The excellent Star Cup is when Mario Kart 8 Deluxe really starts to heat up. This cup offers some of the most colorful tracks in the game – on which you will find some great shortcuts! While none of the circuits in the Star Cup provide as many opportunities as courses like Toad Harbor, this circuit really proves that less is more. Use a mushroom at just the right moment, and pick just the right path to leave your adversaries behind. With some great last-second shortcuts, The Star Cup is made for the comeback kid.
This article goes over all the shortcuts, strategies, and best practices of every single course of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s Star Cup. You’ll also read which item you need for a shortcut (if any at all), how to deal with it on 200 cc compared to 150 cc, and some general words of advice. Let’s dive right in!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Booster Course Pass is available on the Nintendo Switch for $84.98
Also, check out the guides on other cups!
Sunshine Airport
There aren’t heaps of corner cuts in the Star Cup. When you do find them, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find them on Sunshine Airport. And a tight corner is the recipe for a win.
A well-timed mushroom makes all the difference on Sunshine Airport!
- When heading towards the airplane, you can choose to go through it or underneath it. The solution is… neither! Instead, use a mushroom or a well-timed mini-turbo to cut the grass to the right, saving you a nice bit of time.
Cutting through the offroad is faster than either road here
- This one is obvious. Use a mushroom to take the ramp to the side and trick off of it for a speed boost. Alternatively, you can also reach it with a mini-turbo and a good hop – or just a hop on 200cc.
A little ramp that calls for tricking!
- After you finish the gliding section, take a tight turn inside the corner to outpace your opponents. Especially when you’re looking at a tight finish, doing so can make all the difference.
You should cut every corner you can. And this is a a great one.
- This is by far the biggest shortcut on Sunshine Airport. Trick between the boxes to gain a speed boost and clutch out a win at the last second. You don’t need a mushroom for this shortcut, so it’s always worth taking.
Always take this shortcut. It’s free, and considerably faster than driving the full corner.
Dolphin Shoals
Dolphin Shoals is a great example when it comes to quality of shortcuts over quantity. While there are only three real choices you have, making the right call on all three will solidify your lead on this circuit.
On Dolphin Shoals, it’s all about the quality of the shortcut, not the quantity!
- That’s a branch path if I’ve ever seen one! You’ve got four options. Left, center, right, and far right. You’re going to want to go with the path to the far right. Once you’re at the ramp heading towards the eel, start drifting and unleash a mini-turbo once you’re back on the main track. Only then is the far right path the fastest.
Charge up a mini turbo while going back on the main path to tmaximize your speed!
- You have the opportunity to travel on top, or underneath the eel. It’s safe to say you’re going to want to try to stay on top of the eel, and continuously trick off of its spine.
You can drive underneath the eel too, but this is so much faster.
- This is the only really clear spot for a good mushroom. Use it to cut through the off-road section and skip the final turn entirely. Way to eke out a win at the final second! Of course, you can also make sure to glide diagonally off the gliding ramp to hover over the entire section.
You can glide over this section too, saving even more time.
Electrodrome
I learned far too late that this track was called “Electrodrome” instead of “Electrodome.” Anyway, if you love to cut a good corner, you’re going to love the Electrodrome.
There are electrifying corner cuts here!
- You’ll find the first massive corner skip right after the start. Use a mushroom to cut through the raving Piranha Plants on the offroad to shave a considerable amount of time off your lap.
Right away, use a mushroom to cut a good chunk of the first corner.
- Ah, a branch path. Fortunately, this one has a clear favorite. You should take the pink path. It’s faster. Furthermore, choose your path only at the final second to get the boost at the point where the two paths diverge. A good boost is always worth it!
As always though, if everyone goes on the pink path, you should take the other one!
- Did you like the first corner cut? Then great news! It’s back, and it’s bigger! Use a mushroom to cut massively through the offroad, not unlike Mario Kart Stadium, and you’re certain to pass anyone who has to take the long way around.
The second corner can be cut even more!
Mount Wario
Although you can’t take the shortcuts again, the shortcuts on Mt. Wario are some of the most fun and satisfying to pull off. In a frantic race down the slope, use these tactics to your advantage to get down first.
Steepen your descent with a good shortcut.
- Right away, you can cut a corner with a mushroom. If you’re doing Time Trials, you’ll definitely have a mushroom there. If not, there’s a good chance you won’t have one. However, with the one set of item boxes separating you from this shortcut, be ready and aligned for that mushroom to pull this one off.
Align yourself to take this shortcut in case you get a mushroom.
- This one is pretty well known. Drift off the ramp just before the beginning of the second section to cut one of the tough turns in the first section. You won’t need a mushroom for this.
It’s easy to miss this ramp, but it’s well worth taking.
- Hug the left side of this section. The glider ramps and boost pads may seem tantalizing, but they’re not worth it. Trust me.
Don’t let the ramps and boost pads fool you!
- Hidden between the trees, you can find a very nice glider ramp that you can easily get to with a mushroom. It’s nicely positioned to skip a part of that annoying forest, so if you can, head for this one.
On 200cc, a few hops are worth reacing this ramp.
- Like the other three tracks in the Star Cup, Mt. Wario has a massive shortcut right at the end. Use a mushroom to cut through the snow to get that last-second edge over the competition, and win the day!
If you have any speed boost item, use it here.
And that’s all the shortcuts that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Star Cup has to offer! Comment your favorite shortcut spots and strategies down below, and don’t forget to check out the other strategies and shortcuts for the other cups. See you next time for the grand finale of the original Mario Kart 8 nitro courses in the Special Cup!
