Mario Kart 7

Courses (Continued)

Description: The cursed mushrooms are back, and better than ever! The mushrooms aren't infuriating in MK7; they're forgiving and easy to jump off of. This course is huge on sandbagging--the last shortcut is big, and can save large amounts of time. Shocks are very annoying though; I've ridden one from last to first on the last lap of Mushroom Gorge.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 2:02.292

Expert: 1:50.526

World Record

1:36.918 by Somen (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhc3byuNu8s

Walkthrough

• Snake if you want.
• Drift left, then drift right. Get blue sparks if you can.
• Trick off the mushroom. Drift left when you land.
• Ignore the left path, and trick off the mushrooms. You can skip the green mushroom if you jump high enough.
• Drift left in the cave. Get the coins if you can.
• Take the left path this time. You would only take the right path if you notice someone holding a shock. The small gaps between the mushrooms make you relatively safe. Trick off the mushrooms. The blue mushroom will cause you to glide. Now you can...

• If you don't have a shroom, just drift around the bend. Dodge the Goombas.
• Snake on the straightaway.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Slick/Flower or Peach Parasol

Splits: 0:35.00-0:33.50-0:33.50 [10-0-0] {1-1-1}

• Start off by getting your boost and angling yourself slightly right. You should be aiming directly at the edge of the turn ahead.
• Drift left, get blue sparks, then drift right, and get blue sparks. The trick to getting the miniturbo on the second turn is to drift severely inwards on the first bend, then drift inwards again on the second turn.
• Trick off of the mushroom, but not the jump before it.

• Grab one of the coins on the green mushroom. If you pulled the technique detailed above off correctly, you should have no problem getting on the green mushroom. However, if you are just going straight onto the green mushroom, you can't trick off of the red mushroom or you'll fly over the green shroom.
• Trick off of the last red mushroom.
• Drift left. Grab the three innermost coins by first drifting outwards, then drifting inwards to get the last coin. You may have to maneuver yourself a bit for this drift since the last push inwards has a tendency to send you off the track.
• Head left towards the gliding pad. Trick off all of the shrooms, and prepare to take the shortcut (with a shroom).
• Get three coins out of the big floating armada of coins. You can usually get three of them in a upside-down "L" pattern.
• Take the shortcut. I recommend that you head out to the right as much as possible because that will allow you more time to swing across and orient yourself correctly as you glide. Once you land, you can drift left. This'll send you in the right direction and will get you a blue miniturbo.
• The only difference with the next two laps is that your lines can be more aggressive and you can ignore the Time Trials Technique.

Description: The second Luigi course of the cup, this track is definitely better than its cousin. I actually don't like this course, but it's well designed, and doesn't favor luck or sandbagging. There are lots of shortcuts at the end, so take that into account when deciding to sandbag or not. This course also favors extensive snaking.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 2:09.982

Expert: 1:58.539

World Record

1:44.502 by Mick (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2hPWv1I2J4

Walkthrough

• Snake through the first few turns. You may need to use the first bend to slingshot out and get blue sparks on the next bend.
• Online - This is an oddball track. It can be easy to frontrun if you have good lines, though it can be easy to catch up with a good golden shroom and/or shockdodge. I recommend trying to get some sort of shrooming item at the beginning, saving it for the large shortcut in the cemetery, and using it there. You can possibly create enough distance to run away with the win.
• You can trick off of the stairs.
• Drift through the ramp turns. You can easily get an orange miniturbo out of the turn. Release, then try and get blue sparks. Drift the other direction; you can snake through this next section if you have high enough handling (I can do it with my 4 bars of handling)

• Drift right in the muddy part. Head towards the large circle with the item blocks spinning around. Don't try and chase the item blocks--they move. Release your drift, and snake through the mud from dirt patch to dirt patch. Dodge the trees.
• Drift left when you exit the mud.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Red Monster/Standard

Splits: 0:38.00-0:37.00-0:37.00 [?-?-?] {1-1-1}

• Coins are annoying on this course. So annoying that I'm not even going to recommend a split, and I'll just tell you some possible ways to get all of your coins. The WR split is 9-1-0, but it is extremely hard to pull that off perfectly as there is a lot of areas where you have to squeeze out more coins than you normally would. Regardless, I'll still tell you where good coin deposits are, and will inform you where to get the extra three coins you need after lap one (unless you manage to get all nine).
• Start off by getting your turbo boost at the beginning, and angling ever so slightly left.
• At the bend, you'll use a drift to the right to prime you for your drift to the left. You should be able to get blue sparks on the latter drift; once you release, steady yourself for the upcoming straightaway.
• You can trick off of the stair if you want; however, do not get a huge jump.
• Hop off of the apex of the downward ramp. You should fly down a good bit of the way.
• Drift right once you land. You should get orange sparks before the next ramp; release before then and immediately drift again. Hold this drift down the ramp and grab the two coins in the center of the hallway. Release and drift left; grab the two coins on the right half of the hallway during your drift. Release your blue sparks and compensate back onto the right portion of the underground tunnel.
• Drift right; you're going to take the first shortcut outlined in the walkthrough. However, there is a minor change. You're going to hop a little bit more in the grass to move a bit farther, and then shroom. You should be able to ride your shroom all the way up to the gliding pad if done correctly.
• Get one of the coins in the air. If you are planning to get the most coins possible, you need to get two.
• Nosedive at the end and drift left. Drift along the very edge of the grass until you come upon a dead tree in your way. For the first lap, you need to go around it and release your orange sparks. From there you should head straight towards the dancing coins.
• If you are going for the most amount of coins, you need to be racing perfectly so that you can grab three coins in a row. You should slightly left of the coin on the far right. If timed correctly, you can grab three coins. If you aren't worried about coins perse, two should suffice.
• Drift left along this next section. Stay between the walking tree and the grass on the left during your drift. Once you get orange sparks, release.
• Ok, so here are the notable differences for the next two laps:
• Because you no longer have to collect the coins in the mansion, you may hold your drift down the "stairs" for the entire length of the stairs. This saves time if you cut the drift close around each of the turns.
• This also means that you should not drift once you get into the hallway. It is actually slower because of your high top speed, and low miniturbo stats.
• Immediately after gliding, you can drift along the turn and go inbetween the tree and the wall if you want. It is slightly harder, though it saves more time. The basic idea is to be close enough inwards so that you don't nick the tree roots, but far enough outwards so that you aren't lagging through the grass. This may take some practice.
• Here are your options for getting more coins:
• In the mansion, you can grab the two coins on the other side of the divergence. That will net you two coins at a small loss in time.
• You can net more coins in the gliding section.
• You can also get more coins from the muddy part. You can usually get about two per lap.

Description: This is one of the retro courses that you can just place alongside the new courses because it looks so good. Koopa Beach (they omitted the "Troopa") is a refreshing beach with large rock cliffs in the center of the island. There is one major shortcut, so mushrooms are a must if you plan to keep your lead. Take this into account as you race.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 1:54.274

Expert: 1:42.909

World Record

1:31.489 by Alexony (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BadM0QCtB34

Walkthrough

• Don't try and get a miniturbo off of the first turn; there just simply isn't enough bend in the track to milk blue sparks out. However, you can drift right, and use the slingshot mechanics to drift left and get an orange miniturbo.
• Take the left path around the stone Koopa Troopa. This way is noticeable faster than going outside and around the Koopa. NOTE: This is the opposite of Mario Kart 64 where the outside turn was faster than the inside path.
• Drift right around the Koopa. Get one of the coins, since there'll probably be at least one left.
• Drift left. Try and get orange sparks. Release then continue ahead.
• Drift left again. Now you'll come upon a turbo and coins to the left of the turbo. Grab the coins if you need them; take the turbo if you don't.
• Get the coin by the palm tree if it's there.
• Online - The focus of Koopa Beach is to take the shortcut; if you don't, you'll be far behind the rest and it'll be difficult to catch up without a shockdodge or golden shroom. I recommend that you stay behind to get triple shrooms on the first lap, then take the shortcut on the first lap. If you can keep your shrooms and possibly dodge blues, you can take the shortcut on laps two and three with little problems. Also, I would like to note that trapping items are extremely effective in front of the shortcut ramp. They can really deter those who are trying to take the shortcut.

• If you don't have a shroom, trick off the sand bar, and land into the water. Get the three coins if you can.
• Drift left around the rock cliff.
• There is an item block in the waterfall; grab it, as it'll help you catch up to those who took the shortcut.
• Head on over to the large ramp in the middle. Trick off of the gliding pad, and sail on over to the item blocks.
• Drift left around the cliff. Head into the water and grab the five coins along the edge of the darker water. These can really help you get that extra speed boost needed to make the shortcut on lap two.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Slick or Gold/Standard

Splits: 0:33.00-0:31.50-0:31.50 [10-0-0] {2-0-1}

• Yes, the mushroom splits are different than the WR. I'm not exactly sure how they manage to take the shortcut shroomless on the first lap, so I have you using a mushroom there, and a mushroom in the water. You won't use a shroom on the shortcut on lap two.
• Get your starting boost and drift right slightly. Use the slingshot mechanics to support an orange miniturbo on your subsequent drift to the left. Release and continue.
• Drift right. You should get a blue miniturbo in this small bend. I would also like to note that your coin collection isn't that pertinent to your lines; there are about seven coins that you can get before the string of five at the end, but you only need five. You can get two of your five in this bend by drifting between two coins, thus collecting both of them.
• Release and drift left. You should hold your orange sparks (yes, you will get orange sparks) until you reach the palm tree. Release once you reach there.
• Drift left again. There are two coins to the left of the turbo, and you should probably grab those. Release once you get a blue miniturbo.
• You can drift right and outwards to get that coin on the left, though I find it unnecessary if you've received a decent amount of coins before that.
• Use your mushroom a little before the sandbar to take the shortcut. If you shroom too late, you won't be able to grab the coin in mid-air, and you won't get as much out of your shroom.
• Land in the cave and drift left. You should be hugging the wall on the left. Release with blue sparks right before you exit the cave.
• Head towards the turbo in the center of the track. Trick off of the gliding pad, then immediately descend. Also note that there is a coin floating above the mossy rock if you need it.
• Now, this is where you're going to get the rest of your coins. You're going to head straight into the water, and shroom through the line of coins. You should pop out right by the finish line.
• Here are the major differences. . .
• For lap two, you are not going to use a shroom on the shortcut. It is unnecessary since the tide is low.
• For lap three, you will use a shroom on the shortcut.
• For both laps, you will ignore the underwater section where the coins were on lap one, and you will drift along the bends on the left towards the turbo jumps instead.

Description: Before Mario Circuits were boring, they were dynamic little courses that were the generic course of the bunch. SNES Mario Circuit 2 has been altered slightly to allow the creation of a gliding section, the addition of a wooden ramp, and a bouncy spring that will be discussed later.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 1:28.106

Expert: 1:17.777

World Record

1:11.628 by Noodles (since 3/15/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNQdDVpdEk

Walkthrough

• Drift left through the first turn. Now you have a couple of choices.

• If you don't have a mushroom, drift right, then left, around the S-bend. Try and get at least blue sparks out of the first turn, and pull out orange sparks on the next turn.

• If you don't have a mushroom, drift left. Hold your drift across the straightaway to the next turn. Get orange sparks and release.
• Online - I'm going to note here that it is very easy to frontrun Mario Circuit 2 due to its length (or lack thereof). If you can pull ahead after the first set of item blocks, you're in good shape. However, if you fall behind, you can still catch up either by shockdodging, or taking the large shortcut at the beginning (assuming you aren't too far behind).
• Drift right. Grab the coins, if they are there. Hold your drift until you get orange sparks. Release, then drift right again. Hold again until you reach the sharp right turn. Now, if you want to ignore the coins, you can drift in towards the gap between the pipes and wall. Release your drift before you hit the offroad, and hop. You should hop over all of the offroad, and drift again to the right. Try and get blue sparks, if you can.
• Now you get to glide, and.....
• Online - A very good targetshocking/trapping spot is right before the gliding section.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Red Monster/Standard

Splits: 0:25.00-0:23.00-0:25.00 [10-0-0] {1-2-0}

• Start off by getting your boost at the beginning and holding your circle pad all the way to the left. You're going to nearly immediately drift left and get blue sparks. Once you do get blue sparks, release.
• Drift right (the direction) now. Grab the three coins along the outer portion of the turn, and then release your drift.
• Immediately drift left. You're going to take the single-shroom shortcut thus grabbing another coin. Now, hold your drift. You should gently ease into the dirt, and then shroom. Keep holding your drift until you reach the ramp, then release. Trick off of the ramp, then drift left once you land. You should grab those coins along that turn, then release with orange sparks.
• Immediately drift right. Grab the three coins on this turn; you should be up to ten now. Release with orange sparks afterwards.
• Use slingshot mechanics for this next turn by drifting left initially, then drifting right. You should get orange sparks relatively easily. Release and steady yourself once you do get an orange miniturbo.
• Drift right again. You're going to go through the gap between the pipe and the wall; however, you aren't going to hop like I mentioned in the walkthrough. Since your handling is so poor, it will save more time to just drift through the offroad, then release orange sparks than it would be to drift-hop-drift.
• Glide, take the shortcut, and land just to the right of the goal post.
• For the next two laps:
• Take the double shroom shortcut on lap two. You shouldn't even drift for the second turn; just head straight into the offroad. As you re-enter the main road, you should drift right as you use your second shroom. That'll help you make the turn sharp enough.
• You can disregard drifting outwards to grab coins since the coins will no longer be there.
• You won't take any shortcut on lap three. You should simply hold your drift along the straightaway until you get orange sparks, then drift again to the left.

Description: Coconut Mall is a pianta-themed mall where you race through many of the main corridors and open spaces of the mall. Whoever designed this mall is an idiot though because the only shops that I've seen throughout the entire mall have karts flying through them every forty seconds or so. Anyways, the shortcut at the beginning of the course is rather large, and while the ending isn't as chaotic as it was in Mario Kart Wii, the cars can still cause catastrophes.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 2:30.117

Expert: 2:14.167

World Record

1:56.891 by Chikuten (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5jPNc5Qb0

Walkthrough

• Trick off of the steps. Head off towards whichever escalator is green (with arrows pointing up). These escalators have an upwards current and are faster. The escalators will alternate colors every lap or so.
• Trick off of the top of the escalator. Get to the right of the down escalator.

• If you don't have a mushroom, drift right around the shop, and ignore the escalator; you're going to trick off of the small bump that is closer to you.
• Online - Coconut Mall is a rather strange track in that it seems like you can't frontrun; however, it's actually very easy to frontrun. If you can garner an early lead with a golden shroom, you can easily run away with the win. Also, it is somewhat difficult to catch up without some major item help.
• Trick off of the middle fountain if you want.
• Head on over to the green escalator (this one alternates, too), and trick off of the top of the escalator.
• Drift right. Grab the coins if they're there.
• Hold your drift as you come out of the...spiral. You're going to head over to the right towards the turbo. When you are heading just to the right of the pillars, release your drift.
• Online - If the item block on teh right is taken, compensate by holding a drift in towards the center. Trick off of the fountain, and grab another item block.
• Now drift left. You're going to hold your drift across the turbo and continue along towards the other...spiral.
• You can hold your drift throughout the spiral, or release it and drift again; I recommend holding your drift as it saves time; however, this may not be viable with the combo you have. This is where a little adaptation is necessary to figure out what works.
• Release your drift, and head towards the turbo. After hitting the turbo pad, head off to the right corridor. This way is faster.
• Drift right, then left around the...uh...centerpiece.
• Trick off of the gliding pad; ignore the jump on the left.
• When you land, drift right. Now, you have a split second to make a decision:
• If the car is on the right, drift out towards the turbo. Hold your drift as you cross the turbo pad, then release. Now you can head to the other turbo if it's clear or ignore it if it's not. If it's clear, drift left, and hold that drift as you cross the turbo. Hit the last turbo pad, and drift the opposite direction.
• If the car is on the left, release your drift, and hug the wall on the right. If the next turbo is clear, go across it, and head towards the center turbo. If the next turbo isn't clear (in which case, you have some pretty bad luck), head out towards the center, and get the last turbo pad. Drift right as you head off towards the turbo pad, and hold that drift until you get orange sparks.
• Online - The turbos are very good trapping spots for items.
• You can snake through this upcoming straightaway.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Slick/Standard

Splits: 0:42.00-0:40.00-0:40.00 [10-0-0] {1-1-1}

• Get your starting boost and angle yourself towards the green escalator on the right. You should be heading right down the center of it.
• Trick off of the top of the stairs, but not the top of the escalator. This is because you're going to drift through the coins before the shortcut so you can get both of them.
• Er, drift right through the coins. I'll just transition this into the only Time Trials Technique for this course:

• Drift right once you land. You're going to hold this drift through the escalator. Release with blue sparks, then drift again through the next turn. Grab the three inner coins to get up to six coins total. After that, release your drift with orange sparks.
• Trick off of the coconut palm in front of you. You should get the coin directly in front of you (taking you to seven).
• Trick off of the fountain if you want. However, instead, you can just drift left, and hold it through the next turn. Grab the three inner coins, and release with orange sparks after that. If you decide to trick, you won't get orange sparks (or at least you shouldn't).
• Head straight coming off of the turbo. Drift right along the turn, and go off the gliding pad.
• Nosedive. You should literally just press up on your circle pad right after you head off the gliding pad and head straight down.
• Drift right once you land. You should drift along the turn and keep inside, ignoring the turbo pad all the way to the left. Release with orange sparks (you may need to use the wall to your advantage to force orange sparks out).
• If there isn't a car in your way, just head straight onto the next turbo, and the one following it. Drift right, and release with orange sparks afterwards. If there is a car in your way, you can drift left off of the turbo around the car, and continue holding that drift through the next turbo. Release the orange miniturbo after you complete the turn.
• There is one major difference for the next two laps, other than to take tighter lines, and follow the escalators. You can ignore the Time Trials Technique, and use your shroom about halfway through the offroad section. You can also land on the right portion of the plaza because the escalator should be green on the right both laps.

Description: Touted as the best course of Mario Kart DS, and decried by some fans as the best track of the entire Mario Kart franchise, DS Waluigi Pinball is a great course. It relies heavily on drifting, and is a very skill-oriented track (no, this is not because it derives from MKDS). This will also be the first track you've encountered with a cannon (if you're following the walkthrough). A cannon usually isn't a big deal, but cannons no longer protect you from items. Take that into account as you enter the cannon on the 2nd and 3rd laps.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 2:44.372

Expert: 2:27.574

World Record

2:13.647 by G-danzee (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gEilBVi2jg [Non-WR]

Walkthrough

• Online - Get an early lead. Waluigi Pinball is the second easiest course to frontrun (after Neo-Bowser City and in front SNES Rainbow Road), and you should take advantage of that. You may consider slight sandbagging before the first item block, though you don't want to fall too far behind. Due to all of the turns, the only real spot to catch up is the part at the end.
• Trick off into the cannon/pinball chute. Use the technique described earlier to increase your speed.
• Online - It is very popular to place bananas right on the landing after cannons, and Waluigi Pinball is no exception. Should you find a banana in your way, you can simply hold left or right as you exit the cannon to go around it. Your glider will pull in that direction, and you should dodge the obstacle.
• Drift left as you land. You can try and squeeze out an orange miniturbo and a blue miniturbo if you want.
• Trick off of the jump.
• Trick left, then right, then left. Don't hold your drifts too long, or you'll drift really far out on the next drift which costs more time than the miniturbos are worth. Try and grab the top two coins on the last drift to the left. If you drifted correctly, you should be oriented to drift through them.
• Trick off of the turbo jump
• Immediately drift right as you land. Stay as far inside as you can around the turn. Grab the five coins if they are there. I wouldn't recommend trying to squeeze out more miniturbos as the turbo immediately after the turn negates the effect of the miniturbo.
• Hop down the valley if you want.
• Drift left as you come out of the valley. Hold your drift until you get orange sparks, then immediately release and drift again. Hold this next miniturbo until you get more orange sparks.
• WATCH OUT FOR THE PINBALLS!!! Just head straight through the middle as the only pinball that goes through the middle is the pinball that is hit by the bottom right spring (which you can see) and heads up to the top left spring. If you see a pinball about to hit that bottom right spring, you want to get out of the center. Continue by heading down through the spinning springs. Grab the coins and go between the flippers; if one of them hits you, you'll spin out backwards.
• I recommend against snaking through this section. It is too risky, as you are obligated in one direction, and the pinballs can very easily get in your way. If you do decide to snake, you'll want to start early. Drift through the middle of the four springs, then go left around the bottom-left spring. Continue snaking through the circling springs (you should go down the left side). You should stop snaking before the flippers.
• There are item blocks on the left and right if you need them. They're out of the way, so it takes time to get them.
• Drift left once your back inside the pinball machine. Hold your drift until you get orange sparks.
• Watch other peoples' items. People like to use their shock as you enter the cannon on the 2nd or 3rd laps.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Mushroom/Standard

Splits: 0:47.00-0:45.00-0:45.00 [10-0-0] {1-1-1}

• The precision of your drifting is the highlight of this Time Trials. If you can drift well, you can get a stellar time; if you can't drift spot-on, you'll struggle to match my recommended splits.
• Start off by getting the boost. Head straight into the cannon.
• Trick off of the gliding pad. Hold down on the circle pad to gain speed. When you're coming out of the cannon, you'll want to hold left on your circle pad. You'll swing left towards the wall, allowing you to start drifting left around the corner more easily.
• Drift left as you land. Hold your drift along the turn til you get orange sparks. Release as you transition into the straightaway.
• Trick off of the ramp. Try not to get a full jump or you'll have trouble transitioning into your next drift, costing you time.
• Drift left once you land. Release with blue sparks. Drift right around the bend, and release with orange sparks afterwards. You should be lined up to drift left through the top two coins, and get orange sparks. Release, and continue up. By the way, you need to keep your drifts tight, or you will lose major time.
• Trick off of the next turbo. Again, don't get a huge jump; also, it's better to trick off of the left portion of the turbo to set yourself to drift around the next turn more easily.
• Drift right along the next turn. Get the five coins in the center of the road, and hold your drift across the turbo. Releasing your miniturbo before the turbo pad would be a waste since it loses all effect upon crossing the turbo pad. You're going to hold your drift, and release it at the bottom of the valley, and straighten out.
• Drift left after releasing. It's generally unstable to drift on a severe upslope, so wait til you reach the apex of the hill. You should be able to get two drifts out of this long turn: one orange miniturbo out of the first bend, and another along the second bend.
• Hop down the pinball area. You should be towards the right side of the track, and prepared to go through the spinning bouncers and the central bouncer to grab some coins. Hop down there, and grab two coins. Use a mushroom and use one of your hops to readjust towards the center of the track.
• Once you exit that area, drift left. You should hold your drift the length of the straightaway to force an orange miniturbo. Release and continue onto your second lap.
• For the next two laps you really only need to drift tighter, and perfect your lines. You should be able to get ~0:45.000 per lap.

Description: Another well-liked course, N64 Kalimari Desert makes a less-than-stellar return as a retro course. This track focuses on the most profitable train in the desert; one that goes exclusively through a rock formation! You're not going to go on the track, but rather around the rock. Anyways, this course is huge on sandbagging, and the shortcuts reflect that. First place is always under attack by those who take the large shortcuts, so don't expect to maintain your lead.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 2:01.932

Expert: 1:48.707

World Record

1:35.063 by Alexony (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLn_K24TJ34

Walkthrough

• Drift left as the road begins to wind.

• Drift inside along the turn. Grab the coins, and try and get as many miniturbos as you can.
• Now, if the train is coming (or already there), you'll want to stop over on the right side of the course. When you notice the end of the train is passing, start moving, and continue along the path.

• If you don't have a mushroom, just continue along. Drift right around the turn, and use the same guidelines as above regarding the train (except you'll want to be on the left rather than the right).

• If you don't have mushrooms, you'll just have to continue along. Drift left along the road. Try and get at least an orange miniturbo out of the large bend.
• Trick off of the ramp.

• Drift along the S-bend. Try and get miniturbos out of both turns.
• Online - Kalimari Desert is mostly about who can steal first on the last lap. Your general idea is to get triple mushrooms, take the first shortcut (using all of your mushrooms), chain into your next item, get a golden, then take the next two long shortcuts. However, that almost never goes according to plan. The most important thing is either to shockdodge, or take the long shortcut at the end, and hope for the best. I would never try to frontrun this course because one blue will end your run, and other racers will have plenty of items to catch up to you with regardless.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/Bruiser or Zucchini/Red Monster/Standard

Splits: 0:34.00-0:33.00-0:33.00 [10-0-0] {1-1-1}

• Start off by getting your boost and angling slightly to the left.
• Drift left around the time that your starting boost runs out. You should drift through the leftmost coin of the three coins in front of you, and drift into the offroad. Hold your drift and use your mushroom to take the shortcut. You should get orange sparks around the time your shroom runs out and you get onto the upper shelf. Release your drift, and straighten out to go off of the gliding pad.
• If you want to be pro-ish, you can nosedive onto the mound after the train tracks, and lift up shortly after. You should be able to make it to the main road, and then start drifting right. By the way, you'll need to angle yourself along the angle of the course while you're gliding so that you don't miss the coins that you're going to drift through. So, when you drift right, head through the two coins on the left. Afterwards, drift back in and release with blue sparks.
• Once you get up to the next big turn, you'll need to drift left. You're going to drift in between the ramp in the center and the offroad on the left. The trick is to just hold outwards as you drift and to not fiddle with the controls. It may take some practice to nail it down consistently.
• Release with orange sparks, and drift left again. You have two options for this drift: you can attempt to hold out and drift outwards to get orange sparks, or you can release with blue sparks after you get those. The latter is more rewarding though more risky, and the former is safer though less rewarding. It's up to you which you want to go for. However, you must grab the two coins on the right regardless to get up to seven coins total.
• Drift right and left through the bends. Grab the three coins along the second bend, and only go for blue sparks on both turns. It may look like you can get orange sparks on the second turn, but you can't. You would have to hold the drift until the shortcut which is unfeasible.
• For the next two laps, continue to use your shroom in the same spot, and take tight lines. Time Trialing for Kalimari Desert is relatively quiet--unlike racing online for Kalimari Desert.

Description: Before DK had a ski resort, he just had mountain. I personally don't like this course because it's actually quite annoying, but apparently some people like it because it gets chosen all the time online. In terms of actual racing, this is another course that's big on miniturbos and big on items. Sandbagging is not a good idea on this course. Just based on the layout of this course, I would've assumed first has an easy win, but, surprisingly, s/he doesn't.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 2:35.045

Expert: 2:16.534

World Record

1:59.003 by arrive (since 3/15/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEFE3yEnj0c

Walkthrough

• Drift right into the cave. Only try and get blue sparks.
• Drift left, then right, then left, and right again. Get blue sparks on each turbo; once you get blue sparks, IMMEDIATELY release. If you don't, you'll go flying off of the course, or crash into a cliff.
• Online - Drafting is NOT a good idea. You will end up just drafting off the course. Also, don't use mushrooms, stars, or any other speed-boosting item (except for a bullet) in this section.
• Drift left again. This time, there's actually something interesting!

• Drift right again.

• If you don't have a shroom, drift around the mound. Get the four coins, if they are there.
• Ignore the ramp on the right. Drift left instead. Release once you get blue sparks.
• Trick off of the ramp. Immediately drift right as you land.
• Ignore the next ramp; hold your drift. Release once you get blue sparks, then drift left. Head over to the ramp on the right, and release. You should have gotten blue sparks. Trick off of the ramp.
• Trick off of the gliding pad. Just coast on down as you usually would.
• It may be tempting to try and cut that OB on the right off, but it isn't worth it. The game forces you down, and you'll "fall off." You can cut off a small part of the OB, but it isn't worth the risk.
• Drift right around the U-turn. Stay inside the snowmen, if you can.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Red Monster/Standard

Splits: 0:42.50-0:42.00-0:42.00 [10-0-0] {1-1-1}

• Get your boost after the countdown, and angle yourself to the right.
• Drift right along the turn. You should only go for blue sparks, but you're going to get four coins in this tunnel instead of the usual two that you probably get online. You're going to do this by first drifting outwards to grab the first middle coin and the first left coin. Now you need to release your drift, and drift left instead. Drift outwards to grab the second middle coin and the second right coin. Bring your drift back in and get orange sparks for this next turn. Release.
• Drift through each of the next turns, getting blue sparks for each of them.
• When you come upon the coins, you should go across the straightaway diagonally, grabbing three coins in the process. As you approach the end of the straightaway, drift left and get an orange miniturbo out of the turn. Do not try to get a blue miniturbo on top of that. You won't have enough torque to force blue sparks and maintain a tight drift on the next turn.
• Drift right around this next bend. I should also mention now that your drifts should be tight (with your kart almost hanging off of the cliff), though I figured that went without saying. Anyways, release with blue sparks and get ready to take the shortcut.
• Drift left heading into the snowpack on the left. You should use your mushroom a little into the snow drift to ensure that you make it all the way through (it'll also help you angle yourself correctly). Use your shroom and hold your drift in. Release with blue or orange sparks on the other side of the mound, and continue along your run.
• Drift left. Release with blue sparks after this drift.
• It's up to you whether to trick off of the ramp or not. If you do trick off of it, make sure to get a smaller jump, or you'll make your next drift too loose. Regardless, drift right around the cliff and get an orange miniturbo. Release and head left.
• Trick off of the ramp. If you corrected your angle enough, you should be heading straight ahead towards the edge of another ramp. If you aren't, don't adjust to head towards the ramp. You'll slow down more trying to get to the ramp than you would make up getting the trick.
• Fly off of the gliding pad. Get at least three coins in the floating coin formation by diving down in on three of the coins. You should get three coins in a upside-down "L" formation.
• Drift right when you land. Stay inside between the snowmen and the fence.
• Rinse and repeat for the next two laps. Take tighter lines, and don't worry about coins.

Description: Mario Kart 7 only has two Double Dash! courses, and this is one of them. GCN Daisy Cruiser has you racing on pretty much all parts of a cruise ship. Personally, I like the Gamecube one much more than this one; this one just feels like so much of it got stripped away. Overall, this course isn't big on sandbagging and shortcuts, but leads won't hold either.

Staff Ghost Times

Normal: 1:49.564

Expert: 1:43.341

World Record

1:27.086 by Rocore (as of 5/20/12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7hLHGUsE-E [Non-WR]

Walkthrough

• Drift left to slingshot yourself out. Drift the opposite direction, and hold this drift. See if you can hold it out throughout the entire turn; if you can't, just release, and drift again. Release once you come off of the upper level, and drift left again.
• You're going to go around the pool, grabbing the three coins that dot the right perimeter. Hold this drift into the next turn. Release once you get orange sparks, and drift again if it is viable.
• Grab either set of three coins.
• Entering the dining hall, you have a few options. The tables slide from side to side, so take that into account. I usually drift left in between the tables (if they are on the left side of the hall), and grab an item block. I release, then drift right, and hold that until I get orange sparks. This might be the best method--I don't know.
• Now you're in a hallway, I guess. Release your drift, then drift left. Hold your drift and ignore the submerged engine room. You should get orange sparks from this drift.
• Drift right around the bow.
• You can trick off of the top of the ramp.

Recommended Combo: Heavy/B-Dasher/Slick or Mushroom/Standard

Please note that I will write this walkthrough in the perspective that you are using slick wheels. The slick wheels have less drift and handling so they'll squeeze out miniturbos more easily, and will not be able to move around as easily.

Splits: 0:33.00-0:32.00-0:32.00 [9-1-0] {0-1-2}

• Start off by getting your starting boost. You should angle yourself towards the left path instead of the right.
• Drift left. You should get blue sparks out of the minor bend.

• Drift left along the stairs. You should get an orange miniturbo out of this turn. Release once you make it to the lower level.
• You need to get four of the coins in this formation. You're going to do that by drifting through the middle of the last two, so taht you can get both. You'll need to head up the left side, then drift left heading into the dining hall. Release with blue sparks once in there.
• Head straight through the mess hall. By the way, the dining table shouldn't give you any problems if you're keeping pace.
• Drift right. Get blue sparks along this bend. After that, drift left along this larger turn (ignoring the engine room), and get an orange miniturbo. Release.
• Drift right again. You should be able to get a blue miniturbo here. Drift right again around the pipe, and get another blue miniturbo.
• Drift along the bow of the boat. Get orange sparks out of this turn.
• Head up the ramp; grab two of the coins, and trick off of the apex of the ramp. Continue onto the next lap.
• Here are the major differences for the next two laps:
• You don't have to do the Time Trials Technique. Rather, you're going to head straight into the pool and use your mushroom. For the second lap, you'll use a mushroom on the upper level, then another shroom in the pool.
• To get your last coin, you'll need to drift outwards before the dining hall to get the middle coin of the right chain of coins.
• Again, the moving table shouldn't give you any trouble, so don't worry about them.