Mario Kart DS Nintendo DS Cheats

Boost Start
Start holding A when the 2 starts to disappear for a boost start.

Star by your nick-name
This is quite challenging, but all you have to do is get at least a one star rating for every grand prix on 50cc, 100c, 150cc and 150cc mirror. After doing this you get a gold star displayed by your name when you race, check "records" to check when you've done it.

How to make R.O.B dance
To make ROB dance, in a race press Left and Right continuously.

Turbo Boost at Start of Race
To get a turbo boost at the start of a race, do not hold the acceleration button down prior to the race starting. Wait until just after the number 2 in the countdown disappears, then hold A. If done right, you will receive a turbo boost as soon as the race starts.

Turbo Boost After Lakitu Retrieval
If you fall off the track or get stuck underwater for more than a couple moments, Lakitu comes to pull you out and place you on the track again. When he picks you up, wait until you're dropped onto the track again, then press the acceleration at that exact moment and you'll get a turbo boost if you timed it correctly.

Drift
This will tell you how to drift if you dont know how to do it. First you jump then press a and hold both r and a. Then you will press the arrow keys alot in any direction and then you will see blue sparks and then red sparks. On the red sparks you let go and it will give you a boost.

Slight Speed Boost: Hilly places
When you have a hill with a steep drop press jump (R) and if you're going at top speed you'll do a big jump.

Jump Higher
When you hit a jump press A to make you go higher.

Booby Trap
Go to balloon battle and go to pipe plaza. Once there, get either an item box or a banana. Keep it behind you by holding down L. Now go into a pipe. You will pop out the other end. As soon as you hit the ground, release the L button. The item should be behind you. Now, whenever someone goes through that pipe, they will get hit. Works every time if you do it right.

Turbo Boost on Drift, In any race
When you start a drift you will see clouds of dust coming from your wheels. While drifting push the directional buttons repeatedly (eg. left right left right) and you will see blue sparks appear. Keep on doing this untill red sparks appear then let go of the drift/hop button and you will get a boost.

Secret Item Box
On the level DK Pass you can get a secret item box. Right before you go on the land of snow, there is a hill that you can go on. Go up the hill and grab the item box. This item box always has something good in it, even when you are in 1st place.

Avoiding Red and Blue Shells
If you have a shell of any color or a banana, you can be protected from red shells. Just hold down the item button and the shell or banana will stay behind your cart. Whenever a red shell comes it will hit the banana instead of you. If you are going around a sharp corner, just go really close to it and sometimes the shell will hit the wall. To avoid blue shell just simply drop a bomb right when it is behind you.

Magic Turbo
This is easy! Stay for a while behind an other racer (3-4 seconds) and then go by on your way and you will go faster for a while. Like drafting in other racing games.

Shortcut in Mushroom Bridge
After you pass the finish line on Mushroom Bridge, keep to the right and as soon as you see a really big grassy hill keep a close eye out for a path way, it should take you 2-4 seconds ahead of everyone else.

Faster way through Tick-Tock Clock
When you get the circular area were there are turbo pads and two arms, go to the right it is faster. At the end of the course with the two gears, you can drive on them, it's like a turbo. On the first lap the left gear is the one to go on, the second lap you must go on the right one, and the third lap you need to go on the left one.

Player Colors: multiplayer battles or races
If you have 8 players all wanting a specific color (e.g player 5 light blue) have everyone join at different times. Here's a chart for when each player should come in.
player 1 blue
player 2 yellow
player 3 red
player 4 dark purple
player 5 light blue
player 6 orange
player 7 purple
player 8 green

Tip for Shortcut in Delfino Square 2
The Shortcut in Delfino Square 2 (listed as another cheat on this page) will not work unless you have a mushroom. The brown sludge will slow you down, making it just as long as going the long way around.

Get Two Different Weapons
In Mario Kart, you drive through those diamonds to get items. When you press the L button, it fires off your item. If your item isn't a power up and it is a single weapon like shells or bananas, you can press and hold L to put the weapon on the back of your car. You are now able to pickup another.
Hint: You can only do this with two weapons, and this doesn't work with power ups such as mushrooms, lighting strikes, stars, and bullet bills.

Battle Parm Island
The island in the battle arena is a perfect place for letting a bomb explode. Wait there until you get a bomb. When they all come, leave the bomb there and get out of the blast radius.

Clockworks Shortcut
When you are next to the gears that move at the end, go up the spinning wheel. This saves you time so you don't go up the hill, and if you have a mushroom you can fly for a short period of time.

Emblems
Go to options, then go to edit. You will see paint. Then you can make designs.

Using Mushrooms
On battle mode, balloon battle, it is dumb to waste up your extra balloons. You will need a golden mushroom, a triple mushroom, or a single mushroom for this. Go up to somebody and use the mushroom to bump into them. Once you bump into them with the mushroom, you steal one of their balloons. You must have good aim.

Ink Be Gone
When you get inked and you can't see, look for the nearest speed boost or get a mushroom. Go on the speed boost (or use the mushroom) and the ink will fly off.
Note: The power slide turbo boosts will not work.

Perfect Boost starts
If you have been listening to the other hints about boost starts,this will tell you more.... If you time it absolutely on perfect timing u will have the boost start for 3 seconds straight. If off by about .5 of a second u will get a short boost (about .5 of a second).

FEEL DA BOOST!!
At the start just before the 1 appears hold ACCELARATION. I done to early u get a cloud of smoke, 2 late nothing happens. Also can be done when ya fall off the track.

Slight edge on Tick-Tock Clock
On tick-tock clock, you will notice the gears that rotate in front of the finish line, and the part with the 4 gears that rotate along the course. All you have to do to get an edge on pursuers is to quickly look at each gear rotating, and drive in that direction. it will make you go a bit faster. For the gears along the finish line, look to see which one is going foward, and drive on top of that one, but dont fall. That way you can get ahead of anyone, even on 150cc mirror, ive almost lapped someone in mirror because of this.

Secret Mushroom in Delfino Square
Before the bridge with all those dash panels on it there will be a turn near a long shelf with all the fake fruit on it. There will be a wooden box. Run through the box and a mushroom will fly out.

Special box
In DK Pass, follow up the road. After a couple turns, you will see a big hill with snow on it. Look at your map screen you should see a box - the box is a star or 3 mushrooms, even when you're in first place.

Bowser castle super shortcut
When you pass the skinny part of the track and go to the big circle instead of going out on the first exit keep on going and then exit on the second exit it will save you lots of time.

Bullet Bill or Star Launch Kill
When you have a Bullet Bill, get right behind an opponent, and launch. They will fly right out of your way(unless they have a similar power-up).

Cool shortcut
Select DK Pass and go to the top of the hill.Ride up the hill and there's an item box go through it and no matter what placce your in you should get a star or tripole mushrooms!

Unlockable Characters, Cups and items
Unlockable Characters, Cups and items for Mario Kart DS
#. Unlockable: --- How to Unlock:
1. "Mission 7" in Mission Mode --- Get at least a 1-star ranking on all levels of every mission in Mission Levels 1-6
2. 150cc Mirror Mode --- Finish 150cc Retro Class with Gold trophies on every cup
3. Alternate Ending Screen --- Finish all classes with gold trophies on all cups (including mirror mode)
4. Alternate Title Screen --- Finish all classes with gold trophies on all cups
5. Character Daisy --- Get a Gold Trophy on every cup in Retro Grand Prix on 50cc
6. Character Dry Bones --- Get a Gold Trophy on every cup in Nitro Grand Prix on 50cc
7. daisy --- Beat the lightning cup in 50cc.
8. Earn a star for your nickname --- Beat all cups in all modes with 1-star rating or better
9. Item 3rd kart for all characters --- Get a Gold Trophy on every cup in Nitro Grand Prix on 100cc
10. Item Choose from 7 karts for each character --- Get a gold trophy in every cup in Nitro Grand Prix on 150cc
11. Item Choose from any kart for each character --- Get a gold trophy in every cup in Retro Grand Prix on 150cc mirror
12. Leaf Cup --- Get Gold on Shell Cup and Banana Cup
13. Lightning Cup --- Get Gold on Leaf Cup
14. Play as walegi --- Be 1st in all cups on 100cc retro grand picx
15. R.O.B. as a racer --- Finish 150cc Mirror Mode Nitro Class with Gold Trophies on all cups
16. Special Cup --- Get Gold on Star Cup
17. Star Cup --- Get Gold on Mushroom Cup and Flower Cup

Staff Ghost Times - Retro Cups
These ghosts are unlocked in Time Trial mode by obtaining a specific time on each course. The ghosts are those of the staff who made the game, and are all very difficult to overcome. The times given for each track are those of the Staff Ghost; the ability to race the Ghost is acquired by timing a few seconds more than the Staff Ghost on that track. It varies from track to track, though the required time is usually within 5 to 10 seconds of the Staff Ghost's time.
#. Unlockable: --- How to Unlock:
1. Baby Park --- 0:50:920
2. Banshee Boardwalk --- 2:14:403
3. Bowser Castle 2 --- 1:52:258
4. Choco Island 2 --- 1:01:620
5. Choco Mountain --- 2:15:571
6. Donut Plains 1 --- 1:08:027
7. Frappe Snowland --- 2:08:781
8. Koopa Beach 2 --- 0:54:847
9. Luigi Circuit --- 1:29:759
10. Luigi Circuit --- 1:46:581
11. Mario Circuit 1 --- 0:50:688
12. Moo Moo Farm --- 1:17:751
13. Mushroom Bridge --- 1:30:600
14. Peach Circuit --- 1:12:011
15. Sky Garden --- 1:44:400
16. Yoshi Circuit --- 1:48:793

Staff Ghost Times - Nitro Cups
These ghosts are unlocked in Time Trial mode by obtaining a specific time on each course. The ghosts are those of the staff who made the game, and are all very difficult to overcome. The times given for each track are those of the Staff Ghost; the ability to race the Ghost is acquired by timing a few seconds more than the Staff Ghost on that track. It varies from track to track, though the required time is usually within 5 to 10 seconds of the Staff Ghost's time.
#. Unlockable: --- How to Unlock:
1. Airship Fortress --- 2:07:748
2. Bowser Castle --- 2:19:661
3. Cheep Cheep Beach --- 1:43:654
4. Delfino Plaza --- 1:54:601
5. Desert Hills --- 1:31:262
6. DK Pass --- 2:14:607
7. Figure-8 Circuit --- 1:36:481
8. Luigi's Mansion --- 1:59:357
9. Mario Circuit --- 1:56:533
10. Peach Gardens --- 1:52:989
11. Rainbow Road --- 2:16:246
12. Shroom Ridge --- 2:05:123
13. Tick-Tock Clock --- 1:54:903
14. Walugi Pinabll --- 2:23:288
15. Wario Stadium --- 2:14:868
16. Yoshi Falls --- 0:57:677