DK Pass
The DK Pass is a winding snow course which takes you all over the mountain. There's nothing really special to note, really it's the sharp turns (and many of them) which sums up most of the difficulty of this course. The only other thing you need to be aware of are the large rolling snowballs about five times the size of your kart which barrel down the course. Drift Boost to the right at the beginning into the tunnel and then Drift Boost again left when you come out of it. At the top of the hill make sure to pick up one of the item boxes. Around the next "S" shaped turns there is no barrier on the side of the road, so you'll need to be careful when drifting. The first shortcut in the level comes just after this "S" turn. You'll see a barrier with arrows pointing left ahead of you, and a red net-barrier on your left. When the red barrier on your left ends, make a very sharp left turn (only if you have a Mushroom or Star) and drive up this snowy hill. Doing so you will be able to avoid the large left turn entirely and save a good deal of time on this corner.That's not the only shortcut however, the next one comes very soon after that one. If you still have a Mushroom / Star (or just picked one up) then be prepared to do the exact same thing up the steep snowy hill on your left. Not only is this actually a better shortcut, but there's also an item box at the top of the hill to pick up as you shoot ahead of everyone else. Land on the track and Drift Boost around to your left to reach some item boxes and another "S" curve. After the turn you've got one large boost jump before the course's final turn. On this corner as you drift around to the right, make sure you're careful to aim yourself between the snowmen otherwise you could find yourself in a sticky situation when trying to Drift Boost to the finish line.
Tick-Tock Clock
This here is a great level based on the Super Mario 64 level of the same name. You've got your branching paths and even moving parts that will act as obstacles, slow you down, or even speed you up if utilized to your advantage. When the race begins Drift Boost around the left turn and be very careful because there are no walls on the course in this area. At the top you'll come to a little bit of a fork in the road. This is actually the face of a clock with both a minute hand and an hour hand. Try to see which hand is moving clockwise and which is moving counter-clockwise. You should do your best to go in the same direction as the longer minute hand, that way it has less chance of coming around and hitting you head-on. Make sure you use both the Booster Pads on whichever side to increase your speed going through here.At the bottom of the hill you've got a sharp turn to the right (perfect for Drift Boosting) which leads you directly to the item boxes and the moving clock obstacle. Make sure you position yourself so that by the time you reach the obstacle it's nowhere near you. After this you've got the spinning cogs that you need to drive across. This part can be really fun and give you a great advantage if you know what you're doing. Since they change directions I can't tell you which way to go specifically. You need to look ahead and see which way the gear is turning. If it's turning clockwise then jump down onto the left side so that the momentum of the gear gives you some extra speed, if it's turning counter-clockwise then do the opposite. Hop from the first gear onto the second gear on the opposite side (it will always be moving in the opposite direction) to maintain your speed, then onto the opposite side of the third gear and so on until you reach the end. If all goes well then you will have driven in the same direction as the movement each time.
Following directly after this section, and past the zig-zagging turn is another clock face with only a single hand moving in a counter-clockwise direction. The clock itself is moving clockwise and the path leading off of it is slightly on your left. If you've got a Mushroom or a Star then it's probably faster to take the left side and drive against the movement for a moment, otherwise try to stay on the right side, but closer to the middle (and don't miss an item box either.) The final trick to help you get ahead in this level comes just before the finish line. There are two vertical gears moving in opposite directions. You have to discern which of the two is moving in the same direction as you, and then hop onto that gear to get an extremely good speed boost that will really get you ahead of the competition.
Mario Circuit
The classic Mario Circuit returns. It may not be the same course, but the theme is quite familiar, filled with all kinds of classic Mario dangers like the Goombas and the Piranha Plants. Boost out of the starting line and try to get in at least two Drift Boosts around this first corner. Watch out for the large Goombas which occupy the track ahead of you here, they'll really get in the way at times. After snagging an item from one of the boxes, try to Drift Boost right, left and right again around the winding curve. Ahead of you here are the first couple Piranha Plants for the level. Their fire breath can knock you out if you happen to be hit by it, but there's less of a chance of that occurring if you take the level's first (and only) shortcut.After you approach the Piranha Plants keep an eye on the one on the right. To the right of this Piranha Plant between the pipe and the wall is a sandy area which serves as a great Shortcut if you've got a Mushroom or Star with you. Drive over the sand to the right of the pipe and speed into the tunnel to really get ahead of the competition. Coming out of the tunnel what you need to do is start drifting to the left early, and shaking that D-Pad to get your Drift Boost ready. There's a 180 degree turn coming up and if you can drift around so you're almost facing backwards by the time the curve hits, and then boost in the new direction it will really give you an advantage. As you drive along the dirt road and approach the castle you'll reach the second set of Piranha Flowers. It's not really much of a shortcut, but if you have a Mushroom you can save a bit of time by boosting over the grass beside the flowers. Just make sure you don't miss the item boxes. Drift early and do the same thing I suggested before around this next 180 degree turn, and then Drift Boost like mad around the final large right curve to the finish line.
Airship Fortress
The Airship Fortress offers just as many dangers as you'd expect from something called an Airship Fortress. Large flying bullets, mole-holes, pillars of fire, and giant cannons are all par for this particular course. When you start the race you'll be dropped off right away into some kind of bullet range where a number of large bullets will be flying at you head-on. Try to avoid drifting too much here and focus on just avoiding being hit by them. Drift Boost around the corner to the left and grab an item before Drift Boosting to the right. Launch yourself off the jump and prepare to dodge a bunch of mole-holes around the next turn. They're harmless when they're under the deck but the second one of them pops up they can knock you over and really slow you down. When you get inside the actual ship itself start Drift Boosting to the left so that you can drift around the corner and boost in the opposite direction toward the item boxes at the bottom of the hill.There are a few crates in this next room that are easy enough to avoid, but it's the pillars of fire that will inevitably get in your way. Whether you try through the middle or on one of the sides, it all depends on the timing and you need to learn how to judge it well from a distance. Being hit by the fire will only knock you out temporarily. Drift Boost around the next corner and launch yourself through the cannon. If you're good and Drift Boosting quickly then you can probably utilize this technique well around the sharp turns here, otherwise you might actually save time simply by holding the drift button and trying to stay as close to the inner wall as possible. Coming out of the turret, Drift Boost right and then left again being careful of the broken road and that you don't fall down it. The finish line comes soon after.
