Who do you race as in Mario Kart DS?

[vegeta1215]

What character do you race as in Mario Kart DS. Anyone found some killer character + kart combos?

I use Yoshi in his Standard YR. He has average speed, but his acceleration and handling are really high, and because of that I can mini turbo easily. I love it.

[MottZilla]

I ussually play as toad. In MKDD and 64 I did so as well. But SNES I used to always play as Yoshi.

[Kairyu]

Luigi, mostly. I sometimes use Waluigi if other people are selecting Luigi as well. I also pick R.O.B for fun sometimes.
I like using R.O.B.'s BLS, but that's a bit cheap, so I normally use Luigi's Poltergust. I always use BLS if I see someone using Dry Bones, though.
I used to use Wario in MK64 and Super Circuit. I think I used Luigi in the SNES game.

[*b*]

I race as Yoshi, in R.O.B.'s standard kart. sometimes I'm Luigi, in the same kart, but I like Yoshi better

[vegeta1215]

I see a lot of people online using Dry Bones with his tank kart, but the last few matches I've seen more and more people use Yoshi. I've seen very few people use any heavy weights. It's weird.

[goKi]

Mario in the Shooting Star.

[Tygore]

I see a lot of people online using Dry Bones with his tank kart, but the last few matches I've seen more and more people use Yoshi. I've seen very few people use any heavy weights. It's weird.
Heh, I'm one of those Dry Bones/Bomber types. Of course, I had no idea it was so popular, although I've seen less of it online recently.

[Kairyu]

It's about the snaking (constantly power sliding on straighways). I also choose Rainbow Road against snakers. I'm pretty good at it, and if snakers mess up they literally fall off an edge. I just get tired of seeing three opponents all playing as either Bones, Yoshi, or Toad in the Dry Bomber.

[vegeta1215]

I've been surprised at the number of people who pick Rainbow Road on Wifi. Maybe cause they don't wanna race against snakers like you said Kairyu? I admit that I do some snaking, but I think I'm good enough to do well on Rainbow Road regardless. Even so, I hate that level - if you do happen to fall off, even once (which can happen easily if you are a light weight character) kiss your chance of victory good-bye.

Choco Mountain is another course that probably drives snakers crazy. Heck, it's tough to do regular mini-turbos on that course cause the track is so narrow in many places.

Really, once you unlock the ability to use any kart with any character, it doesn't matter much who you choose, but only what kart you pick. I think from now on I may use Daisy (my favorite from Double Dash! ;)) with Yoshi's Standard kart. I was using Yoshi's Egg kart, but sacrificing a little speed for some more item power is worth it.

[Tygore]

The character you choose affects weight, which afffects accelleration (somewhat), off-road hinderance, and collision. I've heard that collision is not a weight factor online, though, which is why you see so many light-weights online.

I can snake decently, although I always try to get in a Rainbow Road just for kicks. Got my rear handed to me yesterday by soem REALLY good snakers, until I took them to the Road.

[KJAZZ]

Well, I mainly use Yoshi in most Mario Karts, except Double Dash, where he's not light.. But yeah. I use Yoshi, Dry Bones, and ROB. In that order.

[Kairyu]

Actually, karts with higher item ratings also take lose more time if they spin out. Also, since the time it takes to start a powerslide seems to be determined by a combination of acceleration and handling (which Dry Bones, Yoshi, and Toad are best at), and characters seem to affect those stats more than any other except weight, character selection is relevant. R.O.B. can start a powerslide very quickly as well.

I powerslide a lot (every turn I think I can get away with it, and sometimes more than once on big curves like in Wario Stadium or the final turn in Luigi's Mansion) but I never do it on straightways.

There's one particular trick that I've only seen a couple of other people use online: For the first turn on Rainbow Road (The big corkscrew with power boosts), start powersliding before you hit the wide boost at the start of the turn, and keep sliding onto each boost. Don't let go until the final boost wears off and the turn ends. Not only do you maintain a higher speed throughout, the power slide at the end will straighten you out so you don't hit the railings.

[AtmaWeapon]

I picked Luigi first and use him for everything. I usually like the Dry Bomber as my kart.

Snaking is only good on certain courses but is definitely easier in a kart like the Dry Bomber.