Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Courses:

• Wii Moo Moo Meadows
• GCN Dry Dry Desert
• SNES Donut Plains 3
• N64 Toad's Turnpike
• Mario Circuit
• Toad Harbor
• GCN Sherbet Land
• N64 Yoshi Valley

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe retains most mechanics from Mario Kart 7, but introduces new ones. This section covers core gameplay elements and introduces terminology used throughout the guide.

Accelerating (Driving): Hold the accelerate button to move forward. Speed depends on character and vehicle. This is the primary control used 99% of the time.

Braking: Hold the brake button to slow down or reverse. Rarely used except in Balloon Battle and 200cc mode to avoid obstacles or falling.

Steering: Basic directional control. Handling varies by character and vehicle. Primarily used to avoid items or position for item boxes.

Drifting: Hold the drift button to turn sharply without losing speed. Essential for navigating corners and a core strategy. Different vehicles have different drift capabilities. Inward and automatic drifting from Mario Kart Wii are removed, though some bikes offer similar handling.

Miniturbo: Achieved by drifting long enough to create a blue spark under the tires. Releasing drift grants a boost. Holding drift longer turns the spark orange for a larger boost. Tighter drifts charge miniturbos faster. Aim for at least a blue miniturbo on every drift; an orange miniturbo is secondary to maintaining course.

Hopping: A short hop performed when initiating a drift. Can be used to cross small gaps or make tight turns without significant forward movement by tapping the button, especially useful in Balloon Battle.

Tricking: Perform a trick off ramps, ledges, bumps, or wavy surfaces for a speed boost upon landing. Always perform tricks when possible to maintain speed.

Boosting: Two main types exist outside of miniturbos and items. 1) Start Boost: Hold accelerate just as the '2' appears during the countdown for a significant boost. Timing is high-stakes. 2) Boost Pads: Colorful pads on tracks provide a speed boost but may be out of the way.

Drafting: Drive closely behind another racer to gain a speed boost after a short period, indicated by air streaks. This is risky as you are vulnerable to items.

Jostling/Bumping/Ramming: Physically bumping opponents can push them into hazards or off the track. Effectiveness varies by character and vehicle combination.

Offroad: Driving on non-track surfaces (grass, dirt) significantly slows you down and prevents drifting. Character and vehicle affect the severity of slowdown.

Underwater Driving: Similar to Mario Kart 7, underwater sections are slower and result in floatier jumps and drifts. Prefer land driving when possible.

Gliding: Initiated by driving or tricking off a blue ramp. Pulling back on the stick makes you rise, pushing forward makes you dive (faster). Gliding is generally faster than land driving. Cannon launches provide constant speed with no directional control but leave you vulnerable to items.

Antigravity: A major new addition where players drive on walls and ceilings in antigravity sections, marked by a light blue strip.

Stats Explained:

Speed: This stat determines your maximum speed. Higher Speed means faster top speeds. It's divided into Land Speed, Underwater Speed, Air Speed, and Antigravity Speed, with Land Speed being the most make-or-break. A small difference in Speed can significantly impact race times, potentially saving up to 12 seconds over a 2-minute race on straightaways.

Acceleration: This stat governs how quickly you reach your top speed from zero, do-or-die for recovering after being hit. Acceleration works in tiers, meaning certain stat values within a tier offer no additional benefit.

Weight: Higher Weight allows you to bump other racers more effectively and resist being pushed around. While heavier characters have more Weight, it can slightly impede glide height.

Handling: This stat affects how tightly you can turn and drift, essential for charging miniturbos. Like Speed, Handling is divided into Land, Underwater, Air, and Antigravity Handling, with Land Handling being the most important.

Grip: Grip influences how well you stick to the track, reducing sliding on off-road and pseudo-off-road sections like wet dirt or ice. Grip and Handling together impact cornering ability.

Miniturbo: This hidden stat determines how quickly your miniturbo boost charges during a drift and the length of the boost itself. Lighter characters generally have a higher Miniturbo stat.

Weight Classes and Characters:

Characters are grouped into seven weight classes, each with identical base stats. The commonly used names for these classes are Babyweight, Featherweight, Catweight, Lightweight, Tanookiweight, Heavyweight, and Bowserweight. Each stat is rated out of 6.

Weight Class Stats (Values out of 6):

• Babyweight: Land Speed 2.25, Underwater Speed 2.75, Air Speed 2.25, Antigravity Speed 2.50, Acceleration 3.25, Weight 2.25
• Featherweight: Land Speed 2.75, Underwater Speed 3.25, Air Speed 2.75, Antigravity Speed 3.00, Acceleration 3.00, Weight 2.75
• Catweight: Land Speed 3.25, Underwater Speed 3.75, Air Speed 3.25, Antigravity Speed 3.50, Acceleration 3.00, Weight 3.00
• Lightweight: Land Speed 3.25, Underwater Speed 3.75, Air Speed 3.25, Antigravity Speed 3.50, Acceleration 2.75, Weight 3.25
• Tanookiweight: Land Speed 3.75, Underwater Speed 4.25, Air Speed 3.75