder it is to focus, the worse you will do. To make it worse, if you have a larger engine size, you will get much further behind when you crash than if everyone was racing with slower and smaller engines. Finally, when you are racing on 150 cc, the opponents will cheat a little. It is best to start off with 50 cc until you get fairly good at the game, at which time you can attempt higher engine levels. ----------- Mirror Mode ----------- Unlockable: Earn gold on all 150cc cups Mirror mode is just like 150cc mode. You go just as fast, you have the same difficulty of competitors, and you finish the courses in about the same amount of time. The only difference is that Mirror mode allows you race on mirror images of all the courses. Right turns become left turns, and left turns become right turn. It will force you to eliminate your habitual driving routine and to think quickly in order to succeed. *=*=*=*=*=*=* 9. Time Trial *=*=*=*=*=*=* This mode allows you to race alone on all of the tracks so that you can earn new best times -- for both entire courses and single laps. Each time you play Time Trial, you will start at the beginning of the course with one to three mushrooms depending on which character/kart you are. All of the item boxes are gone in Time Trial, so you will not be able to use them. Since you only have up to three mushrooms, you will have to use them carefully to maximize their effectiveness. Look over the Courses section for more information and tips on completing the tracks in record times. Whenever you complete a course in Time Trial, the game will make a "ghost" of you (if it was your fastest time). Every time you race on that course afterwards, you can choose to race your ghost. Playing against your ghost a great way to see exactly what you did before and to look for ways to improve. ------------ Staff Ghosts ------------ If your time is good enough, you will unlock a staff ghost. A staff ghost is just like a regular ghost, only it was created by someone who actually works for Nintendo. Staff Ghosts are challenging, but not impossible. Give one a little effort and you can usually beat it by a few seconds. Here are the time in which the staff ghosts complete each race, just so you can see what their difficulty is. Each level has its own staff ghost, and I will add more on as I play Time Trial more. I will also tell which staff ghosts I have beaten so far, just so you know they are not impossible. Figure-8 Circuit: 1:36:481 -- Beaten Delfino Square: 1:54:601 Airship Fortress: 2:07:748 -- Beaten Wario Stadium: 2:14:868 Peach Gardens: 1:52:989 -- Beaten Bowser Castle: 2:19:661 -- Beaten Rainbow Road: 2:16:246 Mario Circuit 1 (SNES): 0:50:688 Mushroom Bridge: 1:30:600 -- Beaten Sky Garden: 1:44:400 -- Beaten Yoshi Circuit: 1:48:793 *=*=*=*=*=* 10. Mission *=*=*=*=*=* Mission mode is comprised of six levels that each have eight individual challenges and one boss. These levels usually force you to complete some task. Each mission is timed, and you will be graded depending on how well you did. A *** (triple star) is the highest grade that you can get. After you complete all of the missions in a level, you will be graded for the level as well. The level grade is simply the lowest grade you received in any one of the missions. Since it is challenging to get high scores in Mission, this section of the FAQ is dedicated to helping you get through Mission mode. It has in-depth tips and walkthroughs on the missions, giving you all the info you need to have perfect rating across the board. Sometimes I also include the time needed for a three star rank. As a disclaimer, these times are not necessarily completely accurate. I play through the missions several times trying to narrow the times down, but it would be next to impossible to totally guarantee exact times for every mission. What I can assure you, however, is that these times are no more than a few tenths of a second off, so you have a really good idea as to what you are aiming for. As for the time, keep in mind that in some levels that time counts down, while in others it counts up. If the time counts up and the instructions say you need to complete it in Less than 25 Seconds, you have to complete it so that the timer says a number less than 25. If it said 25 seconds remaining, then you would have to have a number higher than 25 on the timer when you finished. ======= Level 1 ======= ----------- Mission 1-1 ----------- Figure 8 Circuit Race through all 5 numbered gates in order! For this mission, you will need both speed and skill. Pure skill will get you through the level, but speed is essential if you are to get a *** rank. It is fairly easy to get a *** rank; you just have to go fast. Use a rocket start to enhance your speed as you drive through the first tire gate. Ease calmly into the turn that is after it (power slides are not necessary), and aim for the mushroom that is closest to the next gate. Grab the mushroom to boost through the next gate, and keep going. Do this for all five gates, and you will complete this mission with a *** for certain. ----------- Mission 1-2 ----------- Peach Circuit (GBA) Collect all 15 coins! This is another easy and short level. Begin with a rocket start and go straight into the first two coins. The next few coins are on a turn, so quickly turn (you don't need to use a power slide). Since braking would slow you down too much, only release the A button for a split second if you are going to miss a coin. After the turn, go straight along the track and collect the other coins. There is one more turn, but you can easily take it at full speed. ----------- Mission 1-3 ----------- Yoshi Falls Destroy 10 items boxes! While this mission is not difficult, you will need to figure out where to go if you are to succeed. A rocket start will give you great speed, and you should direct that speed straight towards the first item box. Use the mushroom you get to increase your speed. The second item box is on the bridge, and it also contains a mushroom. As you use the second mushroom, veer down to the curved portion of the track to hit the third box. Don't stay on the curved track for long, as the fourth question box is on the regular track. With its mushroom you can speed across the bridge to the fifth item box. Boost up to the sixth item box, located right in front of a boost plate. Since the boost plate will increase your speed, you will not need to use the mushroom right away. Wait until you get onto the bridge and have slowed down a little before using the mushroom to speed into the seventh item box. Another boost plate rests at the end of the bridge. Wait a second or two after going over the boost plate before pressing L to speed off towards the eighth item box. Go over the two boost plates after the eighth item box before using the mushroom. Use the mushroom just as you are about to reach the ninth item box. Wait a short while, and then use your final mushroom to accelerate towards the final item box. Be careful not to miss the item boxes, follow these directions, and a *** grade will be yours. ----------- Mission 1-4 ----------- Cheep Cheep Beach Get the Star and use it to hit 5 Cheep Cheeps! Precision -- not velocity -- is required to get a good grade in this mission. I realize that that is contrary to what most expect, but it is true. The Cheep Cheeps are all over, and if you miss one, it will cost a lot of time. Despite this, you should still begin with a rocket start. Go straight until you reach the first item box, then slow down and turn off to the right. Activate the star and run slowly into the first Cheep Cheep. Turn left to go along the shore, and slowly (but not too slowly) approach the other Cheep Cheeps. They jump, so make sure you reach them when they are near the ground so you can eliminate them. Take your time and defeat them all. The requirements for getting a *** rank are not too strict; just be precise. ----------- Mission 1-5 ----------- Nintendo DS Drive through all 6 numbered gates in order! While this mission does require skill to get the highest grade, it is possible with a little practice. Rocket start to the first tire gate and go through it. Past the gate you will head onto the slanted portion of the DS. Halfway up, hop and drift to begin a power slide to the left. Quickly shift your finger from left to right twice so that orange sparks start to come out from your tires. This should occur just before you reach the gate. Release R right to gain a speed boost. Fly through the tire gate and turn as much as you can to get into position for the next gate. Drive through it and then go straight through tire gate four. When you reach gate four, sharply turn (don't slow down) to the left. Go through gate five. A full turn isn't necessary to get through tire gate six, so just ease of to the left and go through gate six at an angle. The mission will end once you go through gate six, so it is okay if you are headed off the edge. If done perfectly, the perfect rank will be yours. ----------- Mission 1-6 ----------- Luigi's Mansion Drive out of the mansion... backward! Okay, if this isn't an easy mission, I don't know what is. Because you are driving backward, you cannot use a rocket start or power slides. That makes this course simple. Press B to go backward. The only thing strange about this is that when you are going backward left is right and right is left. Keep that in mind and go through this course without hitting anything and it is almost certain that you will get the best grade possible. ----------- Mission 1-7 ----------- Moo Moo Farm Collect all 20 Coins! Time to Earn *** Rank: 17.5 Seconds Remaining The overall challenge factor in this level is low, so you should be able to get three stars will little trouble. As is customary, a rocket start should set you in motion. Drive straight into the item box, which will give you a Triple Mushroom. As soon as you get it, use one of the mushrooms. You will burst forward to collect the first four coins, and then you will go over a small jump. As you land, use another mushroom. You'll gain additional speed as you collect the next four coins. Five more coins rest in a curve. The curve is wide, so you can easily get all five coins without slowing down. No coins appear for a while after those five, so use your third mushroom here as you continue to turn. The last seven coins will be near each other in a jagged line. Pick them up at full speed to earn the *** rank. ----------- Mission 1-8 ----------- Mario Circuit 1 (SNES) Perform 4 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap! Time to Earn *** Rank: 19 Seconds Remaining This is a difficult challenge, but it is one that you can accomplish with some practice. A rocket start will propel you ahead quickly, and hug the inside of the curve as you make the first turn. Drive steadily from there on to the second curve. As you reach the second turn, move to the inside of the track and power slide. Do it just right so that you are on the inside of the track and so you don't hit the pipe. That will require you to start the power slide very close to the edge. You should finish your first power slide without going too far to the right, as you want to stay close to the edge. Further on, you will need to do a second power slide to get past the third turn. Begin the power slide early so that you can squeeze through on the red and white strip. Mark a straight course towards the fourth turn. You should be at the left of the road for the third turn, so turn slightly so that you will reach the right side of the road by the fourth turn. Again, start the power slide early and stay as close to the inside red and white strip. Come off that power slide and face towards the inside curve of the fifth and final turn. As usual, start you power slide plenty of time before the curve so that you can be in a full slide by the time you reach the curve. Stay very close to the inside of the track, and release the power slide when the road straightens out. If you manage to do this with at least 19 seconds remaining, you will receive a *** grade. Please note that this is a fairly difficult challenge, you may have to play the level through several times to perfect your driving. ------------ Boss Stage 1 ------------ Use Mushrooms to crash into the Big Bully and knock him off the stage! Simple, simple, simple. Do this right, and in a matter of second Big Bully will be soaked. When the level commences, use a rocket start to smash into Big Bully. He will bounce back, and so will you. Keep going straight to the item box. Get it, and you will hit Big Bully yet again. This time little will happen, though you will be bumped back a slight amount. You have your three mushrooms, so you will quickly be able to knock him off. Immediately curve around to the right (you should end up going behind the Big Bully) and keep curving until you are once again facing straight at the Big Bully. At this point, the Big Bully will be fairly close to the edge. Launch at him once to knock him back, then do it a second time, and finally, if you were accurate in your first two attacks, the third mushroom will allow you to knock him off the stage. With the small time it takes to complete these steps, you will gain a *** grade. ======= Level 2 ======= ----------- Mission 2-1 ----------- Delfino Square Crash into all 10 wooden crates and destroy every one! Time to Earn *** Rank: 18:75 An awkward mission, 2-1 is simple if you get the hang of it. As you start off, use a rocket start to speed directly into the first box. As it breaks, keep holding down A so that you can drive into the second box on the left side of the road. After that, continue onward as quickly as you can into box number three, which is on the right side. Once the third box is gone, head straight towards the dock and smash into the box that is located on it. Since going forward would send you into the drink, hang a quick left. Stay on the dock, and speed all the way to the end of it to destroy your fifth box. Hold down A and B at the same time and press right to turn completely around, and then drive into the sixth box, which you passed on the way to the fifth box. Destroy that boxes, and then carefully turn to the right and make your way off the dock. As soon as you are past the fence, turn sharply to the right so that you can pick up speed and plow into the seventh box. Constantly hold down A and then slam into the eighth box and the ninth box. The final box is a short distance away, so you will have some time to pick up speed. Turn right onto the bridge. When you are about halfway onto the bridge, start a power slide heading to the right. The barrier on the right side of the road will soon end and you can use the power slide boost to fly straight into the final box. ----------- Mission 2-2 ----------- Figure 8 Circuit Collect all 10 Coins! You should find this mission to be not that difficult. It does not require any power slides or even rocket stars -- just steady driving. When you begin, hold down B to go backwards. The first coin is behind you. Immediately after you acquire it, let go of B and press A to go forward. The other nine coins are in front of you. Stay at top speed, ease carefully into the turn without slowing down, make sure that you get all of the coins, and the three star grade is yours. ----------- Mission 2-3 ----------- Donut Plains 1 (SNES) Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order! Time to Earn *** Rank: 18:3 In contrast to the previous mission, Mission 2-3 is hard. You start off as Donkey Kong, so use a rocket start to speed past the starting line. Immediately after that, you will be presented with a turn. It is not that steep, but you should still get a power slide in to increase your speed. Go through the first tire gate. Next, you will cross a bridge. A little past the bridge is a turn, so power slide early enough so that you can take the turn on with little trouble. Instead of following the course, you will be forced to take a shortcut. When the course slowly heads to the right, head straight for the mushroom that is on the grass. Take the mushroom to get a boost of speed across the grass and through the second tire gate. Now the real run begins. The third tire gate is on a hairpin curve, so start a power slide as you reach the turn. While you are power sliding, make sure the sparks coming out of your tires are orange before you reach the gate. Then, go through the gate in the midst of your power slide. Remember that you can press left or right to make your power slide sharper or wider, so do some adjusting to make sure that you go through. When you go through the tire gate, release the power slide and boost across the straight section of track. This fourth tire gate is tricky. There's a mushroom next to it, which I believe you are supposed to grab in the middle of a power slide so that you can have a major speed boost as you go through the fourth gate. However, I have never used the mushroom to gain a *** rank, and I have received that rank a few times on this level. I personally just start a power slide before I go through the fourth gate. I time it so the sparks turn blue just before the gate, and then I turn them orange shortly after the gate. If you do the rest of the course right and you make a sharp turn here, you will do fine. Should you incorporate the mushroom into your routine, that's fine as well. After the fourth gate and the power slide that accompanies it, you will head straight for the fifth gate. It is also located on a curve. You will not need to power slide for this curve, though. At the start of the curve is a mushroom. Drive into the mushroom as you start to turn right. You will boost toward the right, and you will see another mushroom on your way. Maneuver into it and top speed, and hold down the accelerator as you drive through the fifth gate. As a side note, you do not have to slow down on this curve. At all. However, it is possible that you did not start a sharp enough turn when you got the first mushroom. If that is the case, you may have to ease of the accelerator for a split-second to ensure that you go through the fifth gate without hitting it. Don't be too generous, or you will not receive the *** rank. ----------- Mission 2-4 ----------- Luigi's Mansion Destroy all 5 item boxes Time to Earn *** Rank: 19.25 Seconds Remaining Despite a few minor turns, this is a pretty straightforward and easy level. All you have to do is to destroy five item boxes. Rocket start from the beginning of the level. Go mostly straight, and only turn a little to the left in to cut off the first item box as it heads to the right. When you destroy it and receive the mushroom from it, turn right and use the mushroom so that you hit the second item box. You will receive yet another mushroom, which you should use to speed towards the next item box. Since the next section of the track is straight, it is easy to destroy the third item box. With your next mushroom, boost again to get closer to the fourth item box, which you will finally be able to break as you start heading downward. Use your last mushroom to gain additional speed. The last item box will make a wide turn, so drive to the right and aim for outer wall. Hit the fifth item box and you will finish the mission with lots of time remaining. ----------- Mission 2-5 ----------- Cheep Cheep Beach Collect all 20 coins! Time to Earn *** Rank: 17.5 Seconds Remaining Nothing fancy here. All this mission consists of is a bunch of coins and a long, wide turn. Rocket start into the first set of coins, and then turn with the coins to make it around the bend. The turn will require some skill, as you will need to take it without little or no braking if you want a *** rank. Turn sharply, but not too sharp. At the end of the turn, go straight over the boost ramp to collect the final few coins. It may take more than one try to get three stars, but this mission shouldn't tax you too much. ----------- Mission 2-6 ----------- Desert Hills Use Bob-ombs to destroy all 5 Pokeys! Although it requires precision, Mission 2-6 has a generous *** time limit. As long as you do not waste too much time, you will finish will all three stars intact. Rocket start from the finish line, and slow down so that you stop near the first row of item boxes. With the first Bob-omb you receive, turn slightly to the left and throw it straight at the Pokey. Score a direct hit on the Pokey so that the Bob-omb explodes, otherwise the Bob-omb may go too far and its explosion will be useless. Next, use the A+B turn when you are stopped to turn around and collect another item box, which you should then use on the nearby Pokey that the right side of the road. Again, scoring a direct hit on the Pokey is the best way to ensure a good grade. With those two out of the way, drive onward to the next row of item boxes. Turn sharply to the left when you receive your next Bob-omb so that you face another Pokey, and quickly eliminate him. Collect a new Bob-omb, and throw this one so that it hits the Pokey that is in front of you. Drive up a short ways to the next row of item boxes, and use your final Bob-omb to fully clear the area of Pokeys. It is okay if you are not super fast; just be decently quick and very accurate. ----------- Mission 2-7 ----------- Luigi Circuit Drive through all 10 numbered gates in order Time to Earn *** Rank: 17.5 Seconds Remaining It's little disorienting at first, but when you know what to do this mission is not too hard. A rocket start should mark your entrance as you head through the first gate. After the boost plate, you will be tempted to go through the next gate you see. You could, but it is pointless, as the next gate you see is the eighth gate. Instead, drive to the left of the gate and go straight. You will come to gate number two on the left side of the road, past the item boxes. Get an item box and drive through the gate. Use the mushroom you receive to speed slightly over to the right side of the road, where you will encounter gate number three. Drive through it, and follow the track until you reach gate number four. Now, instead of merely driving across the boost plates that lead to the fifth gate, try something a little different to decrease your overall time. Start power sliding as you reach the first boost plate, and continue power sliding across all of the boost plates. You may have to adjust yourself to make it through the fifth gate, but that is easy to do by pressing right left during the power slide. Remember, since you are power sliding to the left, left will make the slide sharper and right will make the slide wider. Once you have gone through the fifth gate and have flown across the last boost plate in the turn, wait for your speed to die down before you release your power slide. You want to let it go so that you get maximum additional speed before the next boost plate while not wasting any of the speed earned from the last boost plate in the turn. Go straight through gate number six, and then drive over to the left side of the road to get through gate seven. When you receive a mushroom from the item box on the track, use it to get through the eighth gate. A right turn will get you through gate number nine, and from there you only have a short distance to go before going through the tenth gate. Since it is on the flat section of road to the right of the curved track with boost plates, you will not need to use a power slide to reach it. Go straight over the first boost plate on the turn, and turn slightly to the left as you go over the top portion of the second boost plate. As the road changes from curved to straight you will jump into the air; aim for the tenth gate and you will be fine. ======= Level 3 ======= ----------- Mission 3-2 ----------- Delfino Square Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order... backward! Another backward level -- I love the simplicity of these things. All you have to do is to drive through the five gates going backward. Remember that when you are going backward, right is left and left than right. Since you cannot do much while going backward, you only need to continuously drive without crashing to get three stars. It is fairly simple to do. Take note that when the road splits, the third gate is on the path going straight. Do not turn to the left or you will not complete the mission. ----------- Mission 3-5 ----------- Pipe Plaza Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order! Confusion marks this level, as the gates are placed in strange fashion. If you are good at following directions, however, you should be able to get a three star rating on this level fairly quickly. At the beginning of the mission, use a rocket start to speed through tire gate number one. Keep going straight and as a result you will also go through gate five, though it won't count since you went out of order. If you continue forward, you will go through the pipe directly behind gate five and you will come out of the pipe to the right of it. So far, you have not had to turn at all, and this is still true as you head through gate number two. After the second tire gate, however, you will have to turn to make it through tire gates three and four. Power slide to the right so that you stay on the wire path and head towards gate number three. Once you make the turn, release the power slide to boost through the third gate, then hold down A and turn right to go through the fourth gate. Continue onward into the pipe, and you will shoot out of the pipe you first entered. You will quickly go through gate number five again, and this time it will count. Go straight through gate number one again and keep going until you are almost to the end of the course. Off to the side you should see tire gate number six. Although you could power slide, it is easier to simply drive through gate number six. Go at full speed and turn at the right time so that you go through gate number six. Continue turning and adjust yourself if need to get onto the ramp that is after gate six. At the top of the ramp, you will go through gate number seven. Instead of staying on the track, turn partway to the right and fall onto the ground to go through gate number eight. It takes some skill, but you should be able to get three stars on this mission without too much trouble. ======= Level 4 ======= ----------- Mission 4-1 ----------- DK Pass Reach the finish before Donkey Kong! An interesting task -- you must beat Donkey Kong by completing one lap of DK Pass going in the opposite direction as normal. As usual, a rocket start should begin your journey. When you get close to the first turn, start a power slide. Turn the sparks orange and let it go fairly early. Go in between the two snowmen that are near the inside of the turn. Several more snowmen lurk on the course, stationed in a zigzag pattern. Weave left and right to avoid the snowmen. After you are past them, you will go over a large hill. Five item boxes are after the hill, but you will miss three of them because you will jump when you go over the hill. Aim for one of the two items boxes that are farther out so you can break an item box as you go over the jump. Actually, I prefer to simply slow down near the top of the hill so I can hit both the boost plate and the item box. From the item box, you will get either a triple mushroom or a star. If you get the mushrooms, use them at distinct intervals. Should you use them all at once, you will not get as much out of them. However, do not wait too long to use them, as there are more item boxes ahead. For the star, simply activate it and head through the snowball infested roads without trouble. Soon you will come to another small hill with item boxes on top of it. Do not take this hill at full speed; instead, slow down a little so that you can get an item box. Take advantage of what it contains as you head out of the snowy area and onto the main track. If you are using mushrooms, watch out for the snowball to the right of the course after the item boxes. When you reach regular track, start a power slide to curve around the first turn. You may notice that at this turn Donkey Kong goes across the snow (instead of taking the hairpin curve) to get an item box. That is okay for you to do, but it slows you down. If you have a speed- enhancing item you can go across the snow without much trouble, but you will still be at an awkward position when you return to the track. Stay on the main road. Finish off any items that you have in this small straightaway, as you will soon encounter the second hairpin curve. It has item boxes, which you will want to get as you power slide through it. After this turn, you will quickly come to another hairpin turn. This one should have a giant snowball rolling along it. You may not be able to complete a power slide because of the snowball, so just squeeze through and survive the turn. As for the remainder of the track, it is just comprised of several steep curves and a few item boxes. Use power slides whenever you can, and collect an item at every possibility. One last thing: the item boxes do not always have a star or a triple mushroom. I have actually received a single red Koopa shell while racing. Needless to say, item such as that are useless and will hinder your ability to gain a *** rank. If you get a worthless item you might as well finish the race, but there is a good chance you will have to restart. Fortunately, worthless items do not appear that often in this mission. ----------- Mission 4-2 ----------- Palm Shore Blast 20 crabs! It is not an exceedingly difficult mission, as you have plenty of leeway time. However, you will want to make the most of it in order to secure a *** grade. At first you will start off on a lone, circular island surrounded by four longer islands. Shallow water is in between the island, which you can drive through. Several item boxes rest on top the circular island. Grab and item box and quickly press L. You should get a green Koopa shell, triple green Koopa shells, or a Bob-omb. The green shell and the Bob-omb are not that useful, so get rid of them quickly. With the triple green Koopa shells, activate them so they circle around your kart. Then, drive into the water and drive into crabs so that you will kill them with one of the Koopa shells. Once you have depleted your supply, race back to the main island to restock. Keep on doing this – get the triple green Koopa shells and drive out to hit crabs with them. You never even have to shoot a single one of them. A short way into the mission, a ton of crabs will start to move against the main island. This makes your job easier, as you will not have to go as far to find crabs. Get items and eliminate the crabs like mad. Once twenty are gone, you will win. Also, you have a reasonable amount of time to complete the mission and still earn a *** rank. You can still get that rank even a short while after the crabs start to leave the main island. ----------- Mission 4-3 ----------- Shroom Ridge Reach the finish before the red car! Time to beat red car: Less than 50 seconds. Time to Earn *** Rank: Less than 42.25 Seconds A long course with many turns, Shroom Ridge is a precarious place to hold a race. This time, however, you are not racing another kart. You are racing a wild car. As the race begins, you will see the red car drive past the starting line and pass a blue car. Use a rocket start to get going quickly. Pass the blue car that is on the left side of the road, and start to power slide. Power slide as closely to the inside of the curve as you can, and get an item box. It will have three mushrooms in it. Release the power slide a short distance before the curve is complete to gain additional speed, and when you start to slow down use a mushroom for a second boost of speed. Now you will be fairly close to the red car. The next section of track has a long U-turn. Start an early power slide so that you can make the full turn as sharply as you can. You'll want to turn the sparks orange as quickly as you can so that your initial drift becomes a full power slide, and then you will want to stay as close to the wall as you can. Coming off that turn, you should be ahead of the red car. However, you still need to race quickly for the three stars. Power slide through the next curve, and stay as close to the inside of the curve as you can. Once you get the boost from that power slide, wait about a second and use a mushroom. Wait until you start to slow down, and then use your third mushroom. At this point, you will approach another curve. It is not that sharp, but you still want to power slide through it. Avoid the vehicle on the road as you make the turn. Immediately after that turn, hop to the right and start another power slide. Complete it, and head straight for on of the item boxes in the tunnel. As a reward, you will receive three mushrooms. Use one mushroom as soon as you get the item. You will boost through the tunnel. As you begin to slow down, you will come to a U-turn that you should power slide through. Release that power slide at the end of the turn, and then quickly start another power slide after it to take on the next curve. You will have to squeeze in between a yellow and blue car for a successful power slide. Immediately after you release the power slide, use a mushroom to go through the next curve. You will encounter the last curve of the level right after that. Power slide through the last curve, and then quickly use your last mushroom to make it to the finish line. Earning three stars require a lot of precision, but with practice you can do it. ----------- Mission 4-4 ----------- Desert Hills Drive through all 7 numbered gates in order! Time to Earn *** Rank: 21 Seconds Remaining Now this is how Desert Hills is supposed to be played. With a slew of mushrooms, you can speed quickly of the desert terrain. That is, if you know what to do. That's what this walkthrough is for. A rocket start should mark the beginning of the race. Drive straight through the first tire gate, and when you are past it start power sliding. Release the power slide when you are facing towards the item boxes to get a burst of speed. In the item box you get, you will receive triple mushrooms. Continue straight after you get the item box, and do not turn with the course. Instead, go just to the right of the palm tree that is next to the road. You will see the second tire gate in the middle of a shortcut. As you reach the off course dirt, release a mushroom to speed up. Speed across the desert terrain and through the second tire gate. When you start to slow down even a little, use another mushroom. Keep going straight, even past the road when you reach it. On a ridge directly in front of you is tire gate number three. You will start to slow down from your second mushroom speed boost, so take advantage of your third mushroom to get through the third tire gate. By the time you slow down, you should be back on the road. Turn slightly to the right to realign yourself with the road, and go through the fourth tire gate. Immediately after the tire gate you will jump down onto lower ground. It is here that you will get your next set of mushrooms. Head a little to the left and get the item box that is closest to the center of the road. Normally I just save these mushrooms because you don't need to use them right away to get a *** rank, but they could give you an addition amount of speed. Up ahead you should notice some more item boxes. If you can use all three mushrooms before you reach the next set of item boxes, you can get another set of three mushrooms. No matter what you decide to do, make sure that you drift sharply to the right and line yourself up with the fifth tire gate. If you used the three mushrooms beforehand, you will be going fast enough where you will only be able to drift. If you didn't use the three mushrooms, you should be able to get in a power slide. Now that you are lined up and have an inventory of three mushrooms, it is time to race for the finish. As you near the fifth gate, use a mushroom to speed through it. Just go straight and you will fly through the sixth tire gate as well. Should you start to slow down, just apply another mushroom to the engine. After the sixth gate you should fly straight across another ridge and land on yet another ridge. At this point you should only have one mushroom left. Use it immediately to soar over the next ridge, and you will see the seventh tire gate as you land. Steer as much as needed to maneuver into the seventh gate and you will complete the mission -- hopefully with a three star grade. ----------- Mission 4-5 ----------- Bowser Castle 2 Collect all 15 coins. If you get squished by a Thwomp, you fail! While the basic for this mission seems hard, it is actually really easy if you know what to do. The trick is not to make perfect turns, but to make pathetic turn, which lowers the difficulty level of this mission. Begin with a rocket start so that you can get the first several coins that are in a line. When you reach the end of the first line, you will have to turn to the left so that you can get the second row of coins. Instead of making a sharp turn after the last coin in the line, go nearly all the way to the barrier at the end of the level and then turn however you want. After you collect the last coin in the first row, the Thwomps should all smash the ground. Since you will make your turn very wide and late, the Thwomps will have enough time to pound down yet again and start to head back up. Once you finish the turn, speed through the second row of coins to collect them all. If you took long enough (yet not too long) on your turn, you will go right under the first Thwomp as it goes back in the air, at which time you can easily collect the remaining coins before the Thwomps come down for a third time. If you made your turn too quickly, you will slam into the first Thwomp, which will ruin your momentum and lower your rank. If you do it right, and *** rank is not too hard to obtain. ======= Level 5 ======= ----------- Mission 5-1 ----------- Peach Gardens Reach the finish before the stray Chain Chomp! Time to Beat Chain Chomp: Less than 49 Seconds Time to Earn *** Rank: Less than 42.75 Seconds All you get in this mission is three mushrooms, so pay attention so that you spend them wisely. When the race begins, use a rocket start. That should be ingrained in your head by now. When you reach the item boxes, start power sliding to the left. Release the power slide as soon as you can and zoom across the bridge that you come to. Drive straight until you come to the flowers that force you to make a U-turn. Instead of following the path, use one mushroom to drive straight through the flowerbed as soon as you reach it. Steer carefully so that you end up on the right side of the road after you have gone through the flowerbed. At this time you should be extremely close to Chain Chomp, so stay on the right side of the road to avoid getting smashed. Continue until the path turns, and then use a mushroom to go through the next flowerbed at full speed. Doing that allows you to make a much sharper turn. Past that turn, you will enter a section of the garden with many hedges. Go to the right of the first hedge that you come to (it will be in the middle). Go to the left of the hedge immediately after that, and start to head towards the left of the hedge after that as well. Instead, of merely steering, power slide to the left of the next hedge so that you gain a speed boost and end up going to the right of the hedge that is directly after the hedge you power slided past (it will be in the fourth row or hedges that you pass) Go to the right of the last hedge, and you will be free from that section of the garden. Soon after that, you will need to make another right turn. A flowerbed is in the way of this turn to, so plow through it with your last mushroom. Once you have completed that, you will head down a long, slanted path that leads to a circular area with three large hedges in it. When you reach the circular area, go to the side of the first hedge, and then power slide in between the two hedges that are after it when you get the chance. It is difficult to do effectively, but with practice you will be able to do it. In the dirt section of track after the paved circle, you will have a fairly substantial turn. Power slide to the right to gain some speed, and then do a normal turn to the left. A power slide to the right will get you onto paved ground again, and another power slide a short distance after that will get you to the end. The key to gaining a *** rank in this level partly relies on following the steps above, but it also relies on precision. Make your turns as tight as you possibly can to shave even a second of your lap. Also, do your power slides quickly and effectively; if you don't, they may cause you more harm than good. Practice some, and you will be able to accomplish this task. ----------- Mission 5-2 ----------- DK Pass Drive backward and collect 15 coins! If you hit a snowman, you fail! I love missions where you drive backward. They are all so easy, as there is not much you can do while driving backward. Keep in mind that left and right are switched when driving backward. As the mission begins, press B to head backward. You will collect a few coins, and then the coins path will turn to the left. Since you are driving backward, press right to make the turn. Keep pressing right sparingly as you make the wide left turn. After the ninth coin however, you will have to make a sharper turn. Momentarily let go of B to ensure that you make the turn and collect the tenth coin. Once you have the tenth coin, return to full speed to collect the final five coins, which are also locate on a wide, left curve. ----------- Mission 5-3 ----------- Koopa Beach 2 (SNES) Destroy all 5 item boxes! I had a lot of fun with this mission, and I hope you will to. The item boxes may seem tricky at first, but with a little practice you can destroy them quickly. When the race begins, use a rocket start to head towards the item boxes. Turn just right so that you hit the last item box in the line. It will give you a mushroom, which you should immediately use to break the next to last item box before it goes over the deep water. Although you will receive a mushroom from the second item box you break, there is no need to use it. Instead, drive along the edge of the deep water until you find the spot where the first item box returns to shallow water. Head to that spot. The second item box in the line will pass before you get the, but you can make it to the spot in time so that the third item box crashes into and breaks. Instantly after you destroy your third item box, use the mushroom to boost into the fourth item box. You will get yet another mushroom. At this point, you should feel inclined to speed straight ahead to get the fifth item box. Resist that temptation. The last item box will make a sharp left turn at the small island, and you will miss it if you go straight. Activate the mushroom and turn to the left so that you can cut off the last item box. That will require you to aim straight for the deep section of water. Because of that, it is vital that you hit the last item box. Once you do, the mission will end and you will get a *** rank. If you miss the item box, you will fall into the water. Restart the mission and be a bit more careful next time. Alternate Strategy Written by Rush60002 Get a rocket boost when you start and head immediately for the last box in the line. When you destroy that last box immediately use the mushroom, and get the second box. As soon as the boost from the first mushroom wears off, use the second mushroom and follow the edge where the sand meets the water and aim for the first box in the line. You should be able to intercept it before it goes into the next part. As soon as you touch it HIT THE BRAKES. If done right you should just sit in place and the other 2 boxes should just come right up and hit you, plus you should get a little over 25 seconds left and get urself a 3 star rank. ------------ Boss Stage 5 ------------ Hit the Big Bob-omb with 3 Bob-ombs! You hit the Pokeys with Bob-ombs back in Level 2, and this is way easier than that. If you know want to do, you can finish of King Bob- omb in just a few seconds. When the level begins, King Bob-omb will create two item boxes -- one to his left and one to his right. Start off slowly and get an item box. You will receive a Bob-omb, so turn and throw the Bob-omb at the king. Throw it immediately, but make sure you do not go forward too much when you turn; otherwise you will get caught in the explosion. He will fly backward, so drive up sort of close to him and wait for him to regain his composure. Once he gets back up King Bob-omb will walk around for a few seconds and then he will create two more item boxes and a Bob-omb. Drive to an item box as he goes for the Bob-omb, and then throw your Bob-omb at him before he can do much damage. Now, King Bob-omb will jump high into the air, and three Bob-ombs and an item box will fall from the sky. The Bob-ombs are trouble, but the item box (which will land in between the three Bob-ombs) is exactly what you want. Acquire the item box and steer away from the Bob-ombs so that they do not hurt you when they explode. Once they explode, turn around and face the spot where you took the item box. King Bob-omb will drop onto that exact spot, and all you have to do is to throw the Bob- omb and finish him off. Do all these steps without ever missing the king and you are most likely going to get a *** rank. ======= Level 6 ======= ----------- Mission 6-1 ----------- Bowser Castle Drive backward across the spinning bridge! If you fall, you're out! The level is as easy as it sounds (or doesn't sound). You will start off in front of the spinning bridge in Bowser Castle, and you will have to drive backward to get across it. Start by merely holding B to go straight backward towards the bridge. It will start by spinning right, so you will need to press right on the D-pad as much as needed to keep from falling off. About halfway through, it will switch and start turning left. When you start going off the left side, press left on the D-pad to stay on. Near the very end it will switch back to going right, but you will only need to press right for a short amount of time before you make it across the bridge and finish the level. If you don't slow down (not that you can slow down much while going backward), you will get a three star grade. More Coming Soon! ======= Level 7 ======= Unlockable: Earn at least a * rank in every mission to unlock Level 7 ----------- Mission 7-5 ----------- Wario Stadium Collect all 20 coins! While it is a challenge, this mission can be fully completed with a little practice and skill. It takes place in Wario Stadium, and it forces you to play the level to its fullest if you want all three stars. Begin with a rocket start, and immediately follow that with a power slide around the first curve. The road will then form and S-curve, but the road is wide enough where you can go straight through the curve. Collect the two coins in the S-curve as you go straight through it, and then turn sharply to the left to take on the curve afterwards. At the end of that curve, you must go straight across a boost plate to garner even more coins. Three coins are near the boost plate, but there is one in the middle of the ring of fire that you must collect. Power slide through the turn after the first ring of fire, and you will come to the section of track that is full of mud. Four boost plates are located in the mud to help you get across it quickly, and a single coin is on each of the boost plates. Steer carefully to get all of the coins while still taking the boost plates on at full speed. When you are out of the mud, power slide through the next turn. You will come to two slanted boost plates that lead to two rings of fire. The first has three coins near it, and the second has two coins. Approach the first one from the right side and turn to the left to acquire all of its coins, and then do the opposite for the second boost plate. It is somewhat difficult, so you may need to practice this a few times. You want to turn just enough for the first one so that you get all three coins while still being able to get the coins near the second boost plate. Further one, another S-curve will rest in a sea of mud. Go straight through this S-curve, as the two coins in it are easiest to collect if you do so. You should not have to worry about the rotating fire, but if any of it gets close to you just maneuver a little to avoid getting burnt. One last turn remains before the end of the level. Power slide through it, and end up on the right side of the track. Go perfectly straight over the first boost plate, and stay straight as you hit the second boost plate and fly through the ring of fire, where the last coin lasts. It is hard to line up correctly for this section, so you will probably have to replay the mission a few times. The key to earning three stars is to follow and perfect the steps above. You will need to finish with very close to 20 seconds remaining if you want a perfect grade; I would have listed that at top, but I did not have it quite exact enough. Just know that that is about what you should aim to get. ----------- Mission 7-6 ----------- Nintendo DS Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order! You should find this level challenging at first, but it is not too hard once you get the hang of it. In the level are eight tire gates stationed in a circle. However, they alternate number. Therefore, you will have to go around the tire gate circle twice before you complete this challenge. You only have 10 seconds, so you have to make it count. A rocket start should mark your entrance into the level. When you are partially onto the touch screen of the Nintendo DS, start drifting to the right. You should hold down right all the way on the D-pad. If you started the drift at the correct time, you will drift through the gates numbered 1 and 6. At this point, relax and keep holding down R and right. It may look like you will miss some of the tire gates, but you will actually go through them all without trouble. If you started your power slide too early or too late, you will hit either gate 1 or gate 6. Also, please note that I said drift, not power slide. You do not need to complete an actually power slide to beat this mission, nor do you need to power slide to get three stars. If you start off with a rocket start and simply start your drift at the right time, you will complete this level with a *** rank. ---------- Boss Stage ---------- Mushroom Bridge (GCN) Reach the finish before Wiggler! Time to Earn *** Rank: Less than 1:25 It may be the last boss stage, but it actually isn't that hard to get three stars on this if you know what you are doing. This race takes place on Mushroom Bridge, so you will need to take advantage of shortcuts. Also, many cars have item boxes underneath them that will give you a mushroom if you go through the car with a star. Let's look at this level to see how to gain the three star grade. At the beginning, Wiggler and you will be behind the starting line. Take off with a rocket start. Wiggler will start off much faster than you, but at least the rocket start will keep you from getting too far behind. Immediately, Wiggler will start running into vehicles. First he will hit a black truck, and then he will hit a blue car. The black truck has an item box underneath it. Start a power slide, and time your slide so that you go underneath the truck at the same time Wiggler knocks it into the air. Release your power slide (remember, for it to be considered a power slide it has to give you a mini-boost at the end), and then use the mushroom to boost into the item box in the middle of the road in the tunnel. You will get a star, which you should use immediately. While you are invincible, go to the left side of the road to hit a black truck. Collect the item box that is underneath the black truck, and immediately use the mushroom that you receive to zoom in front of Wiggler and to go on the dirt shortcut. Since you are using the star, you will not slow down at all by going on the dirt. Drive quickly over the shortcut and drop down and the end. Turn so that you resume normal driving without losing much speed. You will lose your star shortly after you fall, so avoid the black truck that you will encounter. Since you have no speed powerups, use a power slide in the tunnel to gain some additional speed. Also, dodge all of the vehicles in the tunnel (it is best if you stay in the center). Near the end of the tunnel, you will find an item box in the center of the road. Take it and activate the star that you will receive. As you go across the bridge, you will want to gain additional speed. Start by staying on the right side of the road until you hit the black truck. Since you are invincible, the truck will fly into the air and you will be able to get the item box underneath it. Quickly use the mushroom that you receive and move onto the left side of the track, where you will hit yet another black truck. Make sure that you use mushroom as soon as you get it. At this point you will be near the starting line. Use the mushroom you received and head to the center of the road. You should find an item box right next to the finish line in the center of the road, and you will want to get it. Utilize the star immediately, and zip through the turn and the tunnel. When you approach the shortcut this time, however, ignore it. Instead, get the item box that is in the center of the road. Use the star to become invincible, and head to the left side of the road where you will find a truck with an item box. Get the mushroom and use it to boost towards the tunnel, where you will find another item box. It has a star in it. Speed through the tunnel with the star, and make your way to the left side of the track. When you go around the turn, you will hit a black truck that is in the left land. You will get a mushroom if you are sure to get the item box that is under the truck. Quickly use the mushroom and go to the right lane, where you will hit another truck. That truck also has an item box hidden underneath it. Grab the box and use the mushroom. On the bridge, you will find another item box in between the two lanes. Acquire it to earn a star, and then immediately use the star. Once you start turning after the starting line, quickly use a power slide. As you boost from the power slide, go to the left lane and hit the black truck that you will encounter. It is imperative that you power slide quickly through this turn. Under the black truck is an item box with a mushroom. Use it! Return to the center of the track after using the mushroom, where you will find another item box when you go over the bridge. Press L when the star appears to become invincible. Drive steadily through the dirt shortcut, and smoothly drop back down to the regular road when you have finished the shortcut. The star will disappear, and you will be on your own for several seconds. Try to get in two power slides while you are under the bridge, and then head to the center lane to get the item box that is there. It, like all of the other item boxes, will be in the center of the lane. Activate the star, and move to the left side of the road to hit a black truck. Take the mushroom from the item box and boost to the finish line. If you did these steps perfectly, you will receive a three star rank. Keep in mind that this is a difficult task, so you will have to practice often if you are to gain the perfect score on the last level. *=*=*=*=*=* 11. Courses *=*=*=*=*=* Welcome to course information. In this section, you will find hordes of useful information on how to best complete each track. With course layouts, shortcuts, and hints, it is certain to have something that you can use. === Key === These are what the various symbols stand for in most of the tracks. Occasionally, one track may use a symbol in a different way. Each track has its own key, so refer to it when you want specifics for the track. Otherwise, you can use this information to figure out what the track looks like. Also, each track has numbers (1, 2, etc.) on it. These numbers correspond with different tips, so look under the track to find the tips that go with each of the numbers. Q = Normal Track T = Alternate Type of Track C = Curved Track Y = Dirt or Grass B = Block Wall O = Clouds W = Shallow Water J = Jump Pad = = Starting Line ? = ? Box(es) ^, V, <, >, = Boost Plates *=*=*=*=*=* Retro Mode *=*=*=*=*=* ========= Shell Cup ========= ---------------------- Mario Circuit 1 (SNES) ---------------------- BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB BYYQQQQQQQQQQQQYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB BYQQQQ1QQQQQQQQQQQYYYYYYYYYYYYYBBBBBBBBBBBBB BYQQQQYYYYYYYYYQQQQQQQQYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB BYQQQQYYBBBBBBBBYYYQQQQQQQQYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB BY?QQ?YYB BYYYYYYYYQQQQQQQQYYYYYYYYYYYB BYQ??QYYB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYQQQQQQQYYYYYYYB BY?QQ?YYB BBBBBBBBBBBBBYYYYYQQQQQQYYYYB BYQ??QYYB BBBBBBBYYYQQQQYYB BYQQQQYYB ^ BYYY====YYB BYQQQQYYB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB / \BYYYQQQQYYB BYQQQQYBB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB | BYYYQQQQYYB BYQQQQYB BBBBYYQQQQQQYYYYYYYB | BYYYQQQQYYB BYQQQQYBBBYYYQQQQQQQQQYYYYYYB BYYYQQQQYYB BYQQQQYYYYQQQQQYYYYQQQQYYYYYB BYYYQQQQYYB BYYQQQQQQQQQQYYYYYYYQQQQYYYYB BYYYQQQQYYB BYYYQQQQQQQ2222222222QQQQYYYB BYYYQQQQYYB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYQQQQYYBBBBBBYYQQQQYYYB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYQQQQYYYYYYYYQQQQYYYYB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBYYYYQQQQQQQQQQQQQQYYYYYB BYYYYYYQQQQQQQQQQQYYYYYYB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB B = Block Y = Dirt Q = Track 1) Pipes swarm this section of track, and if you run into one it will cost you serious lap time. Maneuver carefully to avoid the pipes. 2) The quickest route between two points is a straight line, whether it is on the track or off it. Jumping will make the trip straight across the sandy ground easy if you are a light character, but it is best if you save this shortcut for when you have a mushroom or two in store. Their speed will make the journey ultra-fast, just watch out for the pipes that are in front of the beginning of the shortcut. Time Trial Tip: Mushrooms will give you one boost of speed in Time Trial. Use a mushroom to quickly get across the dirt using the shortcut at 2. You will save time by going straight across the dirt with a mushroom instead of staying with the track. ------------------ Moo Moo Farm (N64) ------------------ Moo Moo Farm is one of the classic levels from the N64 version of Mario Kart. It features a large track with wide curves, and it is almost shaped like a circle. You will have little trouble going through it. Because it is wide and its curves are slight, you could go through them with little trouble. However, the curves are very easy to do power slides on, so try to get as many power slides as you can during the race to increase your speed. Even though it is simple, there are things that you should watch out for. On some sections of the road, you will find many holes. These holes house gophers, which will occasionally pop out. If you hit a gopher, your kart will get a serious beating. Avoid the holes as much as possible, and collect as many ? boxes as you can. Also, near the end of the track you will find a bridge going over the track you are on. Since the bridge has several pillars keeping it up, you will have to be sure to go in between the pillars so you do not get stuck. Other than that, it's not that hard. ------------------- Peach Circuit (GBA) ------------------- BBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBYYYYYYYYYYYYB BBYYYTTTTQQQYYYB BYYYTTTQ1QQQQYYB BYYTTTQQQQQQQYYB BYTTQQQQYYQQQYYB BBYT????YBYQQQYYB BBYQQQQYYYBYQQQYYB BBYQQQQ BBBBBYQQQYYB ^ BBYQQQQYB BY===YYB / \ BBYQQQYYBB BYQQQYYB | BBYQQQQYBB BYQQQYYB | BBYQQQQYYB BYQQQYYB BYQQQQYYYB BYQQQYYB BYQQQYYYYB BYQQQYYB BYQQQQYYB BYQQQYYB BBYQQQQYB BYQQQYYBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BYQQQYB BYYQQQYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYB BBYQQQQYB BYYYQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQTTYYYB BBYQQQQYBB BYYYYQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQTTYYB BYQQQQYBB BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYQQ3QQTYYB BYQQQYYB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBYQQQQQYYB BBYQQQQYBB BYYQQQQYYB BBYQQQQYBB BBBBBBBBBBBBYYQQQQYYB BBYQQQQYBB BYYYYYYYYYYYYQQQQYBBB BBYQQQQYBB BYQQQQQQQQ?QQQQQQYB BBYQQQQYBB BBYQQQQQQQQQ?QQQQYBB BYQQQQYB BBYQQQQYYYYYYYYYYYBB BYYQQQYBBBBBYQQQQYBBBBBBBBBBBB BYYQQQ2222QQQQYBB BYYQQQYYYQQQQYB BYYYQQQQQQQQYB BBYYQQQQQQYB BBYYYQQYBB BYYYYYB BBBBB B = Block Y = Grass Q = Normal Track T = Striped Track 1) This first hairpin can cause trouble, but an additional portion of track (T) makes it easy to stay off the grass. To make this turn effectively, however, you will need to start a power slide early. 2) Around the halfway point of the track, the game will throw at you another sharp curve. It is possible to make the turn with a good power slide, but if you have a mushroom you can cut through the grass. It saves time and it is easy. 3) The final hairpin curve does not have as much track security as the first one, so it is easier to go off the road. Apply the brakes or utilize a power slide to negotiate this turn. Time Trial Tip: Remember the mushrooms in Time Trial, and consider using them to get across the shortcut at 2. It will save you time as long as you don't run into the trees that are near the track. Use a mushroom to take advantage of this shortcut. Also, don't forget the speed boosts that power slides can provid | ||