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As with any good racing game, Mario Kart Wii is filled with shortcuts. Here is a list of some of the most well known ones you can use to get an edge over the competition!

Mushroom Cup

Luigi Circuit

When you approach the Luigi statue, to your left you will see an area with dirt and sand. There is a ramp there you can use!

Moo Moo Meadows
There are no known shortcuts on this course.

Mushroom Gorge

At the start of the level, you will see a red mushroom and a green mushroom to your left. Between them is a jiggling mushroom. If you use a mushroom to go off the cliff, you can land on a bouncy mushroom. Trick off it and reach another mushroom. Trick one more time, and you will land right near the bridge’s launch pad!

Also, after you go off the bridge, go around the corner. You will come across two routes. The left one is the faster one. It contains boosts and item boxes!

Finally, in the cave, it again splits off. The left is the shorter route. Bounce and trick off of the first mushroom, and continue on. It is proven to be the faster of the two paths.

Toad’s Factory

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

Flower Cup

Mario Circuit

At one point in this level there is a chain chomp, a large metallic ball with teeth and eyes that tries to attack you. There is a booster in that sandy area. If you use a mushroom to reach it, and trick off of it, it can cut some time off!

Coconut Mall

Take a right when you go up the first set of escalators. You will enter a shop with a ramp. Go off the ramp and trick off of it! It is preferable to have a mushroom for this part.

Also, there is a turn just after the fountain. Once you pass that turn, there is a boost pad in the center of the track. If you take a right and go around the corner (on the other side of the square posts), you can use the boost pad and trick off of it!

DK Summit

If you are careful, you can successfully jump the spaces to the right of the level’s huge turns!

Wario’s Gold Mine

Once you go off the big ramp, there are a series of mine carts going along a track. If you carefully avoid them, you can veer off to the left and fall into a small cave. It has boost pads and a ramp. As always, trick off when you come to the end of it.

Star Cup

Daisy Circuit

After the first "S" turn, you can go up a set of stairs. It has a boost pad for you to trick off of.

Koopa Cape

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

Maple Treeway

Right at the beginning of the course, go off to the right. You will enter a tunnel with a series of boost pads that take you right to the big launcher in the course.

Also, towards the end of the course, after the big net path, veer towards the right. You will go right to a small boost ramp that you can trick off of.

Grumble Volcano

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

Special Cup

Dry Dry Ruins

Take a left when you come up to the bridge, to an offroad area. You can trick off of the fallen pillar if you’ve got a mushroom to reach the area! Be careful though, because this pillar doesn’t fall until you are at least on your second lap.

Moonview Highway

There is an elevated area to your right after the first turn. It leads you right to a ramp that you can trick off of.

Bowser’s Castle

When the Bowser Statue is shooting fire at you, you will see a ramp right in the center, after the first part of the half pipe.

Rainbow Road

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

Shell Cup

GCN Peach Beach

There is a yellow pianta character waving his hands after your first turn. There is a launch pad behind the block he is standing on.

After the pianta, there is a pool of water right in the center of the track. If you go on the right side and avoid the creatures on the sand, you will have the advantage at this part of the course.

DS Yoshi Falls

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

SNES Ghost Valley 2

After the first major turn, there is a straight path with a ramp off to the right for you to trick off of.

N64 Mario Raceway

After you pass the big orange mushroom, there is a Piranha Plant to the right of the blue and white ramp. Use a mushroom to make it to that ramp!

Banana Cup

N64 Sherbet Land

There will be a rock in the middle of the track, about a third of the way through. If you go to the right of it, there is a small path with a launch pad and item boxes.

GBA Shy Guy Beach

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

DS Delfino Square

After navigating the buildings, you can choose to go left or straight. The straight path will prove to be the quicker one.

There’s also a sharp left turn after this section. But if you go even more left, you can use a mushroom to boost over the water and land on a dock.

If you choose not to take that route, fear not—on the traditional path, there is a dirt alley on the right. As long as you get rid of the boxes and have something to boost you, you can make it through this alleyway and get ahead of the competition!

GCN Waluigi Stadium

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

Leaf Cup

There are no known shortcuts on this entire cup!

Lightning Cup

SNES Mario Circuit 3

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

DS Peach Gardens

After the hill with hedges, there is an area full of moles jumping up at you. If you go to the right, onto the grassy area, there’s a ramp you can trick off of instead!

GCN DK Mountain

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

N64 Bowser’s Castle

There are no known shortcuts on this course.

While there may be plenty more shortcuts waiting for you, this is all the best known ones! But hey, who knows—you could find a shortcut of your own if you keep exploring!

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