- For more details on time trial unlockables, see Mario Kart Wii/Unlockables.
The Time Trial mode pits you up against yourself, however you will be accompanied, at first by a staff ghost (often referred to by players as a "normal staff ghost").
By completing a time trial with a very low time you can unlock expert staff ghosts, additional characters, and additional karts.
What is a ghost?[edit]
Ghosts are transparent players that you can drive through. They cannot attack you, nor be attacked. The goal of the ghost is to give you a challenge to beat. Ghosts are also important guides, as they can show you ways of minimizing your time on a course. If you mimic some of their decisions, you can get the best times as well. If your console is connected to the Internet, you can also play ghosts of the times of online players.
What is an "expert staff ghost"?[edit]
Expert Staff Ghosts are unlockable ghosts that have better times than the default, normal staff ghosts. An expert staff ghost can be unlocked by getting a good time on any time trial. Expert Staff Ghosts have to be unlocked on each stage. Once unlocked, they will replace the normal ghost. You cannot go back to the normal ghost once an expert staff ghost has been unlocked.
Normal staff ghosts[edit]
In Mario Kart Wii, there are Normal Staff ghosts and Expert Staff ghosts. Beating the normal staff ghosts by a certain amount of time unlocks the Expert Staff ghosts. Unlocking Expert Staff ghosts can help unlock certain characters and vehicles in the game. Below are two tables: the first shows the Normal Staff ghosts, while the second shows the Expert Staff ghosts, and also shows the character and vehicle the ghost used.
| Course | Staff Name | Time | Character | Vehicle | Wii Wheel | Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luigi Circuit | Nin★sato | 01:29.670 | Luigi | B Dasher Mk. 2/Sprinter | Yes | Manual |
| Moo Moo Meadows | Nin★YuNya | 01:37.856 | Baby Daisy | Baby Booster/Booster Seat | Yes | Auto |
| Mushroom Gorge | Nin★Murak | 02:16.110 | Toadette | Quacker | Yes | Manual |
| Toad's Factory | Nin★Misa | 02:22.480 | Toad | Bubble Bike/Jet Bubble | Yes | Manual |
| Mario Circuit | Nin★==Kony | 01:44.777 | Mario | Rapide/Zip Zip | Yes | Manual |
| Coconut Mall | Nin★♪SiMO | 02:30.764 | Daisy | Bon Bon/Sugarscoot | No | Manual |
| DK Summit | Nin★mokke | 02:34.693 | Donkey Kong | Standard Bike L | Yes | Manual |
| Wario's Gold Mine | Nin★morimo | 02:19.585 | Wario | Wario Bike | Yes | Manual |
| Daisy Circuit | Nin★Toki | 01:56.822 | Daisy | Royal Racer/Daytripper | No | Manual |
| Koopa Cape | Nin★Rose | 03:03.022 | Koopa Troopa | Cheep Charger | No | Manual |
| Maple Treeway | Nin★pico | 02:58.633 | Diddy Kong | Nostalgia 1/Classic Dragster | Yes | Manual |
| Grumble Volcano | Nin★Gorin | 02:28.237 | Dry Bowser | Offroader | Yes | Manual |
| Dry Dry Ruins | Nin★Kei | 02:30.949 | Yoshi | Nostalgia 1/Classic Dragster | Yes | Manual |
| Moonview Highway | Nin★KOZ★ | 02:16.802 | Peach | Standard Kart M | Yes | Manual |
| Bowser's Castle | Nin★YABUKI | 03:04.836 | Bowser | Piranha Prowler | No | Manual |
| Rainbow Road | Nin★Konno | 03:05.895 | Rosalina | Twinkle Star/Shooting Star | No | Manual |
| GCN Peach Beach | Nin★HIRO | 01:34.233 | Peach | Royal Racer/Daytripper | No | Manual |
| DS Yoshi Falls | Nin★DoTak | 01:16.461 | Yoshi | Rapide/Zip Zip | No | Manual |
| SNES Ghost Valley 2 | Nin★YOKO | 01:06.595 | King Boo | Standard Kart L | Yes | Manual |
| N64 Mario Raceway | Nin★Ichiro | 02:14.799 | Baby Mario | Nanobike/Bit Bike | Yes | Manual |
| Sherbet Land | Nin★Sakat | 02:48.651 | Baby Luigi | Quacker | Yes | Auto |
| GBA Shy Guy Beach | Nin★Kato | 01:45.568 | Koopa Troopa | Cheep Charger | Yes | Manual |
| DS Delfino Square | Nin★iwaco | 02:41.807 | Wario | Wario Bike | Yes | Manual |
| GCN Waluigi Stadium | Nin★NARI★ | 02:32.882 | Waluigi | Standard Bike L | No | Manual |
| DS Desert Hills | Nin★CHIA | 02:10.233 | Dry Bones | Standard Bike S | No | Manual |
| GBA Bowser Castle 3 | Nin★Fukuda | 02:58.304 | Dry Bowser | Standard Kart L | Yes | Manual |
| N64 DK's Jungle Parkway | Nin★Matt | 02:58.264 | Donkey Kong | Phantom | Yes | Auto |
| GCN Mario Circuit | Nin★♪Miz | 01:59.771 | Mario | Standard Bike M | Yes | Manual |
| SNES Mario Circuit 3 | Nin★iwaco | 01:38.880 | Baby Mario | Standard Kart S | Yes | Manual |
| DS Peach Gardens | Nin★Ito.y | 02:34.894 | Baby Peach | Magikruiser | Yes | Manual |
| GCN DK Mountain | Nin★♪msk | 02:57.744 | Funky Kong | Wario Bike | Yes | Manual |
| N64 Bowser's Castle | Nin★GASK2 | 03:19.323 | Bowser Jr. | Standard Kart M | Yes | Manual |
Expert staff ghosts[edit]
Note: in the U.S. version, these are called "fast staff ghosts" in game.
| Course | Staff Name | Unlock Time | Time | Character | Vehicle | Wii Wheel | Drift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luigi Circuit | Nin★Uta♪ | 01:26.394 | 01:19.419 | Luigi | Mach Bike | Yes | Manual |
| Moo Moo Meadows | Nin★Tkym | 01:34.160 | 01:25.909 | Baby Daisy | Bullet Bike | No | Auto |
| Mushroom Gorge | Nin★Miki | 02:10.875 | 02:01.011 | Toadette | Concerto/Mini Beast | No | Manual |
| Toad's Factory | Nin★GQO | 02:17.653 | 02:05.593 | Toad | Blue Falcon | No | Manual |
| Mario Circuit | Nin★fuyu | 01:40.528 | 01:33.702 | Mario | B Dasher Mk. 2/Sprinter | No | Manual |
| Coconut Mall | Nin★MUGI★ | 02:25.620 | 02:13.333 | Daisy | Wild Wing | Yes | Manual |
| DK Summit | Nin★KOZ★ | 02:29.076 | 02:17.546 | Donkey Kong | Flame Flyer | Yes | Manual |
| Wario's Gold Mine | Nin★♪Ryo | 02:15.323 | 02:04.800 | Wario | Flame Flyer | No | Manual |
| Daisy Circuit | Nin★Taeko | 01:51.786 | 01:41.362 | Daisy | Mach Bike | No | Manual |
| Koopa Cape | Nin★morimo | 02:56.867 | 02:41.370 | Koopa Troopa | Bubble Bike/Jet Bubble | No | Manual |
| Maple Treeway | Nin★MUGI★ | 02:51.684 | 02:37.812 | Diddy Kong | Nitrocycle/Sneakster | No | Manual |
| Grumble Volcano | Nin★aki | 02:22.856 | 02:11.852 | Dry Bowser | Torpedo/Spear | No | Manual |
| Dry Dry Ruins | Nin★Akito | 02:26.064 | 02:14.286 | Yoshi | Nitrocycle/Sneakster | Yes | Manual |
| Moonview Highway | Nin★Koh | 02:10.509 | 02:04.163 | Peach | Mach Bike | Yes | Manual |
| Bowser's Castle | Nin★Masa | 02:57.382 | 02:42.098 | Bowser | Bowser Bike/Flame Runner | No | Manual |
| Rainbow Road | Nin★Syun1 | 03:00.007 | 02:44.734 | Rosalina | Aero Glider/Jetsetter | No | Manual |
| GCN Peach Beach | Nin★Taeko | 01:30.909 | 01:23.140 | Peach | Dolphin Dasher | Yes | Manual |
| DS Yoshi Falls | Nin★FJ | 01:14.072 | 01:09.175 | Yoshi | Super Blooper/Turbo Blooper | Yes | Manual |
| SNES Ghost Valley 2 | Nin★sira〉 | 01:04.261 | 00:58.907 | King Boo | Torpedo/Spear | No | Manual |
| N64 Mario Raceway | Nin★Yuuki | 02:10.069 | 01:59.053 | Baby Mario | Concerto/Mini Beast | No | Manual |
| N64 Sherbet Land | Nin★FJ | 02:42.536 | 02:28.356 | Baby Luigi | Blue Falcon | No | Manual |
| GBA Shy Guy Beach | Nin★Matt | 01:41.174 | 01:32.867 | Koopa Troopa | Magikruiser | No | Manual |
| DS Delfino Square | Nin★TARO | 02:36.630 | 02:24.169 | Wario | Dragonetti/Honeycoupe | No | Manual |
| GCN Waluigi Stadium | Nin★♪Ryo | 02:26.335 | 02:12.367 | Waluigi | Piranha Prowler | No | Manual |
| DS Desert Hills | Nin★solami | 02:02.358 | 01:52.686 | Dry Bones | Rally Romper/Tiny Titan | Yes | Manual |
| GBA Bowser Castle 3 | Nin★A24 | 02:53.651 | 02:39.391 | Dry Bowser | Bowser Bike/Flame Runner | No | Manual |
| N64 DK's Jungle Parkway | Nin★Syun1 | 02:51.693 | 02:37.782 | Donkey Kong | Flame Flyer | Yes | Manual |
| GCN Mario Circuit | Nin★Dai8 | 01:55.907 | 01:49.939 | Mario | Wild Wing | No | Manual |
| SNES Mario Circuit 3 | Nin★Shige | 01:35.213 | 01:26.659 | Baby Mario | Bullet Bike | No | Manual |
| DS Peach Gardens | Nin★==Kony | 02:29.793 | 02:16.777 | Baby Peach | Concerto/Mini Beast | Yes | Manual |
| GCN DK Mountain | Nin★Miyam | 02:52.100 | 02:38.130 | Funky Kong | Flame Flyer | Yes | Manual |
| N64 Bowser's Castle | Nin★Kentan | 03:09.228 | 02:55.933 | Bowser Jr. | Nitrocycle/Sneakster | Yes | Manual |
Online ghosts[edit]
Ghosts are people who have done tracks. You race their time and it shows a see-through version of the racer, then you try to beat them. If you manage to, you will have a ghost and the win or loss will be put on your profile.