You can cut out a big part of Yoshi Valley by taking the first two lefts, then speeding over the rundown wooden bridge.

When you enter the forest section, use a mushroom to cut in between the two paths and activate a secret glider ramp. After your encounter with the big piranha plant, use the dirt patch on your left with a mushroom to cut out a seriously annoying sharp corner. Don't restrict your stunt performances to the most obvious ramps and ledges in the game either. Plenty of environmental objects will provide the opportunity to initiate a stunt, so play around with tree roots, fallen pillars and anything else that comes into play during the course of a race. This is another course where you can cut the insides of some corners with a boost, such as the final bend just before the finish line. There are a handful of snowy stretches with winding corners that you can zip right across if you have a mushroom going spare.When you approach the speed ramp on the second straight, ignore it and instead fire up a mushroom to blast straight over the patch of grass to the right of it. You can use a speed-boosting item to cut off the left turn that appears just before the initial gliding section of the course. Despite this course being just an oval, you can cut the insides of each (read: both) corners with a Mushroom or other speed-boosting item, which will save you some time. At the first part of the S-bend in the bottom right part of the course, keep your eyes peeled for a ramp that can be used to slice off a right-angled turn. There's a risk associated with this starting boost though. If your timing's either a little too early or a little too late, your racer will spin his or her wheels instead for a short amount of time before pulling away. Despite this risk, with even a little practice you should find yourself able to pull off this essential technique every single time.

Finally, you can use another speed-boosting item to cut off the final turn that's just before the finishing line. Switch's new double item set-up allows you to have two sets of defences on you too, giving you an extra wave of protection. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Switch exclusive game that comes three years after the Wii U's 2014 outing, and offers the following features and additions: To the left of the final corner is a ramp. Use a mushroom to speed over the grass, hit the ramp, and then take to the skies.

Shortcuts on DLC cups and courses

You'll notice an opening to your left as you approach the final bend. If you've got something to boost your speed, head between the bones here. The left-hand side alley towards the end of the course might be considered a shortcut - thanks to its zippy speed strip - but avoid drifting into it from the main road, otherwise you risk a collision shortly afterwards. If you've got a speed-boosting power-up, you can cut off a large chunk of the very first corner of the course. Just make sure you perform a stunt boost as you cross the lip of the slightly raised earth. During the underwater section you'll notice a dark patch of dirt to the left of the main course. Activate a mushroom and zip directly through this sludgy stuff to save a little time.