edit: giphy decided to delete all my gifs, so fuck me lol. DK Mountain guide is still fairly intact with just one gif removed.
hi i really want to just put this out cause i never finished it and i don't think i will. this is just few random things i've noted and not really a guide. I don't assume it's gonna be useful to most people, but a few people might like it. i'll post some old guides as well
for retro cups check out this spreadsheet and scroll down.
Rainbow Road moon jump sort of explained:
Kart tier list
hi i really want to just put this out cause i never finished it and i don't think i will. this is just few random things i've noted and not really a guide. I don't assume it's gonna be useful to most people, but a few people might like it. i'll post some old guides as well
Luigi Circuit:
- Last turn:

- If you have 2+ shrooms, use a mushroom before entering the SC, hop over the curb so you don’t get air, and then use the second mushroom mid-cut. That’s the safest way to do the SC in karts:

- With a single mushroom, you should also hop over the curb. Use a MT to jump into the cut, then use the mushroom. You can see me doing it a bunch of times in this vid (but skip to 25:16 if you want to see it in the actual run):
- Snaking on the stretch with the cows requires soft drifting to be most optimal. Watch Jonas shroomless run for reference.
- To get the SMT after the shortcut, do a counterhop + delayed drift and then soft drift through the cut.
- Karts go around the ramp at the end.
- First turn requires a delayed drift + soft drift to get the SMT.
- Going into next lap, you skip the first MT in the snake since you’re still going in an SMT.
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- Karts take the ground path instead of mushrooms midway through the track.
- I spin drift the gap jump. I've always felt this helped, but I don't have any proof of it actually giving you more airtime.
- Don’t bag in the beginning of lap 1. It has rarely worked out for me. Aim tight on first turn or get the item box closest to the turn if it’s available.
- Generally, snaking in the crate section is approached by starting a counter-drift in the direction shown below:
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- Release the SMT after the conveyer belt turn. Any miniturbo released on the conveyer belt is wasted.
- I can’t do shroomless lake cut consistently, so I wouldn’t bother with it.
- Skipping the trick on the ramp leading out of the factory is faster by about 0.1-2 in Wild Wing and Mini Beast.
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Always hop over the line between the mud and the ground the boost panel is on. Otherwise you will bounce which will make it hard to snake around the ramp afterwards. - Snake around the last ramp instead of tricking off of it.
- Lines I use for online races:
Coconut Mall
DK Summit
- Coconut Mall is frontrunning friendly, so get ahead from the beginning. Karts can stay ahead easily if given the opportunity.
- Snaking in Coconut Mall beginning stretch is shown in the video below. The middle route is the fastest lap 1 and 2. The right route is the fastest lap 3 because the snaking sets up for it. If you aren't snaking up the escalator, you take the middle route anyway.
- To get the SMT right before leaving the mall, do a counter drift + soft drift. Doing a delayed drift after the counter drift can help too.
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- On the second to last boost panel (with the cars), counterhop to get an SMT out on the final turn.
- Karts can't hit the last boost panel if the red car is in front of it. I usually drift on the left side of it, so I still get an SMT afterwards. It's less risky than trying to get a single MT by going on the right of it
I do it in my run lap 1:
DK Summit
- This track comes off as pretty complicated with karts, but they actually do surprisingly well on it online. The main thing to remember is do not bag on this track. Lines will save you, and that’s what you need to rely on. If you get shrooms, use them through the snow cut, before the canon, or save 1-2 shrooms for the double cut. You can do it with one, but you might get too much air and hit the invisible wall above the blue zippers which will either throw you off the track or put you to 0 speed once landed.
- When going up after the first downhill, take a wide line to avoid tight traps.
- If a mine cart is blocking the fast route, take the downhill route with an SMT. You’ll lose a bit depending on the MT stat of your kart (Mini Beast only loses about 0.3). Make sure to get an extra MT out after the finish line.
- Going on the right side of the bats is the fastest in karts, but you can also go on the left side of them to avoid back spam.
Daisy Circuit
To get no bounces on the two last turns, release the MT right before the tiny lower part of the surface before second to last ramp.
https://gyazo.com/1e7808bd25d2d9cf1cd9a7310188aa04
https://gyazo.com/1d1674299528e6c4d1c061e5577ed958
- Shroomless route:
- The shroomless grass cut is easier with a spin drift, imo. Don't use any handling when landing from the shortcut until the exact moment you're being carried by the water. If you use handling too early, you won't catch the right stream and it'll send you into the rock.
- Going into the underwater section with karts, you want to drift down the waterfall.
Wild Wing has to approach it with a wider drift than Flame Flyer to get air. On 100cc, instead of drifting down the waterfall, do a counter drift at the end of the waterfall, so that when you land you can charge an MT before the turn. -
- If you fail to get enough air at the waterfall, hop in the opposite direction as soon as you land.
- After the U turn, aim for the 3 leaf piles to get mushrooms. Don’t bother with snaking.
- To increase the chance of getting three tricks on the net, do a wide soft drift when you land from the ramp and release MT immediately. Aim to hit the net as early as you can.
To get no bounces on the two last turns, release the MT right before the tiny lower part of the surface before second to last ramp.
https://gyazo.com/1e7808bd25d2d9cf1cd9a7310188aa04
https://gyazo.com/1d1674299528e6c4d1c061e5577ed958
Dry Dry Ruins:
If you’re a Flame Flyer main, this course will be your friend. The jak strat (blue zipper/ring strat) and moon jump are pretty easy in Flame Flyer compared to the other top karts.
Jak strat:
- I've yet to figure out how to bag on this track, so no tips on that. I usually try to stay ahead.
- The kart "wall glitch" doesn't involve sticking to the wall, but moreso landing right on the corner.
This video shows three different approaches at 2:35. the last one is how KWR does it. - If you need an item, I like to use the second method.
- If you start out in the back of the pack, counterhop to get an SMT on first turn.
- Second turn with the blue and yellow car first lap online requires a double drift with a wide approach. Do not attempt to get an SMT unless you're in the back of the pack.
- If you want to get an item (especially if a car is blocking) on the bridge without ruining your snake, you can release a miniturbo and drift the same direction to reach the item, then continue snaking as you normally would. Basically snaking with extra drifts. This is purely to avoid speeding into a car from the MT speed, so you release it before reaching a box.
- On the finish line stretch, you can change the snake path if a car, bomb car, or a trap is in the way since there isn't enough room for correct snaking anyway.
- As for lap 3, you can snake in any way you'd like as long as you get two miniturbos out.
- Get 3 tricks on the wavy floor if you can. Get ahead from the beginning if you get shrooms (which you likely will considering bikes pass you on the first stretch). When shrooming on the turns before entering the large room with the bowser statue, only shroom in the places that won’t send you into a wall. If you’re goldening, take a few breaks to stay under control.
- On the spiral, go as tight as you possibly can. You won't bounce at all. Obviously don’t do this if you suspect there are traps on the spiral.
- On the last ramp, I usually ramp drift to get the SMT faster, and often with a counterhop before.
- According to Chikuten's shroomless TT, Mini Beast should not trick off of the last ramp + the ramp after the bowser statue. The reason for this is to get SMTs out in time.
- If you get mushrooms on the last ramp, use at least 1-2 of them on the finish line straight after the geysers. That's the best spot to use shrooms.
If you’re a Flame Flyer main, this course will be your friend. The jak strat (blue zipper/ring strat) and moon jump are pretty easy in Flame Flyer compared to the other top karts.
Jak strat:
- Trick off the pink ring and drift 2/3s of the way up and then use handling to aim for this
http://prntscr.com/fcgnhk
If you hit it correctly, you’ll get send forward. - Right before hitting the star pole, hold right and continue all the way until you’re right before the blue zipper, then hold the analog in neutral position.
https://gyazo.com/b9619807b7f3cadb0081f750ee284d3b
Sometimes you’ll need to adjust when you land from the second blue zipper so you don’t fall off.
I wouldn’t suggest attempting the jak strat with Wild Wing unless you know what you’re doing. It’s also practically useless in Mini Beast.
- Mini Beast doesn't trick off of first ramp (saves a bit). Take it tight on the left and charge a quick MT. Don’t do this while there are players nearby (lap 1 for example).
- The moonjump works slightly differently in Wild Wing compared to Flame Flyer. While Flame Flyer can take it safe and wide, Wild Wing always goes tight, so bear that in mind.
- To see traps on the first downhill, hop to adjust your kart to view traps. Handling is too slow.
- On the split path by the end, take the upper one in karts. This prevents bikes from messing you up and you always have items boxes available (e.g. a potential mushroom for moon jump).
for retro cups check out this spreadsheet and scroll down.
Rainbow Road moon jump sort of explained:
Download Wesker's ghost once you've practiced a bit. Having a ghost to race against gives you a good point of reference especially because he takes it perfectly first lap.
- First hop -
Drift, let go of the drift, and kind of let yourself slide into the hop. You can see this being done by most of the top 10 except for Leaf (and keke, kind of).
- First landing -
Aim down all the way until right before landing. Never land on the nose of your kart (basically holding the analog straight "down" won't work) because you won't be able to hop.
There are two main factors when landing: How soon you hop after you land and how far down you aim the nose of the kart.
The further to the left you land, the more you should aim the nose down.
The further down you aim = the kart will fly further right.
Aiming down too far can send you off the course once you hop.
You can hop the moment you land or you can wait a bit. For me this usually goes hand in hand with how much i aim down. So if you land more on the left side of the road, jump sooner. If you land more on the right side, jump later.
Never have the kart more than parallel with the road.
- Hitting the boost panel -
When you hit the boost panel, you can adjust how tight you turn for a small amount of time. Then you aim up.
You keep holding the drift through the air.
- Landing after the cut -
You should be aiming up already and then start a new drift in the air right before landing.
- First hop -
Drift, let go of the drift, and kind of let yourself slide into the hop. You can see this being done by most of the top 10 except for Leaf (and keke, kind of).
- First landing -
Aim down all the way until right before landing. Never land on the nose of your kart (basically holding the analog straight "down" won't work) because you won't be able to hop.
There are two main factors when landing: How soon you hop after you land and how far down you aim the nose of the kart.
The further to the left you land, the more you should aim the nose down.
The further down you aim = the kart will fly further right.
Aiming down too far can send you off the course once you hop.
You can hop the moment you land or you can wait a bit. For me this usually goes hand in hand with how much i aim down. So if you land more on the left side of the road, jump sooner. If you land more on the right side, jump later.
Never have the kart more than parallel with the road.
- Hitting the boost panel -
When you hit the boost panel, you can adjust how tight you turn for a small amount of time. Then you aim up.
You keep holding the drift through the air.
- Landing after the cut -
You should be aiming up already and then start a new drift in the air right before landing.
Kart tier list
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