3rd To Last Updated 10/11/98 730pm Pacific Time


2nd to last Updated 10/26/99 337PM Pacific Time


Suprise, he's playing again! 10/2/01 12:55PM Pacific Time


Name: David "Glitch Man" Wonn
DOB: January 30, 1976
Email: DavidWonn@yahoo.com
Link: http://davidwonn.tcgn.net/
Location: Gahanna, Ohio
Education: Graduate of The Ohio State University with honors. B.S. in Mathematics and minor in Computer Info Science.
Favorite character: Bowser
Favorite track: Wario Stadium
Favorite battle course: Block Fort
Unique ability: I invent shortcuts for SMK and MK64, and I frequently find bugs, glitches, tricks, etc. in EVERY video game that I have played.

My early video game experiences:

It all started with the Atari 2600 some time when I was in elementary school. At the time, everyone who was cool had an Atari. Before that, all I had was some Pong clone, and I didn't play it very often. The first time I played Pac-Man, I was awful, but I still enjoyed the idea of being able to control what was on the TV screen. I eventually became better, and soon enough I was destroying everyone at the good old game known as Combat. I remember sending in photographs of some high scores and receiving patches in return. I never really had any idea of how well I could compete against others until I went over to some of my friends' houses. One day I was introduced to a game called Decathlon, which required the player to move the Atari joystick left and right repeatedly to make the racer run. I remember moving the stick so fast that my friends just sat there amazed and rooted me on. They had never seen anyone get so far in the game, and it was only the first time I had ever touched the game! I knew then that I was no ordinary game player.

After a while, the Atari was getting rather boring, so I decided to see if I could make the games do what they weren't supposed to do. Soon enough, I found ways to get extremely high scores within seconds and I would find all kinds of ways to take shortcuts and make many other strange effectshappen. Suddenly I could make Pac-Man go through walls, beat Superman in a few seconds, never run out of lives in Q*Bert, and even get characters stuck in other games. After finding so many glitches in every Atari game I owned, I decided to really take my games to the test. I would repeatedly turn the power switch on and off, and all of a sudden the strangest things would happen. I also intentionally used the wrong controllers and even some previously broken controllers to see what would happen to the games. Using these methods, I could make Pitfall fly, make the tanks move at hyper speed in Combat, and even freeze bullets in Berzerk so that I could not shoot at the robots until I ran into one of my own bullets. This was only a small taste of the many strange things I could do with video games....

The Nintendo Era

The only system that ever completely blew me away with amazement was the NES. The first time I saw one at a friend's house, I knew right away that it was infinitely superior to the Atari. The games actually had music, backgrounds, scrolling screens, and graphics that made the Atari look like Pong. Of course, my parents didn't want to dish out some money into another video game system, so I would visit some friends frequently just so I could get my hands on Super Mario Bros. That was the first time I was truly hooked on a video game. IMO, some of the best games ever created were made on this system, especially Super Mario Bros. 3. The first time I played that game was in the summer of '89 in the arcades on a Play Choice 10. That machine had 10 games on it, but the trouble with it was that I had to put in a quarter every 5 minutes to keep the games going. I must have spent close to $10 so that I could play that game with some friends. I didn't even get an NES until Christmas of '89, but it was one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received.

Early in 1990, the greatest NES game finally came out -- SMB3. I don't know how many stores I called just to get that game. I can't even describe how huge the demand was for that game at the time. I was lucky one night when I called a local Toys R Us, and they had just received 48 copies of SMB3 only half an hour before I called. I had saved up enough money and called up my friend so that we could both go over there and get the hottest NES game. We must have been the first ones in our neighborhood to get that game. The demand was so huge, that the person at the check-out had to ask if my friend and I were related because they were only allowed to sell one SMB3 game per household!

After beating my NES games so many times, I decided to make the most use out of my purchases by finding every glitch and trick I could find. I played the Super Mario Bros. games so many times that I could not possibly list how many strange things I could do in each of those games. I also enjoyed games with passwords, since I was becoming very good at cracking the passwords. Some examples of games in which I have partially or fully cracked the passwords include Metroid, Tecmo Bowl, Simon's Quest, and River City Ransom (the passwords were 33 characters long in that game!!)

I received a Super NES on Christmas of '91, but this time I was beating games faster than ever before and still finding many strange tricks and glitches. This is possibly due to the fact that the early games were similar in many ways to their NES counterparts. Some examples of strange things I could do include beating more than 100% in Super Metroid, carry Rambi into water levels in DKC, transform Diddy into many weird characters in both DKC 1&2, and even restore erased data in Zelda!! Due to some other bugs that I find, I can freeze up games such as DKC 1&2, Zelda, Super Metroid, Super Double Dragon, Monopoly, Super Mario All-Stars, and Yoshi's Island just to name a few. I could literally write novels based on the number of glitches and tricks that I find in video games.

When it comes to my favorite game on the SNES, there is only one game which could ever stand out above all the rest. It's safe to say that I have played this one particular game more than the rest of my SNES games combined. It could only be the one and only...

SUPER MARIO KART!



Could this game be the best game ever created? I have never had such a fascination for one game. IMO, this is the best 2 player game on ANY system. I could NEVER grow tired of playing this game against someone else, especially Battle Mode. I have always enjoyed games created by Shigeru Miyamoto, but this one combines all the best elements of his previous creations. The nice thing about this game is that I could continuously improve my playing skills so that I could lap all the computer opponents on just about any course. I have now reached the point where nobody wants to play against me, so it is very rare that I ever get a chance to play against someone. Sometimes, I would go into a store to play SMK just so I'd get a chance to kick someone's butt at battle mode. I've even seen some people run away just after playing only one round against me, despite the fact that they claimed to be the best just before they'd challenge me. I hope to someday meet my match....

The Internet

About halfway through college, I found out that the Internet was becoming a necessity, so I decided to surf the net whenever I had free time between classes. I decided to check out some Nintendo-based web pages, and eventually one day I decided to see if there were any web pages based on SMK. I was amazed to see that there were other people out there who enjoyed SMK as much as I did. I stumbled upon Jerad Rose's SMK page, which was IMHO the best SMK web page on the net. I then decided to check out some other SMK pages and see what the best Time Trial scores were. I discovered that Dirk Wegener's web page consistently had the best scores on it. Some scores on that page were pretty good, but I was surprised to see that my scores were better than most of the scores on the net at the time. Previously, I sent scores and photos to Nintendo Power, but they usually wouldn't print my scores even when they were the best. So I decided the only way I could get recognition was to send some scores to some web pages. Before I knew it, I was hooked to the Internet....

The rise of the Shortcut King

I began practicing my Time Trial scores in hopes of obtaining all the World Records. I knew that this goal was unrealistic, but I went for it anyway. At one time my scores were so good that I had World Records on 16 of the 20 courses! I couldn't believe it myself. Now, I only have World Records in half of the courses. My claim to fame didn't really start until I sent some outrageous scores for Koopa Beach 1 and Vanilla Lake 2. I knew that most people would have a hard time believing those two scores, so I started taking pictures and sending them to a few SMK web sites. I realized that my domination in SMK couldn't last forever, and soon enough the competition was becoming increasingly tough. I watched some of my scores get beaten one by one, so I had to fight back by practicing even more.

I became so obsessed that I would keep a log of all the World Records and who had them. I was starting to find shortcuts which nobody ever thought of, and to this date, I am the only one who knows how to beat Koopa Beach 1 in 33 seconds. I was very secretive about shortcuts at the time, but I later realized that if I didn't start revealing some of these shortcuts, it would be very hard for some people to believe my scores. So I started revealing some shortcuts, and I even revealed a secret code I found which enables the player to save a ghost onto the game cartridge itself. Before I realized it, I was getting e-mails on a regular basis from people I've never met. I was starting to reveal tips and secrets, and soon enough I became known as the Shortcut King.

Nintendo 64

I remember reading some earlier Nintendo Power magazines about something known as Project Reality. I knew that Nintendo was coming out with a new system, so I started saving up money for one. I was surfing the web and came across Cap. Scott's Unofficial Ultra 64 Headquarters. I checked that place frequently, and when I heard that there would be a sequel to Super Mario Kart, I was even more excited. This was THE reason for me to buy an Ultra 64, as it was called at the time. Later on I played Super Mario 64 during the summer of '96 at a local Toys R Us. I would try to go in during the day and bring some friends along to check out the latest system. Sometimes I would play Super Mario 64 for a couple hours at the store. I finally reserved a Nintendo 64 and I received it on September 28. Before I knew it, I was finding tricks and glitches once again, but this time I decided to reveal my secrets to the Internet. Some examples of tricks I found just in SM64 alone include carrying the rabbit into other areas of the castle, Hat Trick Part 2 (inspired by someone's hat trick), race Koopa the Quick in zero seconds, and others. And then one day, the sequel to the greatest SNES game finally came out....

Mario Kart 64

This was THE reason why I bought a Nintendo 64, and I'm glad I did.I only had two controllers at the time, and it took a while before I was able to find more. This game is great, but it is by no means a replacement for Super Mario Kart. If I could only have two video games, they would be SMK and MK64. The first time I played MK64, I immediately started out in the 50cc GP with Toad, since Toad was the very first driver I had ever used in SMK. I beat all the 50cc and 100cc cups in the first night, and I beat all the 150cc and Extra cups the very next day. It's too bad I didn't get to enjoy the first title screen for very long! "This is too easy," I thought. So I started playing it with other people and I was still beating everyone. I guess it was just my SMK instincts. Later on I decided to try out the power slide since I always used power slides in SMK. After a while it became just as natural as the SMK power slide.

Just a week after I got the game, I accidentally jumped over a wall near the end of Wario Stadium. I decided to see if I could re-create the jump in other places, and sure enough it worked. And then I noticed that there were four bumps at the beginning of the course which looked very suspicious. Suddenly I jumped over the wall and I thought for a moment that I was the only one who knew about it. That was when I decided to try out the Time Trial mode. The course ghosts in the three Raceways were WAY too easy, and I beat them in just a few tries. Anyway, back to the Wario Stadium shortcut. I kept the shortcut a secret for a little while, but later on I was surfing the net and I noticed that some other people also discovered it, so I decided to let the secret out to those who didn't know about it. Then I saw some really neat Rainbow Road shortcut on a web site, and thought to myself, "I was so close to finding this one." So I decided that I must create my own shortcuts. After all, if I could create shortcuts for Super Mario Kart, why can't I do the same for Mario Kart 64?

The Shortcut King does it again!

I was already known for finding some unusual shortcuts in Super Mario Kart, but I was an unknown to those who had never played SMK. I guess my rise to fame in this game started when I discovered the Toad's Turnpike shortcut. I remember how it started....

The invention of the Toad's Turnpike shortcut

I had certain instincts from SMK which I couldn't get rid of, and quite often they were a hindrance to me, but some of these instincts actually helped me to find some of the most unusual MK64 shortcuts. I was playing in Toad's Turnpike in 2P mode one day, and I got too close to one of the walls. My SMK instincts told me to jump because that was the way to avoid losing speed in SMK. Something strange happened when I jumped -- I landed on top of the guard rail. "Oh no," I thought, "Everyone is going to pass me now." Again I came close to a wall and jumped by instinct, but this time I went out a little further. "This is strange," I thought, "I wonder if I can actually jump the guardrail and go through the wall beyond it." Later on I decided to mess around in Time Trial mode, and after doing hundreds of jumps, I finally ended up going through the wall and I landed into some water under the course. I eventually got it to work again, but this time I saw some cars and trucks floating in mid-air. "Cool," I thought, "This is very strange." So I analyzed the course and I noticed that there was a section which overlapped itself. Then, the idea finally hit me.... "What if I could somehow jump through the wall and land on the track below?" After many failed attempts, I finally got it to work. "This is SOOOO awesome! I absolutely HAVE to tell someone about this." I e-mailed Jerad Rose, the owner of a great SMK/MK64 site. I also e-mailed www.n64hq.com and www.n64.com. I had to find out if anyone else could do my shortcut, and if they had any suggestions on how to improve it. No response. "Well, it looks like I'm on my own. I'll have to figure out how to consistently pull this one off myself." So I did. I decided to send my brand new shortcut to a bunch of web sites so that at least one of them would print it. Then the e-mails started coming in, just like they did when I would find shortcuts for SMK. This marked the start of a new era for the Shortcut King....

Shortcuts, shortcuts, and more shortcuts

Why stop with the Toad's Turnpike shortcut when I can find more? And so I did. I revealed the Toad's Turnpike shortcut to the Internet on March 12, precisely one month after I got the game. Even before that, I was already finding some strange bugs, including one in Frappe Snowland. After a little while I discovered a shortcut in Yoshi Valley, which enabled me to get a 9.30 second lap score. My original intention with that shortcut was to see if I could skip a large portion of the course from the beginning. What resulted from this curiosity, was something MUCH better -- a lap-skipping shortcut which was loosely based on some shortcuts I found in SMK. After a while, I tried something out with the Frappe Snowland glitch, and this led to yet another shortcut. I kept that one a secret until just recently, and I ended up finding an even better Frappe Snowland shortcut at the beginning of the course. I decided to reveal this one first, since I knew I had some unfinished business with my other Frappe Snowland shortcut.

Along the way, I had found some other shortcuts, some of which are still a secret today, and some of which I have only recently revealed. I found that it would be much better if I remain silent about some of these until I perfect them. One day I was exploring Choco Mountain in hopes of finding something new and something better than the shortcut at the overpass. To my surprise, I found not just one or two new shortcuts, but THREE new shortcuts for that course. After a while, I finally figured out how to do both Royal Raceway shortcuts in Time Trial mode. Who knows what I'll find next?

Future Mario Kart goals

I will continue to look for shortcuts until I find at least one really good shortcut for EACH course. I know it sounds like a long shot, but that's my working theory right now. Also, I hope to become as good at MK64 as I am with SMK. This may take many months, possibly even years of practice. I know that I still have plenty of room to improve since my MK64 scores are nowhere near as solid as my SMK scores. I would also like to be involved in a national (or even international) Mario Kart competition for either of the two games. An ideal tournament would take advantage of all game modes, including Battle Mode (my absolute favorite). All these years, I was never in any video game tournament until just recently. I was in a local MK64 tournament, and to make it fair for everyone, most shortcuts were not allowed. That was a very good attempt to give me a handicap, but to make a long story short, I still won the tournament. Heck, I'll be honest, it wasn't even close. Don't get me wrong, some of the players were pretty good and they used some very good Mario Kart tactics. And best of all, it was fun, and I think everyone enjoyed having the chance to learn some new shortcuts. I look forward to the next time I get a chance to enter a Mario Kart tournament, with or without the shortcuts!

TrackDriver3 Lap Time1 Lap Time3 Lap SC Time 1 Lap SC Time
Luigi Raceway

Peach/Toad

NT

NT

1'21"75

22"43°

Moo Moo Farm

Toad

1'18"61

25"41

NA

NA

Koopa Beach

Peach/Toad

1'25"28

27"75

NA

NA

Kalimari Desert

Peach

1'50"88

34"44

NT

NT

Toads Turnpike

Peach/Yoshi

NT

NT

1'33"58

29"90

Frappe Snowland

Yoshi

NT

NT

22"82

5"42

Choco Mountain

Peach

NT

NT

1'11"38

23"01

Mario Raceway

Peach

NT

NT

55"48

16"88

Wario Stadium

Peach/Toad

NT

NT

17"24

2"59*

Sherbet Land

Peach

1'44"82

34"32

NA

NA

Royal Raceway

Yoshi/Peach

NT

NT

1'46"68

33"03P

Bowsers Castle

Toad/Yoshi

1'58"39

38"60

NA

NA

D.K. Jungle Park

Toad/Peach

NT

NT

30"39

4"65

Yoshi Valley

Peach/Toad

NT

NT

29"40

7"76

Banshee Boardwalk

Toad

1'52"93

37"02

NA

NT

Rainbow Road

Yoshi/Toad

NT

NT

3'53"35

1'08"26


*- Believed To Be World Records

Message From The Kart Historian:

Damn Wonn, a WR on WS SC lap... MYLESTYLE! Good Work David!

WR BABY! That is the Wonn I know!

I have your scores up to date! Oh yes, and your not Sami Cetin anymore either =).