Racetrack Items

Bananas
Forget everything you have learned about bananas from other racing adventures. On these tracks, collecting bananas will actually increase your vehicle's top speed. You can collect as many bananas as you want, but you'll hit your maximum speed at 10 bananas. When you get hit by a missle or run into a mine or bubble, you'll lose two bananas. Once a race is over, your banana counter will reset to zero.

Zippers
Zippers are special course features that can boost your speed temporarily. There are three types of zippers: road zippers, water zippers, and air zippers. To get a boost from a raod zipper, just touch any part of it, and you'll take off like a rocket -- just be careful you're facing the right way when you do! To use water and air zippers, simply go through them or touch any part of them.

Silver Coins
Collect these special coins to win the special Silver Coin Challenge. Go to the Circuits section to find out about the Silver Coin Challenge.

Golden Balloons
These are not weapon balloons! Oh no!! They are far too precious to be left around the tracks! Collect all 47 of them to activate the Wizpig races. Taj will award you one if you complete one of his challenges, complete a regular race or complete a silver coin challenge. Go to the Circuits section to find out about the Wizpig races and regular races. Go to Taj's Challenges to find out about Taj's Challenges.

Weapon Balloons


Blue: Speed Boosts
These are special items that give you boosts like zippers. Upgrade to get boosts that last longer. Lay off the accelerator right before you use one to get a super boost.

TACTICS
Boosts are trickiest in the hovercraft. Don't use one just before a turn. The hovercraft doesn't track well, so wait until you are at the top of a turn and facing the way you want to before you boost.


Green: Droppers
These items are ones you can drop on the course to give your friendly competitors some rough time. Mines will make your enemies lose two bananas and spinn out while balloons will do the same but actually hold them for a while!

TACTICS
The best place to put droppers are right before zippers and balloons. You'll either discourage your opponents from collecting items or force them to pay a mighty high price for a weapon.


Rainbow: Magnets
Magnets are truly awesome. Level one and level two magnets will bring you closer to your opponents while level three magnets will bring the other racers closer to you and then a little farther back! Level 2 magnets have a longer range than level one.

TACTICS
Magnets are best on straight-aways or when there are no obstacles or outcroppings around. If you use one too near an obstacle or just before a tunnel or tight turn, you might get stuck up on something and stop dead.


Yellow: Shields
Shields will protect you from road hazards like missles. When one shield is upgraded it will last for a longer time. Level 3 shields last for an amazingly long time!

TACTICS
In some races, you can pick up a shield right after the start. This is one of the best times to use a shield, when most of the racers are still clustered together. Otherwise, keep an eye out for hazards.


Red: Missles
Missles are very cool. They are similar to turtle shells in Mario Kart. Regular missles will just go straight and burst on contact. Level 2 missles will be attracted to the racers. Level 3 missles are packages of ten missles.

TACTICS
Try to use missles at close range. A regular missle will travel in a straight line and explode on contact. Though a homing missle has good tracking capabilities, it's better if the target is in sight when you fire.