Mario Kart DS
For the DS
FAQ/Walkthrough
By Ryan Harrison
rharrisonfaqs(at)gmail.com
Last Revised: 12 December 2005
Version 0.5
This document is Copyright (c)2005 Ryan Harrison
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Table of Contents
1. Guide Opening
1.01 - Version History
1.02 - Introduction
2. Game Overview
2.01 - Controls
2.02 - Driving Techniques
2.03 - Characters
2.04 - Game Modes
2.05 - Screen Information
3. Kart List
4. Track Guide
4.01 - Nitro Grand Prix Tracks
4.02 - Retro Grand Prix Tracks
5. Missions Guide
6. Items
7. Secrets
8. Guide Closing
8.01 - Credits
8.02 - Legal Disclaimer
8.03 - Contacting Me
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1. Guide Opening
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The opening and notes to my Mario Kart DS FAQ.
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1.01 - Version History
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Version 0.5 - 12 December 2005 - Sorry it took me a while to get my next
update done, but because of personal
problems that leave me without a computer
and access to the Internet most of the
time, updates could be few and far between
with this guide - but don't worry, I will
have it done at some point. I have now
completed all missions up to the end of
Level 3, and I'm still working hard to
unlock new karts and tracks, and they'll
be put in here some time sooner or later,
so keep all eyes peeled!
Version 0.4 - 03 December 2005 - This is the first version of this FAQ.
Most of the stuff is here, however I am
lacking half the courses and have covered
only the first few missions and stuff I
have obtained in the game so far. More
will be to come in the following days.
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1.02 - Introduction
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At last, the latest installment in the hugely popular Mario Kart series has
arrived! After Mario Kart: Double Dash!! hit the shelves two years ago, the
Mario Kart series makes its debut on the DS. With lots of new tracks, modes and
fun things to do and discover in this game, if you're a racing or Mario Kart
fan, it is well worth getting this game if you have a DS - it's the most
exciting one yet! This game not only has some racing tracks to test your mettle
on, but also some missions to play through as well, to add to the replay value
of this title. It has combined all the elements of the previous Mario Kart
games to make this one as exciting as possible, and for a handheld console, it
certainly isn't bad. There is a lot of stuff to be said about this game and a
ton of stuff to get through, so you'll have to purchase it for yourself and
see!
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2. Game Overview
===============================================================================
This section looks over the basics and most things you'll need to know before
you begin playing. Any newcomers to the game should definitely read through
this section to understand how to play before you dig into the actual game
itself.
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2.01 - Controls
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Menu Screen Controls
--------------------
D-Pad - Make selections in the menu
B - Cancel your selections; return to the previous (sub)screen
A - Confirm menu selections
Racing Controls
---------------
D-Pad - Steer your kart (using Left and Right)
Start Button - Bring up the Pause Menu
B - Brake while moving; reverse when stationary
A - Accelerate
L / X - Use an item you are currently holding
R - Low jump
Touch Screen / Y - Switch map views shown on the touch screen
Up/Down + L/X - Throw item forwards/backwards (Up throws forward, Down
throws backward)
A + R + D-Pad - "Drift" your kart (refer to Section 2.02 for more info)
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2.02 - Driving Techniques
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(Technique names acquired from the game's instruction manual)
Drift
-----
This technique is helpful for getting around sharp corners, yet requires quick
judgment and the use of three buttons on your DS controller. While steering in
the direction you want your kart to turn in the drift and whilst accelerating,
hit the R shoulder button (so you are holding A, the D-Pad and the R Button all
at once) and the kart will make a sideways spin. You will get round tough
corners whilst retaining your momentum, so it's preferable to simply steering
and braking, as you could lose speed and get hit or overtaken by other kart
drivers. In the tougher tracks will lots of sharp corners, you'll have to get
used to practising this technique!
Mini-Turbo
----------
This technique allows you to temporarily pick up a bit of speed, yet it can be
a little tricky to pull off unless there's a good, long stretch of track to do
it on. If you need a good speed boost, whilst performing a drift (see above),
start pressing Left and Right on the D-Pad alternately and rapidly to build up
some sparks from your tyres, and when this happens, let go of the R Button that
you were holding whilst drifting and your kart will shoot off in a burst of
speed! This is handy to get back in front of drivers who try to overtake you
round corners!
Rocket Start
------------
Kind of like a "burnout", this technique is familiar with most other Mario Kart
games, but it requires good timing. It is performed at the lights when the
countdown for the beginning of the race starts. If you press the A Button at
the right moment (usually about a couple of seconds before the race starts or
so), when the START message appears, you will begin the race with a great burst
of speed! Keep practising to see if you can get the timing right.
Throwing Items
--------------
When you get an item, you can use it by pressing either L or X. If you hold Up
or Down while using an item, you can throw it forwards or backwards to try to
knock out your opponents. Items like bananas or shells work a treat with this
technique - if you can see whereabouts on the track an opponent is in front of
or behind you, try it out! For a list of items, please refer to Section 6 of
this guide.
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2.03 - Characters
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Remember that, like in Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64, the kart drivers are
divided into "weight" categories for light-weights, medium-weights and
heavy-weights, and each of these weight categories can determine how a kart
driver will fare in both speed and power. Light-weights will drive a lot faster
but are more likely to get knocked out if they are involved in a collision with
a medium or heavy-weight driver's kart.
A medium-weight will be more well-rounded in each category of kart driving.
They will drive faster than a heavy-weight but slower than a light-weight, they
have a decent acceleration and handling rate but can fare against light and
heavy-weights in the respective categories. Finally, heavy-weights are terrible
with accelerating (taking a lot of time to build up speed), but have a good top
speed, yet their karts are harder to control in terms of steering. Here is a
list of stats for each weight category as according to the game's instruction
manual:
Light-Weight
Acceleration - 3/3
Speed - 1/3
Handling - 3/3
Medium-Weight
Acceleration - 2/3
Speed - 2/3
Handling - 2/3
Heavy-Weight
Acceleration - 1/3
Speed - 3/3
Handling - 1/3
Finally, a list of each of the characters themselves:
Mario / Medium
--------------
Everybody's favourite plumber, dressed in the usual red and blue. Like any
other Mario Kart game, he's the most well-rounded and great for beginners or
experts alike. Good for the earlier tracks but in the later ones he may
struggle a bit.
Luigi / Medium
--------------
Mario's brother who wears a green cap and overalls. Like Mario, Luigi is quite
well-rounded and good for beginners and experts. His handling is his special
technique.
Peach / Light
-------------
Usually she's being kidnapped by Bowser and saved by Mario, but here she's a
selectable racer, and no push-over on the track. As a light-weight, Peach has
good handling and control, and she has a good drift, but a low top speed. For
twisty or short tracks, she'll make a good choice.
Yoshi / Light
-------------
Mario's green dinosaur pal. His acceleration is good, and his handling, as
ever, is superb. A good choice for most tracks, but he will fare less well
against the heavier opponents and tracks that need more speed than judgment and
control.
Toad / Light
------------
One of my favourite characters to use in any Mario Kart game. Toad is a superb
light-weight as he has a good speed and acceleration rate and he can fare well
in most situations.
Donkey Kong / Heavy
-------------------
Once Mario's original villain in the first game he starred in (aptly named
Donkey Kong), DK is now opposing Mario on the tracks. Although he's a
heavy-weight and his control is bad, he has a good drift and if you can take
advantage over his speciality, he can make a good Mini-Turbo as well.
Bowser / Heavy
--------------
Mario's arch-enemy, who's always creating havoc around the Mushroom Kingdom,
and also on the racetrack too. Bowser has a great top speed and his Mini-Turbo
is good, too. His acceleration and handling are his weak points.
Wario / Heavy
-------------
Mario's evil "twin" - Wario is an obese guy wearing yellow and purple, has a
zig-zag moustache and a big, pink nose. He's well-balanced like Mario, but has
a terrible speed and acceleration rate.
Shyguy / Light
--------------
Kind of like the Koopa Troopa who appeared in the SNES version of Super Mario
Kart, Shyguy is a good racer as a light-weight with good speed and handling,
but the twist is you need to have access to DS Download Play in order to be
able to play as him.
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2.04 - Game Modes
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SINGLE PLAYER
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When you access this mode, you will be asked for your nickname (the default is
the nickname you supplied into your DS's hardware). Once you confirm your
nickname to use in the game (which will appear in races on-screen), you are
asked if you would like to create a custom emblem (this is what appears on the
front of a kart used by a character. Use the touch-screen and your supplied
stylus to design one if you wish. Once you've done so, you can then pick the
mode you wish to play in.
Grand Prix
----------
Like in any racing game, this is the main game mode to play through. Like any
other basic racing game, you select one driver and compete against all the
others in a string of championship races, in a certain championship (there are
4 cup championships to begin with, but later on there are more to play through
as you unlock each of them). Depending on how well you perform in the race
(i.e. what position you finish in) you will be awarded a certain amount of
points (if you finish in too low a position in a certain race you won't get any
points). At the end of the championship the racer who finishes in third place
in the points league will be awarded a bronze medal, the racer in second place
win silver, and the top racer gets the gold. You can also get rankings, too.
Time Trials
-----------
This mode is where just one person (that is, you) are on a track that you have
selected to play on, and you are timed on how fast you go around each lap. This
is great for practise, or if you want to break your record on this track. You
can also play against a "ghost" car (a car that takes the exact same route as
you did in the last race) to try and improve. You can only play on the tracks
that are available in the game as far as you have progressed.
VS
--
In this mode, you can play an exhibition race against 7 other racers, but
there's nothing on the line; it's basically just a test to see how well you do
in a race. Again, this is good for practise and if you have the time and
patience, you can test out every character on a certain race to see who fares
the best so you know who to select in those certain tracks or who does the best
in most certain situations. You can also select your kart type and difficulty
in this mode as well.
Battle
------
This mode is familiar, as it was introduced in the SNES Super Mario Kart game,
and there are two battle types available in Mario Kart DS. They are as follows:
Balloon Battle
--------------
The famous balloon battle from the original SMK is here, too! The objective
of this game is to burst all of the three balloons attached to your
opponents' karts, and the last racer who still has an inflated balloon
attached to their kart is declared the winner. However, new to this game is
the ability to reinflate a balloon! At the start of this battle you'll only
have one balloon, but if you stay stationary and blow into the DS's mic (the
little hole just below and a little to the left of the touch screen), you can
reinflate the balloons! The harder you ram your opponents' karts, the more
likely you are to burst or steal their balloons.
Shine Runners
-------------
A new battle game to Mario Kart DS, this is for the more competitive players.
Basically, in the arena there are several shines spread around, and a clock
will count down. The objective is to collect as many of the shines as you can
before the countdown is finished. When the timer stops at 0, the racer who
has collected the least amount of shines is eliminated, and the timer will
begin again and you can resume collecting shines until everyone is eliminated
and the racer who has got the most shines will be the winner. You can hit
your opponents or hurl items at them to take shines from them if you're a
little low yourself, but make sure they all don't come for your shines!
Missions
--------
The 'other' main mode of Mario Kart DS, in this mode there are a number of
missions to play through, and you complete them by achieving the stated
obhjective. There are 7 'sets' of missions, and in each set are 8 missions and
a boss to beat after beating each set of missions. Beating the set's boss will
open the next set of missions. This is a pretty fun feature of Mario Kart DS
and gives it a good replay value and challenge factor. For information and help
with the missions of the game, look at Section 5 - the Missions section of this
guide.
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MULTIPLAYER
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You will need to link up with other DS users to access this mode. Whether your
friends have Mario Kart DS or not does not prevent you from playing - however
it can determine the game type. These are:
Normal
------
You can play against other DS users who have a copy of Mario Kart DS. Up to 8
players can play at once.
Simple
------
You can play against other DS users who do not have a copy of Mario Kart DS,
but it won't be as fun as Normal Mode - so get the others to buy a copy!! Up to
8 players can play in this mode.
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NINTENDO WFC
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If you have the Wi-Fi technology that allows you to play online on your DS, you
can play in this mode against other users around the globe. To set up Wi-Fi on
the DS, you will need to have a broadband account to your PC that is active and
a connection. I myself have never played in this mode as of writing, so I will
not be able to provide much of a detailed explanation here, but this is how it
goes according to the instruction manual on Wi-Fi that comes with the Mario
Kart DS game:
Have a Nintendo WFC Compatible game inserted into your DS, then switch the DS's
power on. Then, select this WFC game to play. On the Game Menu Options Screen,
select the game play modes for your WFC game, then select the choice for WFC
settings, and you can customise the setup for your DS's Wi-Fi connection and
playing online.
Nintendo WFC Match
------------------
As obvious as it is, this lets you play online against others. When you are
connected to the Wi-Fi network you can play against other opponents depending
on who you want to play against - Friends (others on your Friends list who are
also online - you can identify them via the Friend Code), Rivals (those who are
amongst the same potential as you), Regional (other players online in the same
country as you) or Worldwide (other players anywhere in the world). Up to 4
players can play in one Nintendo WFC match, but it can vary depending on the
amount of people in a given area online and looking for a match.
Friend Code
-----------
A Friend Code is a 12-digit code used to identify other users you know
personally who have provided you with their code, or people who have given you
their code that you have met online who you can identify when you wish to play
against them. With the Friend Code mode, you can add new users and their codes
so that you can identify them via their nickname when you play online.
Nintendo WFC Settings
---------------------
You can use this to connect to the Nintendo WFC Network when online and there
is a hotpoint available that can allow you to do so. It must also be of a
reasonable signal strength so that the connection can manage to allow you and
all other users to play online via your DS's. When your PC is set up with
Broadband and your DS is connected via the adapter (sold seperately to the
console and hardware), you can access and edit your settings. This is available
on any Nintendo WFC-compatible titles for the DS, not just this game.
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RECORDS
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In this mode, you can look at any and all records set in other particular game
modes on lap times, points, rankings and so on. Your total results are also
displayed in the top screen above the sub-modes where you can also view your
other records. The table looks like this:
+-----------------------------------------+
| R E C O R D S |
|-----------------------------------------|
| |
| ____________________________|
| / TOTAL RESULTS |
| -----------------------------|
| _________________|
| / WINS / LOSSES |
| +---------------------------------------|
| | VS / - / - |
| +---------------------------------------|
| | BATTLE / - / - |
| +---------------------------------------|
| | Nintendo WFC Match / - / - |
| +---------------------------------------|
| |
+-----------------------------------------+
Grand Prix
----------
Here, you can look at records for 50cc, 100cc and 150cc times, points and ranks
in the Mushroom, Flower, Shell and Banana Cups.
Time Trials
-----------
In this sub-menu, you can look at records set for best times for each position
as well as the best lap for each course. Pressing the X Button erases the data
in this sub-menu.
Friends
-------
View all your records for playing against friends.
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OPTIONS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here you can basically play around with the settings of the game, as well as
your Nintendo WFC settings if you play online. The setup of each sub-menu is as
described below:
Settings
--------
Sound
-----
Change your settings for sound in the game. The three types are:
Surround - Play with surrounding sound.
Stereo - Play with stereo sound.
Headphones - Best suited if you have headphones plugged into your DS.
Locate Friend
-------------
If you have a friend logged into your Friends network via their Friend Code,
when this is knocked "ON" you will be notified when they log onto the network
so that you can play against them online if you wish.
Edit
----
Nickname
--------
Change the nickname you have provided to the game. The default is the
nickname you have supplied to your DS hardware.
Emblem
------
Change or design a logo on the front of a kart (this logo is known as the
'Emblem').
Erase Data
----------
Erase all game data you have collected.
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2.05 - Screen Information
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This is the on-screen information.
+--------------------------------------+
| +----+ |
| | |<- Item you are LAP X / 3 |
| +----+ holding ^ |
| | |
| Which lap you |
| are racing in |
| |
| Your current position |
| | in the race |
| | |
| V |
| 1st |
+--------------------------------------+
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3. Kart List
===============================================================================
This section looks at the statistics for the karts of all players in the game.
NOTE: All stats I have given here are approximations according to the stat bars
shown for each character's car on the character selection screen.
Mario
-----
B-Dasher
Speed - 6/10
Acceleration - 7/10
Weight - 8/10
Handling - 5/10
Drift - 5.5/10
Items - 10/10
Standard MR
Speed - 6.5/10
Acceleration - 7/10
Weight - 6.5/10
Handling - 5.5/10
Drift - 6/10
Items - 6.5/10
Luigi
-----
Poltergust 4000
Speed - 7.5/10
Acceleration - 7.5/10
Weight - 5/10
Handling - 8/10
Drift - 3/10
Items - 3/10
Standard LG
Speed - 7/10
Acceleration - 7.5/10
Weight - 6.5/10
Handling - 7.5/10
Drift - 3/10
Items - 6.5/10
Peach
-----
Royale
Speed - 4/10
Acceleration - 7/10
Weight - 7/10
Handling - 4.5/10
Drift - 9.5/10
Items - 10/10
Standard PC
Speed - 4.5/10
Acceleration - 7.5/10
Weight - 5.5/10
Handling - 5/10
Drift - 9.5/10
Items - 6.5/10
Yoshi
-----
Egg 1
Speed - 6/10
Acceleration - 9/10
Weight - 3/10
Handling - 9/10
Drift - 4/10
Items - 3/10
Standard YS
Speed - 5.5/10
Acceleration - 9/10
Weight - 5/10
Handling - 8.5/10
Drift - 4/10
Items - 6.5/10
Toad
----
Mushmellow
Speed - 4/10
Acceleration - 9/10
Weight - 3/10
Handling - 7/10
Drift - 7/10
Items - 3/10
Standard TD
Speed - 4/10
Acceleration - 8.5/10
Weight - 5/10
Handling - 6.5/10
Drift - 6.5/10
Items - 6.5/10
Donkey Kong
-----------
Rambi Rider
Speed - 7.5/10
Acceleration - 4/10
Weight - 9/10
Handling - 3/10
Drift - 7.5/10
Items - 10/10
Standard DK
Speed - 8/10
Acceleration - 4.5/10
Weight - 7/10
Handling - 3/10
Drift - 7.5/10
Items - 6.5/10
Wario
-----
Brute
Speed - 9/10
Acceleration - 5/10
Weight - 6.5/10
Handling - 5/10
Drift - 5/10
Items - 3/10
Standard WR
Speed - 9/10
Acceleration - 5/10
Weight - 7.5/10
Handling - 5/10
Drift - 5/10
Items - 6.5/10
Bowser
------
Tyrant
Speed - 9/10
Acceleration - 2/10
Weight - 10/10
Handling - 2.5/10
Drift - 6.5/10
Items - 10/10
Standard BW
Speed - 9.5/10
Acceleration - 3/10
Weight - 8/10
Handling - 3/10
Drift - 6.5/10
Items - 6.5/10
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4. Track Guide
===============================================================================
Like it says, this section is a guide to all the tracks in the game. Here I
will a description of each tracks and how to get through it.
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4.01 - Nitro Grand Prix Tracks
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MUSHROOM CUP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Figure-8 Circuit
----------------
Description: This is the most basic of all the tracks in the game. Like the
name of this track says, it's a track that is shaped like a figure
of 8. There are just basically long stretches of track before a
long U-bend turn. There are two long turns in the entire track. It
is good if you want to try out moves like the drift and mini-turbo
as well.
Strategy: When racing against others you could be crowded quite a bit on this
track. Just try to stick to the number one rule of racing - stay on
the inside of the track and use your drift and mini-turbo to boost
round corners.
Yoshi Falls
-----------
Description: Another easy track, this is set in the more tropical-looking
region round Yoshi's Island. It is still quite short but there are
now some multi-coloured speed booster pads laid down at certain
parts of the track to help you speed up in those areas.
Strategy: From the start, just simply drive ahead and make a long U-bend turn
over a bridge (you won't need to drift as the bend isn't very deep).
Drive over another bridge and then stay on the left-hand side of the
track and drive over five turbo boosters in succession. You'll need
to be a little more aware of your steering, but this is easy stuff.
After you get over the last bridge you'll be back at the start.
Cheep Cheep Beach
-----------------
Description: There are a good few obstacles in this course, but you still won't
have too many problems here. This is the first course where you
will really need to let your drifting kick in because there are a
couple of sharp turns, and there are some hazards that could slow
you down or even halt you at certain parts of this beach track.
Strategy: At the start, drive straight up towards the bridge and look out for
an arrow pointing right, as you have to make a straight 90-degree
turn, so before you collide with that sign, use a drift and try to
make the kart look straight ahead after the turn if you can. Drive
straight up to the turbo booster at as high a speed you can and you
will be flung to the sandy part of the track. Make a long U-turn
round this gray structure. As you come to the booster ramp, beware
that it may send you into one of the palm trees at the next section
of the track if you're not careful. Make a sharp turn to the left,
then one to the right (drift if you need to) then go over the ramps
(try to direct yourself towards the second one after the first if you
can). Go round the left of the building and steer around the track
then go right, following the dirt track. There are a few bends at the
top of the slope so try to go straight through the middle. You will
then rearrive at the start of the track.
Luigi's Mansion
---------------
Description: The fourth track of the Mushroom Cup is set in Luigi's premier
GameCube game: his haunted mansion! You start outside but must
drive inside, through some obstacles, then back out again, dodging
the Boos and doing your best not to lose control in the muddy part
of this track.
Strategy: From the start, follow this near-straight green path into the mansion
and go in, but watch out for the falling chandelier near the
entrance. As you go down the slope, prepare to make a sharp drift as
you have to turn 90 degrees at the bottom, and continue down the
slope after another sharp turn. Make another right turn as you come
into the next room. This next area is very large and open, so if you
have a Mushroom Boost, use it here. After you go through the tunnel
at the end of this room, you'll be back outside again. Make some
sharp turns, then watch out for the moving trees that could block
your path. As you drive through the muddy parts, look for the arrows
to guide you in the direction you need to go. Try to keep driving
straight over the first two patches and drift to the right at the
second (look out for the tree). After another couple of mud trips,
one last left turn is before you finish a lap.
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FLOWER CUP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Desert Hills
------------
Description: This is another rather straightforward course, based on the
"Shifting Sand Land" level from Super Mario 64. It mainly consists
of a long sandy track with several sloped turns. As long as you
don't steer off-course (especially when drifting) and don't hit
the Pokeys found through this track, you shouldn't have too much
of a problem here.
Strategy: From the start just drive straight ahead, make a right turn then go
left around the right-hand side of the pyramid. After another right
turn, watch out for a Pokey on the middle of the track. After you go
over the top of the slope, there are two Pokeys - watch out for the
dunes they are on in case you inadvertently drive your kart in the
wrong direction and end up crashing into the Pokeys. After a U-turn
the next set of turns are on high slopes, so drifting will send you
rolling up too high and reducing your speed, so try to stay on the
inside of the track as you go round these turns. You'll then end back
up at the lap line.
Delfino Square
--------------
Description: This course is set in Delfino Square - the main area from Super
Mario Sunshine. This is, yet again, a very straightforward track,
with no real hazards whatsoever. The main thing to practise with
though is those sharp 90-degree turns as you head through the
alleyways.
Strategy: From the start, simply drive forward and up the slope (if you get a
Rocket Start here it really helps), and driver a little to the left
then make a sharp U-turn around the fountain. Make a sharp 90-degree
turn to the left (best to just steer left and brake, you won't have
much room to drift here) then make a sharp turn to the right. Follow
the track and you will get the chance to turn left or just carry on
going forward. When the paths rejoin, simply keep following the path
until you get to a bridge that consists of speed boosters and drive
over it. Continue to follow the path and make one last right turn to
finish this ridiculously easy track.
Waluigi Pinball
---------------
Description: This track is very tricky when you get to the part with the
pinballs, as colliding with one can topple your kart and you'll
have to wait a couple of seconds before you're able to restart.
Other than this major hazard, this is a very linear track with
just the one route. Remember to practise your drifts with some of
the corners in this pinball machine-themed track.
Strategy: When you start, just drive into the booster that sends you through a
tunnel and out onto the main section of track. Use the boosters on
the outside edge of the track, but as soon as you hit the third
booster, drive left so you don't hit the wall. As you go over the top
of the slope, you'll need to do some serious drifting and mini-turbos
if you're racing here, as the bends are sharp and it's easy to
collide with the walls. At the end you'll be sent over a booster ramp
and onto a twisting section of the track. Don't try to drift here as
you'll go into a wall very sharply. After this, you'll go into the
pinball arena. Simply make your way to the other end, but watch out
for all the pinballs that can knock you out! When you get back inside
the machine, just follow the track to reach the lap line.
Shroom Ridge
------------
Description: This can be a bit tough in some areas because not only it is a
narrow road and it'll be crowded if you're racing a good number of
opponents, but there are also other cars and lorries on the road
that can knock you out for a few seconds if you collide with them,
so try and stay on the side of the road going with the traffic at
all times, and go to the middle of the road to overtake. The path
is straightforward, but near the end there is another major hazard
of falling of the edge of the cliff and having to restart
somewhere on the track, so be careful with those turns!
Strategy: As you start, watch out for the traffic as you move ahead (try to
stay on the middle of the road). After you go round a U-turn be
careful as you navigate your way round because there could be some
unseen traffic moving against you (use your map to see if there is
any). Make another sharp turn to the left in a U-bend and go over a
couple more dips in the road, then go right as you head uphill. As
you move into the tunnel, watch out for more traffic. Be careful at
this last set of turns, because if you fall off the right-hand side,
you'll plummet! Beware of oncoming traffic that could hit you and
knock you off the cliff face as well.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
4.02 - Retro Grand Prix Tracks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHELL CUP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario Circuit 1 (SNES)
----------------------
Description: This is the original first track from the SNES Super Mario Kart!
Of course, to differentiate it from the 1991 game, it's been
upgraded with DS rate graphics ;). Anyway, it's no different to
that straightforward first level of SMK, just long stretches of
road and a few pipes that you might crash into.
Strategy: This is so straightforward it doesn't really need a strategy. Just
stay on the inside when turning those tight corners, use Mushroom
Boosters on long stretches if you need to overtake, and watch out for
those pipes.
Moo Moo Farm (N64)
------------------
Description: This track, set on a farm, is very straightforward too. You just
need to navigate through a load of bends (this is a great place to
practise drifts) and looks out for the Monty Mole holes.
Strategy: Again, this track is EASY. Just use drifts around the bends and try
to drive THROUGH, not over, Monty Mole holes. Go through the gaps
between the pillars at the end and you'll reach the lap line.
Peach Circuit (GBA)
-------------------
Description: Hands down, this has got to be the easiest track in the entire
game. Amongst the pretty scenery of green grass and flowers, all
you need to do is just drive and make a few turns, and that's IT.
Strategy: Ha ha, would you really need a strategy? Just boost when needed, stay
on the inside of the track, and practise your drifts when it comes to
those bends. That's it!
Luigi Circuit (GCN)
-------------------
Description: Yet another easy track. It is easy to follow and on the outer
parts of the track have some boosters to help you build up your
speed a lot and get in front of other challengers. It is mainly
just long stretches of road with some major bends, but you won't
have any trouble here.
Strategy: The only thing to look out for here is where the tracks join up, so
make sure you follow the arrows to keep in the right direction. When
you see the boosters on the edge of the track, use them to speed up,
then move inward to the track to hit the last booster. You won't need
to brake or drift in this track as it's way too easy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BANANA CUP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donut Plains 1 (SNES)
---------------------
Description: As you might have guessed, this is an exact replica of the Donut
Plains 1 Level from Super Mario Kart on the SNES. It is still a
straightforward track will very little in terms of obstacles, just
watch out for mud on the insides of the track after some bends
that could potentially slow you down a little.
Strategy: You won't need help here. Just use your drift move when you get to
the tight U-bends with lots of mud on the inside - you can skid past
the mud but still keep momentum. Otherwise you won't have any problem
with this track.
Frappe Snowland (N64)
---------------------
Description: Finally, a Retro track that's got a little hint of challenge. This
icy track is slippery so your handling won't be as good as normal
and there are a good number of snowmen laid about so you'll need
to have good control and driving skills to weave through them, and
at the sharper bends, having good drift will definitely help you
out.
Strategy: When you start, just make a right turn, a left turn, avoid the
snowman, another left turn, a right turn, then a left drift turn.
Drive over the dips and drift round the corners, and you'll approach
a horde of snowmen. Do your best to weave through them then make a
hard left turn and use drifts to get round the bends. Use a good
drift to get round the U-turn in the valley and over the bridge you
will come to the lap line.
Bowser Castle 2 (GBA)
---------------------
Description: Finally a retro track that's got a good deal of challenge. In this
track there are lots of lava pools (you will be out of the race
for a few seconds if you fall into one of these), Podoboos that
leap out of the lava (these will send you into a spin if you touch
them). The Thwomps will come down to try and block your path, and
there are lots of quick, sharp turns to make, so make sure you
know how to use drifts and mini-turbos!
Strategy: You will have to make two sharp drifts in succession, and try to stay
on the left hand side of the track so that you go over the booster to
build up your speed. Make two more sharp left turn drifts and drive
straight and make a right drift. Watch out for the Thwomp that
appears just after you make that turn. After a next left turn, use
the boosters that will thrust you over the lava pools. After the mesh
floor, drift to the right and look out for another Thwomp. Make one
more drift to the right, and here comes the tricky bit. You will have
to look out for some of the boosters that could send you flying into
the lava, so try to stay away from them when it's not needed. Use
your map to see the best route and where the dangerous lava pools
are. After you make a right turn, do the same again (try not to use
boosters as you could end up in the lava or hitting a Podoboo).
Another right turn drift, and a little further ahead you'll have to
watch out for some Thwomps. After that you'll finish the lap.
Baby Park (GCN)
---------------
Description: This has also got to be the easiest track in the game alongside
the Peach Circuit 1 track. It's just a simple track consisting of
two U-Turns and some stretches of track. How EASY!
Strategy: Do you really think you'll need a strategy here?
===============================================================================
5. Missions Guide
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 1-1
-----------
Game Description: Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order!
Mission Strategy: A most simple mission. The first mission of the game just has
you starting in front of the first gate, so drive through it.
The second, third, fourth and fifth gates each have a line of
four speed booster mushrooms in front of them, so try to grab
one if you can. Simply get through each gate successfully and
you'll beat the mission with no problems whatsoever.
Mission 1-2
-----------
Game Description: Collect all 15 coins!
Mission Strategy: Another easy mission, just follow the track of coins and turn
at the appropriate spots. If you go past a coin, just stop
and reverse so you can pick it up. Remember don't go too fast
as you have lots of time, so take it easy here. You shouldn't
have any problems with this mission either.
Mission 1-3
-----------
Game Description: Destroy all 10 item boxes!
Mission Strategy: This is one of the regular game tracks, but the only
difference is that there are 10 item boxes littered around,
so you just have to bust them as you drive along. Like the
missions prior to this one, this mission is also very simple.
Just drive straight ahead to get the first one, the second is
just after the right turn (on the bridge), the third is on
the slope just to the right of the track so keep your eye out
for it. The fourth is a little further ahead; the fifth is on
the bridge just after it, the sixth is on the right-hand side
of the track just in front of a speed booster, the seventh is
on the next bridge, the eighth is on the right-hand side of a
speed booster after that, the ninth is on the right-hand edge
of the track after another speed booster, and the tenth is in
front of it. Bust all the boxes to beat this mission!
Mission 1-4
-----------
Game Description: Get the Star and use it to hit 5 Cheep Cheeps!
Mission Strategy: Another easy mission, what you simply have to do here is as
the mission says - beat 5 Cheep Cheeps while under the
influence of a star. To get the star power, simply smash any
of the item boxes and press L or X to go invincible with the
star (all item boxes contain a star) and as quickly as
possible, ram as many of the Cheep Cheeps as you can. If your
invincibility wears off, just smash another box for another
star.
Mission 1-5
-----------
Game Description: Drive through all 6 numbered gates in order!
Mission Strategy: What a neat track! Anyways, the order of the gates to drive
through are as follows: the first is directly in front of
your starting point, the second is a little further up and to
the left, the third is a sharp left turn and a little further
down, the fourth is a little further on from the third, the
fifth is just a left turn away from the fourth, and the last
one is further on a little more. Careful you don't drive off
the edge of the DS!
Mission 1-6
-----------
Game Description: Drive out of the mansion...backward!
Mission Strategy: Despite how frightening it may sound, this mission is
actually rather easy. You still have the same view, you just
need to hold B and use the opposite buttons to steer and make
your way outside. Just drive down the hallway, through the
landing and through the tunnel to make it outside and win the
mission.
Mission 1-7
-----------
Game Description: Collect all 20 coins!
Mission Strategy: Like the first coin collecting mission, this one is also dead
easy and of no harder challenge. They are all found in small
lines along this Moo Moo Farm track. Just keep control of
your steering and you will have no problem here at all.
Mission 1-8
-----------
Game Description: Perform 4 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!
Mission Strategy: To perform a turbo boost from a power slide, what you have to
do is drift, and whilst skidding, press L and R alternately
so that sparks appear from the wheels. When the sparks go a
yellow colour, release R and you will perform this trick.
This track is easy to do this trick on this track, but you
might have to practise a little if you're a beginner, but you
should pick it up pretty quickly.
Mission 1 Boss Stage
--------------------
Game Description: Use Mushrooms to crash into the Big Bully and knock him off
the stage!
Mission Strategy: This boss fight is not at all hard as it looks. The settings
is that you start on a circular (or ring-shaped) stage, and
the Big Bully is in the centre. You will have three balloons
tied to your kart, and when you are knocked into the water by
the Big Bully (or you accidentally drive in), you will lose a
balloon - so you get the idea that if you lose all your
balloons you will lose this mission. Behind the Big Bully is
an item box that holds a triple mushroom item, so you know
what you have to do - simply lure the Big Bully to the edge
of the stage and drive into him with a Mushroom Boost, which
is strong enough to make the Big Bully jerk backwards a
little, so keep doing this until he falls into the water and
you will win this boss battle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 2-1
-----------
Game Description: Crash into all 10 wooden crates and destroy every one!
Mission Strategy: This mission is still another insultingly easy one. You
simply follow a linear part of the track in the Delfino
Square stage, crashing into crates to destroy them. The best
way is to collide with them head-on. You don't have to get
them into any particular order, but the way I find best (as
your time can also determine your rank) is as follows:
1. The crate that's in front of your starting point.
2. The next crate that's close to the left wall on the bend
you go round.
3. After number 2. You can't miss it.
4. After the last crate, go forward and keep going straight
ahead until you go onto a wooden pier; it's there.
5. After getting crate 4, turn left and drive down the slope
on the pier. This one is at the very end of the pier - I
get this one first because you can immediately reverse and
turn around to get the sixth crate and then go back up to
the square.
6. On the opposite side of the pier of crate #5.
7. Drive back up the slope on the wooden pier and turn right;
you'll see it in the middle of the street.
8. Just in front of crate #7.
9. Keep going ahead; it's just before the bridge.
10. Cross the bridge and turn right to see it.
Mission 2-2
-----------
Game Description: Collect all 10 coins!
Mission Strategy: Again, an easy track that even a 2-year old could master.
Just reverse as soon as you begin to get the first coin, and
for the rest of the other coins, just keep driving forward
and collecting them - they are seen in groups of three. Very
simple, you won't find anything hard here.
Mission 2-3
-----------
Game Description: Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order!
Mission Strategy: This one isn't too hard. After the first gate you drive
through, you just have to keep your eyes peeled for gate #2
because it's not on the track - it's on the outside on the
grass! Remember that since you're driving as Donkey Kong,
this grass will slow you down significantly, so you must make
up for time to improve your rank by collecting the mushrooms
on the track and use drifts to speed around corners. You
won't have any problem with the rest of the gates - they're
all on the track. Remember, get the mushroom before gate #2
so you don't lose speed - you need to conserve time to get
that one-star rank!
Mission 2-4
-----------
Game Description: Destroy all 5 item boxes!
Mission Strategy: This can be a very tricky track because instead of like the
prior tracks in which the item boxes stayed still and you
could simply plow through them, these boxes have a mind of
their own and will move around the track, so you will have to
chase them! To get a decent rank you will have to be quick -
each of these item boxes hold a Mushroom, so use it as soon
as you acquire it to immediately get on the trail of the next
box and get them all as quickly as possible.
Mission 2-5
-----------
Game Description: Collect all 20 coins!
Mission Strategy: Anybody who needs help with this track is an idiot.
Mission 2-6
-----------
Game Description: Use Bob-ombs to destroy all 5 Pokeys!
Mission Strategy: This one isn't too hard either - there are several item boxes
scattered around this desert stage, and they all contain
Bob-ombs. Simply get one and drive up to a Pokey so it is
directly in front of you, then toss the Bob-omb to blow it up
but don't stand too close to the explosion or it'll get you
as well! Blow all 5 Pokeys up and you win this mission.
Mission 2-7
-----------
Game Description: Drive through all 10 numbered gates in order!
Mission Strategy: This track is the first one that can really cause a good deal
of confusion if you don't know how to drive through it
correctly, as there are two sections of track, and you have
to switch lanes to go through the gates in order at certain
points, and if you don't use your map, you could also go past
some others! Following my strategy, this is how to
successfully complete this mission: from the start, go
through gate #1 (try to get a turbo start if possible) and
use that booster to get a good bit of speed. DON'T go through
the next gate after it, as that is the eighth gate. After you
go past it, switch lanes, as gate #2 is on the left lane. Go
through it, get one of the item boxes for a Mushroom, switch
lanes and go through gate #3, using your Mushroom to boost
your speed. Watch out for the Chain Chomp on the right as you
turn a corner and go through the fourth gate, then
immediately go on the right-hand side of the track on the
slope where the boosts are - gate #5 is along there as well.
Use the rest of the boosters and when you go back on the main
track you'll go through gate #6. Get an item box for a
Mushroom, switch lanes and use this mushroom to get through
the seventh gate. Gate #8 is a little further ahead - it's on
the checkered strip joining the lanes up. Go into the right
lane, drive a little further through gate #9, and then here's
the part which catches a lot of people out - the last gate is
not on the edge of the track where the multi-coloured boosts
are, but it's on the section of track next to them! Use your
map to locate it. If you located each gate with no problems
and used the speed boosts and mushrooms when needed, you will
have no problems getting a decent rank.
Mission 2-8
-----------
Game Description: Perform 6 power slide turbo boosts in 3 laps!
Mission Strategy: This track is rather easy to complete as getting 6 power
slides in 3 laps is more than achievable, but getting a star
in the ranks is a different matter, as you must be quick.
Always try to get a turbo start as it'll be significant, and
you can manage 2 power slides on the first bend as you have a
good deal of turning space. The item boxes all contain Stars.
Use these as they make the task a lot easier as you build
sparks up for the turbo boosts up a lot easier when under the
influence of a star.
Mission 2 Boss Stage
--------------------
Game Description: Hit the Eyerok's eyeball 3 times with shells!
Mission Strategy: You play this boss battle in a circular arena, and the boss,
Eyerok, is two hands that have an eye in their palms. You
have to hit the eyes three times to win this battle and it's
not too hard either. All item boxes have shells in them, so
you just need to get in front of either eye when it's open
and shoot a shell to get a successful hit. What you do need
to watch out for, is a move where one of the hands raises up
and comes down with a thud on you. If you are hit, you will
lose a balloon, and a shell if you had one equipped. As usual
the quicker you win this battle the higher your rank, and you
can move onto the next set of missions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 3-1
-----------
Game Description: Destroy all 5 item boxes!
Mission Strategy: This mission has no bad threats to you, but it does have
those self-controlled item boxes again, and it's set in the
Waluigi Pinball arena, so it'll be a lot tricker to get the 5
item boxes this time than it was before. The best trick is to
use your map to locate the boxes and then the top screen to
see their precise location and close in on them. At the start
it is best to get a turbo boost from the countdown and drive
forward and left a little, as it's where most of the boxes go
when the mission starts. You also have to watch out for the
bumpers littered around the course. It can be quite tricky at
first, but don't worry if you don't get it on your first few
tries. It's easier than you think to get 3 stars for this
mission.
Mission 3-2
-----------
Game Description: Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order...backward!
Mission Strategy: This mission is not at all hard, it should not pose any
problems to get at least one star for a rank - just remember
to use reverse controls for going backward. After the first
gate, make a left turn and follow the alley through the
second and third gates (the third gate is one the right side
of where the path splits), and keep following the path, going
through the fourth gate, and going round the square to reach
the final gate and beat this mission.
Mission 3-3
-----------
Game Description: Collect all 15 coins while avoiding the Chain Chomp!
Mission Strategy: This will be an easy mission if you are quick enough. When
you start, make sure you get a turbo start and go straight
ahead to get the first few coins, and don't stop as you
constantly turn left. If you brake too much to reduce your
speed or stop altogether, the Chain Chomp will hit you,
causing you to lose some of your coins. If you are fast
enough and get all the coins without stopping or being hit,
you'll have no problem getting the 3 star rank for this
mission.
Mission 3-4
-----------
Game Description: Reach the finish before Yoshi!
Mission Strategy: At the start of the race, Yoshi will get a turbo start, so
make sure you do as well. You have to drive onto the slanted
part of the track to the right just after you begin, so grab
an item box that lies there and use the item if it is of any
use, and drive over the multi-coloured speed boosters, and if
you get Mushrooms, use them and you'll easily overtake Yoshi
and reach the end before him. It is quite easy to follow this
track too, so don't worry about it.
Mission 3-5
-----------
Game Description: Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order!
Mission Strategy: This track can be a bit frustrating to get used to at first
but there's a certain path to take to get through all the
gates as quickly as possible, and it goes like this: from the
start, go through the gate that is straight in front of you
[1] then go through the warp pipe behind the gate in front of
that one you went through and you will emerge in front of the
next gate to go through [2]. Make a sharp 90-degree drift
turn to the right and go a little further and through the
next gate [3]. Make another quick 90-degree turn to the right
and go ahead, through the next gate [4]. Go through the warp
pipe tunnel ahead of that gate, and you will emerge in front
of the next gate [5]. Go through it, then head towards the
far end of the track and go through the next gate [6]. Make a
sharp U-turn (right) and go up the ramp. Head through the
next gate [7], then drop to the ground a little further ahead
and to the right, and through the last gate [8].
Mission 3-6
-----------
Game Description: Hit Monty Moles with shells 5 times!
Mission Strategy: This one is very tough to get used to. From the start, drive
straight up to the middle item box and drive just a bit
further ahead of it and aim at the hole that is directly in
front of that item box. As soon as you see a Monty Mole head
peek up, shoot the shell immediately and you should get it.
Quickly reverse a little to get another item box (which
should have regenerated), then go forward a bit more and
repeat this process until you have hit 5 Monty Moles. This is
a very tricky and frustrating process to learn and get used
to, but it's also the best strategy I used.
Mission 3-7
-----------
Game Description: Perform 10 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!
Mission Strategy: This one can be very tricky to get used to, and it took me
several tries to successfully get this one done for a star
rank, because not only are you playing as Donkey Kong, but
you're on that country track with all the other traffic, so
you've got to dodge that so that you don't get flipped! From
the start, get a turbo boost, and you should be able to get 3
slide boosts around the first large bend. Watch out for
oncoming traffic as you go round the right bend (if you can
get it right, you could manage two boosts here). Try to get
another one or two boosts around the next bend, then get over
the two dips in the long stretch of road, but be careful at
the next bend because if you boost too soon, you could drive
onto the grass and slow down drastically. After the next bend
watch out for more oncoming traffic as you head into the
tunnel. Keep boosting round corners, but be careful when you
emerge from the tunnel as you could go over the edge of the
track at the next part. Try to keep your speed up as you
approach the finish line and you should make a good rank if
you've tried hard enough!
Mission 3-8
-----------
Game Description: Collect all 20 coins!
Mission Strategy: Get the coin that is in front of you, go into the following
room and get the coin in front of the left-hand doorway. Go
through that and you'll be on the balcony, so be careful not
to fall off. Drive ahead and get the next coin that is in
front of an opening; go through this and go through the
opening to the RIGHT for the fourth coin, then turn around
and head through the opening across from this one to be on
the outside of the building, turn right and get the next coin
and keep going straight ahead and avoid the Banana as you
turn right to go through the opening, get the coin here, and
go through the next opening to the left, get the coin in this
room and go back outside via the opening to the left, and
drive to the corner of the building to get another coin,
taking your total to eight. Drive ahead, get the coin in
front of the Banana, then go through the next opening to the
right and get the two coins on each side of the signs. Get
back out and follow the path along the balcony that you were
going along before, get the next coin to the left of the 3
Bananas (avoid these!), then another coin to the right of
some more Bananas a little further ahead, then turn right, go
into the next opening and get the coin in this room, then go
through a final opening to the left and get the remaining six
coins to get a final total of 20.
Mission 3 Boss Stage
--------------------
Game Description: Reach the finish before Goomboss!
Mission Strategy: This boss stage can be tricky because Goomboss is clearly a
lot quicker than you, and he also drops Goombas to try to
knock you out, but you can outsmart him by using drift boosts
and collecting Mushrooms for a speed burst that he randomly
drops. After Goomboss completes a lap, he will grow in size,
which will cause him to slow down a little, but he will
release more Goombas at you so you'll have to be more careful
with your dodging. On the final lap, he'll cheat by jumping
over the middle of the track for a shortcut, so you must be
quick by staying on the inside of the track and using speed
boosts and grabbing the Mushrooms he provides. Thankfully, he
is slowed down as he will constantly stop often to drop
Goombas at you, allowing you to overtake and hopefully get
the win, although it can be awfully close. Just keep trying
and you'll eventually get the hang of his racing pattern, and
you will win!
===============================================================================
6. Items
===============================================================================
As you will be most probably aware, you can use items simply by pressing the L
or X button on your DS controller, however some items can be dangled before you
release them. Use this to your advantage as you can line up a shot at an enemy
behind you and get it precise. The names of the items in this game were
obtained from the instruction manual.
Banana
------
Seen in all other Mario Kart games, anyone familiar with those games will know
what this does. When you drop it on the track, any other racer who drives over
it will go into a spin and be temporarily stunned.
Note: Can be dangled.
Blooper
-------
When you use this item, the Blooper will go to the opponent in front of you and
stun them with a squirt of ink, reducing their vision for a limited amount of
time. If this item is used your top screen will be darkened for a few seconds
so watch out for this.
Bob-omb
-------
Drop this item onto the track and any kart(s) that approaches it will get
caught in a huge explosion a few seconds after it is dropped that will stun
them for several moments! However, if no karts approach it during the time
period as it prepares to explode, it will go off by itself, making this item
useless, so make sure you know when to use it and how to use it properly.
Note: Can be dangled.
Boo Hoo
-------
Using this item makes you both invisible and invulnerable to opponents
colliding with you and trying to knock you out. You can also steal an item from
the opponent who is nearest to you when you use it.
Bullet Bill
-----------
When you use this, your kart will turn into a Bullet Bill, and you'll go down
the track at a high speed, and any other karts in your path will get plowed
down! The effect wears off after a few moments, but it's a good item to have.
Fake Item
---------
This looks like a regular item box but when a kart drives into it, it will be
flipped over! Try using it against a crowd of opponents behind you and it'll
work best. They look a little more transparent than a real item box, but don't
get them confused yourself!
Note: Can be dangled.
Green Shell
-----------
Also seen in other Mario Kart titles, this item serves the same purpose as
always - it travels in a straight trajectory and knocks out any kart it comes
into contact with. You can throw it forwards or backwards, but make sure you
line up a good aim before you throw it, otherwise it will be a waste of using
this item. Best to stop others overtaking you, or when you're trying to get in
front of faster opponents.
Note: Can be dangled.
Mushroom
--------
Another familiar item from the Mario Kart series, using this will give you a
brief boost of speed. Best used on long stretches of track and when you want to
overtake other drivers.
Red Shell
---------
Like the Green Shell, this will temporarily knock out any other driver it comes
into contact with, but it has a sort of "homing" device on it - it will follow
a driver's movement so it is better at catching up with them if they try to
dodge it.
Note: Can be dangled.
Spiny Shell
-----------
This is a great item to use, because when you use it, it will go to the racer
in first position in the race, explode and stun that racer for a short time, as
well as any other racers nearby (including you, so don't use it when too near)!
Possibly the best attacking item in the game.
Star
----
Another item from most Mario Kart games, using this will increase your speed as
well as make you temporarily invincible, and if you touch any other karts while
under the influence of this item, it will knock them out!
Super Mushroom
--------------
This is like a Mushroom, but coloured gold. This item is great for speeding up
with, because it allows you to use as many Mushrooms as you want within the
given time limit, so you can gain a lot of speed and overtake other drivers, or
get your momentum back quickly if you hit a wall.
Thunderbolt
-----------
This is another excellent albeit rare item. When it is used, it will strike
every other racer on the track, making them drop their items, and reduce their
kart sizes, thus making their top speeds a lot lower.
Triple Banana
-------------
Gives you three Bananas at one time. Pressing L or X uses up one of the
Bananas.
Triple Green Shell / Triple Red Shell
-------------------------------------
Gives you three Green Shells/Red Shells at one time. Pressing L or X uses up
one of the Green Shells/Red Shells.
Triple Mushroom
---------------
Gives you three Mushrooms at one time. Pressing L or X uses up one of the
Mushrooms.
===============================================================================
7. Secrets
===============================================================================
Unlockables
-----------
Alternate Screens
-----------------
There are two alternate screens you can achieve in the game. They are:
Title Screen - Finish all classes with gold trophies on all cups
Ending Screen - Finish all classes with gold trophies on all cups including
Mirror Mode
Hidden Cup Modes
----------------
There are new cup modes to find by getting Gold Trophies for other certain
modes. To unlock these hidden cup modes, you must beat the following:
Leaf Cup - Gold on Shell & Banana Cups
Lightning Cup - Gold on Leaf Cup
Special Cup - Gold on Star Cup
Star Cup - Gold on Mushroom & Flower Cups
Hidden Stuff
------------
There are a good number of unlockable characters and items to obtain in the
game. They are:
150cc Mirror Mode - Complete Retro Grand Prix (150cc) with gold trophies on
every cup
Daisy - Get gold trophies for every cup in Retro Grand Prix
(50cc)
Dry Bones - Get gold trophies for every cup in Nitro Grand Prix
(50cc)
Mission 7 - In Missions 1-6, get at least one star on each mission
R.O.B. / Any Kart - Finish both Mirror Mode Class Grand Prixs (150cc) with
gold trophies for every cup
Seven Karts - Get gold trophies for every cup in Nitro Grand Prix
(150cc)
Third Karts - Get gold trophies for every cup in Nitro Grand Prix
(100cc)
Waluigi - Get gold trophies for every cup in Retro Grand Prix
(100cc)
Staff Ghost Times
-----------------
If you can get through Time Trial mode on each track within a certain time
limit, you can unlock a Ghost Car controlled by the staff at Nintendo who
programmed and created this game - and as you can imagine - they're pretty
quick! To get them, you will have to complete those tracks around a similar
time limit as the staff did. The timtes list for each Grand Prix are as
follows:
Nitro Grand Prix
----------------
Airship Fortress - 2:07:748
Bowser Castle - 2:19:661
Cheep Cheep Beach - 1:43:654
Delfino Plaza - 1:54:601
Desert Hills - 1:31:262
DK Pass - 2:14:607
Figure-8 Circuit - 1:36:481
Luigi's Mansion - 1:59:357
Mario Circuit - 1:56:533
Peach Gardens - 1:52:989
Rainbow Road - 2:16:246
Shroom Ridge - 2:05:123
Tick-Tock Clock - 1:54:903
Waluigi Pinball - 2:23:288
Wario Stadium - 2:14:868
Yoshi Falls - 0:57:677
Retro Grand Prix
----------------
Baby Park - 0:50:920
Banshee Boardwalk - 2:14:403
Bowser Castle 2 - 1:52:258
Choco Island 2 - 1:01:620
Choco Mountain - 2:15:571
Donut Plains 1 - 1:08:027
Frappe Snowland - 2:08:781
Koopa Beach 2 - 0:54:847
Luigi Circuit - 1:29:759
Luigi Circuit - 1:46:581
Mario Circuit 1 - 0:50:688
Moo Moo Farm - 1:17:751
Mushroom Bridge - 1:30:600
Peach Circuit - 1:12:011
Sky Garden - 1:44:400
Yoshi Circuit - 1:48:793
Star Beside Your Nickname
-------------------------
When you play against the Nintendo Staff Ghosts, you will see that they have
stars beside their names, you can do so for your nickname on the game as
well. When you play against others, they will see it beside your nickname,
and you can also see it from the Records Screen. The amount of stars you get
beside your nickname will vary on how many star ratings you get for each
prix, so it's like this:
One Star - Beat all cups in all modes with at least one star or more
Two Stars - Get two stars on each prix
Three Stars - Get three stars on each prix
Secrets
-------
Free Mushroom
-------------
Hit a Goomba with a shell and a mushroom will appear. Getting it will give
you a speed boost - the same effect as using a Mushroom Item.
Turbo Boosts
------------
There are two methods to get turbo boosts at certain parts of the beginning
of a race. First is when you fall off a cliff face or get stuck underwater
for a few moments and Lakitu pulls you back onto the track. Hit the A Button
the exact second your tires hit the ground when Lakitu drops you, and you'll
get a speed boost! The other way is at the beginning of a race - hold A when
the "2" appears for the race start countdown. If you do it right, you get a
speed boost when the race begins.
===============================================================================
8. Guide Closing
===============================================================================
The ending to my Mario Kart DS FAQ.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
8.01 - Credits
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Devin Morgan
For his superb FAQ for this game, which has helped me the first time
through as I played and wrote for this game. He also provided me with a
few cheats for the game. You da man, Devin.
GameFAQs' Mario Kart DS Cheats Section
Where I obtained the Secrets for this game used in the Secrets section of
this FAQ.
Steve "Psycho Penguin" McFadden
For being my best GameFAQs buddy, we've helped each other with keeping up
our motivation and desire to continue to write. Thanks Steve.
Jeff "CJayC" Veasey, the IGN staff, and other sites whom have posted this FAQ
For hosting all my work and allowing me to become a much more recognised
author.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
8.02 - Legal Disclaimer
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This FAQ is copyright (c)2005 and exclusive property of Ryan Harrison.
Everything contained in this file is my own info, unless it has been notified
and credited as info from another source. This FAQ may ONLY appear on the
following sites:
GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/)
IGN FAQs (http://faqs.ign.com/)
Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com/)
SuperCheats (http://www.supercheats.com/)
GameNotOver (http://www.gamenotover.com/)
If you would like to post this guide on your site, feel free to do so, but only
as long as you contact me first and I grant you permission. If any of my FAQs
is marked as Version FINAL, I'm not going to let you post them up, as I don't
have time to be registering with all the sites just to have my guides posted
up. If you're going to be stupid and decide to post ANY of my FAQs, let alone
this one, on your site without my permission, that is plagiarism, and it's
illegal. So just don't do it. This FAQ may also NOT be sold for profit,
published for profit or reproduced for profit. This document is protected by
copyright law, and I will find out if you rip me off. However, if you would
like to use some of my info for your own FAQ, then I have no problem with that,
JUST SO LONG AS YOU ASK ME AND CREDIT ME. That is all.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
8.03 - Contacting Me
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
If you wish to get in touch with me regarding my work, whether you have any
questions, comments or suggestions for this or any other of my FAQs, my E-Mail
address is rharrisonfaqs(at)gmail.com. Please make sure that your questions
have been answered within the file before you send them, because I do not have
time to look and reply to E-Mails that already have the solutions posted up,
and you will likely not get a reply. If the file is complete and has a version
number FINAL then you should definitely re-check before you send an E-Mail to
me, otherwise then I'd be glad to help you out.
If you do send something helpful to me, then I will include in a future update
of the file and I will give credit to you for whatever you have submitted.
Please have a sensible E-Mail topic like "FAQ Question" so that I do not
mistake it for something else and delete it. Thanks for reading and take care.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/22792.html
This file is dedicated to the memory of the late Chris MacDonald, who died on
May 17, 2004. Rest in Peace.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/85.html
-END OF FILE-
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