On the Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City tracks there are two special vehicles that you can use to your advantage.

One looks like a giant mushroom on wheels, the other like a Bob-omb. If you bash into the mushroom car, it will spill items onto the track. If you fire a shell at the Bomb-omb car, it will explode, which - with careful timing - you can use to slow down your opponents.

If an opponent fires a Red or Green Shell at you, there is a way to deflect them. First, make sure you have a Banana or Fake Item handy. (You can also use a Green or Red Shell, fired backwards.) Next, wait until a Red or Green Shell icon appears at the bottom of the screen. Then - at the last possible second before impact - drop your defensive item.

(Note: this method does not work against blue Spiny Shells. There is no way to deflect them.)

There are three ways to steal items from your opponents. However, you can only steal items if the rear character on your kart is not holding anything.

- Hit an opponent's kart while boosting with a Mushroom
- Drive into another kart while using a Star
- Slide-attack into a rival kart (Co-op play only)

Note: if you hit a kart with two characters carrying items, you'll steal the item from the rear character. The front character's item will drop onto the track.

There are two methods to the Mini-Turbo manoeuvre: one for single players and the other for two players working co-operatively.

Single play
While performing a Drift, tilt the Control Stick in the opposite direction to your turn. When the sparks from your kart turn red, tilt the Control Stick into the turn, then opposite again. When your kart's sparks turn blue, release the L or R buttons and you will perform a Mini-Turbo.

Co-op play
When the front player starts to perform a drift, the rear character must tilt the Control Stick in the opposite direction.
When the sparks turn red, the rear player should perform another opposite move with the Control Stick.
When you see blue sparks, the front character must stop drifting to perform a Mini-Turbo.

Otherwise known as power sliding, the Drift move is activated simply by pressing either the L or R button while tilting the Control Stick left or right. This allows you to keep your speed constant while you go around corners.

If you press the A button a split second after Lakitu's start signal turns green, you'll get a Rocket Start. This is often the only way you'll stand a chance against the tough computer-controlled opponents.

When you beat a certain time, you will unlock one of the Nintendo's staff ghost:

Luigi Circuit: Beat 1:29:000; Staff time: 1:26:277
Peach Beach: Beat 1:23:000; Staff time: 1:20:404
Baby Park: Beat 1:14:000; Staff time: 1:11:108
Dry Dry Desert: Beat 1:53:000; Staff time: 1:50:755
Mushroom Bridge: Beat 1:34:000; Staff time: 1:31:458
Mario Circuit: Beat 1:44:000; Staff time: 1:41:384
Daisy Crusier: Beat 1:55:000; Staff time: 1:52:207
Waluigi Stadium: Beat 2:02:000; Staff time: 1:59:658
Sherbert Land: Beat 1:28:000; Staff time: 1:25:904
Mushroom City: Beat 1:53:000; Staff time: 1:50:663
Yoshi Circuit: Beat 2:02:000; Staff time: 1:59:886
DK Mountain: Beat 2:15:000; Staff time: 2:12:639
Wario Colosseum: Beat 2:24:000; Staff time: 2:21:106
Dino Dino Jungle: Beat 2:03:000; Staff time: 2:00:908
Bowsers Castle: Beat 2:47:000; Staff time: 2:44:690
Rainbow Road: Beat 3:19:000; Staff time: 3:16:476

after you fall of the edge of the track and you are about to be dropped back on track tap 'A' repeatedly and when you hit the ground you will get a smell rocket boost this doesw not always work and requires lots of practice

to dodge a blue shell you need to have a shell or a banana to dodge the shell you just need to throw the item at the blue shell when it is on the ground. i tried this and it worked! it will not work if you dont hit the blue shell with your item