I hate the Vanilla Lakes way more. VL2 is a garbage track with garbage physics and garbage driving lines. And yeah, go ahead and put ice blocks on an already difficult VL1 just to screw over everyone...  

dp4 is my favorite mk track

just better than dp5

fuck dp6 tho

My best advice for RVZ is, quite plainly, to get better at SMK. Each and every track in SMK can be driven at or near Bowser's top speed all the way through-- even without NBT, on both NTSC and PAL-- with the possible exception of KB2. CI2 and KB1 are possible but much more difficult, though easier with NBT; you'll certainly need skill, yes, to do the VLs this way. If you're a neophyte, which I assume you are, then yes, the VLs will give you some trouble.

One useful tip I can give you for VL1 is to race against a CPU-controlled ghost who can clear out some ice blocks for you. But since this ghost is much slower than you, you will still have to deal with the ice blocks in lap 1, and you can clear out a couple to make it easier to do the snowslides. Press R to jump as you hit an ice block (or any other solid obstacle in SMK) to minimize speed loss. On PAL your first lap may be as slow as 13 seconds, but the rest of your laps can be 10"xx, allowing you to sail past the 1'00" barrier. The best players don't have to break any ice blocks, squeezing between them during the snowslide on every lap in order to save more than a second on the first lap by not breaking them-- but you're probably not one of them, if I'm not.  

VL2 is definitely a track for advanced drivers-- it's in the Special Cup for good reason. If you can handle Bowser well, I'd recommend watching Leyla Hasso's 53"31 run. I used this as the basis for my own route on VL2 PAL, and it's a lot of fun to make all those jumps, but you have to be careful especially during the thread-the-needle part halfway through each lap (I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about). This will test your nerves, so don't get antsy in the final lap! You may not even come close to Leyla's PR (especially her current one) but just breaking the 1'00" barrier is a very good target for an intermediate-level player and will reward you with a pretty good rank, as a lot of players aren't good at VL2 (or VL1).

DP1 and DP2's long curves seem to be made for NTSC physics, but even on PAL it's quite possible to drift around the big 180s and come out with boosts by adjusting your drifting line-- start the drift a little later or a little farther out than you would on NTSC.

DP3 is tricky after the broken bridge. On NTSC you can get away with bouncing off the water to take a tighter line since you'll lose less speed than on PAL, but on PAL, you need to stay on the track, which requires a bit of tricky maneuvering on the left 180 immediately after the bridge, the zig zag part afterward, and then the right 180. Careful not to hit that wall (or the moles) on that right 180-- it's definitely the hardest part of the race for me.

Antistar wrote on 06/28/18 at 00:30:18:


Don't be upset Guillaume, he just doesn't understand the truth (how great VL2 actually is). Remember the line in Batman Begins "You always fear what you don't understand". Take Battle Mode for example, I think that is Triple Garbage too... However the real truth is that Battle Mode is amazing, and I just don't (and won't) make the effort to understand it and enjoy it fully. It's my problem in the end of the day...  

Anyway RVZ let us know how you get on, if we see some vids we can quickly advise what to do. I reckon it is your straightening up of the kart after corners (assuming you are using Bowser / D.K.Jr).

KVD wrote on 06/28/18 at 01:54:18:


And that's the point I am making, how did I suddenly turn it round like that and not get hit and shake the two greatest Battle players of the World with a Rocky 1 style Go-The-Distance match. I can't explain it.

Maybe I did ascend suddenly to be amongst the top Battle players finally. I hoped it would stay like that, but I think it varies (see Harold winning Battle Mode not too many years back vs Scoub, then have a look at his Battle result last year for another example). This happened to me before. Everyone forgot a SNESOT Battle Mode Tournament in 2011. After that was over, I continued to playing the way I usually do for years. I don't know what that is, but maybe a "get to quarter finals and that's it at the most". I didn't want to make the effort to appreciate and like the mode. I still don't. But I should do. Maybe it is because there is no timer in it and I just prefer measuring against records and things for targeting. It is a completely different game, but a very clever creation in SMK.

Going back to the topic. I remember back in school, and even the casual players today, it was always GV1, GV1 and more GV1, and only GV1. No one liked DP1. So I made a point to learn it and hit good records there. The other tracks followed and later I really enjoyed the challenge of DP3. So do give it all a go. Some tracks become your favorites later.

Will Sami take the benefit of Harold and Geo missing this year and win his first ever battle mode medal ?
With Gold for the first one (Geo style like in GP)

Antistar wrote on 06/28/18 at 02:50:35:


I hope I could recreate what I did, but only if I can prove it consistently. Not 2011 playing like Geo on SNESOT, then playing my old way for 6-7 years. Then 2018 playing like Geo then going back to old way, then getting a medal in 2025?

As for annoying people in MC1, yeh back in the 1990s (1995 / 1996 maybe?) a friend came up to me saying he had a wicked time on MC1 and first asked what mine was. I told him 1'01" and he just said "no you can't do that". I asked what he said he had and it was 1'05". I invited him round and when I did a demo he said "oh I don't do it like that". He did 1'05" without pressing R which is pretty good! Though he did with Koopa / Toad. I recruited him to the site years later and he made a surprise visit to compete at our 2010 UK Championships. Top guy, reminds me I should see how he is doing actually as it has been a long time..

Scoub:  No, but now that you mentioned what Geo done, I think there would be more chance in GP, got to love a bit of Grand Pricks (CPU Yoshi   ) Then again, no one is touching you or Florent there.

As lastly for SPK:  I liked DP4 and DP5. DP6 was like DP3 on Steroids.

KVD wrote on 06/28/18 at 04:35:26:


Statistically speaking I think Flo and Scoub will be safe there. Because of 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. Always go with the odds. Flo vs Scoub Final is always more exciting! I always miss my zoom starts too much except for 2013.

Yeh the original nadal-federer rivalry.

I'm just a short-lived version of Djokovic  
I just need to know when will be my elbow finger injury

Then eventually the original rivalry will happen again.

We had a 4days meeting few weeks ago, so at least I have the same 2players practice than him this year. He may have had a couple more weekend meetings tho.
But obviously I've played shitloads more time Trial than him...but as you said it usually is not what is required to perform at CDM.

ScouB wrote on 06/28/18 at 03:32:46:

Is it confirmed that Geo won't make it this year?

I just hope this is not a matter of money.

Re: OP

I would have preferred a ROM that was just DP1-DP20.