Hello, racers! And welcome to part 2 of 3 of GameSkinny’s as-complete-as-possible guide to all 200cc shortcuts in Mario Kart 8. Seems like you are in luck!
For this iteration of our super 200cc shortcuts guide, we’re looking at the 16 tracks originally created for Mario Kart 8. Not looking for these 200cc shortcuts? Check out our first part on All DLC Tracks and keep an eye out for All Retro Tracks coming later this week!
Mario Kart 8 200cc Shortcuts – Original MK8 Cups
There are 4 original Mario Kart 8 cups to relearn for the insane 200cc speed gap: Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and Special Cup. In this 200cc shortcuts guide, we cover everything you need to know about shredding these 16 tracks at completely new levels of speed.
But first, here are 3 key Mario Kart 8 pro-tips to keep in mind while driving in the fast lane:
- Control Your Air Time – Pushing up or down on the analog stick while in the air will affect the direction the nose of your vehicle is facing.
- Cancel Drift Boosts – If you’re approaching a corner with a full drift boost that you know will send you flying off the track, ease up on the Gas (A or Y button) to neutralize it.
- Brake Drift – Holding down the brakes (B button) for a brief period will tighten your drift without canceling it. This results in traction loss if held for too long.
For more advice, make sure you check out our Essential Tips for Burning Rubber in Mario Kart 8!
Before we dive into these awesome 200cc shortcuts, we also need to go over the rules of the mushroom.
- We’ve tested every 200cc shortcut found here without Mushroom Boosts. So, unless specified, it is assumed you will not need a Mushroom.
- Any simple Mushroom-fueled turf or corner-cuts don’t count for this guide, for they are easily executed without the need for much guidance.
Mushroom Cup Shortcuts
The Mushroom Cup houses a solid variety of tracks to speed down, starting off with the center piece of Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart Stadium. After that, we take a dive into Water Park and Sweet Sweet Canyon, followed by the dreaded Twomp Ruins!
MKS – Mario Kart Stadium Shortcuts
Mario Kart Stadium has a plethora of shortcuts for the 200cc speedster to master. If you charge up a super mini-turbo upon approaching the pipes in the grass, you can take the sharp corner and blast into anti-gravity before your opponents can even clear the turn. Just past there, you can drive right onto the ramp in the turf to get an extra second or so ahead.
Once you reach the glider section, you can steer all the way to the left and completely clear the pipe field below, touching down right in front of the finish line.
WP – Water Park Shortcuts
Water Park doesn’t open any new shortcuts up to us with the new speed of 200cc, but the track certainly feels different. This is the most straight-forward track in all of Mario Kart 8, and 200cc is where it shows.
You can use a mini turbo to get through the merry-go-round underwater, but it honestly doesn’t seem like it’s that much faster. Race this track as you normally would and you should be just fine.
SSC – Sweet Sweet Canyon Shortcuts
Sweet Sweet Canyon also suffers from being relatively straightforward, but there is one major shortcut here that you can now easily pull off without a Mushroom boost:
Near the end of the track, after the anti-gravity split, you can use a super mini-turbo to get through the donut and quickly cross the finish line without having to bother with the last turn.
TR – Thwomp Ruins Shortcuts
Right at the starting line of Thwop Ruins, if you turn left instead of right at the item boxes you’ll go over a ramp in the middle of the turf and land safely on the other side while the others are still rounding the corner.
If you happen to have a couple of Mushrooms around the Glider section, you can use them mid-air to boost your flight all the way out to the ramp you just took at the starting line.
Flower Cup Shortcuts
The Flower Cup is chalk full of unique and fun tracks to race down, especially on 200cc. Mario Circuit starts off the list followed by the lovely Toad Harbor, Twisted Mansion brings the spooks, and Shy Guy Falls sends us speeding down incredible natural water structures.
MC – Mario Circuit Shortcuts
There are a couple of really good shortcuts here that can help you get ahead, given you have a few spare Mushrooms. Unfortunately, none of the cuts on Mario Circuit can function properly without a mushroom.
If you turn right after the fence before you reach the anti-gravity section of the course and use a mushroom, you should flip and land on the white bridge a ways in. Using another mushroom or two to traverse the very inner edge of the grass right after that cut will put you miles ahead of the pack.
TH – Toad Harbor Shortcuts
Toad Harbor is a peaceful track full of ferries and beautiful ocean views. The first grass corner can easily be cut over with a mini-turbo, though it may cause you to miss the boost ramp to the side.
When approaching the section with the anti-gravity track split, take the anti-gravity section. The boost pads here in anti-gravity help a lot more in 200cc than they ever did in 150cc.
TM – Twisted Mansion Shortcuts
Twisted Mansion only got more spooky with the addition of 200cc, with the Boos flying past so fast you won’t be able to keep your bearings! There’s only really one mushroom-less shortcut of note for this track on 200cc, however.
If you manage to charge up a super mini-turbo by the time you hit the secret passage behind the bookshelves near the start, you can easily blast and hop your way through this narrow corridor corner-cut.
SGF – Shy Guy Falls Shortcuts
Shy Guy Falls already featured high-speed thrills before 200cc came out, and now that it is, Shy Guy Falls just got even crazier. It may be easier to take the low-road with the glider portion, and start charging your mini-turbo.
You can unleash your mini-turbo on the turf-shortcut that comes up shortly before the item boxes and skid your way past the finish line.
Star Cup Shortcuts
The Star Cup houses an interesting mix of tracks to go through, including the Sunshine Airport and Dolphin Shoals for some tropical fun. Crash through the Electrodrome and take a copter up the mountain, because this cup takes us right to Mount Wario, Mario Kart 8‘s original point-to-point track!
SA – Sunshine Airport Shortcuts
Sunshine Airport takes us around the terminal and down the runway of a tropical airport that’s known for frequent flights to Delfino Plaza. The track in 200cc for the most part is pretty similar from the past.
If you happen to have a couple of Mushrooms around the glider section, you can use them in the air to boost over the first turn clear out front. Continuing from there, make sure you jump over and trick on the baggage claim to the finish line (you no longer have a chance of hitting the second baggage line).
DS – Dolphin Shoals Shortcuts
Dolphin Shoals’ track design unfortunately doesn’t allow much room for shortcuts, but there are definitely turns that are faster and easier to make in 200cc instead of trying to pull them off normally. The set up pipes near the beginning leading to the air should be taken carefully.
Take the purple pipe first, and if you need the extra boost, steer right to the yellow pipe instead of continuing forward. I’d also recommend driving off the eel’s head once you’re there. Past that section, take the glider and turn sharply left to glide your way to the finish line.
Ed – Electrodrome Shortcuts
Electrodrome unfortunately just doesn’t have the layout for 200cc shroomless shortcuts of much use. This track is pretty brutal, and unless you have a mushroom for that final corner-cut, you’re going to have a hard time getting ahead.
That said, you should take the pink path whenever you’re given the option, simply due to it being right-side-up the majority of the time (making the physicis easier to work with). Make full use of your Glider, especially if you’re using the one built for air speed!
MW – Mount Wario Shortcuts
The shortcut spanning the gap on Mount Wario’s 2nd lap approach is much easier to do on inward-drifting bikes now, and should be approached with caution — it can easily send you flying over the other side of the road. Once in the cave, drop down to the waterfalls down below as soon as you can and stick to the inside corners.
Once you pass the section with boost pads and exit anti-gravity mode, head for the glider shortcut down the left path. It’s faster even if you’re without a Mushroom, just try to use a mini-turbo to get there.
Special Cup Shortcuts
The Special Cup is the last of the four original cups for Mario Kart 8, boasting 4 great additions to the track roster, including Cloudtop Cruise, Bone Dry Dunes, the horrifying Bowsers Castle, and Mario Kart 8‘s version of Rainbow Road!
CC – Cloudtop Cruise Shortcuts
Cloudtop Cruise is a speedy course with catchy music and some tight corners, especially for 200cc. On the ship approach, make sure you take the wider path to the left, as the small one will probably result in many wall-bumps that serve to slow you down to a crawl.
As you ascend into the storm clouds, watch the boost pads carefully for lightning charges and take every one of them you can manage. The leaf shortcut as you are approaching the finish line, especially if you’ve got a solid lead, should not be taken in 200cc.
BDD – Bone Dry Dunes Shortcuts
Bone Dry Dunes is a monster of a course with not a lot of obvious shortcuts. The first ramp in the center of sand can be reached without a boost but it should be taken carefully. When the track comes to the first Piranha Plant, stay on the left and plan to turn right into the anti-gravity section. It’s sharp in 200cc but worth it.
You can reach the upper portion of the course with the glider pretty easily, especially if you bounce off the sand geyser. If you have a super mini-turbo charged, you can take the turf shortcut through the bone at the end, followed by a few hops.
BC – Bowser’s Castle Shortcuts
Approaching the giant bowser in Bowser’s Castle that punches both sides of the road, if you’re on the side of the road he’s just pounded you could take a bump in the road just past the boost pad to jump well past the next corner.
Alternatively, if the road isn’t so wobbly when you come to it, you can clear the corner after that one leading to the glider pads and item boxes.
RR – Rainbow Road Shortcuts
Mario Kart 8‘s original Rainbow Road has quite the nasty shortcut near the end. Right past the second glider pad, on the lower, purplish-blue road, you can take the spin boost and use it to go straight off the edge of the road and land on the other one far below it.
Having a Mushroom after that jump is benificial, as it will allow you to jump a second time straight off the left edge of the road and halfway into the final turn to the finish line that always makes you fly off the edge if you don’t use your brakes.
Find Any 200cc Shortcuts Not Yet Included Here?
Please share all of your findings with us in the comments below or on our official thread on MKBoards! Many thanks to the contributors on MKBoards, they’ve been great help at finding and identifying crucial shortcuts in Mario Kart 8‘s insane new 200cc mode.
The Complete Mario Kart 8 200cc Shortcuts Guide will be updated gradually as new shortcuts are discovered. With your help, we can make the most accurate and complete 200cc shortcut guide on the net! Hope to see you in the discussion!
