Just before the xylophone section you'll spot a ramp in a patch of grass. Activate a mushroom to get on the ramp, but be ready to make a tight right-hand drift as soon as you land you land.

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. Look out for the ramp on your left as you approach the big bushy white trees. You can use a mushroom to speed over the grass, get to the ramp, and then pull off a massive stunt boost. As you approach the second half of the course you'll be able to mushroom blast your way across a big patch of grass with a Piranha Plant on it. 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. We've got the location of every single shortcut in Mario Kart 8, so that you can destroy the competition and shave seconds off your lap times.Align yourself just-so with a kart up ahead of you, and after a few seconds you'll start benefiting from a speed-boosting slipstream. As long as you can see little wisps billowing around your kart, you'll remain under the influence of this handy boost. When you approach the second frozen lake, look for a pair of coins just to the left of a big structure made of ice cubes. If you have a speed-booster about you, this shortcut will let you take to the skies in a glider and cruise towards the finishing line. Another great tip for dominating the opposition is to hold onto your projectile weapons until your target is up in the air and sailing over a big chasm. If you can take them out mid-flight, they'll suffer a much longer animation as they respawn, allowing you to race even further ahead of them.

As you turn the corner into the second half of the course, you should be able to spot a ramp over to your right. There are a handful of snowy stretches with winding corners that you can zip right across if you have a mushroom going spare.

Mario Kart 8 tips and tricks

After the shortcut above, use a mushroom to blast over the next section of grass right in front of your landing spot. 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. As you leave this upper part of the course map, look for the two towers that become visible on your right. Steer off the course sharply and aim towards them to hit a couple of ramps that help you cut out a massive chunk of the course. 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.