I know this game is hardly new, but I just picked up the Metroid Gamecube bundle, along with this game and I'm having a hard time executing the power slide turbo boost. I've read several descriptions on how to do the move, and I have managed to do it, but not with any consistency.

I don't actually suck at the game. I can win up to the 100cc version of each of the cups, but I'm having a lot of trouble with the 150cc races. Does anyone have any tips?

Been a while since I played but from what I remember to do the power slide you have to slide then go left right left (or right left right) until the dust around you changes to red I believe then you do a power slide dash.

Winning is another story especially on 150 cc. You have to race near perfect and just hope you don't get hit by anything near the end.

use small racers. light karts. that's how i ended up beating 150cc.

Its all about mastering the power slides. You get a boost using the slides and want to keep them going as much as possible. Once you are good at handling the carts the light karts are the key to beating the harder races.

Its also a matter of racing the tracks over and over and finding every short cut advantage possible. It is definitely a game that rewards practice and memorizing the tracks.

Argh. I'll give all of that a try.

Currently, for power-sliding, I go into a slide and then jam the control stick back and forth like I'm running a marathon in Summer Games for the Commodore 64. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I've tried the left, right, left or vice-versa method and can't really seem to get it to work, or at least not any more consistently than my spastic method.

Thanks for the advice so far.

Practice is really the key to mastering the power-slide. It can be hard to pick it up right away, but once you start to figure out the timing and everything for it, it gets easier. The Baby course is a good one to practice on since it's just a big oval with lots of opertunities for power-sliding.

I always thought you needed the blue sparks for the best boost.

You want to build up your slide until you get the boost. Boost, and then if possible go right into another slide. Getting all those extra boosts is really the only way to beat the harder tracks.

I beat all the cups with perfect scores (40 pts for each cup, and 160 for All Cup) and I don't think I ever used the blue boost. Everyone is right when they say that using light karts is the key. I used Toad and Toadette (for their Special gold mushroom) with the blue toad kart. Using shortcuts and learning to powerslide to take tight corners is key to beating 150cc.

Playing defense is especially important when you're in first. I always see other people waste away green shells and bananas when they're in first, hoping that they'll get something better, like a mushroom or red shell. But like in all Mario Kart games, only the players in the back get the good weapons. So, I save the green shells and banana peels and use them to intercept red shells coming my way, or to clear out a path if I'm about to run into a banana on the road or something.

Other than that, repetition is key. Memorize the tracks, and use shortcuts when you can.

That is why I take Diddy along. He is my favorite. Nothing like a giant banana when you are in first. Place it on a tight turn, and bam! extend your lead.

Hey, I suck less now. I was finally able to unlock the special cup and win it at 50cc. I only had a chance to play a little bit tonight. I still haven't won any of the races at 150cc yet, either. I guess I'll just keep practicing. I have managed to get a little more consistent with the power-slide boosts, but it doesn't seem like they're completely necessary. There are a bunch of spots in which they help a bit, though. Thanks for the tips everyone.

I guess "practice" was the best advice. Now I've won all the tours at 150cc, except the All Cup Tour, which I just unlocked. I only ran through it once at the 50cc level, but I'm pretty sure I can beat it at 150. It's quite an endurance test, though. I think it took 40 minutes at 50cc.

I had fun when I won the special cup at 150cc. I took first in the first three races, so I had 30 points, and the two teams directly behind me in points had 20 points each. I realized that I'd already won the cup since no one could pass me now, so I spent the entire last race attacking those two teams, not caring where I placed.

I'll stop bumping my own thread now, though. I just couldn't have my last post mentioning my inability to win at 150cc.

I'm glad you enjoy it. I love it. Unfortunately all my Mario Kart friends from the N64 days only went with Xbox this generation. So they won't play it. The single player is fun though.