Mario Kart DS

Prototype Info Prerelease Info Notes Bugs

Resources#

Unused CoursesLong-forgotten circuits never to be driven on again. Early ModelsEarly versions of various models. Unused GraphicsAn artist's work is never done. OdditiesNot all maps can be geographically accurate.

Version Differences#

Post-Final Demo VersionMario vs. 7 Shy Guys! Regional DifferencesR.O.B. in all his red-and-white glory.

Unused Menu Music#

In Sequence ID #5, there is an unused sequence for a menu in the sound data of the game. It is one track away from the records screen, so it might have been used there. It has a resemblance to the Wi-Fi menu theme, and the settings theme too.

It has similar tracks/channels to the Options theme, so there is a possible case that this might also be an earlier version of the said theme.

To hear this sequence on the title screen, use Action Replay code 121DB4A4 000001B0 (US).

Unused Paths and Early Camera Leftovers#

To do: There may be more. Also, get videos of this and put them in a subpage.

Some of the courses have unused routes (PATH and POIT), most of which are leftovers from earlier replay cameras for the tracks they're in.

Yoshi Falls#

CAME 8 and 12 have leftover route speed settings (82 and 30), but have no leftover paths. Also the case in Kiosk Demo's track, suggesting they used paths in an earlier version of the track.

Cheep-Cheep Beach#

CAME 16 has a leftover route speed setting (20) despite not using a path.

Mission 2-5 (mr11_tool.nkm) also has a unused path with two points, placed on where the second boost pad is. Purpose unknown.

Luigi's Mansion#

Path 2 with two points is unused. It's located on the first S curve before the mansion. Probably meant for CAME 7 as that and the AREA 4 (where it's assigned to) is located on where it is. The said camera also has a leftover route speed setting (27) in the Kiosk Demo, making this a possible case. It's reset to 0 in the final, through.

Desert Hills#

CAME 9 and 17 have leftover route speed settings (35 and 45) despite not using paths (maybe removed).

Delfino Square#

Path 1 is unused. It begins from the starting line and goes towards the Pianta statue, probably used by CAME 7, as it's the only camera between the ones using Path 0 and 2, and it even has a leftover route speed setting (55) in the Kiosk Demo version, which is reset to 0 in final. CAME 9 and 19 also have leftover route speed settings (30 and 25), suggests they once used a path also (they don't have a leftover path however, unlike CAME 7)

Waluigi Pinball#

Path 7 with five points is unused. It's placed right before the starting line and moves towards it. It might have been meant for CAME 1 as that and AREA 4 (which uses it) are placed on where it is, and has a leftover route speed setting (20). CAME 16 and 17 also have leftover route speed settings (65, 35) despite not using paths (might be removed).

Shroom Ridge#

CAME 9, 11 and 12 have leftover route speed settings (50, 20, 30) despite not using paths (maybe removed).

DK Pass#

Among the 13 paths set on this course's NKM, PATH 6 is unused. It begins from the entrance to the snow area and goes to a bit further of the track, likely meant to be a camera path.

CAME 2, 5 and 9 have route speed set despite not using a PATH; judging by the order of PATH ID settings in the CAME, this unused path might be meant for CAME 9, since it's between the ones using PATH 5 and 7.

Tick-Tock Clock#

CAME 2, 6 and 10 have leftover route speed settings (50, 35, 50) despite not using paths (maybe removed).

Mario Circuit#

CAME 9, 11 and 14 have leftover route speed settings (65, 40, 65) despite not using paths.

Airship Fortress#

CAME 7, 8, 9 and 12 have leftover route speed settings (50, 45, 70, 60), but no leftover paths exist for them. Also the case in Kiosk Demo's track, they probably used paths in an earlier version.

Wario Stadium#

CAME 7 has a leftover route speed setting (55) from wario_course (earlier version of the track) where this camera used a path. This was changed to a fixed view camera in both Kiosk Demo and the final's used track.

SNES Mario Circuit 1#

CAME 8 has a leftover route speed setting (65) despite not using a path (probably removed).

N64 Moo Moo Farm#

CAME 11 and 15 have leftover route speed settings (105, 115) despite not using paths.

GBA Peach Circuit#

Path 3 with one point is unused. It's placed after the second left turn, and close to where Path 2 (used by CAME 7 which is a replay camera) is. It might be an earlier path for CAME 7, or something for testing. And CAME 6 in Kiosk Demo's track has a leftover route speed setting (85), probably meant for that also.

CAME 12 also has a leftover route speed setting (110) despite not using a path.

GCN Luigi Circuit#

Path 7 with ten points is leftover from the removed Luigi blimp that appears in the Kiosk Demo version of the track.

CAME 11 has a leftover route speed setting (40) despite not using a path.

N64 Frappe Snowland#

Path 1, with nine points, is unused. It's located on the curve after the third turn and goes further. It might've been used by CAME 4, which is located nearby (as is AREA 5, where it's assigned to), and has a leftover route speed setting (150) in the Kiosk Demo version.

GBA Bowser Castle 2#

CAME 16 has a leftover route speed setting (85) despite not using a path.

N64 Choco Mountain#

Path 4 with two points is unused. It's placed before the tunnel and goes towards it. It might've been used by CAME 10 as that (and AREA 7 which it is assigned to) is placed on where it is, and has a leftover speed setting (20) in the Kiosk Demo, where it is also unused.

GBA Luigi Circuit#

CAME 2 and 3 (second camera in the GP intro) have leftover route speed settings (20), suggesting they once used paths.

N64 Banshee Boardwalk#

CAME 16 and 19 have leftover route speed settings (20, 30) despite not using paths.

old_mario_gc / GCN Mario Circuit#

Paths 0, 1 and 2 have two points each, placed on the Goombas' area and meant for their movement. However, none are placed, rendering them unused.

MR_stage4 / Early GCN Mushroom Bridge#

CAME 8, 11 and 17 have leftover route speed settings (55, 45 and 50), suggests they once used paths, but no leftover paths exist for them. This is also the case in the Kiosk Demo version, but all are set to 0 in the final, track.

Award#

Path 6 with two points is unused. It seems an earlier version of Path 4 (the camera before the least one in the award ceremony) due to similar placement, but its first point is placed under the track.

Unused Camera Sequences#

To do: There could be more.

Luigi's Mansion#

Watch on YouTubeThere is an alternative version of the first camera sequence from Luigi's Mansion: a view from the moon and the front side of the mansion, replaced by a view through the door.

DK Pass#

Watch on YouTubeThe second sequence has an alternative version which is similar to the original sequence, but has a different angle. It was replaced by a more interesting view.

Removed Missions#

The file mission.mr is a table containing configurations for missions. However, there are 28 entries never used by the game. Note that MR stands for Mission Run.

Unused Code#

Unused Objects#

While all tree objects that have collision also have a Nocol variant (without collision), the DeTree1Nocol (MOBJ ID 327, Desert Hills tree without collision) is unused. All trees placed in the said course are of the collision variant (DeTree1, MOBJ ID 328).

Unused Object Settings#

The Mission Coin object is able to follow a specified path, with its Setting 1 specifying the speed. However, no mission uses this feature.

Unused Blur Effect#

Watch on YouTube

An unused display capture effect to blur the screen when boosting was found in the code. The final game tries to enable this effect whenever you get a speed boost, but since the blur doesn't get initialized, it is ignored.
It uses the VRAM used by the ARM7 co-processor in multiplayer modes, so it's likely that it would have only worked in singe-player modes. This and the fact that it can be both disorienting and distracting likely contributed to it getting scrapped.

It can be enabled through an AR code made by Gericom for the EU version of the game.
Enable Blur (Single Player Only) (EU):

121548DC 00000000
121548DE 00000008
2203AE78 00000002
0205612C 00000000
02056130 00000000
02056134 00000000

Unused Data#

Unused Map Object Group Configuration File#

Various attributes of map objs are controlled by the file grpconf.tbl in /MainRace.carc/MapObj/ the attributes defined by this file are the following; has3dmodel, nearclip, farclip, collision type, width, height, and depth. However, there's an unused earlier version of the file in the unused /Main/MapObj.carc archive that has fewer entries and different settings compared to the used file.

Replacing the used file with the unused file will result in multiple tracks crashing on real hardware, due to it missing entries for some of the objects.

Unused HUD Palette#

In the palette files for the global maps of unused courses (which are copies of an early GCN Yoshi Circuit minimap), there are unused palette rows used in the E3 2004 prototype.

• Palette row 0: Empty.
• Palette row 1: Used by the actual map.
• Palette row 2: E3 2004 leftover. Contains the palette for the "TIME" and "LAP" labels.
• Palette row 3: E3 2004 leftover. Has four identical sets of blue shades.
• Palette row 4: E3 2004 leftover. Has four more identical sets of blue shades, and a set of yellow colors used on the rank list.
• Palette row 5: E3 2004 leftover, dating back to when the global map BG was baked into the same file as the global map itself. This is no longer the case in the final game, so this palette goes unused.

There being eight sets of the same shades of blue in palette rows 3 and 4 may suggest that each player was going to have their own color on the rank list.

Unused Collision Sounds#

In the SSAR 0 (main sound effect sequence archive), SSEQ ID 112 happens to be a sound effect for landing on water road, however no collision type uses this sound effect. The sound effect used in courses such as SNES Koopa Beach 2, is SSEQ ID 111.

Build Date#

There is a file named BUILDDATE in the //data/boot/ folder, which contains the date and time the game was compiled:

Development Text#

NitroKart Ghost Data Test 01

Located in the ARM9 binary is text regarding a Ghost Data test, which suggests the internal project name of the game was "NitroKart".

Hidden Contest Code#

If you press Up, Down, L, R, Y, A in the Time Trials records, a 16 character code with information on your ghost will appear. This was used for an official contest held by Nintendo's Japanese website, like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

A fan-made decoder is available online.