Retro Game Walkthroughs For
"Mario Kart Double Dash"
(Gamecube)

Welcome back again! This is the third and final part of my exclusive trilogy. This contains track maps to all the tracks, the second part contains track guides(strategies), and the first part contains everything that wasn't included in this part of the second. Hope you enjoy and will be doin more gamecube guides in the future. By Disasterpieces aka Martin Clark.

(01)Track Maps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maps of Tracks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unlockable

Please contact me if you know any shortcuts that i don't know about.
*** = start line
numbers represent shortcuts


Mushroom Cup
-------------

Luigi Circuit
---
_----_
/ \
/ -- \
| | | |
| | | |
|*** \/ /
\ /
\ /
\ \
\ \
1 \
\ |
|
| |
2 / |
\
/ / \ |
\ / |
\ /
-___-

Shortcut: At '1' there is a small road leaving the track which rejoins the track at point '2'. Watch out for the chain chomp.

Interesting info: Racers from both directions meet at the mid-point of this track.

Description: Though the chain chomp is a bit noisy, this is a relatively peaceful course. The front straight and the back straight run parallel to each other, so you'll see your rivals coming and going. Wheter you opt for the outside line and the dash panels or cut it close and stay on the inside track is up to you.

Peach Beach
---
________________________
/ ____________*_______ \/ 1
| / ______ \ /
| \ / \ | |
| | / \ _ / /
\ \ / _ ---- _ |
| -- / \ |_
| \ / __2
___ /
| |___|
\ / -----
______

Shortcut: Enter the warp pipe at point '1', it exits at point '2'.

Interesting info: You may recognise some enemies from super mario sunshine on the beach.

Description: Princess Peach's favourite beach resort! Beware the Cataquacks wandering about the shoreline. The course changes with the tide, so watch the waterline for your chance at a big shortcut.

Baby Park
---
-----------------------
/ * \
| * |
| =================== |
| |
\ /
-----------------------

Shortcut: No shortcuts in this one!

Interesting info: This track is so short there are 7 laps in Grand prix

Dry Dry Dessert
---
--- __ ---
/ \/ \/ \
| / \ _ /\ _ / \ |
| | / \
|*| | 0 |
| | \ /
| | | |
| | ___ / |
| - -- -- /
\ _ _
\ /
_____

Shortcut: I haven't found any shortcuts yet.

Interesting info: There is a shifting sand pit with a piranha plant in the centre.

Flower Cup
---

Mushroom Bridge
---
- - _ 1_----_
/ _ - _ / __ \
/ / - _ -2_ / / \ \
| | - _ / \ \
| | - _ - | |
\ \ __3_______________ / /
_________________*_____
4

Shortcut: Leave the track at '1' and re-enter at '2'. You need a mushroom or star to drive through the sand though.
Shortcut: You can drive up the bridge supports at '3' for some speed boosts.
Shortcut: You can get a double item box at '4'

Interesting info: Watch out fo the other traffic.

Description: One of the Mushroom Kingdom's most famous landmarks. This bridge is well travelled, so be carefulnot to run into any commuters. The car carrying all the mushrooms looks strangely inviting, though...

Mario Circuit
---
_ __
___________ - _ - _ - _ \
/ __________ - - _ - | |
| | | |
\ \___ -- _ / /
___ \ / ____
| | \ ---
| | - _ \
\ \ \ \
/ / | |
\ \ _______________/ /
\___________*______ /

Shortcut: No shortcut found so far.

Interesting info: You can see peach's castle.

Description: This is the main circuit in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Familiar denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom can be spotted here and there. The road's filled with curves, so this is a good place to practice drifting.

Daisy Cruise
---

Top floor
_____ ____
/ __ \___ _---- 1_ \
/ / \ * \ | __ \__| |
\ \___\__*_ \____| 5_| /
\____2___ \_______|_______/


Bottom floor
___________________
| _3_ | ___1__
| | | | |
_| | | | |
_2__| |________|

Hole
_____
| 3_|
| |
[[[4__|

Explanation: At point 1 the track goes into a lower floor of the ship
At point 2 the track comes back onto the top floor
At point 3 there is a hole that you can fall into
At point 4 you are shot back onto the top floor at point 2

Shortcut: You can drive around the other side of the swimming pool at '5'

Interesting info: The tables and chairs slide around because of the movement of the ship.

Waluigi Stadium
---
__________________________
/ _______________________ \
| | \ \
| | | |
____| |_________________ | \
/ __*_ 3 _______ ______ \ /\ \
\ \__ | | ____\__|_____/1/ |
\_ || | / _________________/
2\| || | | | | |
| || | \ \___/ |
\__/ \______/

Shorcut: You can use a mushroom or star to cut across the dirt at '1' and '2'

Interesting info: There is a jump over the track at point '3'

Star Cup
---

Sherbet Land
---

_ _--_--_
/ _ \ / -_-_ \
_| | | |__--_ | / | |
/ \\ -- \_| | _| |
| | \__/ \ / | |
| / -_- __| |
| \__ \ __/
\_____ \____________/ |
\_________*_____/

Shortcut: Don't know of any shortcuts

Interesting: You can see skating shy guys!

Description: A beautiful course covered in a blanket of white show. Don't be lulled into complacency though - the ice is very slippery! Careless driving may result in multi-kart pileups.

Mushroom City
---
_____________
__/ _ ___<___ |
/ _<_/ |^| |^|
| |_____|_|_______|_|_________
\___>___LLLLLLLL*LLLLLLLLLLL \__
| |2\\ | |\_> \
|^|__\\_|^|___\ \
|_____1_________/

(Sorry if this map is a bit difficult to understand, there are several levels and multiple routes, which makes it difficult to represent here. The part highlighted with 'L' is where there is a road underneath, in the next update i will change it to show the different levels)

Shortcut: There is a small road with a double item box leaving the track at '1' and rejoining at '2' (underneath the upper road)

Interesting info: The track is full of other traffic.

Description: This course takes you through downtown Mushroom City in the dead of night. It's easy to take a wrong turn and get lost. The key to winning is avoiding inner-city traffic.

Yoshi Circuit
---

_
__/ _ \2_
/ ___/ \ _ \
| / / /
| \__ \ \
\___ \ / /
/ / 3_| |
_/ / / _/ _
/ _/1 \__ -__- _ \
\__ \ -__- / /
\ \ / /
| | / /
/ / \ \
| |_________| |
\___________/


Shortcut: At point '1' use a mushroom or star to cut across the water.
Shortcut: At point '2' use a mushroom or star to jump off the track through a gap in the railings that leads to a tunnel containing a double item box. It rejoins the track at point '3'.

Interesting info: As you can see, this course is in the shape of a Yoshi.

DK Mountain
---
___
/ _ \________________ ___
| | \___*____________ \ / _ \
| |_ / _// // / ___
\__|1| \____// / / _ \ __
| |_/ / | | |2_ \
\___/ | | \ \
| |__3_______/ /
\____________/

Interesting info: The barrel blasts you up the mountain from '1' to '2' at the start of every lap.

Shortcut: At '3' you can cut the corners here since the mountain side doesn't slow you down that much.

Special Cup*
---
Wario Colosseum*
Dino Dino Jungle*
Bowser's Castle*
Rainbow Road*

*** ***
special cup coming soon
*** ***

MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH!! - GAMECUBE - COURSE WALKTHROUGH

Besides being one of the most fun games ever to be released, Mario Kart: Double Dash can also prove to be pretty tough at times, thanks to the many obstacles that litter each track. This walkthrough will help you master every course the game has to offer and perfect your time trial runs, too.

BASICS
Before trying to tackle each cup, there are a few things you'll need to master in order to get those essential extra boosts of speed.

POWER START
The power start is very simple; those of you who have played previous Mario Kart titles will know fine well how to perform these, so you should have no problems. For those who don't, all you have to do is time pressing the acceleration button perfectly for a speedy start to the race. This is done by counting down from 3 with the start lights, and trying to press A when the countdown reaches zero. The closer you get to pressing A at the same time "Start!" flashes onto the screen, the faster your start will be.

POWER RE-START
If you crash out of a race by falling into some water, or any other out-of-bounds area, you will be placed back on the track by Lakitu (the small floating cloud). To get an extra boost of speed, you'll have to try and slam the acceleration on as you hit the ground. You don't have to time it exactly, so it won't take much mastering, and it's a great way of getting back into a race after a nasty crash.

POWER SLIDE
Again, masters of previous Mario Kart titles will have no problems with this technique, used for speeding around corners. To do this, as you approach a corner, you must start to hold either L or R and begin to turn in towards it. As you're going around the corner, keep tapping the control stick to the opposite side you're facing until the sparks on the back of your kart turn blue. Not only will this make the slide go a lot smoother, but on releasing either L or R, you'll get a boost of a speed going out of the corner. This is very tough to perfect, and essential if you want to achieve killer Time Trial runs, but practising for a short while on a course like Baby Park should do the trick.

COURSES

MUSHROOM CUP
LUIGI CIRCUIT
Kart:
The Bullet Kart is probably your best choice for this track, as it's very quick but doesn't have terrible handling like some of the heavier karts on offer. Newcomers may want to opt for a more balanced kart, like Mario's, though.
Course:
The trick to mastering Luigi Circuit is avoiding the boost pads. While it may seem stupid trying to avoid the pads (which lie on the slanted corners of the course), they do in fact lose you time, despite giving you boosts of speed. Whenever you come to a corner, try to power slide as close to the wall in the middle as possible, without moving into the sand. If you've perfected your slide, you should be able to get around no problem, and if manage to get a boost of speed after the corner you'll cut seconds off your time, making for much better time trials.
Short Cuts:
While very simple, there's one shortcut in this race that manages to be very, very useful. At the very start of the race, you'll notice a small path to your right, leading to a huge sandpit with a chomp guarding it. When you start to get close to the path, begin to power slide and boost towards the chomp. As long as you don't get too close to the sand, the chain chomp shouldn't bother you at all. The corner coming out of the shortcut can also be a little tough to pull off as most of the time you'll end up hitting into the side; don't worry though, if you have a mushroom you can cut right across the sand, giving you a perfect run the next corner. There's also a second shortcut prior to the final corner; it's very small and just off to the right. It actually slows you down, so there's no real point in using unless you really need items, as a double '?' box can be found there.

PEACH BEACH
Kart:
Because this track mainly consists of straights, a good heavy, speedy kart is the best option. Bowser's is the obvious choice because of its super speeds.
Course:
One aspect of this course that makes it very tough is the amount of Flippers around. Some of you may remember them from Super Mario Sunshine, and they cause you just as much pain (if not more) in Double Dash. If you run into them, they'll throw you in the air and it'll take some time before you start racing again; at times it can lose or win you a race. Trying to use these creatures to you advantage is best plan. If you get any bananas, fake blocks or any other kind of weapon you can drop, try to place them in close proximity to the Flippers. Then other players will have to dodge both objects and creatures. Also, if you're ahead of a few racers and have a green/red shell, fire it backwards just after you've gone past a group of Flippers to try and catch them out. The course itself is actually very simple; in time trials power sliding perfectly around the first corner is essential and with a little practise, will prove to be no problem at all. Whenever you come to a corner, try to power slide around it (even the small one just past the first group of Flippers, as it vastly increases your times.
Short Cuts:
Peach Beach isn't the best course for short cuts, but there are still 3 tucked away in the level. The first is very simple; at the first corner of the race, instead of turning to the right, turn to the left, which will bring you to a warp pipe. If you go in you'll be fired out and get a double '?' block as reward. The second is easy to spot and again you'll be awarded with a double item block. When you go onto the beach, instead of going straight forward go to the left and you'll come across a jump, go over it to get the items and then you'll have to use a mushroom, if the tide is in, to get past the small path in front of you. The third is on the final straight; as you just reach the top of the hill with item blocks on it, if you go a little to the left (around the giant fountain) you'll find yet another double '?' block. Sadly, all of these short cuts lose you precious time and unless you really need items, are ultimately pointless.

BABY PARK
Kart:
A nippy little kart like the Bullet Kart, or perhaps Toad's, are both great choices for this course. While using a heavier, faster kart may be a good idea as there's a lot of time to get speed up, they're not ideal as you need one that's good at power sliding.
Course:
The main focus of the course is power sliding; there are 7 laps to complete of a simple 'circuit' track, with no twists or turns, but it can be tough to perfect nonetheless. You have to begin sliding very early to get a great line around the corner; going too late will end up with you smashing into the wall, which really isn't what you want to be doing. Don't get too close to the middle of the track as you begin to slide, either. Try to get fairly close as you want to take the corner as tight as possible, but not so much that you’ll end up crashing when you try to turn. Then when you actually go around it, go as close to the middle and let go of L or R as soon as possible to get a boost of speed. With practise you can get times up to 1 minute 10 seconds. Also, if you’re racing in this level in the Mushroom Cup, watch out as the course is normally full of items such as shells and bananas.

DRY DRY DESERT
Kart:
A good balanced kart like Mario's or Yoshi's is the ideal choice for this track. You'll need a fairly fast kart, but something that handles well, too, so any of the middle-weight karts will do really.
Course:
Probably the hardest section of this course is the twisty path you encounter just after the first corner. Getting past it is very tough and takes a fair bit of skill to do. You have to take each individual corner very wide and very quickly get a boost on your power slide. It takes quick reactions, but after a while you'll become accustomed to it. For those of you who are really struggling, though, there is an easier way. If you have mushroom, you can simply boost past the first two corners; to do this you'll have to drive just to the left of the first cactus and then boost, you'll have enough speed to get past the next one, too. This means all you have to do is slide around one corner before the sand pit. Getting past the sand pit itself is very simple; just choose which side you're better at sliding from, and power slide around the pit. Occasionally you may fall in if you get too close, but only on your first few goes will you come across that problem. Like the Flippers in Peach Beach, Dry Dry Desert also has it's very own breed of creature; the cactus. At times they can be very hard to avoid, but for the most part they'll cause no problems. Like before, use items like bananas right near them to cause other players difficulty.
Short Cuts:
There's only one short cut, but it cuts 2 seconds off you overall time, making it certainly worth it. Just after the sand pit, in the very large desert area, you may notice a sign saying Sunshine Parts to your right. If you go underneath it and use a mushroom you zoom straight to the finish line. While it does save a lot more time than cutting through the twisty path, it does make those corners a lot harder to handle. Beginners may want to opt for using their mushrooms to get past the corners, but those of you looking for great times should choose this short cut.

FLOWER CUP
MUSHROOM BRIDGE
Kart:
A good speedy kart is your best choice for this course, because of it's many straights. Although, if you want to try and tackle the bridge (driving over the top of it) a better handling kart would be needed.
Course:
The main problem you have to deal with on Mushroom Bridge is the ever-present traffic. Because there's so much of it, it's very hard to avoid, especially when there are loads of weapons being fired your way. While you should be alright for the most part, occasionally you'll have to fire shells at them if you think you may crash. Hitting them with weapons often rewards you with mushrooms, which fly from the car, so it's sometimes worth a quick shot. The bridge itself on Mushroom Bridge can either make or break your chances of winning at times. Trying to drive over the top is very tough, especially in heavier karts, and mostly ends in tears. If you do manage to get over, though, you can cut a good few seconds off your normal lap time. Mastering it is obviously something that's possible, but very hard. You'll need to practise a lot if you want to get over the bridge every time, but as I say, it is possible and certainly worth a go.
Short Cuts:
The first short cut you'll come across is just past the first tunnel; you'll notice a small hill in front of you, covered in terrain. If you use a mushroom to boost up the hill you'll cut an nice bit of time off your overall run. The only real problem is the landing. At the top of the hill, you should begin to slide to the right and get the spark at the back of your kart blue. Then, as soon as you land, let go of either L or R and you'll boost, meaning the jump won't slow you down. There's also another short cut just beside the finish line. If you go right and down the steps, you'll come to a warp pipe. Much like on Peach Beach, drive through it to get a double '?' block for your efforts. It does slow you down though, and there's a big risk of getting hit by bomb cars too, so it's best avoided.

MARIO CIRCUIT
Kart:
For this course, a good fast kart is needed. Bowser's is a great choice, as it's the fastest in the game, but beginners may prefer a middle-weight kart for better handling.
Course:
This track will see you power sliding for basically the whole of the race. Whenever you have the chance to slide, you should, as it not only makes the race a lot easier, but it also gives you much better times. While you should try to stay as close to the inside of the track as possible when sliding, you'll have to watch out for Piranha Plants that line the track; getting too close will result in your driver getting knocked down. Also, you should watch out for Goomba's. There's a small group at the very end of race on a lumpy surface and, especially when turning, can be hard to avoid. The trick is to use a mushroom to speed past them, and over the small piece of grass right near the final corner of the race.

DAISY CRUISER
Kart:
A nippy little kart like the Toad or Toadette one would be an ideal choice for this track, due to some of the small short cuts that can be used.
Course:
The biggest problem you'll come across on this track are the moving tables. Just after the large set of stairs, you go into the cruiser and you'll be faced with a number of moving tables, constantly marring your chances of performing a successful power slide. The trick is to try and stay on the side the tables aren't moving towards, even when they're still, that way, when they do move they won't come crashing into you. Other than that, all you have to do is power slide as much as you can; there are some great opportunities to do this, like when you're going down the set of steps and the side of the cruiser. Also, it's best to use your mushrooms when going up the steps on the final straight.
Short Cuts:
The first short cut you come across is very tough to get through; just after the small steps leading to the pool, take a hard right and you can drive just to the right of the pool. It does save a little of your overall time, but unless you really want to perfect your time, it's best avoided as you'll most likely end up taking an early bath. The only other short cut is in the cruiser itself; just after the room full of tables, you'll notice a small hole in the floor, if you drop down you'll find a double '?' block. It doesn't save you any time, but it doesn't lose you any either, so it's perfect for if you really need an item or two.

WALUIGI STADIUM
Kart:
For this track you need to use a good heavy kart, such as Bowser's or Donkey Kong's.
Course:
All you really need to watch out for in this course are the flames; going over jumps at a wrong angle often results in hitting the flames, thus stopping you dead in your tracks. WHile it's normally simple enough (especially with a heavier kart), when you're going very fast you can sometimes veer off to the side a little. Also, there's one section of the track with moving Piranha Plants and flames; while they're easy to dodge, leaving bananas, fake blocks and bombs near them makes it hell for your opponenents. All you really need to do is slide as much as you can (as always) and you'll start getting great times.
Short Cuts:
There's only one real short cut on this level, and even then it's pretty simple. Just after the Piranha Plants and flames, the tracks takes you right to a big pile of mud. Normally, you'd have to go around the mud, losing precious time, but if you have a mushroom you can just boost right over it.

SHERBET LAND
Kart:
A kart with good acceleration is needed for this course, mainly due to the fact that snow will slow you down a fair bit. Toad's kart is a good choice, and so is Paratroopa's.
Course:
There's not much to this course really, you just have to slide as much as you can and try you best to avoid the obstacles on the track. The giant blocks of ice are especially damaging, because they freeze you momemtarily, giving the rest of the pack a chance to speed right on past you, and the fact that they're hard to see doesn't help either. The ice skating Shy Guys can cause a bit of trouble, but they can be easily avoided; by sliding aroudn the outside of the ice, there's no way you'll hit into them. Obviously, this isn't very good if you want to get good time trial runs, in which case you should try to keep to the far right of the ice, near the hole in the floor. The only way to slightly improve your times is to effectively cut across the snowy sections; if there are a couple of turns that have a snowy section in between, use a mushroom to boost right over them. When you come into the area with the dreaded ice blocks, going to the far you should far a bit of snow that can be driven over, and if used properly can knock a second or two off your time.

MUSHROOM CITY
Kart:
Due to small short cuts that can be used, you're best off using a smaller kart. Toad's and Paratroopa's are the best small karts you can get, so either of them will do.
Course:
Much like on Mushroom Bridge, the ongoing traffic is your greatest enemy. Try to look out for those evil bomb cars, as they lose you a lot of time if you happen to bump into them, and using shells won't do you any good either. It's best to try and remember whereabouts the cars mostly are, so you know which areas to avoid and which are fine. The traffic is at it's worst near the end of the track; just after a very tight corner, you'll have to drive through a road full of oncoming traffic. While it this is very tough, it's made a lot easier if you just stay in the centre of the two lanes, especially if your kart is very small.
Short Cuts:
The first short cut can be found in the 'city' section of the course. Just after the opening corner, go straight forward and begin sliding to the right; you should spot a pink lane. It's very hard to get through if you're in a big vehicle, but in a small one it shouldn't prove to be a problem. If you find dodging the oncoming traffic at the end of track a little tough, there is a short cut that can help. Just to the right of that road, there's a very thin lane with rough terrain on it; using a mushroom, you can boost over it, saving a fair few seconds from your time.

YOSHI CIRCUIT
Kart:
A small, speedy kart is perfect for this track; the Bullet Kart is the best option out of the small karts, but Toad's and Paratroopa's are also good.
Course:
All you really need to do on this track is figure out a perfect racing line; trying to stay on the inside of the track at all times and sliding as much as possible is the best idea. Just try to remember that when you're sliding around the tighter corners, try to stay as close to the centre as possible.
Short Cuts:
The first short cut is very simple; near the very start of the track, you should be able to see a small gap between your kart and the next area of the course. Using a mushroom to speed over it and it cuts time off your run. The second of the two short cuts is a little trickier to get to, but still worth it. After you exit the first tunnel, you should spot a small mound ahead; if you use a mushroom to jump over it, you should reach a small, tight tunnel, which brings you past all of the tricky corners. The first short cut should be used if you want to get good times, but the second certainly makes racing a lot easier.

DK MOUNTAIN
Kart:
For this race, a big kart is best used; both Wario's and Bowser's karts are great choices, and probably the best you can use.
Course:
Probably the biggest problem you'll come across on DK Mountian is the constant fall of rocks as you go shooting down the mountainside. Because you're going so fast, it's easy to get hit by one of the boulders; just try your best to stay on the inside of the track and you'll hopefully be fine. Even worse, though, is the rock hard corner in the middle of the mountain; just after you turn right when the twisty turns begin, you'll have to quickly slide to the left, otherwise you'll end up falling off the mountain. It's best to try and go to the very right before you begin power sliding, then you should have no problems getting around it. At the bottom of the mountain, there's a small bridge that sways from side to side; while not much of an obstacle, when it's littered with weapons, can be tough to get past. As usual, try to use this to your advantage, by using bananas, fake blocks and throw projectile weapons behind you. If there are other racers nearby, they'll have no chance.
Short Cuts:
Just after the tough corner in the middle of the mountain, a nice little short cut can be found. Start by sliding to the right straight away just after the corner, then turn to the right as much as you can and you'll jump over the gap. It may not reduce your times by much, and you also might have to break to get at the right angle, but it’s worth having a go.

SPECIAL CUP
WARIO COLOSSEUM
Kart:
For this track, any of the light-weight karts would be a good choice.
Course:
Despite being Wario's course, this isn't littered with a huge creatures blocking your path, the only thing you have to worry about are the treacherous gaps in the barriers. Because the track is seemingly always in some way slanted, when there are no barriers it's easy to fall to your doom. The best way to avoid this is only to power slides when there aren't any gaps in the course. It may take a bit of practise to perfect, but before too long you'll get used to it and start getting killer time trial runs. Just keep that in mind and use your power slide as often as possible (bar when the track is lacking barriers).
Short Cut:
There's only one small short cut in Wario Colosseum, and that's near the end of the track. When you reach the dome area, go straight ahead onto the boost pad; driving into it at an angle will end in tears, so make sure you're perfectly lined up. It won't cut off a gargantuan amount of time off you overall race, but it will help all the same.

DINO DINO JUNGLE
Kart:
Any middle-weight kart would be a great choice for this track; because you need both great handling and speed, something like Mario's or Yoshi's would be fine.
Course:
After the first couple of corners, you'll come across a large dinosaur blocking your path. There are items concealed beneath him, so driving underneath him to grab them is a good idea, except for one minor problem; it isn't such a good idea when he's moving, as more often than not he'll end up stamping on you. Just past that is yet another tough section, in the form of a rickety old bridge. It can be quite hard to get across if there's someone else on it, but otherwise there should no problems; placing weapons on it, though, will stop opponents getting close to your position. Like the bridge on DK Mountain, just dump all of your weapons there when you pass over it. Just after that there are yet more obstacles to dodge, in the form of waterspouts. Every now and then, water will spew out of them; if you drive into them when this happens, you'll be thrown into mid air and lose valuable time. Avoiding them altogether is your best bet, although there are a few on the finish line that you'll have to drive over. Just after you exit the cave, you'll meet up with the same dinosaur you saw at the start of the level. This shouldn't cause any problems unless it's moving, and if it is you'll just have to drive on the very edge of the bridge.
Short Cuts:
The first of the two short cuts is probably the hardest in the game; just before you go onto the first bridge, if you turn right you'll find a smaller section of the bridge that you can drive over and save some time. But sadly it's easier said than done; trying to get across it normally ends up with you watching you kart fall into the water below. It's a great short cut but for pros only. The second is a little easier; the second you enter the cavern just past the bridge, go to the right to find some old wooden logs lined up. If you use a mushroom, you can jump over them and land on the platform below, cutting precious time from your overall run. You'll also be rewarded with a double '?' block if you're racing through Special Cup.

BOWSER'S CASTLE
Kart:
A small kart is best used here, out of all the light-weight ones though, Toad's is probably the best.
Course:
Unlike Wario Colosseum, Bowser's Castle is full of obstacles, trying to get in your way and ultimately get rid of you. The first of these baddies you'll come across is the Thwomp; at the very start of the course they'll get in the way of you racing. The best way to avoid them is to start off by going through the section on the left and try to stay on the right of the course; then begin sliding to the left, but stay pushed up against the wall on the right to ensure the Thwomp doesn't... thwomp you. In the next corridor, just do the same as you did before; stay to the very right of the track and slide to the left. After this you'll come across the dreaded fireball; avoiding them is all down to luck really, as you never know where they're going to land, so using a mushroom to speed past this small section is probably your best bet. There's another set of bigger fireballs near the end of the course, but as long as you stay on the edge of the track you'll have no problems dodging them.
Short Cuts:
There's only one short cut on Bowser's Castle, but it's still very effective. Near the end of the course, after driving down a large set of steps (the room with the Bowser statue, which spits fireballs onto the course), instead of turning to the right at the end of the straight, keep going straight forward, through the gap in the wall. If you begin sliding just before you jump, you'll take the following corner perfectly and knock about 2 seconds from your time. Just make sure you don't use mushrooms or big karts as this will most likely force you into the wall and you'll end up knee-deep in the lava pool.

RAINBOW ROAD
Kart:
Again, a smaller kart is the best option, due to the tight corners that would cause larger karts to simply fall off.
Course:
Rainbow Road is all about practise; it's a very tough level and perfecting it is very, very hard thanks to the huge array of twists and turns on offer. Just try your best to hit all the boost pads, and experience will do the rest.

There you have it, now you'll have no problems tackling each course on Time Trial, multiplayer or any of the cups on offer. Seeing as you'll playing Double Dash for years to come, being great at it should prove to be very useful!

Thanks for reading

RiCkOsS