I have been playing through New Super Mario Brothers Wii with my boys. This can be both a fun and frustrating experience depending on how you play the game. I will share with you a few tips to make New Super Mario Brothers Wii fun that also apply to life as well.

• Don’t Steal – In Mario share mushrooms, flowers, stars, etc. You might be able to get them all this time, but the next time they appear, you can be sure, no one is gonna share them with you. In life pretty much everyone is guilty of this in one way or another.
• Don’t Kill – In Mario don’t pick your friend up and throw them in a hole, if you do you better believe you will be thrown in a hole soon enough as well. In life this kinda goes without saying, although some people do need to be reminded.
• Work as a Team – In Mario don’t run ahead, trying to blaze through the level as your teammates many times die from this. Many star coins are much easier to acquire if you jump on each others heads. It also helps to attack enemies as a team. Or in a ghost house to have one player face each way so the ghosts don’t come at you, until you need them to move out of the way. In life almost everything we do can be accomplished quicker and with better outcome if you work together with others.
• It’s the Journey not the Destination – In Mario you can use warp tunnels to get to the end, but then you miss all the interesting worlds along the way. In life, death is the destination, that’s no fun life is the journey. Always remember Rule #32: Enjoy the little things. When you are going on a road trip somewhere, don’t forget to make fun stops along the way, this makes the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone.
• There is More than one Way – In Mario there many levels have more than one exit. In the worlds there are many paths you can choose. In life this is abundantly clear. Think about making something as simple as a hot dog. Easily 4 ways to cook it: microwave, pan fry, boil, grill. And the toppings, there is just a never ending list of what to serve a hot dog with. Someone else might do something differently than you, but that doesn’t mean they are wrong about it.
• Perseverance is Rewarding – In Mario getting all the star coins takes time, but it also opens up a new world to explore. In life many things take time, cooking a nice meal, teaching your son to play catch, learning how to ride a bike, but the payoff is worth it and then some.

How do I open the Fast Staff Ghost on Mario Kart Wii? You have to race really well.

Here I present some helpful hints when doing the Time Trails

Three big hints.
1) Hit the gas just as the countdown hits number 2 to get a boost off of the line.
2) Don’t crash and don’t fall.
3) I always (well mostly) use my mushroom in the same place on each lap. 3 mushrooms = 3 laps.

For #3 the key is finding the best place to use the mushroom, below are the places I have deemed the best, you may find other areas work as well.

• Mushroom Cup
• Luigi Circuit – Just before the last turn on the track there is sand on your left and a ramp. Use a mushroom as you go into the sand, after hitting the ramp you will have enough speed to clear the rest of the sand. Make sure to hit all the speed bosts going around the last turn.
• Moo Moo Meadows – After the first set of cows just head to the left and use the mushroom to cur across the grass.
• Mushroom Gorge – Right at the beginning on the left hand side, aim just to the right on the plants and use your mushroom just before the edge, you will launch onto a red mushroom, then bounce to another then bounce onto the bridge.
• Toad’s Factory – No real magic here, just don’t crash. I like holding onto my mushroom until the end of the lap, in case I miss one of the speed boosts going through the mud.

• Flower Cup
• Mario Circuit – not sure yet
• Coconut Mall – After the 1st escalator go to the right, the last store on the right has a narrow doorway you can go through before the actual turn. Use your mushroom just after you enter the doorway.
• DK Summit – not sure yet
• Wario’s Gold Mine – not sure yet

• Star Cup
• Daisy Circuit – Another track without any big secret, just don’t crash. Pick any straight away to use your mushroom.
• Koopa Cape – Shortly before you enter the pipe, there is a slight drop, just after the drop, cut across the grass to the right on the big red mushroom. Make sure to use your mushroom just before you hit the grass.
• Maple Treeway – Use the mushroom in the area with the caterpillars. Also after the wavy rope bridge you can go up in the trees to the left or the right at the end of these paths is a speed boost.
• Grumble Volcano – not sure yet

• Special Cup
• Dry Dry Ruins – At the very end of the lap after you come out of the temple and hit the speed boost, instead of going left then right, cut straight through with the rock on your left, and use the mushroom just before you hit the sand.
• Moonview Highway – not sure yet
• Bowser’s Castle – not sure yet
• Rainbow Road – not sure yet

• Shell Cup
• GCN Peach Beach – not sure yet
• DS Yoshi Falls – not sure yet
• SNES Ghost Valley 2 – not sure yet
• N64 Mario Raceway – Just after the big mushroom follow the turn, then on the left you will see a ramp in the grass, use your mushroom just before you hit the grass, you will have enough clearance to make it to the track.

• Banana Cup
• N64 Sherbert Land – This one is fairly straight forward, just don’t crash. I tend to use my mushroom as I am about to exit the cave, since you are going uphill at this point it is really the slowest you ever go on this track. I also keep to the left when inside the cave, but watch out the penguins tend to congregate more on the left.
• GBA Shy Guy Beach – not sure yet
• DS Delfino Square – After you go through the tight streets of the town you will have to cross a short birdge (not the one with the speed boosts). There is an opening on the left, us your mushroom just before the river and you will jump across and land on a dock.
• GCN Waluigi Stadium – not sure yet

• Leaf Cup
• DS Desert Hills – The very last turn of the race. Use a mushroom to cut across the sand.
• GBA Bowser Castle 3 – not sure yet
• N64 DK’s Jungle Parkway – not sure yet
• GCN Mario Circuit – not sure yet

• Lightning Cup
• SNES Mario Circuit 3 – not sure yet
• DS Peach Gardens – not sure yet
• GCN DK Mountain – not sure yet
• N64 Bowser’s Castle – not sure yet

As I open up more Fast Staff Ghosts I will fill in this article with more tips.