Mario Kart World: How To Boost At The Start Of A Race

Mario Kart World introduces a lot of radical changes to the classic karting formula; chief of which may well be the fully explorable open world environment that stitches its courses together. It also retains a lot of recognisable mechanics, however, and one of these is the boost ability that lets you shoot from the starting line at speed.

Whether you're sat in a stationary grid or toddling along in a rolling start, getting that initial boost is a great way to put yourself at the front of the pack (or near the front, at least), and we'll be going over exactly how to pull it off in this guide. After all, with 24 racers now cluttering the road, you'll need all the help you can get.

Mario Kart World Starter Boost Guide

How to boost at the start of a race

Achieving a boost at the start of a race (which, in previous titles, has been officially described as a 'Rocket Start') is all about holding down the accelerator during the race countdown timer.

Holding down 'A' at the right moment can mean the difference between getting a perfect rocket boost, a smaller boost, or basically stalling your engine and costing you precious seconds on the timer.

So when should you start accelerating?

The optimum timing for a boosted start

The timing to get the perfect boosted start in Mario Kart World is actually pretty identical to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In short, it's all about the number '2' during the initial race countdown.

Essentially, you'll want to hold down 'A' the moment that the number '2' has completely come into view (i.e. when the digit has been fully 'drawn'), yet before it starts to fade out.

Aternatively, you can keep an eye on the Latiku referee: as its arm reaches the lowest point when the '2' fades into view, that's the moment you'll need to hold down 'A'.

It's a pretty tight window, but this will ensure you achieve the best start to a race.

If in doubt, be patient

Like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there's a small but approachable window in which you can get a decent boost at the start of the race, should you fail to nail the exact timing.

So for example, if you hold down 'A' while the number '2' is starting to fade away, you'll still get a boost, just one that's not quite as potent.

Essentially, it's always best to err on the side of caution when you're looking to achieve a starting boost. The temptation to hold down 'A' too soon is undeniable, but doing so will actually be detrimental to your early success, as we'll detail in the next section.

Just don't stall

Holding down 'A' too soon will cause your kart to stall, since you're giving it too much gas.

While putting your foot on the accelerator at the exact moment the number '2' is fully formed in the countdown will give you the best possible start, any moment sooner will cost you a handful of seconds as you watch the rest of the pack storm off ahead.

To reiterate, be patient. If you don't nail the timing at first, it's better to be a tad late than anything. Practice, practice, practice. You'll get there.

Now get boosting, folks. If you're after more Nintendo Switch 2 advice, check out our Switch 2 guides for more useful info.