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Can you pull off these Mario Kart 8 shortcuts?
Get ahead of the pack while you’re on the go in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Get ahead of the pack with these shortcuts
© Nintendo
The dream of taking console-quality Mario Kart on the go is nearly here with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The latest and greatest entry in Nintendo’s long-running series will soon be literally in the palm of your hands thanks to the Nintendo Switch. It'll give you the full console experience Wii U gamers have had for a while now, only playable wherever you are.
Race through Bowser’s Castle while you’re on the train, hit up Rainbow Road while waiting for your connecting flight or drift through DK Jungle on the big screen when you get home and docked.
With plenty of gamers already used to Mario Kart 8, you might find yourself trying incredibly hard to keep up with those well versed in the game already, but relax: we’ve got your back.
With the Switch re-release packing in all the same tracks as the original version, all of the shortcuts should be exactly the same, right? We’ve done the hard work for you and picked out plenty of timesavers for you, so you can get straight into collecting your trophies in no time at all. Read on!
Big jumps on Big Blue
While we’re still waiting for Nintendo to create a new F-Zero game, the Big Blue track in MK8 will have to do for now, and there are plenty of shortcuts to take right here. Hit play on the video above to take a peek, but all you need to know is that you’ll need to get your jumps dialled down to get ahead of the pack. A few well-timed crafty jumps will see you cut out a hefty portion of the track, largely reminiscent of the huge swathe of N64 Rainbow Road you can cut out. See if you can double down on this shortcut and leave your pals in the dust.
Over the Rainbow
There’s a fair few shortcuts included in the video above for you to keep note of, but the big one we’re fond of on Rainbow Road is well worth watching over and over. Fast forward to 2m 25s in this video, commit this manoeuvre to your brain and get ready to laugh at your mates as you scoot ahead to victory on the already difficult Rainbow Road.
Get 32-bit sneaky
Big jumps on some of the more complicated tracks with no barriers actually seems a bit more obvious when compared to being able to cut out whole corners on more traditional circuits. Take the above example on the GBA classic Mario Circuit and see how you can glide and actually drive on top of the barriers, completely eliminating the corner and getting you one step further to that checkered flag.
Take a drive in the woods
The above video has bags of tricks for you to keep track of, with all of them being ‘shroom-less shortcuts you can make with just your own skill, but we’re most impressed with this sneaky timesaver that sees you power dangerously close to the trees to get ahead. Fast forward to 2m 18s and see if you can copy this fast and furious manoeuvre that looks like it could end in tears at any moment.
Commit to these ‘shroomless shortcuts
Plenty of shortcuts in Mario Kart 8 are hidden in plain sight, but most of the time you’ll need a mushroom to boost your way over them: not these though. YouTuber Christopher Foss walks us through plenty of ‘shroomless timesavers that you simply need to commit to memory. Many require tight cornering and lightning quick reflexes, but once you’ve got these mastered, you’ll be on top of the podium in no time. Fast forward to 2m 46s for a sharp example on the SNES circuit, Donut Plains 3, with some laser-quick boost turns to get ahead swiftly.
Kick the kicker
Blink and you’ll miss it. When you’re whizzing around the corner on Grumble Volcano, you might skip past this ace shortcut that'll boost you ahead, so make sure you learn this one. Aim for this tiny little kicker on the edge of the track, slam your mushroom and launch a trick in mid-air and you’ll skip a corner that could make the difference between first and second place.
Say cheese!
Here’s a two-for-one for you, with one of these shortcuts being more useful than the other. The silly Cheese Land is the circuit in mind here, with the first ‘shroom-less shortcut happening straight away at 0m 06s, letting you get quickly nip ahead, while the big gap at 0m 24s looks to be more situational, depending if you can make the jump ramp or not. Either way, these two shortcuts are ones to keep in mind when you’re racing your mates.
Enter the Dragon
We can’t get enough of ‘shroomless shortcuts, and these two are no different for Dragon Driftway. The second shortcut in the above video has our attention though, and if you skip to 0m 23s, you’ll see why. You’ll get to skip over a whole u-bend if you get it right, letting you shave seconds off your lap time as you head for glory.
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