Things Mario Kart Tour Doesn't Tell You (Cheats and Secrets) - Mario Kart Tour Guide - IGN (2024)

Mario Kart Tour can be daunting for players new to the Mario Kart franchise and for veterans of the series unfamiliar with the key differences between standard Mario Kart games and this new iteration. So, you're probably wondering, how do you get more points in Mario Kart Tour? Check out our list below for some of the best Tips and Tricks that the game doesn't get around to telling you.

This page highlights some of the more important Things Mario Kart Doesn't Tell you.

• See Also: Tips and Tricks, Things to Do First

Coins Can Be Used to Purchase Things in the Store

Coins in Mario Kart don't usually leave a course. Racers collect them during the race with hopes of getting 10 for an increased top speed, but once the race is over, those coins leave the inventory.

It'd be easy to assume that's the case for Mario Kart Tour — it is a Mario Kart game after all — but that isn't the case because gold coins can be used to purchase characters, karts and gliders in the shop. So when you're driving in a race, do your best to collect as many coins as possible.

Coin Rush Is a Great Way to Get More Coins

Coins aren't extremely abundant in a standard race which can leave you handcuffed if you spot a Daily Select in the shop you want to purchase, but just don't have the amount of necessary coins to do so. Instead of spending your time collecting a handful of coins in a race, give Coin Rush a try.

This mode sees you race through New York as Gold Mario on a track covered in gold coins. If Gold Mario drives near these coins, he automatically collects them up for you. This is a great way to get hundreds of coins fast. For more details about this mode, check out our guide on How to Do Coin Rush.

Smart Steering Is on by Default

Smart Steering is an option in the Mario Kart Tour settings that works as an invisible hand of sorts that helps guide your kart thought the curves and turns of a course.

It's a great help for players new to the series but for those familiar with Mario Kart, it can feel more like a strange invisible hand than a helpful guide during races. This setting is on by default so if you want to turn it off, head to the settings and uncheck the Smart Steering box.

The Shop Has New Items That Rotate Every Day

Known as Daily Selects, these special items in the Mario Kart Tour Shop rotate in and out daily and are great for picking up some of the more common characters, karts, and gliders at a cheap price.

Instead of spending Rubies, you'll only need to spend Gold Coins to buy these Daily Selects. Because this part of the shop is different every day, it's worth checking out every time you log in to the game.

There's a Free Two Week Trial of the Gold Pass

The Gold Pass is a subscription for Mario Kart Tour that costs $4.99 and unlocks the 200cc mode, exclusive Gold Gifts and more. Considering it's a monthly cost, you might be on the fence about picking it up.

Make your decision easier by taking advantage of the free two week trial that Mario Kart Tour doesn't tell you about. Of course, once that two weeks is up, you'll be charged $4.99, but the game tells you what day that is set to happen so you can easily cancel it before that day comes.

You Can't Add Friends Until You Unlock the Koopa Troopa Cup

In the Mario Kart Tour menu, you've probably spotted the Friends menu. If you've only just begun your racing career, that option will be grayed out and impossible to access. This is because the Friends menu doesn't open up to you until you unlock Ranked races. That doesn't happen, though, until you unlock the first Ranked cup, which is the Koopa Troopa cup.

Fortunately, this should come fast as you'll only need to complete three cups, or 12 races, before unlocking the Koopa Troopa cup.

You Can Begin a Race With a Rocket Start

Anyone who's played Mario Kart Tour is probably familiar with the special boost that can be used by pumping the acceleration at just the right moment during the race's countdown. That mechanic, known as the Rocket Start, has returned in Mario Kart Tour but the game doesn't tell you about it or how to perform this move.

To use a Rocket Start, when 2 appears on screen during a race's countdown, slide your finger down on the screen and hold it there. When GO appears on the screen, release your finger and your driver will Rocket Start forward.

Drifting Happens Automatically By Default

Drifting in Mario Kart is essential to winning a race and this is no different in Mario Kart Tour. In traditional Mario Kart games, there's a separate button to press to begin a drift but in Mario Kart Tour, drifting happens automatically after you turn for long enough.

To drift in Mario Kart, just hold your finger on the screen in the direction you're turning and after a few seconds, white smoke will appear from the tires. That smoke turns blue, then orange and finally purple. When any of those colors appear on screen, release your finger for a turbo boost.

Items Will Be Used Automatically If You Drive Through an Item Box

After driving through an item box in Mario Kart Tour, your item slots will fill up with queued items. You can use these items by tapping on the screen.

If you hold onto these items for too long and drive through another item box, the items you had queued up on the top of the screen will be automatically used. You can turn this option off in the game's settings by unchecking the Auto-Item box.

Your Position Points Are Determined by Your Player Level and Race Placement

When you complete a race in Mario Kart Tour, you'll receive points no matter what place you ended the race in. These points might seem random, but they're the very opposite of that. Whatever place you come in at the end of the race has a multiplier — first place gets a multiplier of one, second place .85 and so on — and this multiplier is applied to your Position Points.

So if you are at a player level that earns 2500 points in 150cc, and you get first place in a race, your points will be determined like so: 2500 x 1 = 2500. Your Position Points increase with your player level.