# Quick recovery on bike after being hit
While on a bike, after you are hit or run into an item, perform a wheelie to increase your speed quickly.
# Boost
To get a small boost while racing, get on a long straight road. You also cannot turn while doing this trick. If done correctly, you will see several blue streaks that fly behind you. Keep driving straight, and you will see a blue force field in front of you. You then will get a boost for three to four seconds. Note: This does not always work.
# Easy hit
To score an automatic hit on anyone in a race, place a banana or fake item box immediately after you land from a DK Cannon. They will be forced to land on it.
# Use same character with more than one player
This glitch works because you are automatically placed on the character you last selected. First, make have player one choose the character desired. Next, deselect the character, and move off it. Have player two select the character. Go back one screen, then enter the character selection screen again. You should now both be on the same character. Then, have both players select the character. Note: This trick also works for three and four players.
# Changing Mii driver's class
Enter the Mii Channel, and change the weight of your Mii. This will cause your Mii driver in the game to change to the corresponding weight class and give you access to the corresponding new vehicles.
# Fast time in Coconut Mall
To get the Expert Staff Ghost on the Coconut Mall time trial, use the Wild Wing medium kart. Take a right into a store on the right side after the first escalator, then use a mushroom. You will see a Delfino tree person at the door.
# DK Summit shortcut
After you shoot out of the cannon and come up to the turn, go off the jump toppers on the left. This should send you soaring through the curve and give you a good lead.
# Hidden items in DS Delfino Square
Hit the crates on the side of the road with either your kart or a shell. A Super Mushroom will sometimes pop out, but very close to the edge.
# Koopa Cape shortcut
Once you go over the ramp leading into the fast stream, keep going around, and enter through the little arch with the ramp on the left. This requires something that gives speed, such as a Super Mushroom, Invincibility Star, or Golden Mushroom. Instead of going around the giant red hat, pass through the grass behind it, giving a straightaway path. This will help you win the race and improve your ghost times in Time Trials mode.
# Hidden items in Koopa Cape
After making the first jump, you will notice a few Goombas walking in place. Fire a shell at one to reveal either nothing or a Super Mushroom. You can also run into one if it is in the status of a Mega Mushroom, Invincibility Star, or Bullet Bill.
# Hidden items in Maple Treeway
There are many leaf piles on the track. Run through one to reveal a Super Mushroom or Banana Peel. Once you get on top of the tree with the caterpillar creatures, an Invincibility Star may be found in one of the bushes on the left side of the treetop, but not on every lap. You may need to veer off to the left after hitting the bush because the star pops out jumping left. This is useful in getting far ahead of the group if in first place or to catch up if near last place.
# Hidden items in Mushroom Gorge
There are some Goombas on the track that contain Super Mushrooms or absolutely nothing.
# Using Triple Shells as ramming weapon
After you get a Triple Shell item of any color, press 2 so that all three are spinning around you. Before you launch them, you can use them to ram other cars. It does the same damage as if you launched them at an opponent.
# Avoiding Spiky Shells
When you are in first place and have a Spiky Shell coming at you, hit the brakes so the racers behind you will get stuck in the blast, allowing you to keep your lead.
- Defending against Blue Shells
This trick requires a Mushroom. The Blue Shell goes up and comes down. Before it hits, you will have time to use a Mushroom and avoid the shell. You should boost forward and the Blue Shell should explode behind you.
This trick requires some sort of speeding item, such as a Speed Mushroom. You must be in first place to get a Blue Shell targeted at you. Once the Blue Shell is above your head, use the speeding item just before it descends. It will make a large explosion behind you, but will miss. You can also avoid them by using the following tricks on the indicated courses:
DK Summit: Go through the DK Cannon.
N64: DK's Jungle Parkway: Go over the jumps over the yellow river.
GCN: DK Mountain: Go through the DK Cannon.
Rainbow Road: Go through the tunnel with the giant stars on each end.
