Rocket Start

Not to be confused with Rocket Kart.

LINE sticker of Mario performing a Rocket Start

“Be patient, drivers! If you tap the screen too early, you'll fail the Rocket Start and be at a disadvantage.”

—Lakitu, Mario Kart Tour

A Rocket Start (also referred to as a Rocket Boost, Turbo Start, Boost Start, Head Start, Start Dash, or starting dash) is a racing technique appearing mainly in games of the Mario Kart series. A Rocket Start is a powerful burst of speed that occurs at the beginning of every race, and it easily accelerates racers to top speed from standing still.

History

Mario Kart series

The flames coming out of the vehicle's exhaust pipes determine the strength of the Rocket Start, as demonstrated by a Mii in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

In the Mario Kart series, the Rocket Start technique is executed by holding the acceleration button at the correct time in the starting countdown, with each game having different timing to do so, although the general timing of the technique in most games is to press the button sometime when the number 2 or equivalent appears onscreen. If the player holds the button too early and over-revs when the final beep sounds, the player's vehicle will backfire and stall for a few seconds at the beginning of the course (sometimes known as a Dud Start or Fail Start).

The technique can be used by holding or while 2 appears onscreen in Mario Kart 7.

Since Mario Kart DS, the strength of the Rocket Start depends on the power of the rev at the moment before GO! (START in Mario Kart DS) appears onscreen. For example, if the player starts to rev the engine when the countdown reaches 2, depending on when the player started to hold down the acceleration button when 2 was onscreen, the duration of the technique can be roughly between 0.5 and two seconds, indicated by the flames coming out of the exhaust pipes of the vehicle (ink when the player drives the Inkstriker or Splat Buggy, magic when the player drives Kamek's Zoom Broom or its variants, and soda when the player drives the Combo Cruiser). In other words, if the player starts to rev right at the moment the countdown reaches 2, the resulting launch from the starting grid would be longer than if the player started to rev half a second after the 2 came onscreen. In Mario Kart Tour, in addition to the technique from previous games, releasing the tap when GO! appears onscreen (due to auto-accelerate permanently being enabled) results in the Rocket Start being longer and awarding more bonus points than usual, with the character's "item success" animation indicating a longer boost. A bonus challenge called Ready, Set, Rocket Start grades players on how many points they earned for the Rocket Start.

To perform a Rocket Start, drivers must press and hold the corresponding acceleration button when the race is about to begin. How and when to use it depends on which installment in the series and which control scheme the player uses.

Game	Control	Timing	Failure
Super Mario Kart	Hold	Right as the beep sound from the first light stops	The kart's tires do a burnout, and it accelerates slowly at the start.
Mario Kart 64	Hold or tap it three times in sync with the lights	When the light turns blue	The kart's tires do a burnout with no forward movement.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit	Hold	Halfway between the second yellow light and the blue light	The kart accelerates slowly at the start.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	Hold or tap it in time with the lights	When the light turns green	The kart's rear wheels do a burnout, preventing movement for a few seconds.
Mario Kart DS	Hold	When the number "2" starts fading	The kart's engine backfires and stalls for a second or two.
Mario Kart Wii	With Wii Wheel or Wii Remote – With Classic Controller – With GameCube Controller – With Wii Remote and Nunchuk –
Mario Kart 7	Hold or	When the number "2" fully appears
Mario Kart 8	With Wii U GamePad/Wii U Pro Controller – , , or (tilt forward) With Wii Wheel or Wii Remote – With Wii Remote and Nunchuk –
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe / Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit	With horizontal Joy-Con – With Dual Joy-Con or Nintendo Switch Pro Controller –
Mario Kart Tour	Hold finger on the screen and release before "GO!" appears	Before or as the number "2" fully appears

In Mario Kart Arcade GP, Rocket Starts are performed the same as in Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! In Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, they are performed by pressing down on the accelerator when "1" appears on the screen.

The Double Dash in action at Mushroom Bridge

A type of Rocket Start, the Double Dash, can be performed only in the co-op play mode of Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and it is named after the game's subtitle. Both players must press at the same time when the three red lights on Lakitu's starting signal turn green to perform this technique, which launches the kart at a higher speed. Blue flames follow the kart, showing that the technique was performed correctly.

In Mario Kart Tour, a number of karts have the Rocket Start Plus special skill, which increases boosting time and points from Rocket Starts. These karts are shown in the following table:

Special skill	Karts
Rocket Start Plus Increases Rocket Start boost time and points earned for performing one.	+30 points
	+50 points
	+80 points

Donkey Kong franchise

In Diddy Kong Racing, the Rocket Start is referred to as a Jump Start (also parsed as jump start), and is timed with as the words "Get Ready" begin to fade, resulting in an orange boost. Waiting a little longer before pressing will result in a super jump start,

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

• In-game manual: Get off to a Rocket Start! To launch from the starting grid at a high speed, press and hold at just the right moment during the countdown.
• Guide: Timing a perfect Rocket Start can determine the whole nature of a Grand Prix race’s first lap, and this technique is essential for posting record-breaking Time Trials. Pay attention to Lakitu’s countdown, and begin accelerating immediately after the “2” appears onscreen, accompanied by a tone. Properly done, you’ll rocket off the line with a Mushroom-like boost. If you begin accelerating too soon, as the tone sounds and the 2 appears, rather than just after, you’ll stall at the starting line.

Mario Kart Tour

• Tips & Tricks: At the race's start, tap the screen and hold on 2, then release at GO to take off with a Rocket Start! The closer you are to GO when you release, the longer your dash will last and the more bonus points you'll get. But be careful... You'll stall if you tap too early!
• FYI! (From Ready, Set, Rocket Start): Tap and hold the screen when the countdown reaches 2, release at GO for a Rocket Start!

Nintendo Extra

• At the start of a race, hold the accelerator button when the countdown reaches “2” to perform a Rocket Start! Get the timing right and you’ll zoom off the start line much faster than usual!

Gallery

Mario Kart series

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  Mario Kart 64

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  Mario Kart: Super Circuit

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  Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

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  Mario Kart DS

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  Mario Kart Wii

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  Mario Kart Wii (Fail Start)

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  Mario Kart Arcade GP 2

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  Mario Kart 7

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  Mario Kart 7 (First-Person View)

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  Mario Kart Arcade GP DX

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  Mario Kart 8

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  Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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  Mario Kart Tour

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  Mario Kart Tour (Rocket Start Plus)

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  Mario Kart Tour (Rocket Start Badge)

Donkey Kong racing games

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  Diddy Kong Racing

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  Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

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  Diddy Kong Racing DS

Other

• 

  Paper Mario: Color Splash

Names in other languages

Rocket Start

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ロケットスタート[?] Roketto Sutāto	Rocket Start
Chinese	火箭起步[?] Huǒjiàn Qǐbù	Rocket Start
Dutch	Superstart (Mario Kart 7) Raket Start[?]	Super Start Rocket Start
French	Départ turbo Départ canon[?]	Turbo Start Rocket Start
German	Raketenstart[?]	Rocket Start
Italian	Partenza a razzo[?]	Rocket Start
Korean	스타트 대시[?] Seutateu Daesi	Start Dash
Portuguese (NOA)	Saída turbo[?]	Turbo Start
	Largada Foguete	Rocket Start
Portuguese (NOE)	Inicio a Jato[?]	Rocket Start
Russian	Быстрый старт[?] Bystryy start	Fast Start
Spanish	Turbosalida (since Mario Kart 7)[?]	Turbo Start
	Salida rapida[?]	Fast Start

Double Dash

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ダブルダッシュ[?] Daburu Dasshu	Double Dash
French	Double Dash[?]	-
Italian	Double Dash!![?]	-
Spanish (NOE)	Doble Carrera[?]	Double Dash