Racing maneuvers you may not know and tips and tricks

[Wuzzy]

Hello, I wrote a little guide for newbies to explain you some tricks you may not know about (yet).
This guide applies to SuperTuxKart version 0.9.

Racing maneuvers you may not know about
Here are just some racing facts you may now know about when you are new into SuperTuxKart:

• Look backwards to throw a weapon (plunger, bowling ball and cake) behind you.
• If you skid for a long time, you get a speed boost
• If you skid for a very long time, you get a long speed boost
• If you stand in the slipstream of a kart for long enough, you get a speed boost
• You can get rid of a bomb safely in a variety of ways:
  
  • Use a swatter
  • Use a bubble gum shield
  • (passive) Someone else uses a parachute on you
  • Collide with someone who does not have a bomb and has not previously stuck the same bomb unto you
• Using a bubble gum shield also will get rid of a parachute or anchor.
• You can also get rid of a parachute quickly when you brake
• Magic turns all bubble gums on the track into large cans of nitro
• Basketballs can be also destroyed by firing a plunger (viewing backwards) to it. This is not always easy, because you have to hit the basketball precisely.
• After a kart has been hit by an explosion, it is invulnerable to attacks for a brief period of time, as long as the “stars” animation is still visible above the driver's head.
• Using the parachute powerup will also remove bombs, anchors, swatters and bubble gum shields from all karts.

Tips and tricks
Here are some random assorted tricks and hints. They may not apply for every situation, so think for yourself.

• Think before you attack the leader in Follow The Leader. If you are too close to the leader, you may be forced to slow down or get into danger into overtaking the leader
• When you are 1st, and a basketball is approaching you and you have no pow, let the 2nd ranked racer overtake you so the basketball hits your opponent. After the basketball exploded, you can safely continue racing.
• Sometimes it makes sense to not immediately use a parachute attack because it would remove a bomb from one of the karts in front of you
• Long curves are great for skidding a long time and thus gaining a speed boost
• You have a limited number of turbo power-ups in time-trial races, so use them wisely when you need them most
• Don't miss the nitro bottles in time-trial; as there are no other bonuses in this mode, they are very valuable

[samuncle]

Hi

I play almost everyday to stk and I learned some tricks :P

[KroArtem]

Seems to be nothing new since the time I played STK last time (~1.5 years ago). :P

[XGhost]

This could be usefull for some new players. Maybe someone will put in on the wiki...?

[Egg42]

You can destruct basketball with a bowling ball too. I find it easier.

[ArDanWol]

You can destroy a basketball with almost any powerup. I've destroyed them with cupcakes, plungers, and bowling balls.

[Tuxfan]

More racing maneuvers

• In order to get rid of parachutes quickly (if you have no bubble gum or swatter), brake. This is proven to be effective, if you are on a long downwards slope where the track does not make you slow down for a long time.
• Parachutes last the longest, when your opponents are on a long downwards slope. Do not use parachutes, if your opponents are racing uphill.
• Do not use cupcakes when you are slow. If you have just been hit by an enemy, it is natural to try to hit back. However the cupcake's speed is coupled to your own speed. If you are too slow, you will not hit any fast player.
• Combine speed boosts to increase their effect. There are five ways to increase your speed in SuperTuxKart: Nitro, skidding bonus, the zipper powerup, slipstream bonus and accellerators on the track. Using nitro right after having received another speed bonus sounds like a good recipe to go astray. If you manage to control your kart despite the increased speed, you will have a speed advantage.
• Beware of the bubble gum/bubble gum shield and bowling ball. Do not drive directly behind an opponent if you can help it. This is especially dangerous if the opponent recently collected a powerup or if you are about to fire a powerup at the opponent. Computer controlled karts are able to use the bubble gum shield in the instant your attacking powerup is in the air. In that case the shield will absorb the attack, fall on the track as a regular bubble gum and you might drive right into it. In other words do not try to receive the slip stream bonus during a race. Using the slipstream is only safe right at the beginning of the race.

More tips and tricks

• If you can either collect a nitro bottle or a gift box, go for nitro. Most powerups you receive from the giftbox will help you to slow down the opponents close to you. But you still will not get closer to the opponents on top of the race.
• Check the amount of nitro you have collected in your last turn and use it more often if you have a lot.

[huftis]

Here’s one trick I discovered today. In story mode, you can click on any of the challenges on the mini-map to jump directly in front of the corresponding challenge globe. Saves a lot of time. (Of course, I only discovered this *after* completing all the challenges. :/)