Mario Kart DS Hints XIX (DS)

The acclaimed Mario Kart series has gone wireless, letting players race and battle with up to eight karts at once, regardless of whether everyone has a game card. An all-star cast that includes Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, Bowser and Toad will round out a truly all-star lineup of more than 30 courses, drawn from every Mario Kart game. Additionally, these very popular characters have certain advantages and disadvantages, and players need to choose carefully who they want to race with, against all of the different types of competitors.

Players will tour courses from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, not to mention brand-new tracks and arenas. With all the crazy items and frantic speeds players have come to expect, this game is a Mario Kart fan's dream. The title has a new dimension of fun, since competitors can battle others around the world, by connecting to Nintendo's new wireless gaming service, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Although it had different release dates, like November 2005 for North America and Europe as opposed to December 2005 for Japan, the game gained critical acclaim for offering players the same fun adventure found on all of the other titles in the Mario Kart series. Critics praised the title for the individualization of its characters and for the diversity of tracks on which players could race one another. Moreover, the wacky weapons the karts are fitted with provide an even more enjoyable experience.

HINTS

Getting coins back
In the unlockable mission of level 4, you must collect 50 coins while staying away from King Boo (ghost). He will sometimes come up to you and take some of them. To get the items back, go up behind King Boo and run into him.

Getting items faster when still shuffling
To grab items faster when you get an item box, keep pressing X or L while you still shuffle it. The item will move slower and slower, until it stops. This usually works faster than waiting for it to stop normally.

Alternate Mario dialog
On the original Nintendo DS, when you first start and the screen is black with a red Nintendo logo on it, Mario says "Yahoo!". However, on the DS Lite he says "Here we go!"

Here's a Japanese ad for this game: