Powerups

Powerups (also gifts) are special items a player can get from a giftbox to have an advantage or make other players have a disadvantage.

Types of powerups

There are several different types of powerups.

Basket ball

A big brown rubber ball. It bounces ahead on the track until it reaches the leader to blow him up... or until the leader tricks it and the ball appears to be ahead of the leader, in which case it blows itself up. If a kart appears to be below the basket ball, it is squashed (but for a shorter time than after a swatter). Backwards usage results in the same event as forwards usage.

It is hated by fast players during the race because sending a basket ball requires no skill but just reduces winning chances of fast players. Anyway this is the part of the game.

One can also notice that the basket ball bounces faster when it is closer to its target, this can help determining the distance without actually seeing the leader or looking at the minimap.

Bowling ball

A blue, rather small plastic ball. Bowling balls will roll on the surface ahead or behind, depending on the shooting direction, and can bounce off walls and invulnerable players. They will exist as long as they hit someone or fall in e.g. water, or after some (pretty long) timeout. It is more tricky to hit a rival with a bowling ball than a cake.

Bubble gum

A dirty pink substance that, if you use it in the normal direction, protects you for some time from any hostile powerup (but only one). When the time expires or the kart is hit by a powerup, the gum pulls down from the kart onto the surface and no longer protects the kart, however, riding into the lying gum results in slowing down with a small rotation in a random (counter- or clockwise) direction. Using it backwards results in putting the gum behind the kart without protection. This is useful to get rid of nasty approaching rivals.

When the protection time is about to expire, the gum blinks.

Cakes

Probably the strongest powerup. It will be thrown on your closest opponent where it will explode. Note that also other karts can be hit by the explosion.

Parachute

This powerup slows down all karts in front of you.

Plunger

Can be used in two ways: Either when driving normally, then it will pull an opponent back; or when looking backwards, then it will make the other player blind. This weapon can also be used for some kind of cheating.

Swapper

Gift boxes will be changed into bananas and vice versa; Nitro cans into bubble gums on the road and vice versa for some time.

Swatter

This powerup will make you slow down karts driving near to you by squashing them. You can also use it to remove parachutes or bombs.

Zipper

The zipper will give you a big speed boost. In Time Trial, you have those by default.

Interaction of powerups

To be written later.