Mario Kart DS Walkthrough Guide Written By: Eric Tam Email: cnucksgx<at>gmail<dot>com Current Version History: 0.81 (Last updated Dec. 24) Copyright 2005 Eric Tam General Information --------------------------------------------------------------------- / \ Game Name: Mario Kart DS (Nintendo) Game System: Nintendo DS Release Date: November 14th, 2005 (North America) ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) Wireless DS Single-Card Download Play: Yes Wireless DS Multi-Card Play: Yes Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection: Yes \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents --------------------------------------------------------------------- / \ [1] - Introduction (1intd) [2] - Controls (2ctrs) - Game Play (agmpy) [3] - Characters and Karts (3ckrt) [4] - Items (4itms) [5] - Game Courses (5gmcr) [6] - Game Modes (6gmmd) - Grand Prix (agrpx) - Time Trails (btmtr) - VS (cvrss) - Battle (dbttl) - Missions (emsss) [7] - Missions (7mssn) [8] - Nintendo WFC (8nwfc) - Connection Set-up (acnsu) - Friend Codes (bfrcd) - Emblems (cembl) - Nintendo WFC Match (dnwfm) [9] - Tips & Things to Unlock (9tttu) [10] - Misc. (10msc) - Copyright (acpyr) - Contact Information (bctin) - Special Thanks (cspth) - Frequently Asked Questions (dfaqs) \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>----------------------------<< | 1 / Introduction \ [1intd] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | Version History / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< Welcome to the Mario Kart DS Walkthrough. This is a walkthrough to the game, Mario Kart DS. If you need any help on a certain task in the game, it's all here. In case you're interested, here are some things about myself. I enjoy playing video games and whenever I got really into one, I decide to make a guide for it. I've started other walkthroughs on other games but I've never actually finished them. This Mario Kart DS walkthrough is the first that I really plan to finish. I've gotten really into the F- Zero series and competed in the latest F-Zero games in Time Attack. You might've seen my name in the ladders before. I know this one paragraph keeps jumping around but lastly, I live "north of the border" so I'm a huge hockey fan. I started watching the sport a few years ago when our local team started to get really good. Maybe I've jumped on the bandwagon, I'm not sure, but I doubt that I'll be getting off anytime soon. Below is the Version History of the guide if any reference is needed. Version: 0.25 Updated: Nov. 20, 2005 Added: Started the Walkthrough and finished Sections 1 to 3. Version: 0.4 Updated: Nov. 25, 2005 Added: Forgot about the Items so I added and finished that section. Also started Game Modes and finished up to Battle. Version: 0.5 Updated: Nov. 28, 2005 Added: Finished off Game Modes and started Level 1 of the Missions. Version: 0.6 Updated: Dec. 4, 2005 Added: Finished off Levels 1-3 of Mission Mode Version: 0.7 Updated: Dec. 10/17/19, 2005 Added: Level 4-7 of Mission Mode over those past three days. I'm finally done with it which I'm glad. Version: 0.75 Updated: Dec. 20, 2005 Added: A finished section of Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection and started Section 9. Version: 0.8 Updated: Dec. 21, 2005 Added: Section 10 as I get ready to put this guide on the web. Version: 0.825 Updated: Jan 8, 2006 Added: Started Staff Ghost strategies. I finished Flower Cup and 4 other tracks. Happy New Year! I still need to finish writing up guides to the tracks and Time Trial strategies which I plan to do next. Section 9 also needs to be completed. If you want to skip to a certain section of the walkthrough, go up to the Table of Contents and beside the section is a code in brackets. Copy that code into the Find text (Ctrl+F) and paste it in. It will skip to that section. This walkthrough was started for my purpose of looking back if I forgot how to do something. It's meant to give people a laugh so I'll warn you now but it all depends on the mood when the guide is written. Enjoy! >>----------------------------<< | 2 / Controls \ [1intd] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | Game Play / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< Here are the controls for MKDS. They can't be changed so learn them wisely. All of the buttons are used, but some controls can be done with either button. Control Pad + Steer (Mini-Turbos, see Tips section for info) A Accelerate B Brake/Reverse Y or Touch Screen Change Map Display X or L Use Items R Hop/Drift Start Pause Select Not used A few controls are simple while others may need some explanation. Reverse: One thing to keep in mind is that when you are turning and using reverse, pushing right on the control pad will make you go left (screen facing the front of the kart) although it's actually right. It can take a while to adjust but reverse isn't used too often. Change Map Display: The map is on the bottom screen (see Game Play for more info) and there are two types of display, a detailed one and a less detailed one. You can switch between these two with Y. Use Items: When you get an item, you can use it with X or L. I find L easier to use. With a push of that button, certain items will go forward while others will go behind your kart. To throw items ahead of you, press Up on the control pad and then X or L. To throw items behind you, press Down on the control pad and then X or L. Some items, like the single Banana, can be held behind your kart but not thrown. To do this, hold X or L and let go of it when you want to throw it. Drift: Drifting around corners is important to winning races. It does not lower your speed while turning. However, you may need to practice with your kart to see when the best time to drift is as each kart has a different drifting ability. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ / Game Play <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------( )----< There are three laps in every race (Baby Park needs five laps however) and of course, it's best to come in first place. It isn't just normal racing though in Mario Kart DS, you can use all sorts of items to your advantage. Drive through an item box to get an item. These can help change your racing positions a lot! Usually, item boxes are located in a line but sometimes, you'll see one floating around on its own on the road. Also, try not to go off the road, unless you have a Mushroom and plan to cut through it. Driving through dirt or grass without one will slow you down. The game screen is quite simple. On the top screen, it shows the track as well as the item you're holding (in the top left hand corner), your current lap (top right hand corner) and your place in the race (bottom left hand corner). The bottom screen has a few more things. On the left side are everyone's current place in the race and the item they're holding, if any. In the top right hand corner is your time too. However, the most useful thing about the bottom screen is the map. The default map, a more detailed one, shows you the opponents within range and all the items and dangers on the track. There is a much less detailed map which just shows you the layout of the track and where your opponents are. Use the map to your advantage! >>----------------------------<< | 3 / Characters and Karts \ [3ckrt] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< Without a kart, there is nothing to race with and without a character, no one can drive. Here is a list of the characters and their karts. There are twelve in total and each character has three of their own. Mario - He is the main character and all, and his karts are all very average. They're great for beginners. Luigi - Mario's brother and the man in green is Luigi. His karts are very similar to Mario's in stats but they have their differences. Peach - Princess Peach is also another character and she doesn't want to be messed with. Her karts tend to be quite fast but handling can be a problem. Yoshi - The green little dinosaur has a few games of his own on various game systems and earned a racing spot in Mario Kart. He is fast and light but be aware that Yoshi can be pushed off the tracks by heavier characters. Toad - Toad is small and light so his karts have about the same stats as Yoshi's. Donkey Kong - He lives in the jungles and has games of his own but the ape can race. He's a heavy character but in return, is quite slow. Bowser - Bowser can be seen as the bad guy and is Mario's enemy. He's very big and heavy but is also very slow. Wario - Wario can be a dangerous character in his adventures. His karts are slightly less heavier than Bowser's and is also a bit faster. Daisy - Dry Bones - This skeleton of a Koopa is fast and of course light with no meat. Beware of the heavy bullies though. Waluigi - R.O.B - This robot made a surprise appearance to the Mario Kart series. Its kart's are heavy and aren't that fast. The Karts Here is a list of karts and their statistics in Speed, Acceleration, Weight, Handling and Items. The higher the speed, the faster the kart goes when it gets a mushroom or some sort of speed boost. Acceleration is the normal speed the kart can go - generally light karts have high acceleration. Having a high weight rating let's the driver bump people around. This can be a great advantage, especially when the track has no walls like Rainbow Road. Handling and Drift are somewhat similar. The higher these to are, the easier it is to navigate around turns. If a kart has a high Item rating, it lets the driver get better items. It will also give the driver more mushrooms to use in Time Trails. Below is a sample chart of how the karts will be listed. The stats are rated out of ten - some of the scores are rounded. Note: The Weight rating will change depending on who drives the kart. Also note that the number rating has been rounded. ------------------------------------ / Name of Kart | |------------------------------------/ | Name of Driver / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Handling |---/---/ / / 5 / / / / /.2| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/ / / / 5 / / / / /.1| ----------------------------------------------------------/ Let's get started then! ------------------------------------ / Standard MR | |------------------------------------/ | Mario / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / B Dasher | |------------------------------------/ | Mario / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Shooting Star | |------------------------------------/ | Mario / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/- 5 / / / / /.4| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard LG | |------------------------------------/ | Luigi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Drift |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Poltergust 4000 | |------------------------------------/ | Luigi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/-- / / /.8| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Drift |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Streamliner | |------------------------------------/ | Luigi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Drift |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard PC | |------------------------------------/ | Peach / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/-- 5 / / / / /.5| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/-- /10| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Royale | |------------------------------------/ | Peach / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/- /.9| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Light Tripper | |------------------------------------/ | Peach / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard YS | |------------------------------------/ | Yoshi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/- / /.8| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Egg 1 | |------------------------------------/ | Yoshi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/- / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Cucumber | |------------------------------------/ | Yoshi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Drift |---/---/---/-- / 5 / / / / /.4| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard TD | |------------------------------------/ | Toad / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/-- / /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Mushmellow | |------------------------------------/ | Toad / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / 4-Wheel Cradle | |------------------------------------/ | Toad / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard DK | |------------------------------------/ | Donkey Kong / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/- / /.8| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Rambi Rider | |------------------------------------/ | Donkey Kong / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/- 5 / / / / /.4| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Handling |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Wildlife | |------------------------------------/ | Donkey Kong / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/- / /.8| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/-- / 5 / / / / /.4| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard WR | |------------------------------------/ | Wario / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/-- / / /.8| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/-- 5 / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Brute | |------------------------------------/ | Wario / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/- /.9| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Dragonfly | |------------------------------------/ | Wario / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/-- / / /.9| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard BW | |------------------------------------/ | Bowser / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/-- /10| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Handling |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Tyrant | |------------------------------------/ | Bowser / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Acceleration|---/---/ / / 5 / / / / /.2| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Handling |---/---/ / / 5 / / / / /.2| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Hurricane | |------------------------------------/ | Bowser / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/-- /10| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Handling |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard DS | |------------------------------------/ | Daisy / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Power Flower | |------------------------------------/ | Daisy / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/- / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Light Dancer | |------------------------------------/ | Daisy / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard DB | |------------------------------------/ | Dry Bones / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/-- 5 / / / / /.5| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/-- /10| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/-- 5 / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Banisher | |------------------------------------/ | Dry Bones / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/- / / 5 / / / / /.2| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/-- /10| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Dry Bomber | |------------------------------------/ | Dry Bones / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/- / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/ 5 / / / / /.4| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/- / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard WL | |------------------------------------/ | Waluigi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5-- / / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Gold Mantis | |------------------------------------/ | Waluigi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/-- / / /.8| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/- / / / /.6| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Zipper | |------------------------------------/ | Waluigi / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Drift |---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / Standard RB | |------------------------------------/ | R.O.B / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/-- /10| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/ / /.8| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| -> Drift |---/---/- / / 5 / / / / /.2| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/-- / / / /.7| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / ROB-BLS | |------------------------------------/ | R.O.B / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5- / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/- / / /.7| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/ / / /.7| -> Drift |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| -> Items |---/---/---/ / 5 / / / / /.3| ----------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------ / ROB-LGS | |------------------------------------/ | R.O.B / >>----------------------------------------------------->>>> -> Speed |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Acceleration|---/---/---/---/---5 / / / / /.5| -> Weight |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/ /.9| -> Handling |---/---/---/---/---5---/ / / / /.6| -> Drift |---/---/- / / 5 / / / / /.2| -> Items |---/---/---/---/---5---/---/---/---/---/10| ----------------------------------------------------------/ >>----------------------------<< | 4 / Items \ [4itms] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< Items are a big part of Mario Kart and without them; the game would just be a normal game. Items are used whenever there is more than one person playing like the Grand Prix. Items can either just benefit you or benefit you and cause trouble to an opponent. The following lists all the items in the game. Note that some items are obviously better than others. If you are in a lower position in a race, you will get a better item like a Golden Mushroom compared to a Banana in first place. --------------------------------------------------------------------- / \ Banana - This slippery thing is probably the most boring item in Mario Kart. It can be placed and held behind your kart. When an opponent runs over a banana their kart slips. Watch out for those who have a banana in their hand and do not get too close behind them. They can easily drop a banana giving you the slip. These can be tossed forward too. To avoid this, simply keep your eyes open and not run over one. They also come in Triple Banana. Green Shell - This shell is one of three in the game. A green shell can be thrown backwards or forwards. The green shell will bounce off all walls so watch for it to come back like a boomerang. One of the best places to launch one of these is a narrow road. Only after it hits a few walls will the shell disappear. Triple Green Shells can be carried around your kart. If you want, you can just drive up to an opponent and let their kart touch your shell. They will spin and fall. Avoiding a green shell can be as simple as looking on your map. Red Shell - These shells are very dangerous and can be hard to avoid. They come in a Triple Red Shells bunch too. Once one has been launched, it locks on to the opponent in front and follows them until they get hit. However, once a red shell hits a wall, it goes away. A red shell can be avoided if you turn a corner very sharply so the shell just hits the wall or if you hold a banana behind your kart. There is no need to toss the banana and the shell will just hit the banana (or any item that can be held behind you) and both will go away. You can toss a red shell behind you but it has a less effect. Spiny Shell - These blue shells are a huge pain. Once it has been launched, it speeds ahead of the racers targeting first place. Then once it reaches the target (could be dropped to second place but the shell will still hit you) it circles around them for a second before hitting them. To avoid a shell, you must gain a speed boost and drive away just as the shell falls down on you. It is very hard to time and I'm not sure all karts can do it. It is also said a Bob-omb can help avoid the Spiny Shell as well. The shell will make a blast so stay away from it. Fake Item Box - Place these near some real item boxes and these can be evil. These fakes can be tossed forwards and backwards. The only way to avoid hitting these is to look at your map and avoid the box in red. These also don't have the ? in them. Bob-omb - These bombs can be thrown forwards or backwards. If it hits a kart, it will blow up but if it just hits the road, it will wait a second or two before exploding. Anyone who is near the blast will get damaged. Mushroom - These are really nice and can be the key to passing the guy in first for the win. Mushrooms give you a burst of speed and are best to use in a shortcut or to cut a portion of the off-road. These come in Triple Mushroom bunches too. Golden Mushroom - Like a normal mushroom, these give a burst of speed but with a golden mushroom, you can use it over and over again giving you a lot of speed until it goes away. Bullet Bill - Using this will transform your kart into Bullet Bill which will speed you past opponents and hopefully knocking them over along the way. There is no need to drive the bullet yourself as it drives automatically but be prepared to take over the position again when you turn back into a kart. Blooper - Once it has been used, it sprays ink over everyone's kart except the user. It will leave tiny gaps on the screen to navigate but it is advised to just use the detailed map. The ink goes away eventually, but to get rid of it faster gain a burst of speed (a mini- turbo will not work). Those who are stuck with an inky screen will be black. Boo - This ghost will make your kart invisible for a while making you invulnerable to all items. In addition, it will steal one of the opponents item if it is available. So when you see a Boo coming your way, use your item whatever it is. It's best not to give it to some greedy opponent. Lightning - This can be a pain if you get shocked but be happy as it will not kill you. It will shrink you though and make you lose whatever item you have. The user of the lightning is happy though because they stay the same size and can easily pass anyone near them. Those in lower positions will go back to normal size faster than the person in first or second. Star - This makes you invulnerable to everything. If you hit another kart, it gets flipped over. In addition, you can drive over any off- road and stay the same speed. \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>----------------------------<< | 5 / Game Courses \ [5gmcr] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | Shortcuts / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< There are 32 courses in Mario Kart DS. Half of those are from the Nitro Grand Prix where those are all new. The other half is from the Retro Grand Prix where those courses have all been seen in previous Mario Kart games. The following is a basic overview of the courses and a simple walkthrough there. For a more strategic walkthrough of the courses, see the Time Trails section for strategies for beating Staff Ghosts. Nitro Grand Prix Courses --------------------------------------------------------------------- / \ >> Mushroom Cup \ Figure-8 Circuit / \ Yoshi Falls / \ Cheep Cheep Beach / \ Luigi's Mansion / >> Flower Cup \ Desert Hills / \ Delfino Square / \ Waluigi Pinball / \ Shroom Ridge / >> Star Cup \ DK Pass / \ Tick-Tock Clock / \ Mario Circuit / \ Airship Fortress / >> Special Cup \ Wario Stadium / \ Peach Gardens / \ Bowser Castle / \ Rainbow Road / \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- Retro Grand Prix Courses --------------------------------------------------------------------- / \ >> Shell Cup \ SNES Mario Circuit 1 / \ N64 Moo Moo Farm / \ GBA Peach Circuit / \ GCN Luigi Circuit / >> Banana Cup \ SNES Donut Plains 1 / \ N64 Frappe Snowland / \ GBA Bowser Castle 2 / \ GCN Baby Park / >> Leaf Cup \ SNES Koopa Beach 2 / \ N64 Choco Mountain / \ GBA Luigi Circuit / \ GCN Mushroom Bridge / >> Lightning Cup \ SNES Choco Island 2 / \ N64 Banshee Boardwalk / \ GBA Sky Garden / \ GCN Yoshi Circuit / \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>----------------------------<< | 6 / Game Modes \ [6mmmd] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | Grand Prix | Time Trails | VS | Battle | Missions / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< Under Single Player are many game modes available. There are lots to do and unlock which will make you spending lots of time trying to do everything, especially to max it all out. By the term max out, I mean by getting the 3 star ranks in everything. The Ranks go in order from least to greatest: E, D, C, B, A, *, **, ***. 3 stars in: All Grand Prix modes [ ] and all Missions [ ] Beat all Staff Ghosts in Time Trails [ ] If you want, you can try yourself to get all World Record times in every track but that seems near impossible. There are five modes for Single Player and they will be explained in more detail below. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ a / Grand Prix <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(agrpx)----< Grand Prix is where all the action is, and where must players get started in the game. There are many cups to complete in the Grand Prix. In Mario Kart DS, there are four tracks in each cup (see Game Courses for more information). It's not just that simple though. There is more to completing all 8 cups. The Grand Prix mode has four different difficulties, 50 cc, 100 cc, 150 cc, and 150 cc Mirror Mode. The lower the CC, the slower the kart drives at. The computer player is also easier to race against. Things usually get more exciting and harder at 150 cc where sometimes, a win comes under pure luck. The fourth difficulty is Mirror Mode and only 150 cc can be played in it. The difference for this mode though is that the tracks are reversed. It doesn't mean that you drive through the track backwards, it means that whenever there is a right turn, it becomes a left turn. It's just like facing a mirror but not crashing into the mirror. I found it odd to play Mirror Mode so many times and getting used to their tracks before going back to Time Trails to see it switched again. There's all this talk about winning cups but how do you win? Well, there is a point system used and whoever has the most amount of points at the end wins. After the end of each race, points are distributed in this way: 1st place - 10 points 2nd place - 8 points 3rd place - 6 points 4th place - 4 points 5th place - 3 points 6th place - 2 points 7th place - 1 point 8th place - 0 points Now if everyone was at the same skill level, generally the places would be switched quite a lot after each race. But like all racing games, the computer who finishes at the top tends to finish at the top the second time, and the third time. This means a simple first place two times won't give you a clear win in the end (assuming you do average the next two races). The points at the top will be very close so you need to finish at the top for most races. Finish a race around 4th or 5th place and there's some guarantee that you won't get first place in the end. The lower the time you finish in and the higher amount of points you get will give you a higher Rank. Don't be surprised if you get a C or worse, a E rank even if you finish first. I got an E before for first place but looking back, that wasn't a great Grand Prix race. Another thing to keep in mind is that whenever you finish the race, the computer opponents will finish in the same order when you crossed the finish line. That could make a difference in points if you wait for someone in a lower position to jump ahead of one in like 2nd place before crossing the finish line. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ b / Time Trails <<<< >-------------Staff-Ghosts---------------------------------(btmtr)----< Time Trails is a great thing to play when you've completed everything else. It's great competition to get the best time as you want to be the best in the world. You can discover new strategies for racing in a certain course too. There are some basics though in the Time Trail mode. Your ghost (saved if you beat your old time or register a time for the first time) can be followed very easily if you focus on the bottom screen a lot. There are marks on the screen that shows the ghost's and your path and markings showing what it's doing. A blue mark is normal, red is a speed boost (if a mushroom appears, the ghost or you boosted in that area) and yellow is drifting. Staff Ghosts are fun to race against too. A Staff Ghost (SG for short) is a very fast run done by Nintendo's staff and saved onto the game. With the markings on the screen, it's very handy to copy the SG's strategy which can save a few seconds on your current time even if you copy what a Staff Ghost does. Now for some reason, I can never do better than the ghost (minus a few tracks) so I like to add in a few extra drifts and mini-turbos here and there to shave some time off. The course guides in the Game Courses section were a basic walkthrough on the tracks but below are strategies to beat Staff Ghosts and get a good time - shortcuts included. There will be some terms here used a lot: MT - Mini-Turbo; SSMT - Straight Stretch Mini-Turbo; LMT - Left Mini-Turbo; and RMT - Right Mini-Turbo. As I go along and write up these strategies, I will include videos for you to see. Now these videos aren't the best quality and won't give you huge entertainment but I'll try to use them to help you understand my strategies that I used to beat the ghosts. These were taken from Replay it can be a little hard to tell what I did. On all videos for most of the lap, I chose one lap and taped the bottom screen. If you see red, that's where I used an MT. If you see a whole bunch of yellow and red arrows on a straightaway, I used a bunch of SSMTs. All these videos can be found here at: www.putfile.com/cnucksgx I am currently in the middle of uploading these videos so some will be seen and some won't be seen. In addition, there are three tracks where the game wouldn't save the whole replay so some of the third lap is cut off. Don't worry though, the strategies are the same as the other two laps. As of now (I take this sentence out when I'm done the job in the next few updates), I am uploading a few videos again since I did them wrong so not all videos will be played correctly. The guides that I write up though will give links to correctly uploaded videos. Hopefully these will help you as a thousand words won't even equal one video. \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- / Desert Hills (Flower Cup) / ---------------------http://media.putfile.com/Desert-Hills-12548334---- | SG: 1:31:262 ROB-LGS | Video: 1:25:483 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- The first lap is where you want to get a good lap. You have no interference of things except for a few Pokeys but those can be easily avoided. For the first turn, RMT a few times around the huge corner. Don't bother taking the shortcut through the sand as it's is far too big. LMT then RMT twice. Before you reach the bump on the straightaway with the Pokeys, use a few power-slides. Stay to the right and MT once around each turn. Don't bother MTing around that second last turn since you will drive to the far edge losing time. As you go past the fireballs, go over a little hill then RMT. If you start the turbo before the hill there are chance that you will fly in the air and maybe drive into the sand. For the other laps, beware of the fireballs. Those can be hard to avoid and they tend to fall down on you when you arrive. [Shroom Spot] There are tons of hills you can boost on when the path zigzags a lot. I think it's best to use it on any hill on the right but be make sure the boost doesn't end before you come out of the hill. The sand will slow you down a lot. ------------------------------ / Delfino Square (Flower Cup) / ---------------------http://media.putfile.com/Delfino-Square-152320---- | SG: 1:54:601 Royale | Video: 1:52:320 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- Start off with a few SSMTs and when you reach the fountain, use two RMTs. Turbo to the left and back to the right when you reach the narrow part. Use another RMT when the path curves. Now at the split, continue forward since it is faster but start your MT and hold it down the stairs. For it to work well, you have to be ready to release the R button after you get to the bottom of the stairs. It is hard to do (start off with some speed) and you will crash into the walls a few times but with practice, you will get it right. RMT out of the narrow area and LMT once. You might already know that there is this leap of faith shortcut that allows you to reach with boardwalk with a mushroom but it is not needed here for Time Trials. [Shroom Spot] RMT into the narrow alley with dirt and use your mushroom here. If you've run out of them, release your turbo just as you hit the dark dirt and hop over some of it. It will save a bit of time. Turn out of the alley and LMT before the jump. It is much better to have the bridge down since that will save tons of time but you need to be very quick. If it is down, RMT on the bridge and release it when you exit. LMT and RMT around the turn. You can use a turbo to the left before the finish line too. ------------------------------- / Waluigi Pinball (Flower Cup) / --------------------http://media.putfile.com/Waluigi-Pinball-217217---- | SG: 2:23:288 Gold Mantis | Video: 2:17:217 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- Head straight into the launch. When you exit in the air, lean left for the left turn. Hug the corner and fit in two turbos to the left. Don't get a lot of speed for the jump since you'l fly too far. Make a left turbo (possibly two if you can) but watch out for the pinball that comes along in the second and third laps. RMT afterwards and hit the jump. If you can, drift around the circle to the right but hug the corner nonetheless. On the small straight, SSMT a bit before making two LMTs. [Shroom Spot] On that straight is where I used my mushroom but there are possible better places that I haven't found yet. There are no shortcuts in this level. On the final stretch where the bumpers are, you can either stay to the side avoiding the balls or SSMTing through the middle. If you choose the side, MT to one direction and back to the middle. In any case, RMT past the flippers and LMT twice to the finish line. Avoiding the balls through the middle is hard to do since they roll everywhere. The flippers can send you backwards too so avoid hitting them. ---------------------------- / Shroom Ridge (Flower Cup) / ------------------------------http://media.putfile.com/Shroom-Ridge---- | SG: 2:05:123 Mushmellow | Video: N/A Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- This Staff Ghost is really easy to beat. All it takes are lots of MTs around the corners. You can fit many (around 2 or 3 on the big turns) MTs. Before you reach the tunnel, there are a few long turns so fit a whole bunch of MTs there. After the third turn, there is a long straightaway where you can fit around 3 SSMTs in before making that turn to the left. After the tunnel, the path zigzags a bit so you have plenty of spots to MT. Be careful that you don't hit the cars while power-sliding. You will need to do those fast and have good judgement. [Shroom Spot] You can sort of use your Mushroom anywhere. There is a field of grass to the left of the straightaway to can use to cut with a boost though. ----------------------------- / Tick Tock Clock (Star Cup) / ------------------http://media.putfile.com/Tick-Tock-Clock-15142636---- | SG: 1:54:903 Light Dancer | Video: 1:51:426 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- Start off with a LMT on the turn. After the turn, the path is quite wide so you can fit in some SSMTs before going onto the left side on the clock. The gears change direction after each lap so if you had went left or a gear went clockwise, it would do the opposite the next lap. So, go on the left side and hit the two speed boost for the first and third laps. You will avoid the minute hand this way. Exit the "clock" with an MT. For the next two right turns, do an RMT and watch out for the pendulums. Next up comes four gears one right after another. These change direction after each lap but make sure you "go with the flow." It is possible to do one MT on each gear. On the first and third laps, RMT then LMT, RMT and LMT. Next, do a mini-turbo around each of the next two turns. Next up is a rotating stick and you will need some good judgement here. You will want to stay on the left side to save time but the stick tends to come your way. Just don't get hit. LMT and you will come to two gears on each side of the track. Along with the "go with the flow" rule, ride up the left gear on the first and last laps and ride up the right gear on the second lap. This will save some time. [Shroom Spot] There isn't really a perfect spot so if you mess up, just use the mushroom. You might want to use it when you're going with the flow for an even greater boost. ------------------------------ / Airship Fortress (Star Cup) / -----------------http://media.putfile.com/Airship-Fortress-20341249---- | SG: 2:07:748 Hurricane | Video: 2:03:412 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- There's not much to say here but since the general rule for getting a good time is to MT a lot, just MT at every corner up to the cannon. When you land in the spiral, stay to the inside and hop your way down while turning left. Starting a drift and keeping yourself to the inside is hard but there's time to make a RMT as you exit the spiral. Make a LMT before you get to the finish line. If you can, add in some SSMTs near the beginning as you're hoping down the steps. [Shroom Spot] Perhaps using it on a straightaway would be good like the area just before the cannon. There isn't a specific spot. ------------------------------ / Wario Stadium (Special Cup) / ----------------------http://media.putfile.com/Wario-Stadium-212660---- | SG: 2:14:868 Brute | Video: 2:12:660 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- To beat this Staff Ghost, you will need to take the chance given to you at the beginning to get a great lead. Before the big jumps tend to be big turns. Make one or two MTs around each of these. Don't hit any of the burners. After flying between two of them, LMT around the first triangular burner and another past the second. Before you get to the huge jump, line yourself up first or else you will fly off the road. For the bumps ahead, take it steady. For the final turn, hop around it and fit as many MTs as you can before the final jump. [Shroom Spot] I don't have a great spot but you might like to cut across some of the mud where the two triangular burners are. ----------------------------- / Rainbow Road (Special Cup) / -----------------------http://media.putfile.com/Rainbow-Road-214043---- | SG: 2:16:246 ROB-BLS | Video: 2:16:043 Egg 1 | \---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is one tough ghost - although I haven't used a high speed kart in the video it might be best to use one. There are tons of speed boosters here in this track. If you fall off the track, just restart. Start off straight and hit all the speed boosters. Start a drift and hold it throughout the whole left turn as you hit all the small boosters there. Exit the drift with your boost but don't hit the right wall. After the loop, make a RMT staying as close to the inside as possible. After the jump, LMT and RMT around the turn very quickly. Before the corkscrew, do a LMT. As you exit that, power-slide to the right and back to the left on the final turn. Head straight to the finish line. You will need an average lap time of 45 seconds to beat the ghost. \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ c / VS <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(cvrss)----< VS mode is a mode for those who don't want to race in a Grand Prix yet still wants to race against the computer. A race starts normally (choose your character and course) except you can control a few rules. You can choose from 50 cc to 150 cc Mirror, the CPU difficulty, how tracks are chosen, how to win a round (Free or say up to 5 wins or matches) and the option of having teams or not. If you choose to have teams, they are made randomly. There isn't much to say here but it's a great way to practice your skills. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ d / Battle <<<< >----------Arenas------------------------------------------(dbttl)----< Not all racing games offer a Battle Mode but Mario Kart DS does. There are two types of Battle Mode in this game, Balloon Battle and Shine Runners. Note that the karts chosen are the Standard karts of the character chosen. In Balloon Battle, you have to pop opponent's balloons and win by being the last one standing. You can use items to hit others too. You get a few extra balloons to use too. You get to hold a maximum of three balloons at a time and if you have less, you can blow up a new balloon buy either blowing into the microphone or holding Select (takes slower though). However, in order to inflate a balloon, you must not be on the accelerator. It makes sense though, it's hard to blow a balloon and drive a kart at the same time and it's very distracting. Some tips on playing Balloon Battle for you though. It might be best to stick with two balloons at a time. If you get a mushroom, you can zoom by others and pick up a third rather than putting that balloon to waste. Secondly, if you have to item with you and you run into a group, run. Chances are at least one of them has an item ready to use on you and you are defenceless. Don't get too near a kart in the first place. And finally, always keep an eye on the map. This can save a balloon from being popped if you watch out for shells and other dangers on the bottom screen. There is also the second Shine Runners mode. You have to collect as many of these shines as possible which look like big golden coins. Whoever is the last person standing wins. Now you can make your opponents lose their coins by hitting them with items. Afterwards, you can steal the coin after it has been knocked loose but make sure someone else doesn't come along and take it. There are eliminations every thirty seconds. The players with the last amount of shines will be eliminated. Battle Arenas --------------------------------------------------------------------- / \ There are few Battle Arenas around and some have certain features of their own. Nintendo DS This battle is placed on the surface on a Nintendo DS. The screens and buttons are flat so don't worry about a bumpy surface. There are Item Boxes on the bottom and top screens. Beware! You can fall off the Nintendo DS and possibly end up on another game system. Twilight House This house isn't all that big but the items can get very hectic. There are many rooms around a middle room that can't be entered (possibly the chimney?). Certain rooms have Item Boxes in them in a certain pattern. You can go outside of the rooms onto the side but beware that the narrow strip is of course very narrow and there are no walls. Palm Shore This is also another small stage that is split up into different islands which one can be accessed by crossing the water. Then again, it's really just one island as the tide goes in and out. There are Item Boxes in the centre island as well as in the water. Don't go exploring searching for other islands out there because you won't get far and will lose a balloon. The water is a great way to trap opponents because everyone is going so slowly. Tart Top This stage is pretty straight forward. You're in a yummy tart that has strawberries in cream and everything. These cream things are located around the "top". If you run into one, you're screen will be covered with cream but like the Blooper, can be taken away with a speed burst. This is easily done in this arena too because all you need to do is to hit the dash plate to gain some air and to wash away the ink. This is also the only way to get Item Boxes - by hitting them in the air. Block Fort This level is great. It's multi levelled and huge. There are four "forts" and they are all connected by bridges. I like to get an item and wait on the top floor. If there's someone to bully, I take my item with me and jump down to give them a surprise visit. Pipe Plaza This is a fun and small level. It has two levels and the only way to get to the top is through the pipes. Well, there are two slopes to lead you up there but it's not as odd. Item Boxes are everywhere so be careful. Unlike other arenas, you can't fall off here. \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ e / Missions <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(emsss)----< There are many different missions you can do in this mode. There are 6 levels and an extra seventh one that increase in difficulty. There are eight missions in each level and a boss at the end for a total of 63. Each mission has a different objective and it isn't as easy as finishing the race. Make sure you read what you have to do to complete it. In this walkthrough, I have written up how to complete each and every mission later on that has its own section. In order to play the next level, you must beat the boss in the previous level and the boss can be unlocked by completing all the missions in that same level. On the bright side, you can do those missions in any order. These are possible to get 3 stars in as well. >>----------------------------<< | 7 / Missions \ [7mssn] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< The following will be a guide to complete all seven levels of Mission Mode. Note: Level 7 can be unlocked by getting at least a Star (*) rating on all the previous levels. Note: You must know what an "MT" is and how to use them. It stands for mini-turbo and is explained in your instruction booklet. Another term for it is called a power-slide. ..:Level 1:.. | 1-1 \ Mario \ Figure-8 Circuit \ 0:35:000 \ --------------------------------------------- Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order! This mission is quite easy being the first. There are five gates located around the track in the middle. Use the mushrooms to give you that extra speed boost. | 1-2 \ Peach \ GBA Peach Circuit \ 0:30:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Collect all 15 coins! This is pretty straight forward. There are coins in the middle of the track so just follow the path. It wastes a lot of time going back to a coin though so if you missed one, it's probably best to just retry the mission. | 1-3 \ Yoshi \ Yoshi Falls \ 0:45:000 \ ---------------------------------------- Destroy all 10 item boxes! This mission is really easy. All you have to do is to hit all ten item boxes. They all give mushrooms so use them to get to the next item box quicker. | 1-4 \ Wario \ Cheep Cheep Beach \ 0:40:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Get the Star and use it to hit 5 Cheep Cheeps! After a few tries, this shouldn't be too hard. Get an Item Box quick and get a Star. From there, follow the path of Cheep Cheeps slowly hitting them along the way. Remember that Wario's kart is hard to handle. | 1-5 \ Toad \ Nintendo DS \ 0:30:000 \ --------------------------------------- Drive through all 6 numbered gates in order! Start off straight and head up to the top screen, then turn left and follow the gates back down to the bottom screen around the edge of the DS. | 1-6 \ Luigi \ Luigi's Mansion \ 0:45:000 \ -------------------------------------------- Drive out of the mansion... backward! This mission is alright if you dodge the walls. Remember that B is to go backwards and use the opposite button to turn. This can be easily done in less than 45 seconds. | 1-7 \ Donkey Kong \ N64 Moo Moo Farm \ 0:35:000 \ --------------------------------------------------- Collect all 20 coins! The only hard part about this mission might be the bumps in the road. Stay on course collecting all the coins in a row. Hit the Item Box at the beginning for Triple Mushrooms. | 1-8 \ Mario \ SNES Mario Circuit 1 \ 0:45:000 \ ------------------------------------------------- Perform 4 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap! This is quite easy to do. Remember how to use MTs quickly and you'll breeze through this. MT at all turns for a fast time. | 1-Boss \ Yoshi \ N/A \ 3:00:000 \ ----------------------------------- Use Mushroom to crash into the Big Bully and knock him off the stage! This first boss battle is really easy. You have three balloons with you and don't get pushed off the stage. Get the Item Box in the middle containing Triple Mushrooms and use that to ram into the Big Bully. One time is enough. ..:Level 2:.. | 2-1 \ Wario \ Delfino Square \ 0:55:000 \ ------------------------------------------- Crash into all 10 wooden crates and destroy every one! This is a slightly harder than the other missions. Hit the three boxes in front of you then go onto the dock. Hit the first one and the next two further down. Drive backwards back onto the track and hit the rest over there. For the tenth box, drive into the little gap to the right and hit the last one. | 2-2 \ Yoshi \ Figure-8 Circuit \ 0:30:000 \ --------------------------------------------- Collect all 10 coins! This stage is quite easy. Start out backwards until you get the first coin. After that, just stay in the middle and collect the rest. | 2-3 \ Donkey Kong \ SNES Donut Plains 1 \ 0:45:000 \ ------------------------------------------------------ Drive though all 5 numbered gates in order! Turn right for the first gate and follow the path. Use the mushroom and cut the grass while passing under the second gate. Drive through the third gate. Then, use the next three mushrooms to pass under the last two gates. | 2-4 \ Luigi \ Luigi's Mansion \ 0:35:000 \ -------------------------------------------- Destroy all 5 item boxes! Another easy task. You're faster than the boxes so drive up to them, take their mushrooms and boost up to the next one. Repeat the process until you get them all. | 2-5 \ Peach \ Cheep Cheep Beach \ 0:30:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Collect all 20 coins! This is also sort of easy but the hardest part here is the jump. Line yourself up properly and make sure you land on a coin. | 2-6 \ Wario \ Desert Hills \ 0:55:000 \ ------------------------------------------- Use Bob-ombs to destroy all 5 Pokeys! Getting all the Pokeys within the time limit isn't hard but getting 3 stars on the mission is. Anyways, there are plenty of Item Boxes for you and the Pokeys move slowly so you can hit them easily if you have average aiming skills. Make sure you don't blow yourself up in the process. | 2-7 \ Toad \ GCN Luigi Circuit \ 0:55:000 \ --------------------------------------------- Drive through all 10 numbered gates in order! This is easy to do. Make sure you look at the numbered gate because they aren't exactly lined up. You will have to zigzag around them. For the tenth gate, look up when you're on the boosters. The gate is at the top. | 2-8 \ Peach \ Baby Park \ 0:55:000 \ -------------------------------------- Perform 6 power-slide turbo boosts in 3 laps! For this task, use MTs only at the turns. There are two per lap which makes a total of six. Aim for the inside Item Box when you drift as that will result in a corner well turned. | 2-Boss \ Mario \ N/A \ 5:00:000 \ ----------------------------------- Hit the Eyerok's eyeball 3 times with shells! This mission can be hard. For the first two hits, get shells and wait for the eyeball the face you. Hit it with the shell. Do this for the second time too. For the third time, be quick. The Eyerok will jump over the shell if you're not quick. ..:Level 3:.. | 3-1 \ Wario \ Waluigi Pinball \ 0:50:000 \ -------------------------------------------- Destroy all 5 item boxes! It's hard to get a good rank on this seeing as the boxes move around too much. It is very possible to finish within the time limit though. Look at your map to see where all the boxes are. | 3-2 \ Bowser \ Delfino Square \ 0:50:000 \ -------------------------------------------- Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order... backward! This is easier as it sounds. Bowser goes slow enough that it gives you time to know what button to press to turn the right way. When you get to the square, head straight for number three and turn around (left) for gates four and five. It's easy to do and remember that hitting the walls wastes some time. | 3-3 \ Luigi \ GCN Luigi Circuit \ 0:25:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Collect all 15 coins while avoiding the Chain Chomp! This can be hard or easy. Follow the coins for a simple straight line then turn left and go around the Chain Chomp. Hop and drift slightly to get that small turn to turn a bit more. It's very possible to just get all 15 circling the Chain Chomp without getting hit. If you do get hit, just restart - it will take too long to get the coins again. | 3-4 \ Peach \ Yoshi Falls \ No time limit \ --------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before Yoshi! This is just an easy straight forward race. You have to drive through the waterfalls so don't fall off and pick up an item along the way. You might need a Star to get through the second waterfall quickly without falling off. Yoshi is easy to beat. | 3-5 \ Yoshi \ Pipe Plaza \ 0:45:000 \ --------------------------------------- Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order! Without a guide, this will take at least two tries. One to find out where all the gates are and two to actually finish the mission. Start off straight past the one and the five. We'll head back to the five later. Continue through the pipe and get the two and turn right for three. Then turn all right again for four and head into the pipe. You will come out in front of the five. Turn right for a six and right again for seven as you head up the ramp. Go slowly here. Next, you should see eight from above to drop down at an angle and go under eight. | 3-6 \ Luigi \ N64 Moo Moo Farm \ 1:05:000 \ --------------------------------------------- Hit Monty Moles with shells 5 times! You need good timing for this hard mission. Stand where an Item Box would re-spawn and fire Green Shells at the closest mole from there. Timing is everything. | 3-7 \ Donkey Kong \ Shroom Ridge \ 1:10:000 \ ----------------------------------------------- Perform 10 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap! It is really easy to pull off more than 10 MTs in one lap. As this is Shroom Ridge, huge turns are everywhere so you can pull off more than one power-slide turbo boosts per turn. Donkey Kong has bad handling so it might be best to follow the line that separates the sides on the roads. Don't become road kill either. | 3-8 \ Mario \ Twilight House \ 1:05:000 \ ------------------------------------------- Collect all 20 coins! This mission is harder than it seems. First, head straight and turn left to the outer edge collecting two coins. Turn right into the next room and right again to get a forth lone coin. Head backwards, turn around and continue straight out of the room. Get the coin (5) on the outside, avoid a banana (these will make you lose your coins) and turn right into the room. Follow the path of coins and turn back out of the room and head for the corner of the Twilight House. Get the eighth coin and drive past a banana after collecting a ninth coin. Turn into the next room before continuing and collect two more coins around the Stop signs. Exit the room. Zigzag around two lines of bananas and enter the room. Collect the single coin and turn left into the room with coins around a circle. Collect them all for a total of twenty! | 3-Boss \ Toad \ Baby Park \ No time limit \ --------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before Goomboss! This boss battle can be hard. Drive normally but watch out for the Goombas and mushrooms on the ground. Also watch out for Goomboss himself because he will push you out of the way. He will stop at the finish line for a second or two so you can catch up. Stay to the inside and only drift at the turns and not on the straights. As a caution, Goomboss will jump the hedge on the third lap. ..:Level 4:.. | 4-1 \ Wario \ DK Pass \ No time limit \ ----------------------------------------- Reach the finish before Donkey Kong! You are driving in the opposite direction in DK Pass. Watch out for snowmen and snowballs and use the Triple Mushrooms from boxes to increase your speed. Beating Donkey Kong isn't too much of a challenge either. There are some parts of the track where you can cut off. | 4-2 \ Yoshi \ Palm Shore \ 2:00:000 \ --------------------------------------- Blast 20 crabs! Using Green Shells you get from the boxes, just hit 20 crabs. Watch out for the tide as that can slow you down. It might be best to stay near the middle (even better on top of where an item box would re-spawn) and just fire away shells. You could always resort to having shells circle your kart and driving up to each crab. | 4-3 \ Mario \ Shroom Ridge \ No time limit \ ---------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before the red car! This mission is really easy. Just use a whole bunch of MTs around the turns and you'll do fine. Make sure you don't fall off too! It's very possible to pass the red car near the beginning and after that's it's just holding the lead for the rest of the lap. | 4-4 \ Wario \ Desert Hills \ 0:45:000 \ ----------------------------------------- Drive through all 7 numbered gates in order! First, drive through (1) and get an item box. Cut through the sand using three mushrooms for two and three. Go back to the road and drive under gate four and get three more mushrooms further on. Use it to hop over the sand hills for gates six and seven. | 4-5 \ Bowser \ GBA Bowser Castle 2 \ 0:30:000 \ ------------------------------------------------- Collect all 15 coins. If you get squished by a Thwomp, you fail! Start off with a boost and go straight for the first eight coins. For the rest, wait until all the Thwomps fall down and as they are going back up, drive straight under them for all fifteen. | 4-6 \ Donkey Kong \ N64 Choco Mountain \ 1:10:000 \ ----------------------------------------------------- Break all 10 item boxes while avoiding the Fake Items! This is pretty simple. When ever you see item boxes coming up, look at the map to see which is the real one. Then, simply drive through it. Use the mushrooms you get for a speed boost. Donkey Kong isn't that fast so you have plenty of time to prepare for the next item box you want to break. | 4-7 \ Toad \ Waluigi Pinball \ 0:45:000 \ ------------------------------------------- Drive through all 10 gates! This allows you to get creative with a strategy you want to use to go under all of these gates. The best one is probably to go straight for the first two then go under the rest of the gates in a figure eight pattern. The gates are all on the sides so the chances of getting hit by a pinball is less but keep your eyes open. | 4-8 \ Luigi \ GBA Luigi Circuit \ 1:00:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Perform 9 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap! Before you start, get to know the track a bit. Don't use a turbo boost at every little turn because you might end up on the outside edge of the track and it's best to stay to the inside. You can do one MT at each turn and still get nine done by the end of the lap. Don't worry, one minute should be plenty of time. | 4-Boss \ Peach \ N/A \ 5:00:000 \ ----------------------------------- Collect 50 coins while avoiding King Boo! I don't have a great strategy in collecting the coins but here's the basic outline. The coins are placed around lava pits so you can collect all the coins in one ring with one drift. Second, there is no way to avoid King Boo from stealing some of your coins but to get them back, find Boo and ram into him. If he has his back facing you and you ram into him, he will turn around. Ram into his front to get the coins back. You can then go around other rings collecting coins. Getting coins stolen won't make you lose a balloon. The only way that can happen is if you fall into the lava. Completing the mission in around one and a half minutes should net you 3 stars. ..:Level 5:.. | 5-1 \ Peach \ Peach Gardens \ No time limit \ ----------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before the stray Chain Chomp! This mission is quite easy. Hit every Item Box you see for a Star or Triple Mushrooms. If you get mushrooms, use them wisely and boost over the gardens to save some time. You shouldn't have problems with this mission by now. | 5-2 \ Donkey Kong \ N64 Frappe Snowland \ 0:30:000 \ ------------------------------------------------------ Drive backward and collect 15 coins! If you hit a snowman, you fail! This level is easy to finish if you remember to turn the right way. You're going in a circle turning to the left. Go slowly and restart if you have missed a coin. The turns get sharper near the end so watch out for that. | 5-3 \ Toad \ SNES Koopa Beach 2 \ 0:35:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Destroy all 5 item boxes! Oh, how I hate this mission. Start off with a boost and hit the first Item Box that is trailing. Get it quickly and grab the mushroom. You have to be fast to get the second box using the mushroom. The other three boxes will now go over the water. Don't fall into the water now. Wait for the other boxes to come back over land before grabbing the rest. They will turn to the left without warning at one point so be careful. | 5-4 \ Bowser \ GBA Bowser Castle 2 \ 1:05:000 \ ------------------------------------------------ Drive through all 10 numbered gates in order! Start off with the first gate straight ahead. The second is right after the boost plate not too far ahead. Go under (3) and avoid the Thwomp. Hit the second boost plate and cross the road at a diagonal to hit (4) without jumping in the air which saves time. Next, turn right and jump across the pool of lava, avoiding the fire balls for gate number five. Six and seven might be a problem as your chances of getting hit are higher. You have no choice for (8) as you have to take a jump. Number nine is easy as long as you turn properly and just avoid the two Thwomps for ten. | 5-5 \ Mario \ GCN Mushroom Bridge \ 0:55:000 \ ------------------------------------------------ Complete 1 lap in the opposite direction within the time limit! You aren't driving backwards, just going in the opposite direction. Some of the road has been shut off by gates and watch out for on coming cars and trucks. Those are painful to get hit by (try pausing when you get hit and see the frozen scene). Use the mushrooms from the boxes for a boost. You will also learn a shortcut if you haven't already in this level. Turn left and go uphill when you see the turn in. Run over one of three mushrooms to drive across the dirt. Continue to the finish. | 5-6 \ Yoshi \ Tart Top \ 0:45:000 \ ------------------------------------- Collect all 18 coins! This is one interesting mission. Start off with a boost and turn right around a ball of cream for a few coins. Follow the path up the slope for some more coins and hit one of three coins at the top. When you land in a different spot, repeat the process two more times for all 18 coins. | 5-7 \ Toad \ DK Pass \ 0:45:000 \ ----------------------------------- Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order! The gates here are quite easy to spot. Just watch out for on coming snowballs and bumps in the road. There are more snowballs than usual to make life difficult. | 5-8 \ Luigi \ Mario Circuit \ No time limit \ ----------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before Mario! Finally another race! This race is slightly easy if you are careful with the more-than-usual Goombas and Piranha Plants. If you ever get mushrooms, there is a path you can cut off just before the turn where the plants spit out fire. | 5-Boss \ Wario \ N/A \ 5:00:000 \ ----------------------------------- Hit the Big Bob-omb with 3 Bob-ombs! This little boss battle is a bit fun. From the start, quickly grab an Item Box and blast Bob-omb for the first time. Next, he will drop down two Item Boxes and a lone Bob-omb in a triangle shape. Grab any box and the Bob-omb you get from it. Stay away from the lone Bob-omb (the item, this is getting confusing) so it doesn't hit you. If you're lucky, Bob- omb will actually hit himself which counts as a hit for you since he was too close to the blast. The third hit is a little trickier so aim your bomb well. ..:Level 6:.. | 6-1 \ Luigi \ Bowser Castle \ 0:30:000 \ ------------------------------------------ Drive backward across the spinning bridge! If you fall, you're out! This task is quite simple. The bridge will push you down because of your weight so move to the top whenever you start to fall. Remember that you're going slow and backwards so remind yourself to push the opposite button. | 6-2 \ Wario \ Airship Fortress \ 0:55:000 \ ------------------------------------------ Get Stars and run over 15 Rocky Wrenches! Rocky Wrenches are the real name for them, not these moles I said earlier. The task is simple but it's harder than it sounds. There are a few Item Boxes scattered around the small area and tons of Rocky Wrenches around that poke up to the ground and down. I like to go back and forth hoping that the moles will eventually meet up with me. It's also best to have an extra Star with you so that when your current one vanishes, you still have another on deck rather than driving to a new Item Box. | 6-3 \ Yoshi \ SNES Choco Island 2 \ 0:45:000 \ ------------------------------------------------ Collect all 30 coins! Start off by following the path and run over the mushroom to take the shortcut. Coins will be placed in lines of three so follow the path collecting them. There are also 3 coins in the chocolate lake. You'll have to take a right turn carefully to collect the next few. Make sure you don't ride on any of the bumps because that will slow you down greatly and cause you to miss some coins. Continue to the end of the lap. | 6-4 \ Mario \ Block Fort \ 2:00:000 \ ------------------------------------------ Destroy all 10 item boxes! This mission was a pain to find a strategy for. Anyways, the boxes are in a certain area. Start off with the Item Box you already see and you should follow it to the red fort. Now, for every fort, there are two Item Boxes around it - one on the bottom floor (or second if you count to very bottom of the whole course) and one on the top. Go to the red fort and collect those two boxes for a total of three. Next, cross a bridge into the next fort and collect those two boxes. Continue on for all four forts. There is one however where the top box will fall back down and go back up the ramp and repeats the process - just a warning for you. Now one at the beginning plus two for each of the forts equals nine, so where's the tenth box? There is one box going around the four bridges so whenever you so happen to cross a bridge into the next fort and you spot it, go up and collect it. | 6-5 \ Peach \ GBA Sky Garden \ 0:50:000 \ ------------------------------------------- Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order! This mission also needs some strategy. Pick up any of the three Item Boxes from the start to get three mushrooms. Don't use them right away! Cross under the first gate though. For the second, boost and use the ramp to get to a few clouds with gate number two. Use the second mushroom to get yourself back on course. Take a few left turns before coming to gate number three. After you pass under it, use your last mushroom and drive off the ramp for a shortcut. The Staff Ghosts uses this shortcut in its run. Before coming to (5) there will be another Item Box with three more mushrooms. It's important that you hit it. Once again, only use the mushrooms when I tell you to. There will be (6) ahead following a right turn. It's alone on some clouds (yet another shortcut) so use two mushrooms to get past it. Number seven is nearby too. You can use your last mushroom before the final jump which will quickly send you flying into number eight. | 6-6 \ Yoshi \ GCN Yoshi Circuit \ 1:00:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Perform 14 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap! You've done (and hopefully finished quite well) these types of missions before so this shouldn't be a problem. Just do a power-slide whenever you see a turn, just as long as it won't slow you down greatly. Whenever you see a huge turn, try and MT more than once. I finished the mission with triple stars and got in 14 power-slides so even reaching the minimum is alright. The shortcut here is possible with one MT (see Yoshi Circuit under Time Trials for more information). | 6-7 \ Toad \ Tick Tock Clock \ 1:30:000 \ ------------------------------------------- Collect all 40 coins! Wow, 40 coins is a lot to collect. I don't have a great strategy but here are some things to keep in mind which might give you a strategy. The coins are shaped in a star (plus two lines of coins for a total of six in the middle) and you can go from one end to another passing two different lines on coins. Just go back and forth. The clock hands will be moving in one direction so collect the coins in open area where you're sure no hand will hit you... yet. If you see a hand coming (keep in mind one is short and one is long) get yourself out of there! If you get hit with the rod, you will lose coins and they will scatter. | 6-8 \ Bowser \ Peach Gardens \ No time limit \ ------------------------------------------------ Reach the finish before Peach! In this race, you're going in the opposite direction. The race is really easy if you use your items correctly. You can get Stars and Mushrooms and when you do get them, only use them to take shortcuts through the grass. Some areas of the track are marked off too so don't drive into a dead end. If you do, restart the mission. Mushrooms are more useful than Stars since they give you a boost so be hopeful you get those instead. | 6-Boss \ Luigi \ N/A \ 5:00:000 \ ----------------------------------- Use Mushroom boosts to hit Chief Chilly and knock him off the stage 3 times! There are four Item Boxes on the stage for you to use - one is in the middle. Quickly get three mushrooms and keep pushing Chief Chilly off the stage. You should be able to get him off once using three mushrooms. The same goes with the second time. For the third, let Chilly hit you (run into him). When you get sent back, use a Mushroom to send Chief Chilly backwards, or forwards from your point of view. Keep pushing him near the edge then give him the final blow for victory. For those curious if you just followed the strategy used for one and two for number three, Chief Chilly will jump, avoiding you and you will drive yourself off the stage. ..:Level 7:.. As said before, Level 7 can be unlocked by placing one star or higher on all the previous missions. | 7-1 \ Peach \ Rainbow Road \ 1:00:000 \ ----------------------------------------- Perform 6 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap! Rainbow Road barely has any turns are safe to MT but there are some. Use your judgement on where you can use boosts and where you can't. I don't advise you to do them on the straights. I had 4 or 5 done before I reached the corkscrew so you should have around that many at that spot. After the corkscrew, there are two turns where you can finish off for your 6 power-slide total. | 7-2 \ Mario \ Bowser Castle \ No time limit \ ----------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before Bowser! This is just a simple win or lose race. Parts of the track are marked off with gates so you will be forced to take a certain route. Two of these changes are: You must use the shortcut made in this level and do not drive across the spinning bridge. Instead, jump off to the ground below. You get Stars and Triple Mushrooms from the Item Boxes. | 7-3 \ Donkey Kong \ Tick Tock Clock \ 1:30:000 \ -------------------------------------------------- Complete 2 laps within the time limit! This mission gives you lots of time to finish. It is just a normal run through the track twice here are some notes. One, you will hit only two Item Boxes per lap that give Triple Mushrooms so use them wisely. Second, instead of the usual one pendulum that swings back and forth, there are now three. These are painful. Thirdly, Donkey Kong's kart is horrible at drifting so only use power-slides when needed. Remember that the gears change direction after each lap so don't drive against the direction it is going. That will slow you down. | 7-4 \ Toad \ Mario Circuit \ 2:00:000 \ ----------------------------------------- Use shells to defeat all 30 Goombas within the time limit! Start off by standing over an Item Box to get Triple Green Shells (red would make life so much easier). Right after you get them, just fire them all off hoping they will hit a Goomba. Repeat until most are gone, then move onto the next area. Keep firing off shells, moving onto the next area when there are little amounts left. For those that are left, drive up to them with shells and hit them. | 7-5 \ Wario \ Wario Stadium \ 0:55:000 \ ------------------------------------------ Collect all 20 coins! By now, these type of missions are alike. You just drive through the course collecting coins. In Wario Stadium, a few rings of fire have been added and a coin placed in the middle. These appear after a jump so one thing to keep in mind is to line yourself up with the coins before going to collect them. If you miss a coin, there is no time to go back so just restart. Also, if you hit a burner, you will lose coins so just restart as well. | 7-6 \ Mario \ Nintendo DS \ 0:11:000 \ ----------------------------------------- Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order! Eleven seconds is an odd time limit to set for a mission. Anyways, I can say the whole strategy in this one sentence - make one long drift that allows you to go under all eight gates. | 7-7 \ Bowser \ Airship Fortress \ 0:50:000 \ ---------------------------------------------- Drive backward and collect all 12 coins! If you hit a burner, you fail! For this mission, take your time! You will have to zigzag back and forth around boxes collecting coins. Go slow and steady and don't break any of the boxes. Continue this until you collect all eight coins in the area. For the final four, you will have to zigzag slowly for them, avoiding the burner. | 7-8 \ Luigi \ N64 Banshee Boardwalk \ 1:05:000 \ -------------------------------------------------- Break all 10 item boxes while avoiding the Fake Items! This mission is just like the one on Choco Mountain. Look on the map to see which is the real one and which is the fake. Use the mushrooms you get from the real boxes to save time. This round however is a little harder. There are bananas placed out so make sure you avoid them. After you get your sixth box, save the mushroom for inside the haunted house - or whatever the house is called. Go to the left instead of the right and just your mushroom right before the huge hole. Hop the little gap and there will be your seventh box. This saves lots of seconds rather than going to the right side. Before you exit the house, you have to around wall of Fake Items for your eight box. Continue to the end of the track for two more boxes. | 7-Boss \ Mario \ GCN Mushroom Bridge \ No time limit \ -------------------------------------------------------- Reach the finish before Wiggler! This is it, the final mission! It's a simple three lap race but you must avoid everything - unless you have a Star. There isn't a real strategy for this because where the trucks and Item Boxes are located varies depending on the person's time. Keep in mind that: The Item Boxes on the road are all Stars and only use a Star when you need to (before you plan to flip a truck etc.). Second, in order to get a fast time, you must flip trucks over. Some, have Item Boxes under them which carry Mushrooms. Lastly, I don't advise you to take the shortcut. I was able to get 3 stars on the mission without using the shortcut even once. Plus, I think it saves time. Other than that, it's a normal race! Good luck! Well, congratulations! You've completed Mission Mode. Give yourself a pat on the back and move on to the next thing. >>----------------------------<< | 8 / Nintendo WFC \ [8nwfc] |-------------------------------/------------------------------------- \| Set-Up | Friend Codes | Emblems | Nintendo WFC Match / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection is a new and fun thing. Mario Kart DS is one of the first games to use this feature that let's you to go online and play others. There are a few things about the WFC that will be covered. Some are Mario Kart DS related while others are just general information that can also be used for other Wi-Fi compatible games. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ a / Connection Set-up <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(acnsu)----< In order to connect to the internet, you need a Wireless Router or Nintendo's Wi-Fi USB Connector. Below will be steps to help set up your connection. You have three slots that you can save connection data onto. This means if you go back and forth between two places, you don't have to set up everything each time. Not that it takes a long time though - it only takes a few seconds to finish the job. Choose an empty slot to save your connection first. Then (it's easier this way) choose "Search for an Access Point" which will search for a point nearby that you can connect to. Afterwards, some results will come up and choose the router you're using. If it's blue and unlocked, you can connect to it just like that (you might need to change some features in your router's setting though). If it's red and locked, you need the WEP code in order to connect. Once you've selected your choice, it will do a test to see if the connection is good or not. If the test is successful, you're done! When you look at your options after you've gotten a slot filled, there will be information you can change. It's best to leave Auto-obtain IP Address and DNS to Yes. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ b / Friend Codes <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(bfrcd)----< Every game will give you a different friend code which you can share with your friends. In Mario Kart DS, there is an option that lets you play the friends you've added. If you know someone's friend code that you want to add (they must add you as well for this to work), choose Register Friend Code under the Friend Code option. Input their 12-digit code and their temporary name. The correct name will replace the temporary name after you race them. If you want to see your code to give to others, choose Confirm Friend Code. All your friends can be viewed from the Records page in the game. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ c / Emblems <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(cembl)----< An emblem can be created and used to identify who you are. It's like a badge that you can wear. To edit your emblem (this will be seen online by those you race - don't make inappropriate emblems) go to Options -> Edit -> Emblem -> Paint. Here, you can draw on the touch screen with your stylus or colour each square one by one with your controls. You can adjust the thickness of the pen from 1x1, 2x2 and 3x3 squares. The same goes with the eraser. You can also fill a certain area of you emblem with a certain colour. The game also has some preset shapes you can work with too. Select the circle option on the left side of the touch screen. You have 15 different colours to work with here. It's like a simple Paint program! When you're done editing your emblem, press Start or select Quit with your stylus. If you press Select, you can also see what it looks like with your emblem on the karts. Press L and R to change karts. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ d / Nintendo WFC Match <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(dnwfm)----< When you are all set up and ready to play online, choose Nintendo WFC Match in the options. It will then connect you online. In Mario Kart DS, you can race others through four different options. Friends - You will play those who have you on each other's Friend Lists. Rivals - You will play people with the same skill level as you. It is told that you are matched up with people who have accomplished the same things you have in the Single Player game, not just through your online record. Regional - You will play people in the same region, not country, as you. Currently, there are three Regions - North America (blue), Europe (green) and Japan (red). Worldwide - This option just connects you to anybody in the world. It will take a while to search for 3 other players. Sometimes you won't even get a four player race, just three or two. Here's how wins and losses are given. The general rule is this: You get the amount of wins that you've beat and you get the amount of losses that you've been beaten by. Now, the amount of people playing starts from after everyone has selected their character and kart. If someone disconnects (which is very bad sportsmanship) during the time people are selecting their karts and it is a four player race, it suddenly turns into a three player race. If someone disconnects and the race finishes with at least one other person, wins and losses will be given on how many players started from the beginning. If there is one person left, the race just ends and that person left will have their record unchanged. Now, whenever you disconnect on purpose by turning off your DS, you will automatically finish last and receive losses. If it is an error or you lose signal, your record will remain unchanged (like when everyone else disconnects and you're left standing alone). There are rumours going around about losing loses but I won't go into that. Here are some scenarios of how wins and losses are given. You finish in first in a four player race: 3 wins, 0 losses You finish in first in a three player race: 2 wins, 0 losses You finish in second in a four player race: 2 wins, 1 loss You finish in third in a three player race: 0 wins, 2 losses You finish in fourth in a four player race: 0 wins, 3 losses You finish in second in a four player race, but one player disconnected during the race: 2 wins, 1 loss Everyone disconnects except for you: 0 wins, 0 losses You get disconnected by an error: 0 wins, 0 losses You disconnect on purpose in a four player race: 0 wins, 3 losses Away from wins and losses, this is how track selection works. Everyone selects the track they want to play on. The rule is, the majority wins. If it's a tie, the track is randomly selected from the two or four choices. Here are some scenarios on how the track is selected: L1, L2, L3, L1: L1 due to majority L1, L2, L3, L4: Random due to tie L1, L1, L2, L2: Random due to tie I think you get the point. Have fun racing online and play fair! >>----------------------------<< | 9 / Tips and Things to Unlock \ [9tttu] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< This short section is basically a list of tips and tracks and what can be unlocked. Unlockables Dry Bones Complete Nitro Cup 50cc Daisy Complete Retro Cup 50cc 3rd Kart for each character Complete Nitro Cup 100cc Waluigi Complete Retro Cup 100cc 7 Karts total for each character Complete Nitro Cup 150cc 150cc Mirror Mode Complete Retro Cup 150cc R.O.B. Complete Nitro Cup Mirror Mode 36 Karts total for each character Complete Retro Cup Mirror Mode Mission 7 Achieve Star rating on all previous missions Star Cup Complete Mushroom and Flower Cup Special Cup Complete Star Cup Leaf Cup Complete Shell and Banana Cup Lightning Cup Complete Leaf Cup Star(s) next to your name Get at least star(s) on all Grand Prix cups Alternate title screen Complete Retro Cup Mirror Mode Staff Ghost Finish within 5 or 10 seconds of the Staff Ghost Tips and Tricks Boost start - During the countdown, before the 2 goes away, hit the accelerator. If you've timed it correctly, you'll get a speed boost when you start. Speed boost upon recovery - After you fall off a track, hit the accelerator before as you hit the ground for a boost. SSMT a.k.a. snaking - Stands for Straight Stretch Mini-Turbo, these are a bunch of Mini-Turbos on the straightaway. Although it looks like you're losing speed from swerving side to side, it helps a lot. As a tip, start the next MT as you exit the one before. You are moving back and forth so once you do a left MT, you do a right MT. Drafting - This is staying behind one kart. If you tailgate behind them for a period of time, you will get a decent speed boost. Be careful not to hit the kart in front of you though. >>----------------------------<< | 10 / Misc. \ [9tttu] |-------------------------------/-------------------------------------\ | Copyright | Contact Information | Special Thanks | FAQ / <<-------------------------------------------------------------------<< The section here that doesn't really belong anywhere else. The things below are just some extras to the guide. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ a / Copyright <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(acpyr)----< This whole walkthrough has been written by me, Eric Tam and is under Copyright. Please do not copy and paste all or parts of this walkthrough on your site or anywhere else. You may copy small sections (like one mission in a level) but you must give credit back to me. If you want to host this guide on your site, you must tell me first and I'll decide whether or not it should be hosted. Don't just go adding it to your site because you want to. The website(s) that may be allowed to host my guide are: GameFAQS.com Cheatcc.com Neoseeker.com >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ b / Contact Information <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(bctin)----< If you wish to contact me with information or you need further help in something in Mario Kart DS (and only Mario Kart DS), you may e-mail me at: cnucksgx<at>gmail<dot>com There are some things I'd like you to keep in mind before you write your e-mail. Please do not go ranting about how bad this guide is. You may send in tips or alternate strategies in completing a certain track or a mission etc. I promise you that you will be given credit for the information you send in that may be added to the guide. If you need further help on a certain task, you may contact me with that as well. If you are looking for information that's not currently in the guide (look carefully through the whole guide though) you may contact me with that info and I will do my best at adding the section. Please do not write up a new section of your own though. Lastly, do not send attachments to your e-mails. One more thing, do not e-mail me for my friend code. In any case, when you do write your e-mail, please make the topic easy to identify. Something like (MKDS Guide: and your topic here) is perfectly fine as long as the topic is clear. I won't be checking my e- mail every day so you will need to wait patiently for a reply. I should reply within a week - don't send another e-mail on the same topic or a, "Why haven't you responded yet?" type. Here is an example of a good title for an e-mail: MKDS Guide: Mission Mode 7-1 Here are some examples of a bad title for an e-mail: Help please! MKDS Guide: A few questions As you can see, these titles aren't very clear and I will most likely ignore them and delete them. I know this might be a lot but it will certainly make everything easier. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ c / Special Thanks <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(cspth)----< Writing this guide (or most of it) would not be possible without some things. The following are just some I'd like to thank. Putfile.com for helping me upload my videos used for Time Trial strategies. My music for not getting me extremely bored while I was typing the guide. Holiday breaks - yes I know, a little odd to be thanking that but I certainly got a lot of free time from it which let me write up my guide. Nintendo for making this wonderful game and the Mario Kart series. And finally you, for reading this guide. >>------------------------------------------------------------------<<< >/ d / Frequently Asked Questions <<<< >----------------------------------------------------------(dfaqs)----< As of now, this section is really, really short but as a lot of the same questions start pouring in, this is where all the questions and answers will be given. There are currently no questions. \ / --------------------------------------------------------------------- Well that's it! I've started other walkthroughs but this is the first that I actually focused on and (almost) completed. Hopefully, it has helped you with your game and got you better than before. Have a nice day and maybe I just might race you online some time!