Topic: Mario Kart 7 Online Strategies

These are just some strategies for racing online in MK7 that I've accumulated in my almost 300 hours of playing! Let me know if you find any of this helpful, if you've used any of these before, or if there's anything else you'd like to add.

• "The Flying Drift"
  This trick, which I call "the flying drift", is incredibly useful. It allows you to hit the ground in a drift after a jump. Just turn in the direction you want to drift and hold the R button while still in midair. Like I said earlier, it's incredibly useful and can quickly give you the upper hand.

More generally, make it a point to take corners as sharply as possible.

When in "auto flight mode" (such as on Waluigi Pinball or Maple Treeway), tilt your kart up and hold it. You'll soar over your competitors.

• In case of Blue Shells:
  When you have a Blue Shell:
  Launch Blue Shells as soon as you get them to cause the most chaos. If you hold onto it, the best players will have time to plan an escape. If you launch it before anyone registers that one has appeared, everyone has to react much faster and you're more likely to hit more people.
  When a Blue Shell is coming
  As soon as you hear the tell-tale warning sound, get to the side of the track. If you're on a shortcut, you're also safe. Blue Shells go straight down the center of the track and don't take shortcuts.
  When you're in first:
  Not everyone fires Blue Shells immediately. You can take advantage of this. If you're far ahead in first, just keep going. You'll be worse off if you try to get in second place. If there are others close by, try to get them in the blast radius. DO NOT try to get behind them. It's hard to tell if you've been locked onto already or not. If at all possible, try to make sure you're not airborne when it hits.

Try to follow behind people with triple shells.

Follow people with Fire Flowers slightly to the right or left.

Drive in the moment. Although extensive knowledge of the layouts of tracks is useful, Mirrored tracks are occasionally thrown in without warning. Often, driving on spur of the moment is better than driving via memorization.

Be especially aggresive at the start. If you have the pole position, keep it or die trying (figuratively speaking). If you're farther behind, take advantage of your better items.

Choose water over flight. When given the choice, the water route is most often faster than the flying route.

Some people use outlandish strategies to get to first. Don't let them take you off guard. Often, they can be stopped if you take their advantage away from them, or exploit a small mistake on their part.

Plan drafts carefully. A draft boost at an inopportune time can be detrimental rather than helpful.

The Maka Wuhu glitch

Bwhahaha you're telling me the best MK player ever what to do? NO!
And half of what you said little boy are things you shouldn't do. You keep trying child.
Oh wise 300 hours of experience. xD

Which may not work anymore according to the patch Nintendo released some time ago.....

I don't understand your advice about getting behind people with three shells. Actually, it sounds like the worst advice ever. My advice would be NEVER get behind someone with three shells. Same goes for the fire flower. It has better range shooting forwards, but can still do damage firing backwards.

@Harrison_Peter If they have greens, I'd go ahead of them, because most of the time they miss anyway unless you are directly in front of them. If they're reds, stay the hell behind them, even if they are in first. Second is better than the last place you'll get by trying to go ahead of them.

I can shoot people behind me. If they're not directly behind me, I judge it with the map. With practice you can get very accurate!

I've found its actually one of the most brilliant strategies to hold on to a blue shell when you get one, since no one wants to be hit by it all the people at the front slow down to not be in 1st place hence its an easy way to catch up Then fire it & you'll hold them back even further. Of course this won't work all the time (since some will keep driving anyway or they've got a mushroom boost item) but its hilarious & awesome when it does work

@Harrison_Peter True, but if you go ahead there's a 100% chance of you being hit if they are reds. And people above 3rd usually hold onto them to defer you from going ahead.

Choose water over flight. When given the choice, the water route is most often faster than the flying route.

NO WAY !!! driving under water feels so damn slow. i always try to fly

I agree. In fact, I'm pretty sure flying is faster than going underwater.

Also, sometimes I used to fall off the track deliberately to avoid a Blue Shell. If you can do it just right, the Blue Shell simply explodes in a bottomless pit. If not, it flies around the track for another lap and you get some time to try and dodge it/fall back/whatever.

Winning is my favourite strategy.

I'm working on the Daisy Cruiser glitch~
I always hold onto Blue Shells. By doing that, I end up in first with a Blue Shell some 70% of the time. Anyone behind me doesn't dare to attack, because there's no reason to fray from second, go to first, and get shelled back a few slots.

@RedPanda That was fun when I had my 3DS

i love how all other racers brake when i hold my blue shell for a few seconds. nobody wants to be in first place when i launch it xD