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MARIO KART 64 FAQ
Platform: Nintendo 64
By: domiy
The following file is copyright (c) Dom Penava 2006.
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Table of Contents
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1. Introduction & copyright
2. Characters
3. Weapons
4. Tracks
5. Techniques
6. Afterword
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Introduction & copyright
=========================
This FAQ covers all the characters, weapons and race tracks in Mario karts 64 on
Nintendo 64. It is not to posted on any website other than the websites I listed
at the bottom without my permission so please email me first. Also this FAQ is
for private and/or personal use only. Not to be published in any game manuals or
books etc. It is also not to be plagiarised or changed around to claim this
document as your own. With that being said then ENJOY.
Written by domiy (cro_evolution@hotmail.com)
Console: Nintendo 64.
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Characters
===============
There are eight characters in the game and they have been divided into Three
categories. You should know that all the racers have just around the same
maximum speed but some of the small racers can take off and gain speed quicker.
You should try to play with people to see which one is best for you.
Lightweights.
**************
The lightweights have their own unique features and disadvantages. Firstly their
top speed is just slightly higher than the others and when they drive off track
on dirt or sand they still won?t lose much speed. They have excellent
acceleration and the group consists of:
Peach
Top speed: 68 km/h
The beautiful princess of mushroom castle. She is the only female in the game
but that doesn?t stop her from racing. Her vehicle is a nice pink colour and she
is always at the best of her ability. Sometimes lucky as she can get away with
being hit by other players as sometimes she won?t spin out. She gains speed
quickly.
Toad
Top speed: 66km/h
The little puny mushroom head. Toad has excellent starting advantages to race
off the starting line and when stopped he will regain speed quickly. A big
disadvantage here is the fact that since he is the smallest player in the game
he tends to be pushed around and when he is rammed by other players he will spin
out and get thrown off course. He is good at taking turns without losing speed
as well.
Yoshi
Top speed: 66km/h
The little green dinosaur yoshi has the greatest advantage of gaining speed
quicker after he is stopped. Without a doubt the greatest for taking sharp turns
and still maintaining speed. As he turns his vehicle his entire body will lean
to the direction you turn so he will turn faster and much better. He can get
pushed around sometimes by the larger players but always comes back into it.
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Middle weights
***************
The middle weights are level in all categories and the most balanced in the
game. They have no major advantages or disadvantages
Mario
Top speed: 68km/h
The star of the game is an always jolly and bright Mario. His vehicle colour is
a nice red. He fits into the middleweight section because he is just equal and
has no major advantages or disadvantages. One thing is that if he gets hit by a
shell he won?t bounce around as much as other players so he can come straight
back into it.
Luigi
Top speed: 68km/h
Mario?s younger brother luigi is always on the move in making a good
performance. He is on an equal par with Mario but slightly different ability to
gain speed. Good for making a quick passing when things block the way. Also good
in making turns.
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Heavyweights
*************
The heavyweights are the tough guys in the game and let nothing stand in their
way. They can turn corners normally without the sliding technique and they still
wont lose much speed. If they are bumped into or bump other cars they will cause
them to spin out and stop. However they have bad acceleration and take a longer
time to reach their top speed and when they drive on sand or grass their tires
sink right in and lose speed rapidly.
Donkey Kong
Top speed: 70km/h
The rather strong and large ape of the game takes his racing seriously. Has a
good take off to ram through other players. Very bad at sliding when turning.
Bowser
Top speed: 70km/h
Bowser is known as the koopa king in the Mario series story. He is usually the
bad guy. He is the fastest of all heavyweights and has a bigger advantage in
using his ramming power. The spikes on the back of his shell are a perfect
defensive shield for stopping players from passing him. If they hit the shells
then its goodbye. He is my odds on favourite and I highly recommend him if
heavyweights are your style.
Wario
Top speed: 70km/h
Wario is another sometimes evil character. Wario is a sneaky smarty  who loves
to punish other racers. His acceleration is good but just like the other
heavyweights he loses allot of speed when his tires meet dirt. He will reach his
top speed fast when hit by a weapon unlike the other heavyweights.
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Weapons
==========
What fun is a racing game without its useful in game weapons? NONE! The weapons
appear when you drive through a box with a ??? on it. They will be given at
random when you trigger the fire button to stop the roulette. When you are in
last place or somewhere low under the top 4 then you are likely to get better
weapons.
Banana- This small banana peel can be placed on the track to slow down enemies
and cause them to spin out for a while. You can also protect yourself from
attacks from behind by holding the ?z? button to keep the banana at the rear of
your car. It can also comes in a bundle of about 5 or 6 to form a cool train
behind your kart.
Green turtle shells- These shells can be fired backwards or forwards  and will
bounce around and reflect of walls to hopefully hit another vehicle. They also
can come in triples where 3 of them will surround and rotate around your car to
protect you from attacks and hit people who come near you.
Red turtle shells- These are slightly better than the green shells because they
will follow and hit the closest car. You must also be careful where you fire
this because if it hits the walls then it will waste so do it on a straight
area. They can also come in groups of 3.
Fake item bomb- This is an identical box to the ones you get your weapons from
but it?s a fake. Place it near the weapon boxes to trick an opponent into
driving into it and they will hit it and get thrown into the air to slow them
down and send them a few places back. This can also be a protection if held at
the rear of your kart.
Spiny?s shell- This is a purple shell with spikes on it to take out an opponent
kart and throw them into the air. A very rare weapon which only comes if you are
lucky and coming into a bad position. When fired it will go through the entire
track and hit anyone in its way however its target is the player who is in first
place. If this is held at the rear of your car you can be hit by shells and will
not go away.
Red mushroom- A small boost of speed to send you slightly forward to catch up.
This can be dearly useful on the last few moments of the track to make a last
second comeback. This can also come in a group of 3.
Orange mushroom- The same as the red mushroom but except you can use it up to
around 12 times repeatedly until it wastes out. Good for making shortcuts by
cutting through the sand and not losing speed.
Magic star- This great weapon will make you invincible and you are able to ram
people and punish them for a short amount of time. This also allows you to drive
extremely fast as well. While this is working on you, you will be safe from all
attacks.
Thunder bolt- Another rare weapon. This lightning bolt will strike everyone on
the track (except for people protected by a star or ghost) and shrink them so
you can easily run them over and flatten them. While this is in effect the
opponents cannot drive very fast and will slow down rapidly.
Ghost- This is where boo appears and steals another players weapon for you. He
also makes you invisible for a very short time.
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Tracks
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I have rated each track on a scale of 10 with their fun rating and difficulty.
=============
Mushroom cup
=============
The mushroom cup is the first and easiest cup of all of the. It consists of 4
tracks and is perfect for beginners.
Luigi raceway
Distance: 717m
Weapon boxes: 3
Difficulty: 2
Fun: 3
Our star luigi has his own track and it is by far the easiest. It is mostly
straight with easy corners and turns. Perfect for beginners to get related to
the game.
Moo Moo farm
Distance: 527
Weapon boxes: 4
Difficulty: 3
Fun: 3
A small ranch farm with a rough and bumpy track. It is surrounded by cows and
Greenland and Chubby the mole will occasionally jump out of his hole and cause
trouble to you so watch out.
Koopa Troopa beach
Distance: 691m
Weapon boxes: 6
Difficulty: 4
Fun: 5
A beach track that surrounds a giant rock. Very good scenery and a life saving
shortcut. To perform the shortcut you must find the ramp that sits right in
front of a cave and also have a mushroom turbo boost or a star. When approaching
the ramp gain speed from the mushroom or star and jump it to land in the cave.
Be carefull though it could backfire if you hit the wall and don?t land in the
cave. Also be carefull that you don?t get caught in the tide and drown in the
water. You must also watchout for the crabs who walk around on the shore. They
will cause you to spin out if you hit them.
Kalimari desert
Distance: 527m
Weapon boxes: 3
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 5
A desert track surrounded by miles of sand and even a railroad track with a
train travelling through it. The train can be deadly so if it blocks you off
then the best thing is to just wait for it to pass. Be carefull of the cactus
and sand that will slow you down rapidly.
The railroad can even be a shortcut if you have a star as you will be able to
follow it and it will lead you a short distance ahead.
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Flower cup
===========
The flower cup is the second easiest of them all. Though some of the tracks are
short they can be difficult.
Toad?s turnpike
Distance: 1036m
Weapon boxes: 4
Difficulty: 6
Fun: 4
Sure luigi?s raceway was a road but not a public road. That?s right. Toads track
takes place on a busy road filled with cars which will punish you dearly if they
hit into you or even if you hit into them. You must watch out where you drive to
avoid this. The boxes are slightly harder to get as they require you to drive in
the small opening and get them. The best possible item you can get is a star
which will allow you to speed through the road and into the cars to take a huge
lead if used correctly.
Frappe snowland
Distance: 734m
Weapon boxes: 3
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 4
A race track covered in snow now. The roads tend to be slippery so watch out
that you don?t drive off course and on the snow as this will slow you down and
cause you to be picked up by the little man and he will place you back on track.
This wastes allot of time. The snowmen may look cute but you will crash if you
get too close and hit them. The hardest thing would be the snowman field which
has dozens of snowmen bunched together so you will have to drive carefully.
Choco Mountain
Distance: 687m
Weapon boxes: 3
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 3
A mountain course with sharp turns and bumpy landscapes. Sliding will be a huge
advantage here because of the may hard turns. The track has bumpy parts so you
will need to make sure you can jump them without hitting the wall and crashing.
Also watchout for the boulders that will flatten you if you?re caught under them
at the time that they fall.
Mario Raceway
Distance: 567m
Weapon areas: 3
Difficulty: 3
Fun: 5
The star of the game now has his own race track. A short and curvy raceway with
sharp turns. A rather fun track to play on even though it is fairly short
distanced. You will need to slow down slightly to make sure you don?t lose
control on the hard turns.
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Star cup
==========
The Star cup gets rather difficult with the long and hard tracks. The fun tends
to rise as these tracks are sure to bring some adventures in the game.
Wario Stadium
Distance: 1591m
Weapon boxes: 6
Difficulty: 6
Fun: 6
Wario has designed his own race track and once again he has to be the rascal he
is and make it challenging. It is a large stadium rally track that was really
supposed to be a bike track. It has Very sharp turns which come up regularly.
The course is extremely long and also bumpy which causes suspense and skill
requirements. This is a great track to play on to challenge yourself and just
have some fun.
Sherbet Land
Distance: 756m
Weapon boxes: 5
Difficulty: 7
Fun: 5
Despite the word sherbet in the name, the track is ice. It is a large course
with playful penguins which will be sliding from side to side and you will crash
if you hit them. The cave tends to be the hardest part with a narrow track and
many penguins which rotate around a pillar. Watch out not to slip and fall into
the water as you will be frozen for a while and lose precious time. The stage is
good for having some fun and enjoying yourself
Royal Raceway
Distance: 1025m
Weapon boxes: 4
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 6
My all time favourite course. A long and speedy track surrounded by beautiful
Greenland which will slow you down and drag you off course. There are some sharp
turns with a steep grass area next to them which will force you into the water
if you drive on them. There is a massive dash zone which helps you clear the
huge jump that sits in front of it. Be careful when taking the jump as if not
taken in a correct straight position you are likely to crash into the side wall.
A great track which comes full of surprises and is extremely fun to play.
Bowser?s Castle
Distance: 777m
Weapon boxes: 3
Difficulty: 8
Fun: 5
Our evil Bowser creates a track inside his own kingdom castle. It is a large and
exciting castle filled with Big Thwomps which will crush you if you?re not
cautious. Most of the track is narrow when you are in the castle so it is very
difficult to pass this track. This is Bowsers small fort which is surrounded by
molten lava and you can fall in if the jumps or bridges are not taken properly.
=============
Special cup
=============
The special cup is the most challenging of all the previous 3 cups. It consists
of the longest and confusing tracks which will challenge you to see if you have
what it takes.
DK?s Jungle parkway.
Distance: 893m
Weapon boxes: 5
Difficulty: 6
Fun: 7
A narrow tourist facility which consist of a race track that contains dirt.
Turns do occur often in this track so be prepared to take them. There is a
beautiful river running through the track so you will need to take the dash
board to clear a jump over it. Drive carefully to make sure you don?t fall into
the water while taking the turns and be sure to always stay on track because the
natives of the jungle will throw coconuts or something at you which will
sometimes cause you to lose control.
Yoshi Valley
Distance: 772m
Weapon boxes: 9
Difficulty: 9
Fun: 4
This is the home track of our little dinosaur yoshi. This is a very very
difficult course with plenty of different routes to take. Turns occur very often
so just pick one and turn into it. The bad thing is that you won?t know your
position you are in because it is impossible to determine it while the race is
running because of all the different routes there are. The track takes place
over a cliff with a narrow path so drive carefully to make sure you don?t fall
off the ledge. You must also be aware of the porcupines that stand in the middle
of some of the paths just to make your life more difficult. This is one of the
hardest and confusing tracks in the game.
Banshee boardwalk
Distance: 747m
Weapon boxes: 4
Difficulty: 6
Fun: 4
A mysterious course that is placed over a night sky. Some of the rails are
missing on the turns so be aware and ready. The track can get very narrow at
some places which I?m sure you will fall in at least once and go for a swim in
the water under. There is an old building which contains bats who will collision
with you to slow you down slightly.
Rainbow Road
Distance: 2000m
Weapon boxes: 8
Difficulty: 6
Fun: 7
The last and longest of the race tracks. A rainbow road that floats magically
into the night sky. It is hard to fall over the ledge as there are rails
everywhere but it can happen. A very fun course  indeed to bring some excitement
and laughs. Watch out for the Chomps who will be sliding along the track and
attack you if you get into their way. The course is one worth your while with
the beautiful images made of lights which are visible in the night sky.
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Battle mode
============
The battle mode tracks are small and some are challenging to find your way
around. Watch your back!
Big Donut
Weapon boxes: 8
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 6
A big donut shaped battle map with a set of 4 walls which are perfect for a
hideout to surprise your opponent. There is no rail on the inside circle so you
can and will fall in if your note careful.
Block Fort
Weapon boxes: 16
Difficulty: 4
Fun: 6
A map which contains 4 colours of blocks. Green, blue, yellow and red. There are
ramps surrounding the blocks so you can climb the floors and be a lookout for
your opponent. The good thing is that there are plenty of weapon boxes available
so you don?t have to worry much about defence.
Double deck
Weapon boxes: 14
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 5
A large square map with many ramps surrounding the floors so you can access them
when desired. It is a rather large stage so it will be difficult to find your
opponent.
Skyscraper
Weapon boxes: 12
Difficulty: 5
Fun: 6
This battle takes place on top of a large skyscraper. There are no rails at all
so you can fall off easily if you?re not aware and careful.
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Techniques
============
These are some useful tricks to give you a slight advantage in the game. They
are difficult to perform so I will describe them as best as possible.
Power sliding
When taking a sharp or long turn press the ?R? button as soon as you start
turning and hold the button down. Keep the joystick turning and pull it towards
you to the right. Your player should be smoothly sliding along the turn without
losing speed
Recovery from bananas
When you hit a banana sometimes your player will not immediately slip and spin
out. When you hit it tap the ?B? button repeatedly so you slow down slightly. A
musical note should appear on top of your players head to notify that you have
gotten away with it.
Quick speed gain takeover
If you see a player in front of you by a little you will usually not be able to
catch them. Drive behind them perfectly lined up with their kart. White smoke
should come from your tyres and you will gain speed and most likely overtake
them
Burnout spin
If you?re trapped head on to a wall you will lose time and your position because
you will be stuck and just constantly hitting the wall. If this happens hold the
?A? and ?B? buttons together and turn in the direction you desire. You should be
doing a burnout and be able to turn in any direction without moving.
Maintaining speed off track
If you would like to cut through the track and drive on dirt or grass your tyres
will sink in and you will lose speed rapidly. If you really want to do it then
just drive normally and when you hit the grass or dirt than repeatedly press the
?R? button to do little jumps and you shouldn?t lose speed as your tyres are not
sinking in.
Quick start
When the lights light up at the start press the ?A? button each time one of them
is about to light to accelerate and get the engine ready. When the last signal
lights then you should fly through and get a quick boost as if you used a
mushroom. It takes practice but you eventually get it. If it is not done
correctly then you will spin out so make sure your engine isn?t getting thrashed
too much.
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Afterword
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I hope this walkthrough did help you through the game and understanding the
concept. If you have any feedback, tips or something that I don?t know then feel
free to notify me by email at cro_evolution@hotmail.com. If you do give me some
useful tips then I will include them in an updated version of this FAQ and you
will be credited in the thank you section. The only websites that are allowed to
have this FAQ are
www.neoseeker.com
www.gamefaqs.com
www.penguinsreallycanfly.com
Thank you to all the sites above for posting this FAQ and Thank you all for
taking time and reading this walkthrough. It makes it worth the time to know
that I?ve helped you. I?m pretty sure that I have covered everything but if I do
find something else useful then I will update this.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THANKS AGAIN!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~END OF DOCUMENT~