- Mario Kart Wii boxart - Nintendo
Get a Quick Start
Ever wondered how some players get a boost at the start of every race in Mario Kart Wii? By pressing and holding the accelerate button ("2" on the Wii remote) right when the number "2" on the countdown is disappearing, players can get a quick boost at the start of each race!
Get a Boost After Returning from a Fall
In some cases, falling off the edge of a course in Mario Kart Wii can quickly send a player from first to last place. In order to make falls a little less painful to their position in a race, players can press the accelerate button ("2" on the Wii remote) at the exact moment they hit the ground upon returning to the course. This provides a temporary boost.
Do a Special Trick, Get a Temporary Boost
One of the best ways to the move to the front of the pack in Mario Kart Wii -- or to cut some seconds off one's Time Trial time -- is to do a special trick after any jump or bump in the road in Mario Kart Wii. This can be done by lifting up the Wii Wheel as one is going into mid-air. Special tricks aren't just for looks - they provide a temporary boost when one hits the ground.
Avoid Blue Shells
Blue shells (which cause the person in first place, and anyone around that player, to spin out of control) are one of the most annoying items in Mario Kart Wii. Fortunately, there is a solution -- if one is lucky enough to have a mushroom in his or her arsenal, using the mushroom at the exact moment before the blue shell would normally crush the player will allow the player to avoid the "dreaded blue shell."
Dodge POW Blocks
When players launch the "POW Block" power-up, most players will both spin out of control and lose their items. Though one will items whatever he or she does, one can prevent spinning out of control and thus losing speed by lifting up one's Wii controller (as if he or she were attempting a special trick) at the exact moment before the POW Block would normally hit the player.
Alternatively, those players in the middle of a long jump or a special trick will not be affected by the POW blocks.
Block Green and Red Shells
The people near the front of the pack get progressively worse power-ups -- generally, banana peels, green shells and red shells. However, one can use these weapons to his or her advantage by pressing and holding down the "B" button once one receives the power-up and, thus, dragging the weapon behind the kart or bike. This way, if one sends out a green or red shell at the player, the shell will be blocked.
Warning: Fake item boxes and bob-ombs can be dragged behind the player, but they do not block weapons. Instead, if the player is hit by a weapon, the player will then hit his own fake item box, or be blown up by her own bob-omb.
Wipe out the Blooper's Ink
The blooper, originally introduced in Mario Kart DS and brought back in Mario Kart Wii, sprays ink on each player's vehicle, thus making it harder to see the screen. However, by activating a mushroom or hitting a boost in the road, one can wipe the ink off his or her screen.
Time Trial Tips: Characters Make the Difference, and Watch Ghost Replays!
In time trial, using the right characters on each course can cut a considerable amount of time off one's final time. Funky Kong and his "Flame Runner" bike has proven to be the most effective character and bike in most courses. But to find out what characters and vehicles the world record holders used on each course, visit Mario Kart Stats.
If one wants to know most of the shortcuts in the game, he or she should try watching the replays of the computer players in time trial, especially the expert ghost files, which can be unlocked if one beats the normal ghosts in a certain amount of time. One can also download other players' ghosts -- including the ghosts of the current world record holders -- online in the Mario Kart Channel.
The Infamous Grumble Volcano Shortcut
One shortcut that can't be found by watching the Time Trial replays is the best shortcut in the game, found in Grumble Volcano and most likely a glitch. To see this shortcut, which can allow the player to beat Grumble Volcano in under a minute, watch the YouTube video recorded by Suite101. (The boost near the beginning of the video, needed to get on top of the mountain, can be done by pressing "1" and "2" at the same time and then letting go.)
Unlock all Characters, Bikes, Karts, and Mirror Mode!
To find out how to unlock all the characters, bikes, karts, and mirror mode in Mario Kart Wii, one should see Suite101's page, Unlocking Items in Mario Kart Wii.
Alternatively, one may want to read Suite101's review of Mario Kart Wii.
Jonathan Coley - Jonathan Coley wrote about the topic of video games for Suite101. Before coming to Suite101, he covered the video games beat for a variety ...
