Summary
There were manyMariospinoffs on the NES and in arcades, but something different emergedwhenSuper Mario Kartlaunched on the SNES in 1992.It wasn’t just a one-off racing game because it brought Nintendo a lot of success, unlike other odd spinoffs, includingMario is MissingandI Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater.
Years later, Mario’s racing franchise is still going strong withMario Kart Worldhelping launch Nintendo’s newest console, the Switch 2. While most players will know immediately what to do upon starting the game, others may be lost because this is their first time or because all of the new features are confusing. Here are some generalbeginner tips forMario Kart Worldto help hone those driving skills.
8Get Through The Grand Prix ASAP
On Any Difficulty Level
If players want to unlock four new courses and classic characters likeDonkey Kong inMario Kart World, then they should play through the main campaign as fast as possible. Each Grand Prix course has three playable difficulties, and no matter which one players choose, they will unlock content by completing it.
After completing each course, a new character will unlock, and a new Grand Prix will emerge after all courses are completed. Once credits roll, that’s when players will know they have completed a big chunk of the game.
7Find A Food Corner, Swap Out Characters
Easy Way To Unlock Costumes
Players will find food vendors spread throughout as they play through the Grand Prix and all other modes inMario Kart World. If they are roaming around in Free Roam and find a food area with three or more vendors then they should stay put for a while.
Swap out unlocked characters and let each one chow down. Some food types will affect characters in different ways and some won’t be affected at all. Either way, it’s a good strategy to unlock new costumes quickly.
6Look At The World Map
Check In On Characters And Costumes
Another great tip for unlocking costumes is to go to the World Map from the title screen. On the Map screen, players can see what their characters are doing. If they click on a character, they will start playing as them immediately, similar to how character switching works inGrand Theft Auto 5.
Also, when players highlight a character, they will see what costumes are unlocked for them and how many more they need for a full set. For example, Pauline only has two costumes, so players can save time knowing that before they try to feed her every type of food.
5Hold Off On Items
Cheat The Rubber Banding
Rubber Banding is something that beginners love in the series but veterans loathe. It’s a mechanics about luck rather than skill, as the person ahead of the pack will get worse items while those left behind will get good items.
Players can cheese the system by getting a good item like the Bullet Bill orBlue Shell inMario Kart Worldand then holding off on using it until they reach the head of the pack. It’s like having insurance to stay in first place, especially in multiplayer, but it does take some skill to end up in the lead without using items.
4A Different Way To Drift
Boosting Jumps
There are several ways to stay ahead of the pack without items. Players can get a drift boost by trailing behind other players. They can also drift around corners, which is tricky to master but effective when executed properly.
There is another form of charging that some players may not know about. If players drive straight and charge instead of drifting around corners they will createa jump inMario Kart World. This can help players get onto rails, which is an easy way to get a speed boost similar to the speed panels found in courses.
3Look For Shortcuts
Manipulate Photo Mode
Every course in the game has a shortcut, or at least an alternate path to travel from lower areas to branching roadways. Going throughtracks on repeat is a good way to learn these shortcuts inMario Kart World, but players can also repeat courses in Free Roam to get a better understanding of the layout.
Furthermore, there is aPhoto Mode inMario Kart World. If players are going through the game in single-player, then they can pause the experience, hop into Photo Mode, and look around to see if there are any secrets they might have missed without having to drive there in-game, although the scope of Photo Mode is limited.
2Deflecting Items
A Good Defense
There is another reason to hold onto items inMario Kart World, and that’s to use them as a defense mechanism. Players can send items like banana peels andshells at any enemies behind themwith a tilt of the controller. Even things like Blue Shells can be countered with the right item, like a Super Horn, to cancel it out.
Green Shells and Banana Peels may seem like wasteful items, but they can be used to absorb a blow from items like a Red Shell if they are trailing behind the player. These tips can be useful in Battle mode, too.
1Characters And Karts Are Cosmetic
But Bikes And Small Characters Have Advantages
There are tons of characters to unlock while racing, along with vehicles that are unlocked inMario Kart Worldwith coins. No single character or vehicle is technically superior to the others, but there are compelling reasons to choose specific Nintendo classics.
Small characters, like Baby Mario or Swoop, will take up less space on-screen, meaning players who are using them can see around their character better. Wario and Bowser are great, but they are huge by comparison. Also, bikes are easier to maneuver and take up less screen space too, so a small character driving a bike is a good strategy to consider.
