Mario Kart DS Hints XVII (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

Easy item boxes
Choose a kart that is longer than it is wider (for example, the Banisher). When racing, drift before the item boxes appear. You should hit them with the left or right, instead of the front side. This works best with tracks that have boxes on the turn, such as Luigi Circuit. If you choose a kart that is wide, like the Hurricane, drifting is unnecessary.

Triple banana chain
When you get triple bananas, throw or drop them in quick succession. They should form a short line. If an enemy kart hits the first banana in the line, it will spin out and move slowly forward, striking the next banana, and the one after that. This should cause the competitor to lose whatever position they originally held.

Using triple shells correctly
When you have triple green or red shells, do not use them all at once, because it does not work. If you use all three shells at the same time, the first two will hit and slow down the enemy, but the third will not do anything. Instead, use the first two at once, then the last one when your competitor stops spinning. Use one shell on the person in front of you, and the other two on the next person, or use one shell on the person in front of you, the next shell on the next person, and the last shell on the following adversary.

Here's a Japanese ad for this game: