Symerwizkid22’s Mario Kart DS Shortcut and Tip Guide.
(Please note that this guide does not incorporate PRBing into any of the shortcuts or for any of the tips. The reason for this is that this is a simple guide to help new people out, and to explain all of the shortcuts and tips that I know of. PRBing is an extremely difficult skill, thus, I will not be incorporating it into this guide. Also note that this guide does not incorporate glitches into any of the shortcuts or tips. If you would like to see a list of glitch shortcuts, then click here. Cheat-master30 did a great job with that glitch guide and FAQ, so give him so kudos as well as me. Thank you for your understanding.)
Figure Eight Circuit:
1. Take the 180 degree turns tight.
Yoshi Falls:
1. Drive across the first and second waterfall.
Cheep Cheep Beach:
1. At the area with the water, use a mushroom to go through the water.
Luigi’s Mansion:
1. Once you exit the Mansion, use a mushroom to get across the grass.
Desert Hills:
1. Use a mushroom to get across the sandy area to the back of the pyramid.
2. Use a mushroom to go over the sandy hills at the end of the course.
Delfino Square:
1. After crossing the bridge, take a right into a small, muddy alley.
2. Before the bridge, take a sharp left and power slide so you hit the small bump while boosting, then click the R button right when you hit the bump. If you time this and aim this just right, you will make it to the boardwalk on the other side. (This takes lots of practice.)
3. After the drawbridge, use a mushroom to get across the grassy areas.
Waluigi Pinball:
1. Staying to the sides when you are in the main pinball machine will guarantee your safety.
Shroom Bridge:
1. After the first set of turns, you will come to a hill. Cut the grassy corner on the left side with a mushroom.
2. If you see a car in the left lane, the next car will be in the right lane. Vice-versa.
DK Pass:
1. When you are approaching the third turn on the way up, you will see a small snowy hill to your left. Go up this hill, and make sure you get the box. (The box will always contain either one Mushroom, three Mushrooms, or a Star, no matter what place you are in.)
Tick-Tock Clock:
1. While driving on the main gears, make sure to drive so that you are going with the gears so you go quicker.
2. On the last straightaway, there are two gears. Go on the gear that is moving forward and you will get a quick boost.
Mario Circuit:
1. Use a mushroom to go through the sand. It’s by the area with the Piranha Plants.
2. After crossing over the giant pipe, use a mushroom to go over the grassy areas.
3. Go through the sand on the last turn while either using a mushroom or power sliding.
Airship Fortress:
1. Find a path through the Monty Moles, or else they will drive you crazy.
2. The boxes sometimes have mushrooms, but it’s usually better to just avoid them.
Wario Stadium:
1. Hop over every ramp to launch father.
2. On the five small bumps at the end, begin to drift as you go into them, and while you are riding over them, drift like normal and you can get orange sparks by the last bump. (Every power slide counts, right?)
Peach Gardens:
1. Use mushrooms to go through any flower patches. (This can save loads of time.)
2. Make a path around the Monty Moles, or else they will drive you crazy.
Bowser Castle:
1. While driving around the spinning circle, instead of going down the first path, keep driving as far as you can (270 degrees) until you can‘t drive any more, and go down the second path.
Rainbow Road:
1. On the way up the cylinder shaped road, stay as close to the inside as possible and power slide a lot, instead of hitting every rocket booster.
2. At the beginning and end of the loop and corkscrew, hop a lot and you will go a little quicker over the loop and corkscrew.
SNES Mario Circuit 1:
1. Use a mushroom to cut virtually any corner.
N64 Moo Moo Farm:
1. Watch out for the Monty Moles… again!
2. On the last long turn, stick to the inside to save some time.
GBA Peach Circuit:
1. Power slide or use a mushroom to cut almost all of the corners.
GCN Luigi’s Circuit:
1. Use the width of this course to your advantage to get some power slides in, and to practice snaking.
SNES Donut Plains 1:
1. After the bridge, there is a turn. Instead of completely turning, go straight through a gap in the wall. This won’t save you any time unless you have a mushroom.
N64 Frappe Snowland:
1. Watch out for snowmen!
2. In the beginning part, power
slide or use a mushroom over the bumpy corners.GBA Bowser Castle 2:
1. Some jumps don’t make it to the other side.
2. Hit the rocket boosters.
GCN Baby Park:
1. Take tight turns and stay on the inside of the track.
SNES Koopa Beach 2:
1. The water is somewhat slippery.
N64 Choco Mountain:
1. At the end, there are three ramps. Power slide or use a mushroom before the first ramp, but so that when you reach the top of the first ramp you are still getting boosted. Align yourself so you are going relatively straight, and if you are boosting and hop at the top of the first bump, you will literally skip across the other two ramps. This will save you a little time, but it’s very easy once you finally get it.
GBA Luigi Circuit:
1. Cut all the 180 degree turns while power sliding or using a mushroom.
GCN Mushroom Bridge:
1. After the first tunnel, use a mushroom to go straight up the sandy path ahead of you.
SNES Choco Island 2:
1. At the beginning, power slide or use a mushroom to go through the gap in the fence.
2. Finding a path through all the bumps can help, since hitting a bunch of them can really take some time away.
N64 Banshee Boardwalk:
1. You can hop some of the tight corners without fencing.
2. When you enter the castle, take a left and hop over the small gap.
GBA Sky Garden:
1. Power slide through the clouds on some turns.
2. After the first turn, go straight and power slide or use a mushroom over the first ramp. Once you reach the top of the ramp, hop and you will land on a secret cloud. (This doesn’t save any time, in my opinion.)
3. On the straightaway after #2 above, either power slide or use a mushroom to get over the ramp without a booster on it.
4. If you have a mushroom, approach the area with the ramp with the booster. Instead of going over the booster ramp, or performing #3 above, stay on the path. Don’t turn, however, and keep going straight. There is a certain area where you can use a mushroom to jump over the gap and save a massive amount of time.
5. After the 180 degree turn after shortcut #4 above, take the full 180 degree turn and then go straight instead of going right. You can jump over the two gaps here without a mushroom or a power slide. (This save you a lot of time, and is very easy.)
GCN Yoshi Circuit:
1. After the second turn, power slide or use a mushroom to get over the gap. Make sure you hop at the top.
2. Take the second to last turn sharp with a power slide.
3. On the last turn, power slide across the grass to the right of the Piranha Plants.