All the best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shortcuts you need to know

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is known for its immense and ever-growing collection of tracks both iconic and new. While expertly drifting around the game’s tracks can get you ahead of your opponents, knowing each track inside and out will better improve your chances of winning races. Learning the most game-changing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shortcuts is just as important as picking the right racer if you want to guarantee trophies.

Did you know that each track in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has a secret shortcut that will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to complete a lap? Some shortcuts are easier to use than others, but you’ll be racing to victory in no time with this guide. These are all of the best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shortcuts to know.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shortcuts

Ribbon Road

When you see the green and red blocks on the right of the track about halfway through your lap on Ribbon Road, look past that for an orange ramp. Jump off that ramp and you’ll land back on the track. Take a right to leave the track once again when you see a green and orange block and you’ll spot a blue ramp. Fly off this ramp to glide towards the finish line.

Koopa City

The Koopa City shortcut also utilizes a ramp to get you ahead of opposing racers. Near the end of your lap, you’ll see a large blue ramp. This is the usual choice to take, but instead of gliding straight ahead, veer off to the left of the track. There is a turbine engine there that blows air upwards, giving you a boost ahead.

Wario’s Gold Mine

Once you spot the tunnel with Wario’s picture in Wario’s Gold Mine, take a left to uncover a secret road. The road is just past a gap in the fence, allowing you to skip a good amount of the track and collect some additional coins. There are some other little areas in Wario’s Gold Mine that can help you get ahead as well, including ramps that are made for racers looking to set record times.

Wario’s Gold Mine All Shortcuts

Ice Ice Outpost

Here’s another ramp to get you ahead of your opponents with ease. Halfway through your Ice Ice Outpost lap you’ll see a small ramp to your right. Veer off the track and take it. Once you land back on the track, continue straight to leave the track again. You’ll soon see a small gap in the ice, leading to yet another shortcut. Just make sure to aim yourself right so that you don’t fly astray off the ramps.

Yoshi’s Circuit

This shortcut is near the start of the track. Soon after starting the race on Yoshi’s Circuit, you’ll see a waterfall to your right. Go through it to avoid a more challenging part of the track. To make the most of this shortcut, you’ll need a mushroom or another boost item to avoid slowing down on the grassy ground. Otherwise you won’t be saving as much time.

Piranha Plant Slide

There’s a part of the track where you’ll notice air blowing from underneath the Piranha Plant Slide’s course. At the end of this section, there’s a raised platform above you that can be reached if you have good timing. Drive over a gust of wind as it rises up, floating you up with it to the platform and its shortcut.

Cheep Cheep Beach

This is an easy one! During the sandy part of the Cheep Cheep Beach track, you’ll notice some coins under the water. This means the water is shallow, allowing you to drive through it. This will give you a one-up on the racers that are making their way through the more precarious winding sandy path.

Toad’s Turnpike

N64 Toad’s Turnpike [150cc] – 1:46.814 – Cole (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe World Record)

There’s a troublesome tunnel on Toad’s Turnpike that racers typically aren’t fond of. But you can skip it with this shortcut. Right before the tunnel begins, you will spot a large truck with a ramp. The ramp has boosts that allow you to glide over the traffic below, skipping the fraught tunnel entirely.

Mount Wario

Mount Wario is one of the most difficult tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It’s no surprise that racers would want all the help they can get on this course, and there is a helpful shortcut that can get you ahead. Before the first checkpoint, you’ll see a ramp to your right that’s a bit hidden. After taking this ramp, the track splits into two directions. Skip them both and go through the middle to uncover yet another hidden route.

But this is Mount Wario we’re talking about — you can’t simply take the path freely. Make sure you have a boosting item so you aren’t slowed down by the snow that’s in your way.

Shy Guy Falls

With enough speed, you can glide to a high up ledge of the canyon on Shy Guy Falls after taking the usual blue ramp. There is then another ramp to your right once you land. You’ll see it between two horn-shaped stones. Go through them to avoid the longer portion of the map.

Twisted Mansion

As you make your way through this haunting course, you’ll see a path on your left. Take the left to avoid an entire portion of the track’s lap. Then towards the end of the lap, maintain top speed to reach the top floor of the mansion after taking a boost.

Toad Harbor

Toad Harbor [200cc] – 1:26.660 – Army (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe World Record)

At the very start of your race on Toad Harbor, there’s a ramp to the left after the first corner. Take this ramp to be launched up onto a building’s scaffolding. Ride it all the way to the end and you’ll see a path to your right that goes even higher up.

Near the end of the track, avoid the cable car by taking a path on the left between two buildings.

Thwomp Ruins

The shortcut on Thwomp Ruins is a bit tricky, but we can help you with it. There’s a crumbled pillar to the left near the very end of the track that you should drive on to avoid the upcoming winding road. But the pillar itself isn’t so easy to manage. It’s very narrow, so steering is still important. Mastering this shortcut will save you a lot of time on Thwomp Ruins, so it’s worth learning to navigate your way along the pillar.