In the Mario series, the phrase time trial is synonymous with the Mario Kart series, wherein it is a game mode that involves racing around a track of the player's choice in order to achieve the fastest time. It is a one-player mode and only one-player. They contain a replay feature that allows the saving of the best time such that it can be replayed in the form of a ghost that can be raced against. Time Trials have appeared in every single Mario Kart platform game.

Ghosts

Main article: Ghost

The player can save Ghosts, which are replays of Time Trials. The player can race against these ghosts on the track that the ghost was saved on. In Mario Kart 64, Ghosts were saved on Controller Paks. As such, ghosts can't be saved in the Virtual Console version of the game.

Staff Ghosts

Main article: Staff Ghost

In later Mario Kart games, there is a "Staff Ghost" already in the game for each track, a saved time created by a member of the Nintendo staff. If the player can get a fast enough time they will unlock a time made by one of the developers who made the game. These times are very tough as they use the best tricks for their track. In Mario Kart Wii, there are 2 developer times per track: 1 called a "Staff Ghost" the other called a "Expert Staff Ghost". The normal ghost can be easily beaten with practice on the track. The Expert Ghost uses every trick in the book, Mushroom placed perfectly, stunts everywhere, and drifting right at the edge of the track. They are professionals, basicly.

Mushrooms

Often, the player starts out with three Mushrooms. However, in Super Mario Kart, the player starts out with none. Also in Mario Kart: Double Dash the player starts out with two, one for each character. Finally, in Mario Kart DS, the amount of Mushrooms the player starts out with depends on the Item Stat: the highest amount of mushrooms is three, and the lowest amount is one mushroom. The mushrooms are used to speed up to get better results. The mushroom is in real life the Amanita. You can use the mushroom for the mushroom clap!