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M A R I O  K A R T  W I I
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Nintendo Wii
FAQ/Walkthrough, Version 1.1
Last Updated - 16/04/2008
By Crazyreyn (crazyreyn_faqs@hotmail.com)
Copyright (c)2008 Matthew Reynolds. All rights reserved.
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+--------------+
| Legal Notice |
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You will find the latest versions here. If you want to host my FAQ then
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| Contact Details |
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If you could, rate this FAQ so I can get some feedback.
Thank You.
===============================================================================
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INTRODUCTION
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===============================================================================
Hello and welcome to the Mario Kart Wii FAQ/Walkthrough. This guide will give
you the complete low down about the latest Mario Kart offering for Nintendo's
latest console, the Wii. As well as in-depth walkthroughs, short cuts and
tips for each of the new and retro tracks, unlockables, a detailed look into
the various control styles and battle mode strategies await you.
The latest edition of Mario Kart does what it does best - offer frantic,
exciting and often frustrating gameplay, unbeatable multiplayer and a
surprisingly fleshed out online experience - it feels more like a Greatest
Hits than the earth shattering Mario Kart DS before it. The Wheel really works,
the trick system is fantastic, and there are a couple of sublime new tracks -
this Mario Kart is well up there as one of the best.
See you online!
- Matt (Crazyreyn)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Version History
2. Game Overview
2.01. Mario Kart Wii - What's New?
2.02. Control Schemes
2.03. Drifting and Snaking Explained
2.04. Driving Techniques and Tips
2.05. Items
2.06. Characters and Karts
3. Courses
3.01. Mushroom Cup
3.02. Flower Cup
3.03. Star Cup
3.04. Special Cup
3.05. Shell Cup
3.06. Banana Cup
3.07. Leaf Cup
3.08. Lightning Cup
4. Battle Mode
5. Online
6. Unlockables and Secrets
7. Conclusion and Special Thanks
Searching -
Simply copy and paste the section you want to go to into the Find box (to open
it, press CTRL+F). Now press enter twice and you will be taken to your selected
section.
===============================================================================
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1. VERSION HISTORY
----------------------
===============================================================================
+--------------------------+
| Version 1.1 - 16/04/2008 |
+--------------------------+
The third revamp covers a bit of everything - new strategies and pointers for
the items, more unlockable and character details, and most importantly,
a LOT more information for each and every track, including videos. Phew!
Thanks to everyone who has emailed in with tips and comments far, keep them
coming!
+--------------------------+
| Version 1.0 - 11/04/2008 |
+--------------------------+
The second version of the FAQ, everything is complete! The guide will be
updated very frequently the more I play it, but everything is here. Enjoy.
Additions -
- Added Characters, Karts and Bikes lists
- Added shortcuts to Wario's Gold Mine, Daisy Circuit
- Added Online Mode details
- Added Battle Mode details and stage strategies
- Updated Unlockables and Secrets (unlockables list, staff ghosts, Mii
appearances)
+--------------------------+
| Version 0.7 - 10/04/2008 |
+--------------------------+
The first version of the FAQ - course walkthroughs, item strategies and
control descriptions complete. Unlockables list practically complete.
Character, kart and bike lists incomplete. Battle Mode strategies and Online
sections incomplete.
===============================================================================
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2. GAME OVERVIEW
--------------------
===============================================================================
This section provides you with an overview to playing the game, with tips,
kart and character data and how to use the items more efficiently.
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2.01. Mario Kart Wii - What's New?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The sixth Mario Kart (apart from the Arcade versions) on a new console can only
mean a few new additions and changes have been bought into the fore. Here is
a quick list of what is what, and note here be SPOILERS!
- 32 tracks; 16 new, 16 old, including -
SUPER MARIO KART
Ghost Valley 2
Mario Circuit 3
MARIO KART 64
Bowsers Castle
DK's Jungle Parkway
Mario Raceway
Sherbet Land
MARIO KART SUPER CIRCUIT
Bowser's Castle 3
Shy Guy Beach
MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH!!
DK Mountain
Mario Circuit
Peach Beach
Waluigi Stadium
MARIO KART DS
Delfino Square
Desert Hills
Peach Gardens
Yoshi Falls
- Motorbikes
- Tricks from jumps and ramps to gain speed boosts
- Four control schemes - Wii Wheel (included), Wiimote, Wiimote & Nunchuk,
Classic Controller and GameCube Controller support
- Automatic and Manual drifting options
- New characters - Rosalina and Mii Racer included
- Mii cameos (as a character and track side appearances)
- Two types of Staff Ghost in Time Trial
- Three New Items - POW Block, Big Mushroom and Thundercloud
- Boo Ghost Item removed (what!?)
- Fake Item Blocks no longer block shells (still draggable)
- Online
- First console Mario Kart to support internet play
- Up to 12 Players
- Two players playing online on one console
- Dedicated Wii Channel for Time Trials and Challenges(optional download)
- Battle Mode now playable online
- All tracks playable
- Able to drag items
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2.02. Control Schemes
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Thanks to the Swiss army offerings of the Wii, there are no fewer than four
possible control schemes available for you to use. Which one do you pick?
You can change at any time in the menu screens and it'll change automatically,
however you cannot change mid-race or tournament.
Wii Wheel
---------
Turn - Steer
Flick Up - Trick / Wheelie (Bike Only)
2 Button - Accelerate
1 Button - Brake / Reverse
B Button - Drift (Manual), Item (Auto)
A Button - Reverse look
D-Pad Up - Throw Item
D-Pad Left / Right - Hold Item
D-Pad Down - Drop item
+ Button - Pause
VERDICT
- This is for casual play, pure and simple.
- The Wii Wheel works, and works really well - there is no doubt about that.
At least on Automatic Drift. The steering feels subtle and natural, and
the buttons seem to be in all the right places. It is worth starting the
first few cups with it just to see how it plays, you'd be surprised.
- The D-Pad presents very specific options to do with items, which is great
as you know exactly what you want to do with them, instead of accidentally
throwing something instead of dragging it.
- The B button is a bit spongy, and the 2 button feels too low (for my big
hands, anyway).
- Although you can play it with the Wheel pointing down slightly resting your
arms, they will get tired after a while.
- On Automatic, you cannot drift boost nor jump, which hinders you very
slightly.
- On Manual, the steering feels restricted as you cannot drift when you just
turn, and attempting to snake is rather difficult.
Wiimote and Nunchuk
-------------------
Analog Stick          -  Steer / Throw Items Backward or Forward
A Button              -  Accelerate
B Button              -  Drift (Manual), Item (Auto)
Z Button              -  Use Item
C Button              -  Reverse Look
Flick Wiimote Up - Trick / Wheelie (Bike Only)
+ Button - Pause
VERDICT
- Not as good as the proper controllers, but better than the Wheel - however
this is probably down to personal preference.
- Everything is available, especially drifting and snaking. There is nothing
wrong here.
- I am a fan of the freedom of your hands being apart or where they want to be
with this set up, instead of being constrained to holding a bit of plastic
mold as per the others.
Classic Controller
------------------
Analog Stick       - Steer / Throw Items Backward or Forward
A Button           - Accelerate
B Button           - Brake / Reverse
X /ZR Button       - Reverse Look
L Button           - Use Item
R Button           - Drift (Manual), Item (Auto)
D-Pad Up           - Trick / Wheelie (Bike Only)
START/PAUSE Button - Pause
VERDICT
- Unknown, but can do what the others can do and again, is down to personal
preference.
GameCube Controller
-------------------
Analog Stick       - Steer / Throw Items Backward or Forward
A Button           - Accelerate
B Button           - Brake / Reverse
X /Z Button        - Reverse Look
L Button           - Use Item
R Button           - Drift (Manual), Item (Auto)
D-Pad Up           - Trick / Wheelie (Bike Only)
START/PAUSE Button - Pause
VERDICT
- Arguably the best option - if you have it, try and use it.
- Analog control and steering feels much more responsive than the Wheel or
Nunchuk variants.
- Feels like you are playing with a proper controller, simply because you are.
- No sound; Z Button kinda sucks.
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2.03. Drifting and Snaking Explained
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Although I'd normally put this in the below section, but considering the
changes to how these are executed, it is worth separating them. You may have
heard Nintendo has changed how this all works, and you would say that is
right.
Automatic and Manual Drift
--------------------------
Before racing you have to decide between Automatic and Manual drift.
AUTOMATIC is where drift occurs when you steer at a certain degree so you
don't have to, however you cannot drift boost as a result. MANUAL is where
steering is restricted (or shall we say normal) and you have to press a
button to begin drifting. For all intents and purposes, pick MANUAL if you
are playing with anything other than the Wheel so you can decide to drift.
AUTOMATIC is ideal for the Wheel as drifting is rather difficult to manage,
and is more fun to play.
So there you have it, AUTOMATIC equals no boost, MANUAL has it enabled if you
can perform it.
Drift
-----
On AUTOMATIC, this occurs after turning at a certain threshold. Don't have to
worry about it.
On MANUAL, you have to hold down the R Button when going round corners. You
can drift by holding down the R button when going around corners. It allows
you to take sharper corners without loss of speed, so is good for many of
the game's courses. To start it, turn and press R to set the direction, and
you can also adjust the direction of the drift slightly by using the analog
stick as you go anyway.
Mini-Turbo
----------
On AUTOMATIC, this is disabled.
On MANUAL, after drifting and tapping to the sides, the sparks behind the
vehicle will turn blue. This takes around from one to two seconds to perform,
and letting go gives you a boost. If you hold on for longer, another few
seconds longer, the sparks will go red and you will get a longer boost. The
boost amounts also depend on the cart you are driving.
It should also be noted that on BIKES you can only blue drift.
Snaking
-------
IS SNAKING POSSIBLE? Well, kinda. Yes, it is, but it is harder. As getting
mini-turbos takes longer than before, you cannot really snake from left to
right. On wide tracks you can, but most of the time you cannot. However as I
am a proficient semi-snaker, I can perform semi-snaking in Mario Kart Wii -
I can take a corner, exit it and do another boost before going straight
proper. I'm sure depending on the correct kart and character combination
you can snake, but for all intents and purposes, snaking is reduced, but
possible.
ERM, WHAT IS SNAKING? A very advanced technique, you perform mini-turbo over
and over again in a snake like fashion. So say you are on a straight, and you
are on the left; drift to the right, and boost ahead so you're on the right.
Now drift to the left and boost so you end up on the left. Keep repeating
this to create a snake like movement down the track, giving you a huge
advantage if done correctly.
SHOULD I BOTHER PRACTISING? Yes. There is great debate since Mario Kart DS
on whether snaking is 'cheating', but personally I disagree, and consider
snaking is not as effective this time, it is worth trying. It makes single
player easier, and if you even considering to get winning in the long term
online, it is what the professionals use. Use Time Trial as a place of
practice!
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2.04. Driving Techniques and Tips
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------------------
Driving Techniques
------------------
Rocket Start
------------
This performs a boost as the race starts, very handy for getting the
advantage straight away. To do it, at the opening count down (3, 2, 1, GO!)
press and hold Accelerate as the hand is pointing at 11 o'clock on the
SECOND COUNT. If done right, you'll get an awesome boost start. Takes a bit
of practice (the margin between a Rocket Start and a Dud Start is quite thin)
but once you've got it it's an invaluable technique.
Throwing Items
--------------
When you are using certain items, such as shells and bananas, you can throw
them in front or behind you by pressing up and down respectively. You can
launch green and red shells behind you and throw Bob-Ombs, Fake Item Boxes
and Bananas ahead of you.
Dangling Items
--------------
You can drag items behind you by holding the item button. This enables
you to block attacks from behind, such as those pesky red shells, and to
time your item drops more effectively. You can drag bananas, green shells,
red shells and Bob-Ombs (note that Fake Item Boxes can be dragged, but do
not block against shells).
Slipstreaming
-------------
By following the car in front on a straight you can slipstream and increase
you speed. As they are absorbing the wind they leave a tail of less resistant
air in their wake, which allows you to move in a slightly faster manner. You
can tell if you are doing this as blue lines will appear on your screen, and
if done long enough you can get a boost which will allow you to over take.
In Mario Kart Wii, slipstreaming is a really valuable technique as the boost
is larger this time, and considering there are more players in each race
now, the potential to use it is greater. Very handy if you need to overtake
others. However, watch out in case they fire a shell or drop a banana.
Tricks
------
A new technique to Mario Kart Wii, flicking the Wiimote or tapping Up on the
D-Pad with the controllers as you leave a ramp performs a trick, and gives
you a boost upon landing. Very handy. Note that you need to press this
_just_ as you take off, and that it can be performed whenever you lift
from the ground, such as when you bump into course specific obstacles.
Wheelies
--------
The introduction of bikes brings about the introduction of wheelies.
Flicking the Wiimote or pressing Up on the D-Pad raises the front tire,
giving you a boost of speed for around four seconds until it automatically
drops again. You can perform another straight after. Note two things however;
you can not steer (or very slightly) when you are performing them, and you
are highly venerable to being shunted when doing this. Only do it when you
are on a straight and with little others around you.
Turning on the spot
-------------------
You can turn on the spot by holding accelerate and brake together (A and B)
and turning left and right. This is very handy if you are driving the wrong
way.
Recovering after falling off the track
--------------------------------------
If you just fell off the track and are being lifted back on, you can recover
quicker by pressing accelerate JUST as you touch the ground again to receive
a boost. Takes some practice, but worth it even if you are an experienced
racer; you never know when some heavier kart is gonna knock you off the
track.
---------------------------------
Driving and Item Tips and Tactics
---------------------------------
Here are some additional item and driving tips that might come in handy. Feel
free to submit any of your own!
• Coming off the track or hitting a wall slows you down to a literal crawl...
so watch your driving!
• If you are gonna cut out some of the track, subsidize the slowdown with a
drifting mini-boost or better yet, a mushroom.
• Placing fake item boxes or bananas by real item boxes should block them from
view of your opponents, meaning there's a chance they could drive in to them.
Although the CPU might spot this against people in multiplayer and online
it'll work better, it is also good if you want to 'replace' you current
item with another by dropping it by the item box so you'll collect those
in front.
• If you are in first place, then it's a good idea to drag an item behind you
(or have a draggable item with you) in case you need to defend against
shells and what not. It's a pain to have you lead wiped away by a cheap
item at the last minute so try and get used to doing this.
• If you are neck and neck with an opponent and coming up to item boxes,
drop back slightly so you are a position behind them and grab an item. As
in first place you cannot pick up red shells, doing this method could bag
you one so you can take them out and take a substantial lead. Although this
is incredibly annoying and cheap its a sure fire winner especially if you are
on the final lap.
• Again like the above, if you are in a very close race then drop back a few
positions and grab an item box. As items are based on position and not
proximity, you could get something like Thunder, a Star or Three Red Shells.
And who wouldn't want that, eh?
• If you are going to use a red/blue shell then wait for them to get a slight
lead, otherwise the red shell will just fly straight past them and the
blue shell likewise and even worse take you out in the impending explosion
(if they are in first anyway).
• If you have several (hopefully red) shells, then you can incapacitate a
kart ahead. Fire one to spin them out, and then fire another as you go past
them (where they've hardly had time to recover). By the time they have
started going again proper, you'll have speeded ahead.
• Trick all the time. Every time you get off the ground, every time you hit
a ramp, flick up the Wiimote or tap Up on the D-Pad to get a speed boost.
It'll help you stomp that rubberband AI, and of course, those invisible
people on the internets tubes.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
2.05. Items
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Pick up an item box in a race and you'll get an item. But do you know how to
use it properly and to it's full advantages? There are three new weapons in
Mario Kart Wii - POW Blocks, Big Mushrooms and Storm Clouds. They are shown
at the end of the list, so scroll down and take a peak if you want to know
how to use these new additions to the already bustling arsenal.
------
Banana
------
Position Received - 1st-3rd
How to use - Press L to drop this banana skin on to the track. When a
kart slips on to it they will slide out of control for a second
or two. It will remain on the track until someone slips on it or
until it is destroyed (by a shell or Bo-omb). Try and place
bananas on parts of the track where most racers will go on to them
such as thin ledges, the insides of tracks, in front of boosters
and item boxes. You can also use them for defending by holding
down L to dangle it behind you, so it's probably more handy in
that respect.
Defending Against - If you see a banana on the track, common sense tells you
to avoid it (well at least I hope it does) so try and
drive around it if you can. You can also blast them away
with a Bob-Omb or a shell. If you hit a banana, you also
drop the items you are holding.
-------------
Triple Banana
-------------
Position Received - 1st-3rd
How to use - This is basically the same as a single banana (see above) but
with three. However unlike triple shells they don't spin around
you but instead just dangle behind rather pointlessly. Use them
to strategically place on the track and defend with if needed.
Defending Against - Again like normal bananas, avoid driving over them. If
you see another player with them (it's visible) then avoid
hanging around behind them as chances are they'll drop
them straight on to your lap. The CPU tends to drop them
about three seconds after one another, so remember this
if you are playing the GP modes. If you hit a banana,
then you drop all the items you are holding.
-----------
Green Shell
-----------
Position Received - 1st-3rd
How to use - Press L to fire this forward in a rather linear fashion to hit
other karts and cause them to spin out of control. Rather handy,
but it's quite hard to hit other karts with. Better still is that
you can fire them behind you by holding down on the d-pad.
If they are close enough then chances are they'll have
little chance of getting out of the way. Green shells can bounce
off walls a few times before behind destroyed, so if you in a
narrow tunnel or area firing one off and escaping could do a spot
of damage. Like bananas, you can dangle these behind by holding
down the L button which is ideal for defending against other
shells. Also shells can destroy bananas on the track if you need
them disposed of, as well as boxes and enemies on the track.
Defending Against - Avoid shells hitting you as you'll spin out of control.
You should be able to hear them, so check behind you to
see so you can dodge them. Rivals too can fire
shells behind them so if you are slipstreaming remember
this.
---------
Red Shell
---------
Position Received - 2nd-8th
How to use - Press L to fire it ahead of you, where it will home in on the
nearest kart and cause them to spin out. Even if you are a few
corners away it'll follow the track and take them out. Rather
handy, eh? Some points though; don't fire when they are too close
as it'll just whiz by them, and the shell can hit corners so
fire it in a reasonably open area. It can also hit bananas and
other shells and get destroyed, but if that occurs then you're
unlucky. Like green shells, you can fire it backwards (L+Down)
and dangle it behind you. It WILL NOT home in if you fire it
backward, but rather go in a straight line like a green shell
would. I advise that you keep a red shell handy at all times for
defense and for regaining a position if you've just been taken.
Defending Against - If one is coming your way (you can hear it or see it on the
bottom) then simply dangle an item behind you and it
should counter it. However sometimes it can hit you from
the side (just after a corner for example) so try and get
on a straight before it hits you. If you don't have an
item, then just try and race on and hopefully it'll hit
a corner of the track, but otherwise you are gonna get hit
and in that situation, there isn't a lot you can do about
it.
-------------------------
Triple Red / Green Shells
-------------------------
Position Received - 2nd-8th
How to use - These are three red or green shells that rotate around you. The
shells themselves act like normal shells respectively, but the
rotating aspect is very handy for several reasons. For one, it
acts as an ever acting defense against other items. You can
use it as a weapon by just ramming other karts and make them spin
you (you'll lose a shell in the process mind) and it's great in
case you drive into items like bananas as they are automatically
taken care of. It's also great as having three shells is pretty
sweet anyway. Remember just because you have three shells doesn't
mean you have to waste them in one go. A good tip is when you take
someone out with a shell from a reasonable distance, as you go
by just before fire another to incapacitate them further. Very
annoying for them, but great for you.
Defending Against - For general shell defense see the red and green shell
tips above. When you notice another kart having three,
avoid touching them for a start or you will naturally
spin out. Don't try and take all their shells out with
shells of your own as that's pretty pointless, you may
as well let them fire them off so their defense is down
for attacking.
----------------
Spiny Blue Shell
----------------
Position Received - 4th-8th
How to use - Fire it with the L button and it'll fly off to first place and
explode there, causing an explosion that will take out those
in the region too. Pretty sweet. If you have one and the first
placed kart is quite close, hold off until they are further away
as it'll take you out too. Oh, did I mention it'll also take out
the items they are carrying as well?
Defending Against - If one if coming your way, there is little you can do but
bite the bullet. Dispose of your items just before as it'll
destroy them. If you hear it coming and there are
other karts behind you, then you could try and drop back
and catch them in the blast radius as well, and if you
are really luckly, the shell could get them instead. You
can also avoid getting hit by using a Star, but otherwise
as said most of the time you'll have to get
hit, so don't get too annoyed if this happens a fair
amount.
---------
Fake Item
---------
Position Received - 1st-3rd
How to use - Press L to drop a fake item on the track. When rival karts drive
in to it they'll spin out. Essentially a banana with better
camoflauge. Sadly, you can no longer use them to block shells
(but can still dangle them. I advise that you pop this
by real item boxes to confuse other players, as well as in
front of boosters and on areas of the track that are thin / where
most karts race over.
Defending Against - You can spot a fake item box via several ways. Firstly,
the ? is upside down and the box doesn't rotate. Other
players, especially the CPU will just place them anywhere
on the track, so if you see a box on its own away from
normal item box placements then chances are it'll be a fake
one.
--------
Mushroom
--------
Position Received - 2nd-8th
How to use - Press L to boost your karts speed for a second or two. This is
really handy for gaining a few places, and most of all for
skipping sections of the track like corners or tacking advantage
or certain shortcuts better. Just remember that you can't really
stop once you've used the boost (say if suddenly realised you
were going to go into a banana or off a cliff) so keep an eye out
of where you are going to boost into.
Defending Against - Not a lot you can do here. Just avoid knocking into them
if you see them coming.
---------------
Triple Mushroom
---------------
Position Received - 2nd-8th
How to use - This is the same as a normal Mushroom, expect you have three.
Predictable, eh? Remember to use them to cut corners of the
track and to take full advantages of shortcuts. I would say
a very important point is to make them last; on certain tracks
there is a great shortcut you can take but only when using a
mushroom, so it makes far more sense to save a mushroom for this
every lap than to use them on one.
Defending Against - Once again you can't really defend or stop other karts from
using mushrooms.
-------------
Gold Mushroom
-------------
Position Received - 6th-12th
How to use - Tap the L button while the Gold Mushroom is active to gain
several boosts - so it's basically like an extended mushroom.
It's based off time and not the amount of boosts you create, so
once you've started using it use it to it's full advantage.
Like normal mushrooms use them on corners and shortcuts, and not
on thin ledges so you boost into a bottomless pit. Unless you
want to.
Defending Against - Again, you can't really defend or stop other karts from
using gold mushrooms.
-------
Bob-Omb
-------
Position Received - 4rd-8th
How to use - Press L to drop it behind you, L+Up to throw it ahead and hold L
to dangle it behind you. A Bob-Omb explodes when other karts are
near by, or it'll detonate after about five seconds. When it does
it creates a huge explosion worthy of taking out several karts
at a time. Where you place it is up to you - if there are loads of
karts ahead then throw it ahead, otherwise just drop it behind.
Another handy side effect is that it'll destroy the items of those
involved in the explosion.
Defending Against - If you see a bomb, drive around it as much as you can.
It detonates after it flashes red several times, but
drive around it anyway even if it isn't going to go off
soon.
-----------
Bullet Bill
-----------
Position Received - 6th-12th
How to use - Press L to become a Bullet Bill and fly along the track for about
five to ten seconds on autopilot, taking out karts in the way. It
also destroys their items, a great side effect.
Defending Against - If you hear or see a Bullet Bill coming
behind, drive out of the way as it seriously knocks you
to the side, possibly off the track. It'll also destroy
any items you are holding, so its worth diverting for a
few seconds to avoid getting hit.
-------
Blooper
-------
Position Received - 3rd-8th
How to use - Press L to make Blooper spray ink on those in front of you. It
will partially blind their vision for about 10-15 seconds, or
until they go over a booster. Most CPU carts drive like crazy
once they get hit by this, so it's very handy in the Grand Prix.
Try not to use it when your opponents are due to go other
boosters, so time it to it's most effective timing.
Defending Against - If you get hit, then you should be able to drive fairly
OK for a while but when it drops down a little and really
clouds you vision. Try and drive over any boosters
or use a mushroom if you can as that'll get rid of the ink
instantly.
-----------
Thunderbolt
-----------
Position Received - 6th-12th
How to use - Press L to make all other karts shrink in size, causing them to
slow down. Unlike other Mario Kart games you can't run over
the shrinked karts and make them flat, so just drive past them
instead. Shrinked karts won't make big jumps, even boost ones,
so if you can time it around them that's an advantage to you.
Defending Against - If you get shrunk, then avoid jumps, even boost ones, as
you won't make it. Instead just wait around before them
until you regain your size. Remember that you can still
perform mini-boosts when you're small which is a great
advantage in the GP modes, as CPU players won't do this
when shrunk. You can prevent being shrunk by using a
star or if you happen to fall off the track at
that time.
----
Star
----
Position Received - 6th-12th
How to use - Press L to use the star, making you invincible, giving you
extra speed and removing terrain slowdown. So when you have it,
run in to other karts and through any obstacles in your way and
take advantage of shortcuts and cutting corners as you won't
slowdown. A star lasts about eight seconds.
Defending Against - If you see someone using a star then they'll be brightly
multi-coloured, and like when you see a bullet bill
getting hit by one will throw you to side and destroy your
item, so dive out of the way as best as you can. You
cannot use shells or other items against them in this
state, so just wait until it's over and let 'er rip.
-------------------
Thundercloud (NEW!)
-------------------
Position Received - 4rd-8th
How to use - Having this causes a thundercloud to appear above you as soon as
you get it from an Item box, increasing your speed and removing
the impacts of terrain. However you need to pass it on otherwise
you will be struck by lightning and become shrunken. As you get
this in the middle of the pack, passing it on to someone else in
a hurry should not be too much of a problem.
Defending Against - If this appears over you, run into another racer to try
and pass it on. You have around four - five seconds to
do so. If you are around a bunch of others just drive into
them and hope for the best, or slow down so people come
past and hopefully brush you. If you have an item, use it
and hopefully that'll stop them so you can hit 'em. Also
note that if you go into a Booster Rocket it will disappear
automatically, handy if you are on such a track.
----------------
POW Block (NEW!)
----------------
Position Received - 4rd-8th
How to use - All the vehicles ahead will get a warning that they will be
spun out, dropping all their items. Extremely useful for covering
a little ground, and further more losing their items.
Defending Against - There is little you can do when this appears - just
shed your items the best way you can, or ideally, get on
a rocket boost or use an invincibility item. If you are off
the ground (NOT JUMPING) such as from a ramp, then you
will avoid this item (thanks acelee).
Wes Cheung sends in this tip - if you are on a bike,
performing a wheelie will reduce the hit incured. While
you will still spin out and lose your items, your speed
is notably faster than if you were not performing a
wheelie in the first place. Similarly, shaking the Wiimote
will create such a forcefield to protect you as well -
thanks Jaumot Joel / CoolChain, Daniel Botterill,
Raymond McMillan
-------------------
Big Mushroom (NEW!)
-------------------
Position Received - 4th-8th
How to use - Activate the item to grow big, meaning you go faster and can crush
other racers. To use this at it's best, wait until the track
opens up, or when there is a huddle of others ahead of you.
Upon hitting another racer, they spin out and shrink.
Defending Against - If you (somehow) spot this, get out of the way. Using
items against them do not work, so wait until they return
to normal and feel free to extract your revenge. If you
are lucky enough to have a Star, this takes them out.
Thanks 'A Link to the Future'!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
2.06. Characters, Karts and Bikes
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This section will give you the lowdown on all the characters in the game,
as well as the karts and bikes they have to offer, and how to unlock them.
If you want a more coherent list of unlockables, check the relevant section
toward the end of the guide.
----------
Characters
----------
There are three character classes - LIGHT, MEDIUM and HEAVY.
LIGHT - High Acceleration, High Off-Road, Low Top Speed.
MEDIUM - Medium Acceleration, Medium Top Speed, Medium Off-Road.
HEAVY - High Top Speed, Low Acceleration, Low Off-Road.
Whatever class you choose depends on your playing style, but I advise MEDIUM
to begin with, especially when using the Wheel. Also note two things -
- Characters within the weight class are the SAME as one another.
- The only differences between characters are the KARTS or BIKES that they
choose within that class.
LIGHT CHARACTERS - Baby Mario
Baby Peach
Toad
Koopa Troopa
Baby Luigi (Unlocked 8 Expert Staff Ghosts)
Baby Daisy (50CC New all 1 Star)
Toadette (Set TT times on 32 different courses)
Dry Bones (100CC Leaf Cup
MEDIUM CHARACTERS - Mario
Luigi
Peach
Yoshi
Daisy (150CC Special Cup)
Birdo (Set TT times on 16 different courses)
Bowser Jr. (100CC Retro 1 Star)
Diddy Kong (50CC Lightning Cup)
HEAVY CHARACTERS - Wario
Waluigi
Donkey Kong
Bowser
Funky Kong (Unlocked 4 Expert Staff Ghosts)
King Boo (50CC Star Cup)
Rosalina (100CC Shell Cup)
Dry Bowser (150CC all 1 Star)
ANY - (these are dependant on the weight of your Mii!)
Mii Racer Outfit A (100CC Special Cup)
Mii Racer Outfit B (32 Expert Staff Ghosts Unlocked)
-----
Bikes
-----
A new addition to Mario Kart Wii, these steer and act like karts in pretty
much every way. They get the advantage of wheelies, by flicking up or press
Up on the D-Pad, giving you a speed boost. However as a result, when
drift boosting you can only do blue sparks, and not the subsequent red
sparks. You HAVE to race these in 100CC class, giving you a chance at trying
them out.
-----------------------
Vehicle Characteristics
-----------------------
All three class types have three vehicles to choose from the off, as well as
one to unlock. They share karts and no character has specific vehicles them
alone can use.
Speed - This dictates how fast the top speed is. The higher the Speed stat, the
faster your kart can go overall. However usually high speed karts are
dogged by low acceleration. For more experienced players.
Weight - This impacts on jumps and nudging other players. Heavy karts can
smash through lighter karts, sometimes off the track, and they also
fly less after jumps. This is usually tied in with low handling stats.
Acceleration - The higher the acceleration, the faster you can recover back to
higher speeds have stopping or slowing down. Very handy for
beginners, and generally great overall.
Handling - This higher the handling the easier it is the turn, very handy
for this tight corners. Lighter karts usually have this stat.
Drift - A high drift stat usually means that drift mini-boosts are easier to
attain, and that the effect of the boost is longer lasting.
Off-Road - The highest this is, the less of an effect grass, dirt and other
non track surfaces slow your kart down. It will always slow down
your kart, but can be minimised by using this stat.
Mini-Turbo - Ignore this if you are on Automatic, otherwise the higher the
stat the longer and more powerful the mini-turbo will be. As you
cannot Snake proper in this game this does not have much of an
impact, but that is also course dependant.
---------
Kart List
---------
LIGHT KARTS - Standard Kart S
Baby Booster
Concerto
Rally Romper (Unlock 1 Expert Staff Ghost / 50 WFC Wins)
Blue Falcon (150CC Mirror Lightning Cup)
Cheep Charger (50CC all 1 Star)
MEDIUM KARTS - Standard Kart M
Nostalgia 1
Wild Wing
Turbo Blooper (50CC Leaf Cup)
Royal Racer (150CC Leaf Cup)
B Dasher Mk 2 (Unlock 24 Expert Staff Ghosts)
HEAVY KARTS - Standard Kart L
Offroader
Flame Flyer
Piranha Prowler (50CC Special Cup)
Dragonetti (150CC Lightning Cup)
Aero Glider (150CC Retro Cup, all 1 Star)
---------
Bike List
---------
LIGHT BIKES - Standard Bike S
Bullet Bike
Nano Bike
Quacker (150CC Star Cup)
Magikruiser (Set TT times on 8 different courses)
Torpedo (Unlocked 12 Expert Staff Ghosts)
MEDIUM BIKES - Standard Bike M
Mach Bike
Bon Bon
Rapide (100CC Lightning Cup)
Dolphin Dasher (150CC Mirror Special Cup)
Nitrocycle (100CC All 1 Star)
HEAVY BIKES - Standard Bike L
Bowser Bike
Wario Bike
Twinkle Star (100CC Star Cup)
Phantom (150CC Special Cup)
Torpedo (12 Expert Staff Ghosts Unlocked)
===============================================================================
--------------
3. COURSES
--------------
===============================================================================
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
3.01. Mushroom Cup
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-------------
Luigi Circuit
-------------
Walkthrough - After the first easy right corner and a small straight, the
track shifts left and then is followed by two long right turns
after another, which you can drift across both and get a
maximum boost. After another straight and left turn is a
wide right with booster pads; drift across these so when you
exit before the start finish you have a boost ready. Pretty
simple, the width of the track gives you a lot to play with here.
Shortcuts - There is a ramp on the left before the boosters that you can
mushroom to and trick from.
- You can use a mushroom over the sand on the last corner, skipping
the boosters out entirely. Thanks Petey - I did not even consider
doing that!
Other Tips - Sometimes the Luigi statue head will be replaced by a Mii!
Expert Staff Ghost Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BOsKYNfhmw
Time Trial Tips - Generally stay on the insides of the turns, especially the
booster corner
- Use your Mushroom to get to the ramp before the boosters,
enabling you to perform a trick and get an added boost.
---------------
Moo Moo Meadows
---------------
Walkthrough - A long left with item boxes opens up to a meandering area of
track; follow the middle as much as possible, and if you have
any items that can boost you or void the off track slowdown,
use it here. After is a ramp you can trick from, and a left
leads to an open area with hills in the middle. Use the opening
ramp to trick and avoid the first hill, go right round the
others, and take the final driftable left to the finish.
Shortcuts - On the last corner of the meandering section, use a mushroom
on that last corner. Just as the track goes right for the final
time, continue driving left and drift, boost across to come out
just before the small blue ramp.
Other Tips - On the second lap cows invade the meandering area of the track,
so watch out!
- As mentioned, if you have mushrooms or a star save them for the
meandering section.
Expert Staff Ghost Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIhpTxaKo0
Time Trial Tips - The second lap will have cows invading the track, so
weave through them.
- Use the mushroom to bypass that final corner of the
meandering section (see Shortcuts above).
- After tricking from the booster ramp, drift right round the
hill to the checkpoint.
--------------
Mushroom Gorge
--------------
Walkthrough - Tightly drift left then right across the bridge, and over the
bouncy mushroom. Now you have a choice of left and right;
left takes waaay too long and has nothing really special to
add, while the right has bouncy mushrooms that cut out that
corner entirely. You can probably fit in two drift boosts into
the left corner into the cavern, where there is another two
routes. Again, go right - it is shorter and you can still pick