Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is easy to pick up, but difficult to master. For all that is good about it, and believe us there's plenty, the game isn't very good at explaining what its various stats mean, and more importantly how they affect your chances of victory.
Fortunately, we're here to help you make sense of it all. Each character shares stats with at least one another, so we've grouped them together in a handy table for you. Here's what each stat does:
- Speed: Pretty self-explanatory, the higher your speed, the faster you'll go
- Acceleration: The higher your acceleration stat, the faster you'll reach your top speed
- Weight: The weight of your vehicle and racer dictates whether you'll knock someone out of the way, or get knocked out of the way when you hit another racer.
- Handling: This stat dictates how sharply you can turn. You'll drift and corner better with this stat.
- Traction/Grip: This causes your kart to move faster on sand and snow, and slip less on ice.
Each stat has a minimum value of 0.75 and a maximum of 5.75. To calculate what your final stats will be, you'll take your character's base stats, then add the values of each part you've selected to come up with your total. The surface you're racing on will also have an effect on your character's stats. Racing underwater increases your speed by .25 points and lowers your handling by .5 points, while airborne racing increases your speed by .5 points. When you're in anti-gravity portions of the track, you'll lose .25 points to your speed stat.
What is undeniable, then, is that everyone's 'best' loadout will be different. We'll give some context in each section, but what works for you will depend very much on your playstyle.
If you want to sort the tables below, just click on the heading for the stat you'd like to sort by.
Best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Characters
| Characters | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction/Grip | Mini-Turbo | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Peach, Baby Daisy | 2.5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4.25 | 4 | 21.75 |
| Baby Rosalina, Lemmy Koopa | 2.5 | 4.25 | 2 | 4.75 | 3.75 | 4 | 21.25 |
| Baby Mario/Luigi, Dry Bones | 2.75 | 4.25 | 2.25 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 21.75 |
| Koopa Troopa, Lakitu, Bowser Jr. | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 4.25 | 3.75 | 22 |
| Toadette, Wendy, Isabelle | 3 | 4.25 | 2.5 | 4.25 | 3.5 | 3.75 | 21.25 |
| Toad, ShyGuy, Larry | 3.25 | 4 | 2.75 | 4.25 | 4 | 3.75 | 22 |
| Cat Peach, Inkling Girl, Villager Girl | 3.5 | 4 | 2.75 | 4 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 21.75 |
| Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo | 3.75 | 3.75 | 3 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 21.75 |
| Tanooki Mario, Inkling Boy, Villager Boy | 3.75 | 3.75 | 3.25 | 3.75 | 3.25 | 3.75 | 21.5 |
| Luigi, Iggy, Kamek | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.75 | 3.25 | 3.5 | 21.5 |
| Mario, Ludwig | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.25 | 21.25 |
| Link, King Boo, Rosalina | 4.25 | 3.25 | 3.75 | 3.25 | 3.75 | 3.25 | 21.5 |
| Metal/Gold Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Petey Piranha | 4.25 | 3.25 | 4.5 | 3.25 | 3.25 | 3 | 21.5 |
| Donkey Kong, Roy, Waluigi,
Wiggler |
4.5 | 3.25 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 20.75 |
| Wario, Dry Bowser | 4.75 | 3 | 4.25 | 2.75 | 3.25 | 2.75 | 20.75 |
| Bowser, Morton | 4.75 | 3 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 2.75 | 20.5 |
When it comes to characters the top speed is generally tied to weight, and their size. Some exceptions to this, and arguably a key factor, come with characters that were DLC in the past or are 'metal' variations. For example, Metal / Gold Mario may be a little behind the likes of standard Mario in grip and handling, but have notable advantages in weight and speed. Another case is Tanooki Mario, which favours a little more acceleration over Mario while having a little less top speed.
It's important to weigh up what qualities matter to you, but to also look at subtle variations and to then accentuate those stats. Importantly, your character stats then combine with your vehicle of choice.
Best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Karts, Bikes and ATVs
| Kart Part | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction/Grip | Mini-Turbo | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Kart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pipe Frame | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +1 |
| Mach 8 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | 0 |
| Cat Cruiser | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | +0.5 |
| Steel Driver | +0.25 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | -1 |
| Circuit Special | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.5 | -0.75 | -1.75 |
| Tri-Speeder | +0.25 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | -1 |
| Badwagon | +0.5 | -1.0 | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -1.0 | -1.25 |
| Prancer | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | -0.25 | -1 |
| Biddybuggy | -0.75 | +0.75 | -0.5 | +0.5 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.75 |
| Landship | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.5 | -0.5 | +0.75 | +0.5 | +0.25 |
| Sneeker | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | -0.75 | -0,25 | |
| Sports Coupe | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | 0 |
| Gold Standard | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | -0.75 | -0.25 | -1.25 |
| Mercedes GLA | +0.5 | -1 | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -1.0 | -1.25 |
| Mercedes Silver Arrow | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.75 |
| Mercedes 300 SL Roadster | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blue Falcon | +0.25 | -0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 | -0.25 |
| Tanooki Kart | -0.25 | -0.5 | +0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +1.0 | +0.75 |
| B Dasher | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | -0.5 | -1.25 |
| Streetle | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.5 | -0.5 | -0.25 | +0.75 | -0.5 |
| P-Wing | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | -0.5 | -1.25 |
| Koopa Clown | -0.25 | -0.5 | +0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +1.0 | +0.75 |
| Standard Bike | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.75 |
| Comet | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | +0.5 |
| Sport Bike | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | -0.25 | -1 |
| The Duke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Flame Rider | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.75 |
| Varmint | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +1 |
| Mr. Scooty | -0.75 | +0.75 | -0.5 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.75 | +1 |
| Jet Bike | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | -0.25 | -1 |
| Yoshi Bike | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | +0.5 |
| Master Cycle | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | -0.75 | -0.25 | -1.25 |
| City Tripper | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +1 |
| Standard ATV | +0.5 | -1.0 | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -1.0 | -1.25 |
| Wild Wiggler | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.75 |
| Teddy Buggy | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | +0.5 |
| Bone Rattler | +0.25 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | -1 |
| Inkstriker | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | 0 |
| Splat Buggy | +0.25 | -0.25 | -0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | -1 |
One thing is clear, the standard kart isn't up to much, and some karts have more negatives than positives. Some of the more reliable vehicles, i.e. those with more positives than negatives, include the Pipe Frame, Cat Cruiser, Comet, Flame Rider, Yoshi Bike, and City Tripper.
A key consideration is whether you want your vehicle to complement your character's strengths or try to balance them out. One suggestion is to focus on two or three core strengths through your combo, as 'balancing' may ultimately undo your character's positives in the process. If you try a 'heavy' set and find the handling too poor, for example, then either try balancing or prioritising a new ability. It all depends on your preferred style of racing.
That same advice applies when adding Tyres and a Glider, the stats for which are below.
Best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tires
| Tire Name | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction/Grip | Mini-Turbo | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monster | 0 | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -0.25 | -0.5 |
| Roller | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.75 | +0.25 |
| Slim | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | +0.25 | -1.0 | -0.25 | -1.25 |
| Slick | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.25 | -0.25 | -1.25 | -0.75 | -2.25 |
| Metal | +0.5 | -1.0 | +0.5 | -0.25 | -0.75 | -0/75 | -1 |
| Button | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | -0/5 | +0.5 | 0 |
| Off-Road | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.5 |
| Sponge | -0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 |
| Wood | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | +0.25 | -1.0 | -0.25 | -1.25 |
| Cushion | -0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 |
| Blue Standard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hot Monster | 0 | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -0.25 | -0.5 |
| Azure Roller | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.75 | +0.25 |
| Crimson Slim | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | +0.25 | -1.0 | -0/25 | -1 |
| Cyber Slick | +0.5 | -0.75 | +0.25 | -0.25 | -1.25 | -0.75 | -2.25 |
| Retro Off-Road | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.5 |
| Gold Tires | +0.5 | -1.0 | +0.5 | -0.25 | -0.75 | -0.75 | -1.75 |
| GLA Tires | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Triforce Tires | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.5 | -0.5 |
| Leaf Tires | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.5 |
Best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Gliders
| Name | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction/Grip | Mini-Turbo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Glider | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cloud Glider | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 | +0.25 |
| Wario Wing | 0 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | 0 |
| Waddle Wing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peach Parasol | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 | +0.25 |
| Parachute | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 | +0.25 |
| Parafoil | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 |
| Flower Glider | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 | +0.25 |
| Bowser Kite | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 |
| Plane Glider | 0 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | 0 |
| MKTV Parafoil | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 |
| Gold Glider | 0 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | 0 |
| Hylian Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paper Glider | -0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 | +0.25 |
How To Build The Best Kart in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
There isn't a one-size-fits-all best Kart to build, so it's best to find something that works for your play style.
One recommendation for you to try out is to use heavy characters, as the increased top speed combined with the ability to knock lighter racers out of your way is genuinely helpful. Time attack is a great way to get practice in with the kart you've built without having to contend with opponents throwing items at you.
Using the following guide, you can create a kart that has good acceleration, decent traction, and excellent top speed.
- Character
- Pick a level 3 'Heavy' class character (Bowser, Wario, Dry Bowser, Morton)
- Kart
- Blue Falcon, Pipeframe, Streetle – all three have good speed and traction
- Tires
- Slick
- Glider
- The glider you choose doesn't really seem to have a massive impact, so pick whichever one you think looks nicest!
Do you have a go-to Kart combo? Are bikes best, or is it all about those ATVs? Comment with your favourite loadouts below.
This article is part of our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe guide series, featuring tips, hints, tricks and unlocks for the best kart racing game on Switch. You can find the Full Character Roster, every course in the game, including the DLC tracks, and How To Download And Access the DLC itself.
We also explain How To Build The Best Kart, How To Unlock All Gold Mario And All Gold Kart Parts, How To Avoid Blue Shells, How To Farm Infinite Coins, How To Drift, Slipstream, And Boost, and How To Get A Rocket Start, as well as Explain And Rank Every Item, list every every compatible amiibo and unlockable Mii Costumes, explore The Difference Between 'All Items' And 'Frantic Items', plus give an in-depth explanation of All Control Options And Assists and How To Turn Automatic Steering On And Off.
Comments 84
Forever he will be my hero.
There's plenty of useful info here, but think the headers of 'best cart/characters/etc' are a bit of a misnomer as they don't really tell me which are best...don't really feel like I know any more now than I did before I read the article. It may give lots of stats but it doesn't do what the headline suggests, as it doesn't tell me how to put together a build. It just goes "here are some numbers, and really anything goes so just have fun and experiment" - which may be true, but it's not really instructional.
So...what's the best kart then?
@Shiryu That screenshot is the most beautiful thing I've seen in an age.
#forever
@Shiryu Forever he will be my hero
(Better believe he knows the way)
And not just only for tonight
And now that I'm not just a dreamer
(And I know I got what he's got)
And not just only for tonight
I've got power
I'm gonna fight to win
I'm gonna fight to the end
Even I can feel the power
When I think of you
I see no fear, feel no pain
(His GX theme is so awesomely cheesy)
@CrazedCavalier , @johndevine Thanks!
For 200cc I usually say a lower speed/higher acceleration helps out a lot better. If you get hit by an item, you can almost immediately hit that top speed again, and the lower speed helps on corners so you won't go blasting off to the side - especially if you've got a mini-turbo boost to contend with as well.
150cc I have a slightly more balanced approach though still favouring acceleration. The lowest of the speed classes allows the highest speed stats to be used.
This is why I wish MK would go back to 1 kart for all, as soon as they did this crap they created a meta and all anyone cares about is winning which in Mario Kart winning is often times more down to luck than skill so it becomes an oxymoron.
You don't play MK like Forza for frigs saie.
@DarkRula For 200cc I also try to use a kart with better handling or traction.
There is no ultimate setup. It's all about compromise and finding what suits you best personally. For what you'll gain in 1 stat you'll lose out on another.
Title is click bait for people that want ideas for best setups
I always use Inkling Boy with the Mr. Scooty bike, Cyber Slick wheels, and the Airplane Glider. I have no idea why. I just do.
Nice! I was really waiting for something like this, so i can create more accurately my personal combo for online races!!
This is definitely useful info, but you give no actual definitive "best" anywhere at all.
There's no point in having "Best character" or "Best part" headers when they're just listing the raw data for each thing.
@DarkRula Definitely true that high-speed builds are less viable on 200cc, but the tricky thing is that unlike on Wii U, once your online rank is high enough you have to play both 150cc and 200cc, so you need to be able to handle both with what you're using.
Personally I've been using female Villager with B Dasher, Wooden wheels and Plane Glider. Looks cool IMO and has decent speed and handling without killing other stats too much. Not yet sure if I'm comfortable with it in 200cc though.
Donkey Kong
Mr. Scooty
Roller Tires
Paper Glider
Gives me the highest possible combined Speed + Acceleration score, and the highest mini-turbo out of the combinations that can reach that score.
I think that will suit my needs nicely.
We've added some extra content to serve as a bit more advice. Picking key categories and then sorting those fields will hopefully help with some cool combos.
For everyone commenting on the lack of "Best Kart":
Hey, there isn't one! What? That's cray cray talk, Shiryu is has finally lost it's marbles! Or did he...
Nope, I'm still sane as ever. You will simply not find "THE" kart for all occasions because every single track has different obstacles to tackle. Some will benefit from slicks so you can stay on the tarmac at full speed, other will have better off-road shortcuts and will required those Monster tires... we would have to analyze each and every single circuit for every single racer and part! The best way to do this if by yourself, using Time Trial! Beat all the Nintendo Staff ghosts and notice what racer and kart parts they are using to get a feel on what might be the best option for each race. Then find your own favorite driver from the tables above, build a kart that you can truly call yours and know exactly just how far you can push that kart drifting and... you get you very OWN BEST KART! But that will be subjective to people and even if you are the very best in the world, you greatest build simply won't stop that Blue Shell from knocking you from 1st to 8th on that perfect online race you were just having.
As for Mii? I'm a egomaniac so I play with Miiself. And I think I need to get some more weight on Mii...
150cc.....Roy, Circuit Special, Slick, Cloud Glider
200cc.....ShyGuy, Streetle, Roller, Cloud Glider
Would have found it more interesting if you had added another line to the table at the end that gives the total figure, to show what is the "best" in that perspective, so adding the numbers for the characters and then adding and subtrating the plus and minus for the other bits - e.g. best are:
Best Characters:
Koopa Troopa, Lakitu, Bowser Jr. + 21.75
Best Karts:
Pipe Frame + 1
City Tripper + 1
BiddyBuggy + 0.75
Mercedes Silver Arrow + 0.75
Tanooki Kart + 0.75
Koopa Clown + 0.75
Standard Bike + 0.75
Wild Wiggler + 0.75
Best Tires:
roller + 0.25
azure roller + 0.25
gliders are all 0
so in that perspective technically best is
Koopa Troopa or Lakitu or Bowser Jr. WITH EITHER Pipe Frame or City Tripper WITH EITHER roller or azure roller and with any glider - of course it probably isnt the best for people, but stats wise, its the best.
Mii, Flame Rider, Standard Blue and Hylian Kite so far worked great for me, no clue why but it seemed a perfect combination + I like racing as myself
But knowing all the stats I might experiment with something new now
@Malanta Worth noting that all the parts you've listed have negative speed. Parts that boost speed tend to have worse stat totals. Not sure whether I agree with the design decision.
Really helpful article thank you.
I just go for CUTE!
TOAD on a teddy or Toad on mr scooty etc haha
This tool makes it way easier to build your kart and compare configurations : http://mk8dxbuilder.com/
I don't customize as much as I should. I run my mii with standard everything. Waiting to unlock pipe frame but that is about all I do. I am almost always in top 4. There just isn't a kart immune to shells is there?
THANK YOU [T] / /
I just realised there's a mistake in the article. The modifiers for racing in water/air/antigravity are not universal; they are different for each vehicle part. For example, the Mach 8 gains 0.5 speed and 0.25 handling in antigravity. These stats are not shown in game at all but they do exist; there's a list that includes them here.
@pepollet Is that for original MK8? Deluxe stats are different.
any number of mushrooms will sort out all that setup. if nlife were less family friendly, there would be a guide to most effective swear words and swear combos when shrooms hit.
@Zyrac yes the stats were updated for mk8 deluxe.
I found this website on reddit, more infos here : https://www.reddit.com/r/mariokart/comments/68uc4y/mario_kart_8_deluxe_builder_10/
My setting for the characters and vehicles :
Babies / Small characters + BiddyBuggy + Roller / Leaf Tire + Cloud Glider => High Acceleration
@pepollet Your original link was to the Wii U version. But thanks, that's pretty cool.
@Donutman
Get the Big Horn from "?" Box if you lucky enough.
It can Deflect All Shells attack including Blue Shell + Shocking all players nearby.
Use it wisely.
@Zyrac damn I posted the wrong link! Thanks for noticing
I have many favorite kart/bike combinations. But to share one is: Dry Bowser (Bone Rattler, Cyber Slick, Bowser Kite).
I always just focus on speed and acceleration. I can never stay on the track though.
@VENOMVSCARNAGE i was thinking the same thing, i enjoy playing with my triforce tires, sport bike and the airplane glider, this game really comes down to you being able to stay on the road, and the items you get and your timing on using, blue shell ftw at the finish line.
Not sure this article really helped me much... It would have been nice if there were some examples of putting a character/ vehicle together and weighing in on the good and bad.
I appreciate all the stats being rolled out but I'm also in the "this article didn't help" category. It's better having all the stats in one chart than having to scroll across 5 options to compare, but I still don't have a feel for how to USE those stats.
I've been mostly going with Yoshi(or Tanooki)/Wiggler/Sponge/Flower or Yoshi(or Tanooki)/Streetle/Triforce/Paper.... I've tried the babys (really pays in 200cc, but I find I can't do it right in 150), and some times I'm ok, sometimes I'm not, but then I go online and either end up 7th every time, or 2nd/3rd but the leader is SO far ahead I can no longer see them and even a blue shell doesn't bring them back into view.
So I guess this article at least told me my existing builds are already good and I just suck?
What about Mii? I always race with my Mii, how does it affect everything?
@Tetsuro Miis can be three different sizes depending on Mii Maker stats. Small Mii is equivalent to Baby Mario/Baby Luigi/Dry Bones, medium is equivalent to Mario/Ludwig and large is equivalent to Bowser/Morton.
I have two go-to combos:
For online races (all cc's): Luigi - Inkstriker - Leaf Tires - Plane Glider (Luigi and Splatoon; two of my favorite things! )
For online battles: Luigi - Sports Bike - Blue Standard Tires - Super Glider
Always Luigi... Luigi #1! I always used the Flame Rider and Retro Off-Road tires in the original, so I'm glad I found a couple of new combos that work really well for me, too!
@Tetsuro Miis have different weights depending on how large you make them. As such there are no locked stats for Miis, they can be part of three categories (light, medium & heavy)
Acceleration and handling for me!
Speed/weight is the popular approach, but acceleration gets you ahead of the pack where you can avoid all the power up chaos in the middle of the pack. And, if you get hit you can quickly get rolling again.
Handling makes you able to tightly turn on the corners, making the track shorter and keeping you at top speed while everyone else has to adjust their speed.
I've heard it called a loser combo, but I've played hundreds of hours of Mario kart, and my win percentage begs to differ.
@Shiryu
(Looked at Captain Falcon Amiibo racer)
Great costume.
Btw, is your Captain Falcon Mii's voice Macho or Squeaky ? XD
@Anti-Matter Sadly Squeaky.
On topic: I hope Nintendo released an update soon restoring Mii facial expressions. I totally miss them now that I went back and check them on my Wii U videos of the replays.
*Bonus offtopic Captain Falcon footage because I really want NAMCO to put Tekken on Switch.
Wow, I didn't know characters had hidden base stats. Kinda sucks the fun out of it a little bit. Of course. At least now knowing this I can form a more effective strategy. Lately, my winning online combo has been: Mii, Pipe Frame, Cyber Slicks, Super Glider.
@ThomasBW8
By the way, what are the Mii's base stats, and do Amiibo suits affect them???
Personally I think the vehicle customization stuff that was introduced in 7 has no place in a pick-up-and-play arcade racer like Mario Kart. Leave that stuff to Gran Turismo. I don't care what kind of tires we're going to use, it's Mario Kart, let's just race!
In the original there were 8 characters with 4 racing styles (and all in nice simple karts rather than the ugly over-designed wacky races vehicles they have now). That was it. It was simple and elegant. I guess inevitably things have to become bloated over time...
@Yorumi Yeah, in 150CC I can USUALLY use almost any vehicle build, except if I go online and then I somehow suddenly start running into walls for reasons I can't explain that I didn't run into 20 times offline But in 200CC, any of the heavier cars I end up flying off the track constantly even if I grind the brakes the entire time through the drift, I still fly off.
I wish characters didn't change stats though. There's too few characters to play, and the "baby" and "koopalings" are just 'meh" so I'm limited to a handful of characters I enjoy playing, and most of them are all the same class! I like a few of them, but I've raced as Yoshi since SNES and don't feel inclined to change now just because the babies have better handling
Not trying to be clever or anything, but a touch of colour on those values would make the tables much, much easier to read.
@Haywired I love the wacky karts. It adds some flair and character to what otherwise could get old fast. I'm just not sure the stats going meta was a good thing, maybe making it cosmetic would have been good. In a way it's fun you can change the feel of the cart like you can, maybe the bigger problem is just that some builds are simply not viable for certain speeds rather than just tuning the cart how you like it.
It was a lot more balanced and fair with stock karts, but on the other hand, the series is 25 years old or so, racing in the same old pipe frame cart with the same items for 25 years makes it harder to sell a new version of the game without a new hook to make it new again. We'd just be playing MK Wii HD.
There isn't a best kart as it will depend on your play-style. I imagine you can compete in most modes (bar time trial) with all.
Choosing a Kart is hugely enjoyable for the people who I play with. And they are picking based on how it looks.
@BumpkinRich Time trial is such a pain. I seem to have no chance unless I match the exact kart specs that the ghost is using.
@Yorumi Yeah, I suck at time trials I can do really great for a lap and a half, and even if I hit everything the same I suddenly find myself behind by an ever increasing distance. That plus their uncanny ability to hit shortcuts I can't manage....meanwhile they never seem to drift with mini-turbos. I keep going back to give it a go, and after a dozen tries of being ahead most of the race, and then suddenly finding myself well behind I end up giving up in frustration. I've won a few, and only when I match their exact gear, but I'd love to be able to see exactly what they're doing while they're behind me that's putting them so far ahead of me! I'd try to trail them to watch, but if I let them get ahead of me they just keep getting farther ahead.
Nintendo employees my rear....that's got to be a pre-scripted racer that races almost inhumanly perfectly but JUST with enough error they can be beaten by true perfection!
@NEStalgia
If you press A when viewing a ghost's loadout, etc, you can watch the ghost's replay all by itself! Change the replay camera to the game camera, and It's super helpful as you already can imagine.
It's my belief that when playing online, acceleration is key because you ARE going to get hit by something eventually.
Also, in my opinion, the Cloud Glider is the only way to go because it tapers up in the center making it the only glider with an unobstucted view of hovering coins and where you're going to touch down.
Got my gold Mario, kart and wheels with Mii, Varmint, Normal wheels and Hylian kite.
Now I'm using Dry Bowser, Flame Rider, Slim wheels and Bowser kite, because it's still competitive and it looks badass
I don't think simply adding up the scores for each category does the trick. For example, does a kart's mini turbo score carry as much weight as it's top speed score? In other words, not all scores carry the same meaning. So, maybe speed is more important than traction. But simply adding up the scores wouldn't show that.
I don't know which category should carry the most weight, but some scaling should be done.
Also, speaking of scaling, the scores are not out of 0 or 1. So, to get a better sense of the true score you would have to covert the score from a base of .75 to a base of one to get a better understanding of the scores.
For Grand Prix and online races? Acceleration is the most important factor to me, along with handling, considering people now have double the item slots, thus double the mayhem.
For time trials? Pure speed, along with handling.
Not sure.
With how much MK8 is gimped to be even more casually, haven't found yet what works for me online.
Eh, Villager with the gold parts (minus the tires) for me.
I love the pipe frame too, for the nostalgia factor.
@Yorumi Yeah, maybe that explains it. I've never actually liked fighting games Technically I don't actually like online. I was going down that path with Splatoon and kind of gladly gave it up after a while. That obsessive "practice practice practice" mentality isn't actually fun, it's labor! And it's labor you get nothing for other than a digital ataboy on the screen. I could just work more if I wanted to do that. I WAS getting sucked into it with Splatoon, but I realized it has more in common with gambling addiction than anything resembling fun. Thus I generally dislike online gaming. Even if I AM able to get addicted to it, and in part because of that
But I still want to get some of the darned time trials because that's my single player fun And I'll still screw around online with some MK mayhem....as long as I suck I at least get grouped with the chumps making it a bit more fun.
And I'll still get sucked into Splatoon again because it's Splatoon
@SpacemanSpiff Ohh, that's cool, I didn't realize you could do that!
@Yorumi Yeah, some people are like that....it's a very very Japanese way to do things at a minimum
I like to think I'm not like that and that I don't enjoy that, and it's just frustrating, but in reality I think it's the other way, I'd just go full tilt, not sleeping, not eating, until everything is 100% perfect and if it can never be perfect that that demands even less sleep Which isn't fun, but becomes obsession for which there aren't enough hours in the day. So I just go with "I don't enjoy that" because it's simpler than "if I try to do that I'll starve to death" Deep down, I'm one of those Korean pro gamers they find dead at the keyboard in an internet cafe.
I found it best to watch videos of online people who consistently beat me and learn from them.
Link is cash
Not sure if this has been removed in the Deluxe re-release, but it was discovered that there are hidden stats and modifiers in Mario Kart 8. One such example was the speed was actually divided up into ground, air, and water speed. Major examples I remember were that the Steel Driver got a significant speed boost in water, and the slim tires that normally increase your speed a good bit actually lower your speed in water.
The only thing you really need to know though is that the standard ATV is awful, and so are the monster tires. The sport bikes with inside drift also gimp you with a crappy camera perspective while you're drifting. Other than that, winning comes down to a lot of luck unless there's a big skill gap.
I have been most successful with the inkling boy, the sponge tires and the splatoon paint quad thing.
Hey all, new to mario kart 8 and I'm confused about why none of these stats are even remotely explained in the game. One of my biggest gripes with Deluxe and the game in general is it's overly simple concept and everything being unlocked. Seeing these stats offers some depth I suppose but im baffled none of it is viewable in game. All in all I just don't see the appeal of playing Mario kart 8 deluxe as a first timer other than a few rounds of local mp with the kids here and there.
@Shadowsaint The appeal of playing the game is that it is fun, or at least it should be. If you're not finding it enjoyable, there's no sweat either though... But if you're worried about stats and optimization, you really shouldn't be. For all the parts and combinations the game offers, most of the karts, bikes, etc, have the same stats as something else, and pretty much everything can work.
For most people, the stats just give you a little flexibility personal freedom. I would argue against anyone that says there is a definite best combination, because due to all the different track designs, and the inherent chaotic nature of the game, such a thing just doesn't exist. At the end of the day, there's a good bit of skill, but a lot of luck involved in winning in Mario Kart.
...and here I am just going for what looks pretty! ¯(ツ)/¯
Bowser Jr. With Pipe Frame + Hyrule Tires. Like how it looks. And it seems to perform well in racing too. ^^
Yoshi, Standart ATV, Slick Wheels, Plane Glider. Not the best but my own setup. Works really well on tracks like Rainbow Road (Lightning Cup). Not the best speed, decent traction, decent weight, and great on most tracks. Wins over Bowser.
@RupeeClock so true. Im a lil late to the "party" but still. Internet is forever and this will remain forever useless in terms of the title.
@ILikeTheYoshi I love that setup. I use the exact one. I think I go back and forth from that and the azure roller kart but yeah yoshi is my hero.
@RupeeClock Do a lot of you readers hypercheck every word and phrase for precise meaning throughout your day? I mean, why not take that effort and figure out what is the best on your own?
@Shadowsaint Nintendo just wants people to jump in and have fun. They figure the hardcore people will figure it out or get a guide like this eventually. BUT.. when they sell those slick companion guides, they really should put some clues about these things.
@ChakraStomps
Forgive me if I see a guide titled "Fastest Kart - How To Build The Build Kart" and expect it to actually tell me what some good builds are.
Never mind that this is four years old now, but this article only provided raw data, and didn't compile it to give meaningful information about min-maxed builds.
Because when you consider that Mario Kart Wii actually has a definitive answer: Funky Kong riding the Flame Runner, you expect an answer here too.
@RupeeClock The writer said depending on your playstyle.. so there can't just be one best unless everyone has the same play style. There are different type of tracks and also different game modes so a full matrix and letting an intelligent player evaluate from there seems very appropriate for anyone that thinks logically
@ChakraStomps
Time trials have an objective best racer, typically whoever can attain the highest top speed, though it might also depend on mechanics such as how boosting works as is the case for Mario Kart DS.
This guide fails to guide users who are figuring out their play style, because if you are someone that plays better using light or heavy weights, you can still guide them to the best build for those weight classes.
@RupeeClock I guess I didn't grow up with netdecking everything. So for me, giving the numbers and letting me play around with that as a guide is great enough. Even back in the Diablo II days people would always say BiS for Best in Slot and that never considers if someone is just trying to play a certain way.
Some game should come out and give no choices at all and then they can make a guide to say, this is the best configuration! Fastest build! lol
@ChakraStomps
My point remains that a guide titled "how to build the best kart" doesn't actually give any building guidance, only suggestions and raw stats. Yes those are helpful, but it doesn't analyse the game itself and apply knowledge to help inform a learning player.
https://www.usgamer.net/articles/18-12-2017-mario-kart-8-deluxe-best-kartcharacter-build-combo
This guide actually does give its own answer, and still suggests that you should try combinations to find what best suits you.
@VENOMVSCARNAGE The Wii U version of Mario Kart 8 was absurd. There were worldwide races I did with nothing but Japanese players ALL using Morton in the Blue Falcon firehopping all over the place. I wanted to throw up.
The source of this info should really be cited. It comes from a spreadsheet created by members of the Mario Kart community.
I personally like this combo:
-Dry Bowser
-Pipe Frame
-Sponge
-Paraglider/Parafoil
It is very diverse, having its lowest stat be Handling (in water) at 2.5, and the highest, being Air Speed at 4.75
It just takes care of everything, and looks cool.
Also, check this like out, it helped me a ton.
https://majorasmask9.github.io/mk8dstats/
The Info is great and all, but you might wanna update this because you missed these things:
Master Cycle Zero (Kart)
Ancient Tires (Tires)
Paraglider (Glider)
Once those are in, we have all the karts, tires, and gliders!
@Fandabidozi There is no one "BEST" kart. Most of it comes down to playstyle. Unfortunately, what most will tell you is the best is Yoshi, Teddy Buggy, Roller, Paper Glider, and while that is good, there are others.
A few I enjoy are Toad, Silver Arrow, Retro Off Road, Cloud Glider for a generally well-rounded build with a focus on traction and handling, Kamek, Standard Bike, Azure Roller, Cloud Glider to have a focus on Mini-turbo while keeping others well balanced for good frontrunning, or Iggy, Tanooki Kart, GLA Tires, and Super Glider for a jack of all traits, master of none that works well with bagging. I prefer the one with Kamek, but the one with Toad is good when just starting or the one with Iggy if you want to try a hand at bagging.
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