----------------------------------------------------- "Super Mario Kart Instruction Booklet" SNS-MK-USA Converted to ASCII text by Deezer on 8/19/98 deezer@usa.net ----------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................... 2 CONTROLLER OPERATIONS ............................ 3 TO THE STARTING LINE ............................. 5 RACING RULES ..................................... 9 SECRET WEAPONS FOR WINNING ....................... 18 COLLECT THE COINS ................................ 19 THE 8 KART DRIVERS ............................... 21 PERFORMANCE CHART ................................ 25 THE CIRCUITS ..................................... 27 LIST OF COURSE MAPS .............................. 29 MASTER TIPS ...................................... 33 1 ______________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Hi everybody! Thanks for dropping to by the Super Mario Kart race track. My name is Lakitu, I run this track. If you need my help, I'll be around. We race one seater, metal pipe frame go carts here. There are two engine sizes to choose from: 50cc or 100cc. All of the go carts are more or less the same, it's the individual drivers that make the difference when it comes to winning. Each driver has their strengths and weaknesses. Try using different drivers until you find the best one for you. This Game Pak has a [ PICTURE: Lakitu ] battery backed memory that saves the best Time Trial times and keeps track of which trophy cups you have earned. If you switch this Game Pak ON and OFF repeatedly, you may erase the saved information. 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ CONTROLLER OPERATIONS [ PICTURE: SNES controller ] Y Button [ PICTURE: Race Status screen ] Brakes. START Button Pauses the game and enters selections. SELECT Button Switches to and from the rear view mirror in a one player game. [ PICTURE: Rear View Mirror screen ] Control Pad Steers your go cart and moves cursor on selection screens. L Button Makes your cart hop or do a power slide. 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ R Button Makes your cart hop or do a power slide. X Button Switches to rear view mirror in a one player game (same as SELECT Button) and cancels entries on selection screens. A Button Use items. B Button Acceleration and entering on selection screens. [ PICTURE: Mario ] [ PICTURE: Donkey Kong Jr. ] If you press the L or R [ PICTURE: Luigi ] Button, your cart will make a small hop. If you use the Control Pad at the same time, you can do a power slide. See page 18 for more information. 4 ______________________________________________________________________________ TO THE STARTING LINE Go cart racing is simple to learn, but it takes great patience and determination to master. Some go cart racers have gone on to become world class Formula One drivers. To start racing, insert the Super Mario Kart Game Pak into your Super NES unit and turn the power ON. When the title screen appears, press the B Button and pick your desired game mode. [ PICTURE: Yoshi ] [ PICTURE: title screen ] In the MARIO KART GP, you can select either a 50cc or 100cc cart. The 100cc machine is quite a bit quicker than the 50cc one. The other drivers are more aggressive in the 100cc races too. If you're just starting out, you may 1P GAME want to warm up with the > MARIO KART GP 50cc machines. Races > TIME TRIAL other than the MARIO KART GP always use the 2P GAME 100cc machines. > MARIO KART GP > MATCH RACE > BATTLE MODE 5 ______________________________________________________________________________ Use the Control Pad to [ PICTURE: Bowser ] move the cursor when making selections. Press the B Button to enter selections. If you make a mistake, press the X Button to cancel. [ PICTURE: Toad ] 1P GAME > MARIO KART GP Here, you will race against 7 opponents. 1P GAME > TIME TRIAL Pick any track just for practice, or go for the course record. Records will be saved, so do your best! 2P GAME > MARIO KART GP A total of 8 karts like up for the GP race - 2 human players against6 opponents. 2P GAME > MATCH RACE A one-on-one race against another player onthe track of your choice. 2P GAME > BATTLE MODE It's two players in an arena doing (What else?) BATTLE! 6 ______________________________________________________________________________ CHOOSE YOUR DRIVER Choose from the 8 [ PICTURE: Choose Your Driver screen ] available drivers. See page 21 for more details. Course selection varies depending on the type of game played. The courses are explained on page 27. [ PICTURE: Choose Your Driver screen ] MARIO KART GP > MUSHROOM CUP RACE > FLOWER CUP RACE > STAR CUP RACE Pick the cup race you want to enter. Each cup circuit has 5 different tracks. There is a Special Cup race that you can only enter after mastering the others in the 100cc class. 7 ______________________________________________________________________________ TIME TRIAL & MATCH RACE Choose a course from any cup circuit. To choose the Special Cup, you must win all of the other cups in the 100cc class. If you are in the TIME TRIAL mode, the top five records for each track will be shown. BATTLE MODE Choose a course from the 4 special battle courses. [ PICTURE: Time Trial screen ] To clear the battery backed memory and erase all of the records [ PICTURE: Princess ] stored in your Game Pak, press L, R, Y and A at the same time on Controller 1 when the title screen is displayed. If you want to clear only the TIME TRIAL records (and leave the GP [ PICTURE: Koopa Troopa ] cup information), go to the course records you wish to delete. Then press L, R, Y and A at the same time on Controller 1. 8 ______________________________________________________________________________ RACING RULES MARIO KART GP (1 Player) You'll start the MARIO KART GP in eighth place. As soon as the starting light turns green, the race begins. If you rev your engine too high before the green light, you'll peel out! Experiment to find the best way to accelerate at the starting line. Half of the screen will show an overview of the course and where all of the racers are currently. To change this view to your rear view mirror and see what's going on behind you, press the X Button of the Select Button. The bottom right of the racing screen shows what place you're in. [ PICTURE: Grand Prix screen ] 9 ______________________________________________________________________________ Each race is 5 laps. If you place in the top 4 finishing positions, you can go to the next course in the circuit. If you place 5th or lower, you'll lose one of your extra carts and you'll have to try that race again. After the winning cart crosses the finish line, finishing positions will be displayed on the left side of the screen. 5th Or Below [ PICTURE: Ranked Out screen ] You Lost! > Retry > End Each time you choose "RETRY", you lose one of your remaining carts. You start the game with 4 carts total, so you can "RETRY" 3 times. If you press the START Button during a race, the game will pause and you can choose to "GIVE UP" or select "NO" to return to the race. Every time you "GIVE UP", you lose one of your remaining carts. 10 ______________________________________________________________________________ STANDINGS The racers who place in the top 4 receive points. At the end of the circuit, the overall winner will be determined by the number of points. Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Points 9 6 3 1 X5 RACES Drivers who come in 5th place or lower, have to "RETRY" or "END" the game. Points are only awarded for placing in the top 4. The place you finish in will be your starting position for the next race. For example, if you come in 2nd place, you'll start [ PICTURE: Standings screen ] in the 2nd position in the next race. 11 ______________________________________________________________________________ STUFF ON THE TRACK ^ ________ Zipper Jump Run over this Run over this and you'll to jump. ZIP! [ PICTURE: Screen shot ] [?] QUESTION BLOCKS When you run over a Question Block, you never know what you're going to get. The item box at the top of the screen will spin through the different items. When it stops, you have that item. To use the item, press the A Button. After you run over a Question Block, it will turn red. If you are already carrying an item, you won't be able to pick up another one. [ PICTURE: Screen shot ] [ PICTURE: Screen shot ] 12 ______________________________________________________________________________ ITEMS [?] Press The A Button To Use [ PICTURE: Green Shell ] GREEN SHELL Use the Green Shell to fire at enemy karts - a hit will send an enemy into a spin. Green Shells can bounce off of barriers, so you can try for bank shots too. [ PICTURE: Red Shell ] RED SHELL The Red Shell is a lot like the Green Shell except it works like a guided missile! If you have an enemy in your sights, let the Red Shell go. Unless you are too close or too far away, the Red Shell rarely misses its mark. [ PICTURE: Banana Peel ] Banana Peel When a cart hits a Banana Peel, it will spin out. [ PICTURE: Feather ] Feather The Feather allows you to jump much higher than if you used the L or R Buttons. Use this to jump over enemies or clear obstacles. 13 ______________________________________________________________________________ [ PICTURE: Mushroom ] Mushroom You get a temporary burst of speed by using a Mushroom. Sometimes, you can make an enemy spin out if you hit them while you are using a mushroom. [ PICTURE: Star ] Star Using the Star makes you invincible for a short period of time. During this time, your speed increases and you are immune to enemy attacks. If you fall into water, lava, or off of an edge, you will lose your invincibility. The Star is very useful. [ PICTURE: Lightning Bolt ] Lightning Bolt Use the Lightning Bolt and you'll see a big flash. After the flash, all of the other racers will become smaller in size for a while. During this time, they will move slower and are very vulnerable. [ PICTURE: Coin ] Coin The Coin adds 2 coins to your total. Push the A Button right away when you get a Coin. Collect as many as you can! [ PICTURE: Ghost ] Ghost The Ghost makes you and your kart invisible. You'll also be able to take your opponent's item. NOTE: Lightning and Coins only appear in the GP and MATCH RACE modes. The Ghost only appears in BATTLE MODE. 14 ______________________________________________________________________________ MARIO KART GP (2 Players) A split screen is used in 2 Player mode, so that you and your opponent can compete at the same time. The racer using Controller #1 will start in 8th place, and the racer using Controller 2 will start in 7th place. If either player finishes in the top 4, both will go on to the next race. TIME TRIAL (1 Player Only) The TIME TRIAL is great for practicing. There are no items or coins to worry about, just a nice clean race track. The top 5 times and drivers for each track are saved in your Game Pak. You can race on any track and choose any driver. [ PICTURE: 2-Player Grand Prix screen] When you finish a TIME TRIAL, your finishing time will be displayed. At this [ PICTURE: Time Trial screen ] point, you can choose to retry that track or choose a new one. If you pick "REPLAY" you can watch how you did in the last race. If you pause the game or do some really weird driving, the "REPLAY" option may not appear. 15 ______________________________________________________________________________ MATCH RACE (2 Players Only) This is a one-on-one, head-to-head race to the finish. Use your items wisely to put yourself in the winner's circle. BATTLE MODE (2 Players Only) Each player has 3 balloons protecting their cart. The object here is to burst all 3 of your opponent's balloons using items that you obtain from the Question Blocks. Whoever runs out of balloons first, loses! [ PICTURE: All 8 racers ] 16 ______________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO WIN IN BATTLE MODE * Look at the color of the barriers on your opponent's screen to determine where they are. * Use the Star to your advantage. While you are invincible, it is possible to hit your opponent multiple times. * You can eliminate Banana Peels with Shells. * Always keep an eye on your opponent's screen. [ PICTURE: Mario battling Bowser ] The win/loss indicator in BATTLE MODE or MATCH RACE shows up to 99 wins and losses. Before you start playing the BATTLE MODE or MATCH RACE, it's a good idea to set a limit. For example, the first person to win 3 rounds, wins the game. To reset the win/loss indicator, turn the power OFF, then back ON. The Reset Button does not reset the win/ loss indicator. 17 ______________________________________________________________________________ SECRET WEAPONS FOR WINNING: POWER SLIDING USING THE L AND R BUTTONS Experiment with using the L and R buttons when turning corners. If you time it just right, you can do a power slide. You'll find it is possible (but difficult) to take sharp corners without letting up on the gas! B Button + Control Pad + L or R Button || \/ Tight Turn If your timing isn't quite right, you may slide off the course or even spin out. If you find yourself going out of control, let up on the gas. (This applies to normal driving too.) Also, power slides are very useful in BATTLE [ PICTURE: Mario power sliding ] MODE when you are Speed Through Tight trying to get away from Corners! an opponent that is on your tail! 18 ______________________________________________________________________________ COLLECT THE COINS Coins are all over the ground. Keep an eye open for them and always know how many coins you have. Each coin you pick up (up to 10) makes your cart go faster. Whenever an enemy runs into you or you spin out, you lose coins. Lakitu will also charge you if he needs to pick you up. If you don't have any coins and an enemy hits you, you will spin out, so be sure to collect as many as you can! Number of === 1 to 10 ===> Max Coins Speed Any number of coins over 10 are surplus. At the beginning of a race, the number of coins you have is determined by your [ PICTURE: Mario getting a coin ] starting position. Starting Position Coins 1st & 2nd 2 3rd & 4th 3 5th & 6th 4 7th & 8th 5 19 ______________________________________________________________________________ HOW MANY COINS DO YOU LOSE WHEN...? Spin caused by an item attack 4 coins Lakitu towing charge 2 coins Collision with enemy kart 1 coin If you lose all of your coins be real careful about colliding with enemy racers. If you need to be towed and you have no coins, Lakitu will take care of you anyway. (Hey, he's a nice guy!) [ PICTURE: Yoshi spinning out ] You cannot carry your coins to another course. You need to start over collecting them. Also remember that you must be on the ground to collect coins. Even if you are slightly off the ground, you cannot collect coins. 20 ______________________________________________________________________________ THE 8 CART DRIVERS There are basically 4 types of cart drivers. If each player picks the same type of driver in 2 player mode, the race should be very close. The Bros [ PICTURE: Mario ] [ PICTURE: Luigi ] Standard Performance MARIO & LUIGI The Mario Brothers have pretty much the same abilities in cart driving. Mario and Luigi have had a friendly rivalry that goes back to their childhood. You can expect a heated contest between them. When Mario and Luigi are computer controlled, they try to block your path. 21 ______________________________________________________________________________ The Dragon and The Lady [ PICTURE: Princess ] [ PICTURE: Yoshi ] Fast Acceleration PRINCESS & YOSHI At first, you might think that The Princess and Yoshi would have nothing in common (except their fondness for Mario). As it turns out, they have the same driving ability. Both of these racers have very fast acceleration. As enemies, the Princess will toss poison mushrooms in your path, and Yoshi will use eggs to hinder your progress. 22 ______________________________________________________________________________ The Showdown [ PICTURE: Bowser ] [ PICTURE: Donkey Kong Jr. ] High Top Speed BOWSER & DONKEY KONG JR. These two drivers have long been Mario's arch enemies. They are both rather hefty, so they have slow acceleration, but their top speed is great! As enemies, look out for Bowser's fireballs and Donkey Kong Jr.'s banana peels. These two really throw their weight around. Stay clear of them! 23 ______________________________________________________________________________ The Small Guys [ PICTURE: Koopa Troopa ] [ PICTURE: Toad ] Good Control KOOPA TROOPA & TOAD Neither of these racers have qualities that make them stand out. They are, however, good all around racers with better than average control in corners- they do not skid as easy. These racers are good for beginners who are just learning to race. In the GP race as enemies, Koopa Troopa will drop shells and Toad will place poison mushrooms on the track. 24 ______________________________________________________________________________ PERFORMANCE CHART \ Conditions Accele- Top CHOCO \ ration Speed ISLAND Drivers \ Standard Performance * ** /\ MARIO & LUIGI Fast Acceration *** * ** PRINCESS & YOSHI High Top Speed BOWSER & /\ *** * DONKEY KONG JR. The Small Guys KOOPA TROOPA ** /\ *** & TOAD * KOOPA TROOPA and TOAD are good at steering carts, while the Princess and Yoshi have some trouble with the steering wheel. * If KOOPA TROOPA or TOAD collide with the immense BOWSER or DONKEY KONG JR. they will be bounced around a bit. 25 ______________________________________________________________________________ This shows the best carts for each track. Try to pick a cart that will work well for the whole circuit. Ranking *** The Best of ** Very * Average /\ Not so the Best Good hot VANILLA DONUT KOOPA BATTLE LAKE PLAINS BEACH MODE *** * /\ * /\ *** ** *** ** /\ *** /\ * ** * ** In the GP race, the cart in front of you or behind you may try to make the race more difficult by tossing things on to the track. The best thing to do is concentrate on avoiding these objects. As you get closer to the front of the pack, these attacks get worse. 26 ______________________________________________________________________________ THE CIRCUITS MUSHROOM CUP FLOWER CUP MARIO CIRCUIT CHOCO ISLAND Course 1 Course 1 DONUT PLAINS GHOST VALLEY Course 1 Course 2 GHOST VALLEY DONUT PLAINS Course 1 Course 2 BOWSER CASTLE BOWSER CASTLE Course 1 Course 2 MARIO CIRCUIT MARIO CIRCUIT Course 2 Course 3 Course Characteristics MARIO CIRCUIT Slipperiness: 1 A paved track with good traction. Look out for the [ PICTURE: Pipe ] pipes! DONUT PLAINS Slipperiness: 2 A tranquil setting with a beautiful pond. Pipes or [ PICTURE: Gopher ] Gophers may get in your way. GHOST VALLEY Slipperiness: 1 A track made of wood built a long time ago. [ PICTURE: X; absent ] There are no special obstacles, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for holes. Enemies have a way of making racing as difficult as possible for you. Do your best to avoid their attacks. 27 ______________________________________________________________________________ The "Slipperiness" differs depending on the course. There are 4 levels of slipperiness - the bigger the number, the more slippery the course. STAR CUP SPECIAL CUP KOOPA BEACH The Special Cup is a Course 1 secret cup race for CHOCO ISLAND 100cc racers. Only Course 2 drivers who have won VANILLA LAKE the gold in the other Course 3 three cups can BOWSER CASTLE compete here. Course 4 MARIO CIRCUIT Course 4 BOWSER CASTLE Slipperiness: 1 A course made of stones set on a bed of lava. Be [ PICTURE: Thwomp ] careful, or you'll get Thwomped. CHOCO ISLAND Slipperiness: 3 A dirt course in the desert. The infamous Piranha [ PICTURE: Piranha Plant ] Plant hangs out here. KOOPA BEACH Slipperiness: 3 A race on the beach around a small island. The [ PICTURE: Cheep Cheep ] Flopping Cheep Cheep makes its home here. VANILLA LAKE Slipperiness: 4 A frozen lake that is very slick. Pipes and holes in [ PICTURE: Pipe ] the ice should be avoided at all costs. 28 ______________________________________________________________________________ LIST OF COURSE MAPS MUSHROOM CUP RACE [ PICTURE: Mario Circuit 1 ] [ PICTURE: Donut Plains 1 ] MARIO CIRCUIT 1 DONUT PLAINS 1 [ PICTURE: Ghost Valley 1 ] GHOST VALLEY 1 [ PICTURE: Bowser Castle 1 ] [ PICTURE: Mario Circuit 2 ] BOWSER CASTLE 1 MARIO CIRCUIT 2 If you run into an oil slick, you'll spin out. Steer around them when possible. 29 ______________________________________________________________________________ FLOWER CUP RACE [ PICTURE: Choco Island 1 ] [ PICTURE: Ghost Valley 2 ] CHOCO ISLAND 1 GHOST VALLEY 2 [ PICTURE: Donut Plains 2 ] DONUT PLAINS 2 [ PICTURE: Bowser Castle 2 ] [ PICTURE: Mario Circuit 3 ] BOWSER CASTLE 2 MARIO CIRCUIT 3 If a Gopher hops on your kart, shake it off by pressing the L or R Buttons repeatedly! 30 ______________________________________________________________________________ STAR CUP RACE [ PICTURE: Koopa Beach 1 ] [ PICTURE: Choco Island 2 ] KOOPA BEACH 1 CHOCO ISLAND 2 [ PICTURE: Vanilla Lake 1 ] VANILLA LAKE 1 [ PICTURE: Bowser Castle 3 ] [ PICTURE: Mario Circuit 4 ] BOWSER CASTLE 3 MARIO CIRCUIT 4 The dark blue water around Koopa Beach is very deep. Be careful! 31 ______________________________________________________________________________ BATTLE MODE [ PICTURE: Battle Course 1 ] [ PICTURE: Battle Course 2 ] Battle Course 1 Battle Course 2 [ PICTURE: Battle Course 3 ] [ PICTURE: Battle Course 4 ] Battle Course 3 Battle Course 4 Battle Course 1 is a practice course. 32 ______________________________________________________________________________ MASTER TIPS * If you are skidding in a corner, let up on the gas to regain control. * These carts cannot go in reverse. If you need to turn around, hop with the L and R Buttons. * You cannot hop over obstacles such as Banana Peels. Use a feather and jump over them. * If you fall into the water, you can still move slowly. But never fear! I will rescue you with my trusty fishing pole. Even if you fall off the edge of a GHOST VALLEY track or into the lava on one of the BOWSER CASTLE tracks, I'll quickly reel you in to safety. * Items cannot be picked up when you are off the ground. * If you race well enough in the TIME TRIALS, then choose the same course again, you may be able to race against yourself! * If you're going the wrong way, I will swoop onto the screen with a yellow "X" flag. * There is a special challenge waiting for you if you can get the gold trophy in the 100cc Special Cup. 33 ______________________________________________________________________________