Mario Kart 64/Shortcuts

Introduction

There are many shortcuts in Mario Kart 64 that can be used to achieve faster fastlap times (fastest time to complete a single lap) and faster 3lap times (fastest time to complete the entire race). A few shortcuts were intentionally programmed into the game, such as the shortcut in Kalamari desert that involves driving through the tunnel with a star, but most of the shortcuts seem more like glitches and were discovered by "glitch-hunters" trying to find ways to improve their times. Some shortcuts have gone undiscovered for many years and were only discovered recently, and there might be more waiting to be found.

Definition of Shortcut

At the Mario Kart 64 Player's Page, a time trials competition site, shortcuts are considered to be jumping over any walls or fences, or using the assistance of Lakitu in any fashion. A time achieved by cutting across grass or sand, by jumping over unobstructed gaps, or by taking a route intended by the programmers such as the tunnel is Koopa Troopa Beach, is considered to be a non-shortcut time at this site. These are only thought of as "corner cutters" and not real shortcuts. These corner cutters are (will be) explained in the section on Non-shortcut strategies.

In Mario Grand Prix and Versus mode, even more shortcuts can be done because of the possibility of bouncing over walls using shells or by bouncing off of other racers by pressing R as you hit them. Below is a list of all known shortcuts that are possible in time trials mode that haven't been obsoleted yet by a faster and easier shortcut. Click on the names of the courses and watch the videos at SDA's Mario Kart 64 section for more detailed information about the fastest strategies for taking each shortcut.

List of Shortcuts

Luigi Raceway - After leaving the tunnel, aim a few bricks to the right of where the brick wall meets the gray wall. Use a mushroom as you leave the road, and press R as you hit the little hill to bounce over the wall.
Luigi Raceway - This harder shortcut can be done instead of the previous shortcut to save up to about 3 more seconds. As you leave the tunnel, do a mini turbo into the sand on the left. If you hit the correct spot, you'll bounce. Press R as you land from the bounce, and you'll make a second bounce and go over the gray wall. There are 2 spots you can hit for this to work. The faster, but harder spot is slightly before the end of the first white line after the tunnel, and the second spot is a few kartlengths after the end of that line.

Kalamari Desert - Before the second railroad crossing, go to the left into the sand. After the part where you go downhill and then uphill, use a mushroom and aim towards part of the opposite side of the valley just next to the train tracks. Press R as you hit the bump, and you'll bounce over the train tracks and back on the road.

Toad's Turnpike - Do a left facing slide when the race starts, and hop into the fence on the left a little before the part where the roads overlap. You'll land on the fence and get stuck. When Lakitu puts you down, start holding A a little before you touch the road so you accelerate faster, and turn right towards the fence. For a short time after being put down, a glitch prevents you from getting stuck, so now if you hop into the fence, you'll go through it and land on the lower track (or in the water, in which case Lakitu will put you on the lower track if you were close). Don't try to cut the corner by going through the fence from as early a point as possible, because if you pass over the water as you go from the upper track to the lower track, the next shortcut won't work.
Toad's Turnpike - After doing the first shortcut without passing over the water, an even better shortcut becomes possible on the succeeding laps. Hop into the fence on the right shortly after crossing the finish line, and Lakitu will put you on the lower track.

Frappe Snowland - When the race starts, turn around and go back to the bridge. Now drive (or hop) from the bridge to the snow on the side of the road (left side is faster, but harder), without the kart ever being completely on the road in front of the bridge. Drive forward and off to the side, and get stuck in the snow after crossing the extended finish line. Lakitu will put you back on the bridge or on the spot where the road meets the bridge, and you'll have skipped a lap.
Frappe Snowland - This shortcut is useful for fastlap attempts, but not 3lap attempts. First go to the end of lap 1. Drive into the snow on the left side of the road and get stuck, and Lakitu will put you down shortly before the finish line. AB spin to the left and use a mushroom. Because of the glitch discussed earlier, you'll be able to pass farther into the snow without getting stuck. Aim towards slightly to the right of the peak of the hill, and hop and turn to the left from the hill. Cross the extended finish line in the air just after hopping off the hill, and Lakitu will put you down just before the end of the lap.

Choco Mountain - When you reach the hill about halfway through the lap, do a mini turbo into the wall on the left at or slightly before the top of the hill. Hop as you hit the wall, and you'll bounce over the mountain.
Choco Mountain - A few kartlengths after the finish line, face left and use a mushroom. Hop as you hit the wall, and you'll bounce high and land on top of the wall. Lakitu will put you down in the tunnel.

Mario Raceway - When you get to the part with the left turn that leads to the mushroom, drive towards the highest point of the edge of the road instead of following the road. Aim perpendicular to the edge and use a mushroom. Hop and turn to the right at the last possible moment, and you'll jump over the wall to the right of the wall that meets it.

Wario Stadium - When the race starts, drive into the wall on the left at the first small hill, and press R as you hit the wall to bounce over it. Turn around and bounce back over the wall again by pressing R as you hit it. Make sure that you pass to the right of the finish line pole as you go over the wall, but not too far right or you'll land on the wall.
Wario Stadium -This shortcut is less complex as the previous. Instead of turning again, continue the race, and after the part with the sequential bumps, there is the long straight stretch, followed by a red and white arrows sign that is part of the wall, that indicates to turn right. If you look closely at this sign, there are three walls that make it up. there is the one that is in line with the straight stretch you've been driving on, and theres the one that is perpendicular to you, there is a third one also in the middle, like the top of a trapezoid. so as you're driving, turn in to the sign, and you need to make contact with the middle part, perpendicular to it, and press R just as you hit it. you also need to aim your joystick diagonally up and left. you will land at the final stretch to the finish line of the lap.
Wario Stadium - This shortcut is another option, if you find the previous one too hard. Continue and go to the big jump, after the jump, you are going down a long straight and would normally take a right, followed by a hairpin turn to the last straight to the finish line. Instead, after the big jump, you notice that there is a wall, with a turning sign like the one in the previous shortcut. Do the same thing (with a boost, if you want) and you'll skip the whole hairpin turn, and land in front of the finish line, and ready to jump the first hill.

Royal Raceway - After the first hairpin turn to the right, jump from the edge of the grass on the left side of the road across the river, and hit the mountainside on the right side of the diagonal road. After falling into the water, Lakitu will put you down shortly before the big jump.
Royal Raceway - When Lakitu puts you down after doing the first shortcut, start holding A as early as you can without spinning out so you accelerate quickly. Start a left facing slide as you reach the speed boost, and slide off the left edge of the speed boost. Angle the slide so when you start flying into the air, you'll be aiming a little to the left of where the grass meets the mountainside. If you hit the mountainside correctly, it will change shape and the part next to the water will become steeper. Lakitu will put you down on the other side of the water, one left turn away from the finish line.
Royal Raceway - This harder shortcut can be done in the same place as the previous shortcut, but for this one, hit the spot where the grass meets the mountainside. Lakitu will put you down just before the finish line, facing diagonally backwards and left. Usually the lap will end as soon as you're back on the road, but to be safe it's best to press B and down to go in reverse as you touch the road. This shortcut should only be used during a fastlap attempt or on the last lap of a 3lap attempt, but not on laps 1 or 2 of a 3lap attempt, because having to turn around before continuing the race would make this shortcut slower than the previous one.

D.K.'s Jungle Parkway - When the race starts, turn around and go back into the cave. Now aim towards the rock on the left side of the cave. Drive or hop through the rock and land as far to the right as possible without landing in the water, and you'll cross the extended finish line and be at the end of the lap. If you aimed too far left, you won't cross the line. If you aimed too far right, you'll fall in the water, but if you crossed the line you'll be at the end of the lap when Lakitu brings you back to the cave.

Yoshi Valley - From in front of the finish line, face left. Use a mushroom and hop and turn left at the edge of the level ground just before the grass starts going downhill. Hit the dark vertical line on the mountainside that's about lined up with the extended finish line. You'll be pushed to the left as you hit it, and Lakitu will bring you back to the road at the beginning of the next lap.
Yoshi Valley - This shortcut is useful for fastlap attempts, but not 3lap attempts. At the end of a lap close to the finish line, go into the grass on the left and face left. Triple tap A to accelerate quickly, and press R as you hit the fence to bounce over it. Hit the mountainside on the left side of the dark vertical line, and you'll cross the extended finish line as you fall. Lakitu will put you down just before the end of the lap.

Rainbow Road - At the beginning of the lap, aim towards the right side of the road. At about the third green tile after the finish line, turn to the left and hop. You'll keep turning to the left while you're above the road and you'll go over the star fence and land shortly before the spiral.
Rainbow Road - This harder shortcut can be done instead of the previous shortcut to save about 9 more seconds. Start out by driving to the left side of the road. At about the second orange tile after the finish line, turn right. Then start a left facing slide, and come close close to the fence on the right. At about the third green tile after the finish line, push the control stick all the way to the left and brake to help turn more sharply. Hop at the left edge of the road to go over the star fence (this should happen at a red tile), and you'll land just before the end of the spiral. Watch out for the chomp that's there as you land.