Returning from the original courses of the very first Super Mario Kart, Donut Plains 3 is a short and fast course. The ponds and grassy fields around the course can be exploited by a properly equipped and skilled racer for some fantastic shortcuts.
Kart of Champions
Nintendo’s Best Time Trial: 1:24.754 |
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Player: Jeff C. M. |
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Racer: Morton |
Body: Gold Standard |
Wheels: Cyber Slick |
Glider: Cloud Glider |
Grand Prix
The first right turn, particularly during Lap 1, is vital to retrieve items from during a Grand Prix. If you don’t get a good start, you’ll likely miss out on items and be caught in the middle of the pack—and have a bit of a fight on your hands to break free.
When crossing this first bridge, don’t fall into the water unless you have a Mushroom to push you through the other side, and even then there’s a better use of it just across the bridge. While you can drive through the water, normally it’s a slower route.
Staying on the road during Turn 2 can snag you some badly needed Coins. However, this turn can be cut very heavily by Mushrooming across the grass on the inside of the turn, past the retaining wall, and into the second pond.
Exiting the second pond and following the obvious route through the Item Boxes into the following series of curves is simple. However, this second pond is also the site of another major shortcut—one that does not require Mushrooms. Simply cut the corner while in the water, avoiding contact with the retaining wall on the left, and drive up out of the water. The correct exit angle will be marked by tire tracks on the hill, and you can Jump Boost off this makeshift ramp onto the track.
However you decide to navigate out of the second pond, don’t miss the Coins on the next part of the course!
After a hairpin right over wet terrain, this straightaway is infested by Monty Moles. Jump Boost off their hills if they get in the way. If you have a Mushroom again at this point, you can aim for yet another shortcut through a gap in the retaining wall.
If the shortcut is out of the question, leaving the Monty Mole straightaway requires you to navigate two final hairpin turns before the last stretch. The terrain here is wet, so be prepared to compensate for that. This is also a good location to cut loose with Bananas or any shells you might have to complicate things for rivals behind you.
Time Trial Mode
After starting, cut Turn 1 as tight to the grass as possible, and cross the bridge.
There are four Coins you can safely collect on this turn during your first lap. However, it’s better if you cut this first turn by using a Mushroom to cross the grass, blowing past the dividing wall and aiming for the next part of the pond. If you’re aiming for the best time, there’s a good possibility that you will not reach ten Coins during this time trial. You have to make up for this with excellent cornering.
You must take the shortcut route out of the second pond to make good times! The hardest part isn’t cutting the turn, it’s exiting the water at an angle that lets you collect Coins on the next stretch of road. You can be at up to eight Coins by this point.
The hairpin onto the Monty Mole straightaway has two more Coins to collect. Snagging them can be tough thanks to the wet terrain. Optimal laps down this stretch will have you taking advantage of Jump Boosts off the molehills.
The last two turns should be taken as tight on the inside line as possible. Ideally, the transition from the next-to-last turn to the very last turn should almost be a straight line drift from one apex to the next. The corner just before the final stretch does have some Coins you can collect on the inside line to help boost your total.
TM & © 2014 Nintendo.