The 'Shroom:Issue LV/MK:WTC

Mario Kart: Wheel Tips Corner by

Hello Mario Karters, to the Mario Kart: Wheel Tips Corner of The 'Shroom. Your friend Coincollector is here again to give you the monthly tip for this occasion.

Before submerging in our subject, I want to tell you about the news regarding one of the most-expected games for the handheld console Nintendo 3DS: Mario Kart 7. New information has been revealed, like new courses, new characters (some of them already introduced in past Mario Kart games and some that make their first appearance in Mario Kart 7), new weapons (I mean power-ups not seen before), and new gameplay elements. Remember that you can see all of this by clicking the link here to read the article of the game.

Now with our subject. This time I'll talk about Boo... err, I mean the Boo item. Basically, Boo gives you the ability to turn invisible for a while when using it. Sure, the effects of this item don't end here. Once you've used Boo and turned invisible, you're invulnerable against any item and you're able to steal items from your opponents. The functions of this power-up tend to vary in the few games it has appeared. In Super Mario Kart, the Boo is exclusive in Battle Mode. In Mario Kart 64 it was a bit more common to obtain in racing and battle modes alike. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the Boo gained the ability not just to turn you invisible and steal, but also to torment the racer that you've stolen from, slowing down their vehicle (a real nuisance when playing Grand Prix in 150cc class, as CPU racers used it frequently against you). In its last appearance, Mario Kart DS it is a rare item that helped the player, besides stealing for them, to run a bit faster and run over any type of rough terrain without losing any bit of speed. As I said the item is rare to obtain and depends on the type of kart you're driving. It tends to be more common if you're using karts with the highest item ratio. Well, I explained how to use this item in your advantage, but what happens if the item is used against you? It tends to be somehow unpredictable in the past games, except in Mario Kart DS. In this game you can see when somebody used a Boo by summoning the mischievous ghost in his or her front, or also in the course's map on the touch screen. If a Boo is going to steal your item, use it just as before as the ghost makes contact upon you and grabs the item. On a detailed view, when stealing, the Boo usually chooses the nearest racer that has a power-up.

For an experienced player, the Boo can be useful in some circumstances. Though it grants you invincibility and speed, which is cool, the boost is not quite notable and the items that may give you can be not that useful (for example, use a Boo in 6th place and you get a banana - how useful, huh?). This item works best in courses with lots of rough terrain that can serve as quick shortcuts off the road..

And so we finish another issue of the Mario Kart Wheel Tips Corner. See you around, Shy Guys!