Snaking, is it fair?

Another defeat for Anti-snakers

It has been around since Mario Kart 64, contrary to popular belief.  The technique is simply a way of doing many mini-turbos on a straight way and was known as SSMT for many years before Mario Kart DS.  That was when the opposition to this more advanced technique started, when Mario Kart DS was playable over the internet via wifi connection..

These people may say they don't like it because of the extra advantage.  They might say it's because it's non-traditional.  And they might say that it is unfair.  But it is none of these things.  The technique is traditional.  World record sites have been talking about since the release of Mario Kart 64, with the newer, more helpful power-slide boosts.  Then, it was just an accepted technique and everyone else didn't know anything about it.  It's just not a modern thing.

The extra advantage it gives is huge.  But that is expected of any technique.  How helpful and advantage giving is drifting and power-sliding?  The most useful trick in Mario Kart, one that is clearly intended.  And people probably moan about that as well, just because they can't/won't do it.  Or drafting?  The newly reinstated technique from Mario Kart 64 where you tail an opponent to gain extra speed, culminating in a speed boost.  And these aren't unfair.  Want any proof for the most hardcore opposition?  Wait a few seconds at the tile screen and the character in the movie mini-turbos and drafts others.  And the staff ghosts power-slide.  One even supposedly snakes, on Donut Plains 1.  Very badly.

Unfair or cheap is the worst reason for the underlying hatred of the technique.  Some glitches put you from one half a track to the other.  That is unfair.  Cheat devices allow you to have infinite stars, always get 0 seconds and allow you to race permanently at 70mph.*   That is unfair.  Snaking is not when compared to that.

And the final reason is confusion.  Snaking isn't the right term.  This is because it came from F-zero GX players who used it as a glitch to keep gaining speed at a very fast rate and was an exploit.  But in Mario Kart DS it's is intentional.  It's not a glitch.  Note that I don't have it on my glitches page?

So it is fair.  And the opposition are just sore losers and not very sporting.  Even Nintendo admitted it.  learn to snake or race just your own friends.

* The cheat for always going at 70 mph isn't that great.  Sure it allows you to go at mushroom speed, but what happens when you boost or use a mushroom?  Your speed goes down!  And with gold, you go down to just 30mph!  Is that so good after all?  Not like the best cheat I used on Super Circuit, where you win as soon as you cross the start line!