Template:Infobox Mario Kart DS is the first game in the series for the Nintendo DS portable platform. It is also Nintendo's very first attempt at including total, online multiplayer gameplay. While online play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is not considered as fleshed out as it could have been, the game itself was well received by critics.
Table of Contents
Mushroom Cup
Flower Cup
Star Cup
Special Cup
Shell Cup
Banana Cup
Leaf Cup
Lightning Cup
Characters
Mario Kart DS includes a wide variety of characters from the Mario universe. Here is a quick look at all of them:
- Mario: The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, he has participated in numerous genres from tennis to golf. Mario is a balanced racer.
- Luigi: The not so famous brother of Mario. He usually tags along with Mario as more of a sidekick then an equal. Like Mario, Luigi is a balanced racer.
- Donkey Kong (DK): He's the monkey. Donkey Kong is a big ape who was once rivals with Mario at the start but is now stars in more of his own games separate from Mario. He's a heavy racer who can knock you off the track if given the chance.
- Bowser: Bowser is the classic villain of the Mario games who repeatedly plots to kidnap Princess Peach. Fortunately, his plans are always foiled by Mario and Luigi. He's a heavy racer who can knock you off the track if given half a chance.
- Yoshi: Yoshi is everyone's favorite green dinosaur. In the past, Yoshi started as a mount for Mario, though now Yoshi has been given his own series. Yoshi is a light racer with great acceleration and handling.
- Wario: Childhood friend of Mario, he was oft cast as the bad guy, ultimately leading to his life of crime. He's a balanced/heavy player with lots of speed and handling, and less of an emphasis on items.
- Peach: The resident damsel in distress of the Mushroom Kingdom. Countless Mario games focus on Bowser kidnapping her and Mario rescuing her. She'sa very light character with good acceleration.
- Toad: Toad is an assistant to Princess Peach. He tries to help Peach but fails and then gives Mario helpful advice. Toad is a light character and has great acceleration.
- Shy Guy: Shy Guy is a standard enemy from the Mario universe. In Mario Kart DS, he becomes playable to those who don't have their own Game Card and are using the single-card DS Download Play feature.
- Waluigi: His relationship with the Mario Bros. is as of yet unknown, but he is considered by many (if not all) to be Luigi's version of Wario as compared to Mario. Most of his cars are fast with decent handling. Note: Waluigi must be unlocked before you can choose him.
- Dry Bones: Skeletal foe in many a game, this racer is very light, most likely due to a lack of flesh. Handles great and a popular power sliding character. Note: Dry Bones must be unlocked before you can choose it.
- Daisy: The "Damsel in Distress" of the Mario Land series, Daisy is another princess from another kingdom. Some believe, like Waluigi, she is Luigi's version of Peach. She's very light, quick, and an excellent drifter. Note: Daisy must be unlocked before you can choose her.
- R.O.B.: R.O.B. stands for "Robotic Operating Buddy". He was once an actual piece of hardware that Nintendo created to compliment the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). R.O.B. is a fairly heavy racer. Note: R.O.B. must be unlocked before you can choose it.
Driving Techniques
Rocket Boost
To obtain a rocket boost press and hold 'A' right after the two in the countdown starts to disappear. If done correctly, your kart will receive a powerful boost right from the starting line. The amount of boost varies slightly depending on how precisely timed the 'A' button is pressed and held.
Alt: Hold down 'A' as soon as the count begins, then release it and press it again quickly right before 'Start' appears.
Alt: hold 'A' during each number of countdown. hold while '3' is on screen, release when it disappears, etc... hold after 1 disappears.
Beginner's Powersliding
Powersliding Basics
To powerslide, simply press the R shoulder button and then either left or right. If done correctly, your kart will swing around in a wide arc. Powersliding is most useful around corners, as it allows you to turn them faster and in a smaller distance.
Powersliding Boosts
Performing Powerboosts is done by pressing R to hop, then holding down the D-Pad in the direction you want your cart to drift, after your Kart starts to drift, immediately begin to press Left & Right quickly and rhythmically.
This will take much practice, both mentally, and physically.
Advanced Powersliding
Introduction
This technique is exploiting the powerslide boost function in Mario Kart DS and using it to its fullest advantage.
The simplest form of powersliding is performing it at corners... Advanced Powersliding is performing it as much as possible without being hindered by the course.
Snaking
Snaking seems like a disadvantage at first, but if performed quickly enough, you can gain a significant speed boost over the competition.
One-sided boosts
This is Powerslide boosting from just one side repeatedly. It can be used on smaller straightaways where going in an actual snake-like pattern will only get you into the grass.
To perform, Powerslide boost, making sure you can squeeze enough room to not slide onto the grass. After the boost, perform a hop or two to realign yourself, then boost from that side again.
Best Karts and Characters
The best Karts to use for Advanced Powersliding would be very light characters that have a low drift and high acceleration. The downside is that this limits a large amount of characters that can be useful.
Famous combinations are Yoshi and his Egg One, Dry Bones and his Dry Bomber, and Luigi and the Poltergust 4000.
Dodging Shells
Blue Shells
To dodge blue shells(this can only be done in 150CC), first go into a powerslide. Turn your sparks red by pressing 
and 
repeatedly. When the blue shell comes, it will hover over you for a split second. Then it will tip downwards. Right when it does this release your power slide and press 
. If your timing was correct, you should have successfully dodged a blue shell.
Another way you could dodge a blue shell is by planting a bomb behind you so that it explodes right when the blue shell is flying over it. But the above method is better since your chances of getting a bomb in first place are low.
Courses
Every player gets to select a course. The course selected by the most players is the course used. If there is a tie, the course used is chosen at random.
Several of the more complex and/or obstacle-ridden courses were disabled for online play due to possible latency issues. The corses availiable in on-line mode showen in these tables:
| Nitro Grand Prix | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Mushroom Cup | WFC | Flower Cup | WFC | Star Cup | WFC | Special Cup | WFC |
| 1 | Figure-8 Circuit | Yes | Desert Hills | Yes | DK Pass | Yes | Wario Stadium | Yes |
| 2 | Yoshi Falls | Yes | Delfino Square | Yes | Tick-Tock Clock | No | Peach Gardens | No |
| 3 | Cheep Cheep Beach | Yes | Waluigi Pinball | No | Mario Circuit | Yes | Bowser Castle | No |
| 4 | Luigi's Mansion | Yes | Shroom Ridge | No | Airship Fortress | No | Rainbow Road | Yes |
| Retro Grand Prix | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Origin | Shell Cup | WFC | Banana Cup | WFC | Leaf Cup | WFC | Lightning Cup | WFC |
| 1 | SNES | Mario Circuit 1 | Yes | Donut Plains 1 | No | Koopa Beach 2 | No | Choco Island 2 | Yes |
| 2 | N64 | Moo Moo Farm | Yes | Frappe Snowland | Yes | Choco Mountain | Yes | Banshee Boardwalk | No |
| 3 | GBA | Peach Circuit | Yes | Bowser Castle 2 | No | Luigi Circuit | No | Sky Garden | Yes |
| 4 | GCN | Luigi Circuit | Yes | Baby Park | Yes | Mushroom Bridge | No | Yoshi Circuit | Yes |