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Mario Kart DS Wiki & Guide

Mario Kart DS Nintendo DS box art

Quick reference for Nintendo’s 2005 kart racer: all 32 courses with maps and staff ghosts, 13 racers, 36 karts with full stats, every item and its odds, 63 missions and everything you can unlock.

Released
Nov 2005
System
Nintendo DS
Courses
32
Sales
23.60 million

Browse all 32 courses →

Explore the wiki

Courses & cupsAll 32 tracks and 8 cupsRacers13 racers and how to unlock themKarts & statsAll 36 karts, sortable statsItemsEvery item and what it doesItem oddsItem chances for every placeMission ModeAll 63 missions and 7 bossesUnlockablesRacers, karts and Mirror modeStaff ghostsAll 32 Time Trial targetsBattle modeBalloon Battle and 6 arenasGameplay & techniquesControls, snaking, rocket startsHazards & emblems22 obstacles and the emblem makerImage galleryEvery picture on this wiki

The eight cups

Mushroom Cup

  1. Figure-8 Circuit
  2. Yoshi Falls
  3. Cheep Cheep Beach
  4. Luigi's Mansion

Flower Cup

  1. Desert Hills
  2. Delfino Square
  3. Waluigi Pinball
  4. Shroom Ridge

Star Cup

  1. DK Pass
  2. Tick-Tock Clock
  3. Mario Circuit
  4. Airship Fortress

Special Cup

  1. Wario Stadium
  2. Peach Gardens
  3. Bowser Castle
  4. Rainbow Road

Shell Cup

  1. SNES Mario Circuit 1
  2. N64 Moo Moo Farm
  3. GBA Peach Circuit
  4. GCN Luigi Circuit

Banana Cup

  1. SNES Donut Plains 1
  2. N64 Frappe Snowland
  3. GBA Bowser Castle 2
  4. GCN Baby Park

Leaf Cup

  1. SNES Koopa Beach 2
  2. N64 Choco Mountain
  3. GBA Luigi Circuit
  4. GCN Mushroom Bridge

Lightning Cup

  1. SNES Choco Island 2
  2. N64 Banshee Boardwalk
  3. GBA Sky Garden
  4. GCN Yoshi Circuit

Quick tips

  • Hold A as the “2” fades for a rocket start.
  • Wiggle the Control Pad while drifting until the sparks turn orange, then let go for a mini-turbo.
  • Keep a Banana or shell behind you in first place to block Red Shells.
  • Win all 50cc cups first to unlock Dry Bones and Daisy.
  • Light, high-handling karts like the Dry Bomber are the easiest to snake with.

Did you know?

  • It was the first Mario Kart with a Retro Grand Prix, bringing back 16 courses from the four earlier games.
  • It was the first Nintendo game with online play over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which closed on May 20, 2014.
  • Mario Kart DS is the only Mario Kart released first in North America (November 14, 2005).
  • Dry Bones and R.O.B. made their Mario Kart debuts here, and Shy Guy was playable only through DS Download Play.
  • Bullet Bill and Blooper debuted as items in this game and have been in every Mario Kart since.
  • Every Mission Mode boss is taken from Super Mario 64 DS.
  • It sold 23.60 million copies, making it the third best-selling Nintendo DS game.

FAQ

When did Mario Kart DS come out?

November 14, 2005 in North America, November 17, 2005 in Australia, November 25, 2005 in Europe and December 8, 2005 in Japan.

How many courses and characters are in Mario Kart DS?

32 courses in 8 cups plus 6 battle arenas, and 12 racers plus Shy Guy in Download Play. All courses.

How many copies did Mario Kart DS sell?

23.60 million, making it one of the best-selling Nintendo DS games.

Who made Mario Kart DS?

Nintendo EAD, produced by Hideki Konno and directed by Makoto Wada and Yasuyuki Oyagi, with music by Shinobu Tanaka.

Sources & picture credits

Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against the Super Mario Wiki and the Mario Kart Racing Wiki. Kart statistics, staff ghost times and item odds are the values from the game data as transcribed by the Super Mario Wiki. Screenshots, renders and artwork © Nintendo; local copies archived from Super Mario Wiki file pages (listed on the image gallery).