DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing: 5 Best Tips for Beginners

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing may look like a belt-and-braces sunshine and rainbow-type karting game, but under the hood, there’s actually quite a lot to comb over, and thrice as many things to learn in order to start accumulating a web of consecutive wins. Fear not, though, as a few quick tips will quickly put you on the right track and heading directly toward that ever-famous podium.

If you have just started out in Bamtang Games’ latest karting chapter, then be sure to onboard these five pointers for an advantage over your opponents out on the track. Let’s get right into it.

5. Make Po Your Primary Driver

Once you’ve completed the tutorial and onboarded all the necessary components, you’ll have access to your first batch of racers. For the best results moving forward, you’re going to want to side with Po, a character who happens to have the best opening stats on the entire roster. Not only is the Dragon Warrior built with one of the highest Max Speed nodes, but also one of the highest Charisma nodes, too. What’s more, as Po’s kart is relatively lightweight and equipped with a mid-level Handling system, it has the power to become the be-all, end-all kart, period.

Of course, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to flesh out your drivers’ specs and swap a couple of parts out over the course of each Cup, but for the sake of progressing deeper into the campaign, you’re going to want to keep Po close to the chest. Failing that, then aim to recruit Hiccup, who’ll have a relatively similar driving style and set of abilities to utilize on the track.

4. Craft a Balanced Kart

Like in any karting game, the vast majority of your characters will fall short in certain areas, such as Handling, Charisma, and Max Speed. This isn't to say you won't be able to bring those shortcomings up to speed, though, as more often than not, a single upgrade can boost your overall performance. For example, equipping new tires will boost your Handling—a node that, unfortunately, Po seems to fall rather short in. Similarly, a kart that's deemed rather slow can be brought up to speed (literally) by implementing a new engine.

To acquire new parts for your kart, you will of course need to compete in any of the available Cups and, you know, win said Cups. More often than not, you'll find that four consecutive wins with any character will provide you with a slew of nifty upgrades on completion. So, if you're struggling to pass through one of the Cups, then consider dialing down the difficulty and attempting it again to be able to reap the rewards.

3. Drifting Is Key

If you've played through a karting game before, then you'll probably know that drifting is, without a doubt, the easiest and arguably most efficient way to get around the track. Well, not a whole lot is different in DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing. In fact, you'll come to learn relatively early on that most tight bends and curves in the game can only be tackled by popping a drift and leaning into the turn. And so, if you aren't drifting, then there's a good chance that you're falling behind and allowing others to thrive in your place.

Depending on which character you choose to side with, drifting can, of course, prove a little tricky for some. Not to worry, though, as a new set of tires will increase your Handling, and in turn, give you more control over your drifts. If, however, you happen to come across a course that's littered with tight corners and narrow bends, then you should consider taking on another racer who's more suited to handle such obstacles.

2. Don't Neglect the Musical Notes

Collecting Musical Notes during a course can provide a whole bunch of benefits. However, the real reason you'll want to start harvesting them during races is to enforce the Trolls' touch-and-go powers that, when activated, can grant you additional abilities and, if you're lucky, “Troll Surprises.” In any case, you should aim to mop up as many Musical Notes as you can find, as there's a good chance that they'll change the fate of the other racers around you, and even give you an extra nudge closer to that all-important checkered flag.

Aside from collecting the Musical Notes, which should be your primary objective (other than winning, of course), you should also keep an eye out for Collectibles—items with which you can claim to unlock even more rewards and other cosmetical upgrades in the Garage and beyond.

1. Complete Challenges to Unlock Better Racers

If you're looking to snag the best racer in DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing, then you'll want to head over to the Challenge Mode and essentially wage war with Lord Farquaad, as he is, in all honesty, the one-and-only character you'll need to start racking up victories. As well as the King of Duloc boasting the highest Max Speed of 2.3, Farquaad also has a Turbo of 2.6 and a Handling of 1.8, which ultimately makes him the best racer in the entire game.

If you'd much rather opt for another racer, then there's also Diane Foxington and King Gristle to consider, too. Similar in style, the aforementioned characters boast high-powered Turbo and Handling stats. To claim both Diane Foxington and King Gristle, you will once again need to head over to Challenge Mode and thrash it out in their respective courses. Once obtained, aim to rerun each of the available Cups a second or third time, if only to unlock all of the car parts needed to make their trusty vessels truly unstoppable.

So, what's your take? Do you have any useful tips for DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing newcomers? Have you managed to find the perfect racer yet? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.