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Mario Kart DS

DS / Racing / Release: Nov 15, 2005 / ESRB: E

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Mario Kart DS Tips & Tricks

  • Skip credits

    Press Select + Start to skip the credits to the congratulations screen.

  • Quick start

    During the initial countdown, hold down the gas (A) about a half of a second to a second after the number "2" appears to get a large boost when the race starts. You may have to practice to get the correct timing.

  • Extra boost while driving

    Press R to hop while turning or when making a turn. While you are sliding, or immediately beforehand, keep pressing Left then Right (or vice versa) to acquire a blue flame behind your kart. Release it to get a slight boost. If you keep pressing Left then Right (or vice versa) some more while you have the blue flame, you will get a red/orange flame for an even better boost. You may or may not notice the blue flame when getting the red/orange flame.

  • Drafting

    If you are in second place or worse, follow the opponent ahead of you very closely. You will see lines on the sides of your kart. Follow close for long enough, and a large air wave will appear in front of you. This will increase your car's top speed momentarily and allow you to push aside other karts, even if you are light. When the wave disappears, your speed will return to normal.

  • Higher jump

    To jump higher when you are going over a jump, press R. This requires some practice and precise timing.

  • Save time with sandy pits

    On any sandy pit on a curve that would normally slow you down, use a mushroom to cross over it.

  • Inflate balloons faster

    Instead of holding Select, blow into the microphone. If you stop or go very slow in balloon battle, you can blow up your kart's balloons; however there is a limit on the top right. If you hold Select it will fill your balloon, but if you blow into the mic it works better. If you whistle into the mic it works even better.

  • Stealing balloons

    When playing in Balloon Battle mode, you can steal balloons from another kart by getting a Speed-Up Mushroom from a mystery box and ramming another player. REMEMBER: You may only have up to three balloons at a time on your kart.

  • Throw a banana peel forward

    While throwing a banana peel, press Up.

  • Enemy attacks

    Look at your bottom screen to know if you are about to be attacked by an enemy (such as by a Green Shell). The following are the symbols for the various enemy attacks:

  • Banana Peels

    A yellow banana peel on the ground.

  • Blue Shell

    A blue turtle shell rushing at you or a blue dot following you until it hits you.

  • Green Shell

    A green turtle shell rushing towards you.

  • Red Shell

    A red turtle shell homing in on you.

  • Mystery Box

    A red checkered box on the ground.

  • Turbo Missile

    A black missile homing in on every player from seventh to first. REMEMBER: This is another player that was in eighth place.

  • Shortcut on Mushroom Brige

    First,get a mushroom. Then, pass the first highway and you will see a sandy path. Use your mushroom to get up there and it will lead you to the other side.

  • Speed is My Name

    You must have completed the whole game, missions and all.hit single player on the home screen. Go to vs., hit Yoshi in his standard YS and use these settings: Class: Mirror, CPU Kart: Normal, Course: In Order, Rules: Races: 32, Team: Off. Start with figure 8 circuit. Get the boost in the beginning of the race. Study the bottom screen. If you know your stuff, you should be pulling away from them like if you have unlimited mushrooms. Do it right and you should win every race, get 320 points and show off to your freinds! They will think it must be a glitch with other people having final scores like 42.

  • Going Faster than Normal

    Perform a Drift until you see a blue flame on your wheels, this will make you do a mini-boost, as soon as you're boosting perform another drift until you see more blue flames, boost again then keep on repeating. Using this technique makes you mini-boost continuously, making you go faster. (Note: This technique is very hard to get the hang of, so practice well).

  • Shortcut in Yoshi's Valleys

    This course is a tangle, as shown in the introductory map. However, there are a few shortcuts that will help you defeat just about anybody. Follow the course until you reach the maze part. Immediately go left and keep towards the left. The first shortcut is to stay left on the narrow part of the course. After doing that, you will hit a little checkered ledge, and see a large red and white sign on the left pointing to the right. This is the difficult part. Accelerate as fast as possible and stay to the far right. As soon as the rail on the left side ends, pull a hard left powerslide off the road. You will continue the powerslide onto the upcoming road after you land, and if done correctly, you will have shaved off at least ten seconds. This requires a lot of practice.

  • Shortcut in Yoshi's Circuit

    Just after the first two turns, go straight and you will see a gap in the wall. Hop over it to get ahead.

  • Holding items behind you

    While having a throwable item in your inventory, hold L or X to hold any throwable item behind you. This can protect you from oncoming opponent attacks from items that hit you from behind, such as red and green shells. You are also able to store another item in your inventory while holding your throwable item behind you.

  • Using the "?" boxes correctly

    Use the following trick to help your chance of winning in almost all modes of play. When getting a "?" box, wait until you see another item box before planting it. If timed correctly, the "?" box that was laid down will be directly on top of where the original one was. If anyone tries to get it, they will not be able to tell it is a fake until they hit it.

  • Lighting bolt

    On the DK Jungle Parkway, Royal Raceway, or Wario Stadium courses, use a lightning bolt just before someone reaches the jump. They should fall off the jump, costing them time. Do not use it when they are on the turbo pads because it will not affect them.

  • Upside down track

    In Time Trials mode, choose any character and car, then select the Rainbow Road track. When you get to the part that is only boosts, crash into a wall and jump. It will appear as if the stage has flipped upside down. REMEMBER: If you jump on the first area filled with boosts, sometimes you will just fly off into space and the stage will not flip temporarily.

  • Shortcut in Bowser's Castle

    When you get to the rotating floor, go around it all the way until you see the small entrance.

  • Shortcuts in Delfino Square

    Near the halfway point of the course, use a mushroom to cross the water and land on a dock. This is not easy, but saves a lot of time. Additionally, after the track is on again after it splits, go over the bridge and follow the course as usual. Slightly before you make the right turn to go across the bridge, make a right turn to go in an alleyway and cut the corner and be ahead on the track slightly. It is recommended that this be done with mushrooms or some other speed boost item.

  • Shortcuts in Mario Circuit

    In Mario Circuit 1, get two mushrooms. On the third turn there are two pipes. Use the mushrooms in the dirt part to save approximately five seconds. The second shortcut is in Desert Hills. In the part with the big "pyramid", there is a small gap. Use a mushrom to go through a good shortcut.

  • Shortcut in Sky Garden

    When you get to the second green bridge, look to the left to see a cloud that goes across to the other track. Hop over it to get to it, then hop back off to avoid falling off. REMEMBER: This may require some practice.

  • Shortcut in Waluigi Pinball

    After you shoot up the slot at the beginning of the race, get a mushroom and wait until you see the first ramp on the track. When you are coming toward it, use the mushroom to ramp off and go over your opponents on the track. This can help you to get ahead a few places.

  • Shortcut in Wario Stadium

    This course is one of the longest in the game, but it has a shortcut that can cut a lot of time off your lap. It is possible to jump over the wall to the left of the starting line by using any one of the four small jumps there. Although you can make it over the wall without the assistance of any speed boosting item, a Mushroom or Mini-Turbo assist is helpful. Approach the wall at a high speed so that you are driving directly at it as you reach the peak of the small hill. Jump right before you hit the wall and you will fly over it. The timing requires some practice, but once you master it, it is not too difficult. It is also possible to jump back over the wall on the other side of the starting line, but the return jump is much more difficult and requires precise jump timing and aim.

  • Block Blue Shells

    If you are in a tight spot, and there are enemies behind you, and you have a bomb-omb, throw it behind you. This will do 3 things: 1. It will block a blue shell, if it is coming at you, and close, 2. It will hit the enemies behind you, if they are close enough, 3. If you are playing against other people, it will make them pretty mad!

Mario Kart DS Cheat Codes

    There are currently no ds Cheat Codes for Mario Kart DS.

Mario Kart DS Unlockables

  • Baby Park

    GameCube

  • Waluigi

    You have to obtain all of the trophies in the retro cup and you will unlock Waluigi. Note, all of the trophies must be gold.

  • Unlocking Mission 7

    Get a star rank at least on missions 1-6 to unlock mission 7

  • Luigi Circuit

    GameCube

  • Peach Circuit

    Game Boy Advance

  • Koopa Beach 2

    SNES

  • Choco Mountain

    Nintendo 64

  • Mushroom Bridge

    GameCube

  • Choco Island 2

    SNES

  • Banshee Boardwalk

    Nintendo 64

  • Sky Garden

    Game Boy Advance

  • Yoshi Circuit

    GameCube

  • Mario Circuit 1

    SNES

  • Moo Moo Farm

    Nintendo 64

  • Bowser Castle 2

    Game Boy Advance

  • Leaf Cup

    Win a Gold trophy in the Shell Cup and Banana Cup to unlock the Leaf Cup for that class.

  • Alternate ending sequence

    Win all Gold trophies in all cups and classes to change the ending sequence.

  • Star next to name

    Win all cups in all classes with a 1 Star or greater rank for a star to appear next to your name in Multiplayer mode and on the "Records" screen.

  • Nitro Cup Airship Fortress

    Airship Fortress: 2:10:000

  • Nitro Cup Bowser Castle

    Bowser Castle: 2:20:000

  • Nitro Cup Cheep Cheep Beach

    Cheep Cheep Beach: 1:45:000

  • Nitro Cup Delfino Plaza

    Delfino Plaza: 1:55:000

  • Nitro Cup Desert Hills

    Desert Hills: 1:35:000

  • Nitro Cup DK Pass

    DK Pass: 2:15:000

  • Nitro Cup Figure-8 Circuit

    Figure-8 Circuit: 1:38:000 (1:36:481 best time)

  • Nitro Cup Luigi's Mansion

    Luigi's Mansion: 2:00:000

  • Unlock Waluigi

    Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Retro Grand Prix in the 100cc class to unlock Waluigi.

  • Unlock Shy Guy

    Play a Download Play game against another player to have the option to play as Shy Guy. REMEMBER: Shy Guy can only be used Download Play mode.

  • Lightning Cup

    Win a Gold trophy in the Leaf Cup to unlock the Lightning Cup for that class.

  • Rainbow Cup

    Beat all the Staff Ghost Data on the Retro tracks to unlock the Rainbow Cup in the Retro Grand Prix.

  • Star Cup

    Win a Gold trophy in the Mushroom Cup and Flower Cup to unlock the Star Cup for that class.

  • Special Cup

    Win a Gold trophy in the Star Cup to unlock the Special Cup for that class.

  • 150cc Mirror Mode

    Win all Gold trophies in all cups in the Retro Grand Prix 150cc class to unlock 150cc Mirror Mode.

  • Mission Mode mission 7

    Get a 1 Star or greater rank on each level of missions 1 through 6 to unlock mission 7.

  • Bonus karts

    Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Nitro Grand Prix in the 100cc class to unlock a third kart for all characters. Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Nitro Grand Prix in the 150cc class to unlock a total of seven karts for all characters. Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Retro Grand Prix in the 150cc Mirror Class to unlock all karts for all characters.

  • Unlock Daisy

    Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Nitro Grand Prix in the 50cc class to unlock Daisy.

  • Unlock Dry Bones

    Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Retro Grand Prix in the 50cc class to unlock Dry Bones.

  • Unlock R.O.B.

    Win a Gold trophy in all cups in the Mirror Mode Nitro in the 150cc class to unlock R.O.B.

  • Nitro Cup Mario Circuit

    Mario Circuit: 1:57:000

  • Nitro Cup Peach Gardens

    Peach Gardens: 1:53:000

  • Retro Cup Frappe Snowland

    Frappe Snowland: 2:09:000

  • Retro Cup Koopa Beach

    Koopa Beach 2: 0:55:000

  • Retro Cup Luigi Circuit

    Luigi Circuit: 1:37:000 (1:29:759 best time)

  • Retro Cup Mario Circuit

    Mario Circuit 1: 0:51:000

  • Retro Cup Moo Moo Farm

    Moo Moo Farm: 1:18:000

  • Retro Cup Mushroom Bridge

    Mushroom Bridge: 1:31:000

  • Retro Cup Peach Circuit

    Peach Circuit: 1:13:000

  • Retro Cup Sky Garden

    Sky Garden: 1:45:000

  • Retro Cup Yoshi Circuit

    Yoshi Circuit: 1:49:000

  • Donut Plains 1

    SNES

  • Retro Cup Donut Plains

    Donut Plains 1: 1:09:000

  • Retro Cup Choco Mountain

    Choco Mountain: 2:16:000

  • Nitro Cup Rainbow Road

    Rainbow Road: 2:17:000

  • Nitro Cup Shroom Ridge

    Shroom Ridge: 2:06:000

  • Nitro Cup Tick-Tock Clock

    Tick-Tock Clock: 1:55:000

  • Nitro Cup Waluigi Pinball

    Walugi Pinball: 2:24:000

  • Nitro Cup Wario Stadium

    Wario Stadium: 2:15:000

  • Nitro Cup Yoshi Falls

    Yoshi Falls: 0:58:000

  • Retro Cup Baby Park

    Baby Park: 0:55:000 (0:50:920 best time)

  • Retro Cup Banshee Boardwalk

    Banshee Boardwalk: 2:15:000

  • Retro Cup Bowser Castle 2

    Bowser Castle 2: 1:53:000

  • Retro Cup Choco Island 2

    Choco Island 2: 1:02:000

  • Frappe Snowland

    Nintendo 64

Mario Kart DS Achievements

    There are currently no ds Achievements for Mario Kart DS.