Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Best Setups & Strategies (2024)
Hey guys! Ready to leave your rivals in the dust in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Whether you're a seasoned racer or just starting out, mastering your kart setup and race strategy is key to victory. This guide dives deep into the best kart combinations, character choices, and techniques to help you become a Mario Kart champion in 2024.
Choosing Your Character & Kart: Finding the Perfect Match
The character and kart you choose play a huge role in how your kart handles. Different characters have different weight classes, which affect acceleration, speed, handling, and more. Similarly, kart parts (body, wheels, glider) each contribute unique stats to your overall build. Finding the perfect match is about balancing these stats to suit your play style.
Understanding Character Stats
Let's break down character stats. Heavy characters like Bowser and Donkey Kong boast high top speed and weight, making them difficult to bump off course. However, they suffer in acceleration and handling. Lightweight characters like Baby Mario and Toadette excel in acceleration and handling, allowing for quick recovery from crashes and tight cornering, but lack the top speed and weight to bully opponents. Medium-weight characters like Mario and Luigi offer a balanced approach.
Experimenting with different characters is crucial to find one that clicks with you. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try someone new. You might be surprised at how much your performance improves simply by switching characters. Consider how each character's strengths and weaknesses align with your preferred racing style. Do you like blazing ahead with raw speed, or do you prefer weaving through the pack with nimble handling?
Kart Parts: Fine-Tuning Your Ride
Kart parts are where you can really customize your ride. The body affects speed, acceleration, weight, handling, and traction. Wheels impact speed, acceleration, handling, mini-turbo, and traction. Gliders primarily influence air speed and handling. Some popular kart bodies include the Biddybuggy (known for its exceptional acceleration and handling), the Mach 8 (a well-rounded option), and the Blue Falcon (a classic for its speed). For wheels, Roller and Button tires are often favored for their acceleration and handling boosts, while Slick tires provide a speed advantage but can be trickier to control.
The glider is generally less impactful than the body and wheels, but it can still make a difference. The Cloud Glider and Parafoil are solid choices for their balanced stats. When selecting kart parts, think about what you want to enhance. If you're already using a heavy character, you might want to focus on improving acceleration and handling with lighter kart parts. Conversely, if you're using a lightweight character, you might want to boost your speed and weight with heavier parts.
Ultimately, the best character and kart combination is the one that feels right for you. Don't just copy what the pros are using; experiment and find what works best for your individual style and preferences.
Mastering Race Techniques: From Drifting to Item Usage
Okay, you've got your kart all tricked out. Now, let's talk about how to actually win the race. Mastering race techniques is just as important as having a good kart setup. Here's a rundown of essential skills:
Drifting: Your Key to Speed and Cornering
Drifting is fundamental to success in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. By initiating a drift before a turn, you can maintain your speed and charge up a mini-turbo. To drift, simply press and hold the drift button (usually the right trigger) before entering a turn. The longer you hold the drift, the more powerful the mini-turbo will be. There are three levels of mini-turbos: blue, orange, and pink. Aim for the pink mini-turbo for the biggest speed boost. Learning to drift effectively takes practice, but it's well worth the effort.
Item Usage: Offense and Defense
Items are a crucial part of Mario Kart, and knowing how and when to use them can make or break your race. Offensive items like Green Shells, Red Shells, and Bob-ombs can knock opponents off course, giving you a valuable lead. Defensive items like Bananas and Green Shells can be dragged behind your kart to protect you from incoming attacks. The Super Horn is especially useful for deflecting even the dreaded Blue Shell. Understanding the timing and trajectory of each item is key to maximizing its effectiveness.
Smart Steering: Friend or Foe?
Smart Steering is a feature that helps players stay on the track by automatically preventing them from driving off edges. While it can be helpful for beginners, it can also hinder experienced players by limiting their ability to take shortcuts and drift effectively. In most cases, it's best to turn off Smart Steering once you're comfortable with the game's controls. This will give you more freedom and control over your kart.
Taking Advantage of Shortcuts
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is full of hidden shortcuts that can shave valuable seconds off your lap times. Keep an eye out for alternate routes, ramps, and gaps that you can use to gain an advantage. Some shortcuts require a Mushroom or other speed boost to access, so be sure to save your items wisely. Exploring each track thoroughly is the best way to discover all the hidden shortcuts.
Mastering Mini-Turbos and Super Mini-Turbos
The mini-turbo is your bread and butter for maintaining speed through corners, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe introduces an even more powerful boost: the Super Mini-Turbo. By drifting for an extended period and reaching the pink sparks, you unleash a Super Mini-Turbo, granting an even greater burst of speed. This is especially useful on tracks with long, winding turns. To master this technique, practice maintaining your drift while carefully adjusting your kart's angle to stay on course.
Advanced Strategies: Level Up Your Game
Ready to take your Mario Kart skills to the next level? Here are some advanced strategies that can help you dominate the competition:
Time Trials: Honing Your Skills
Time Trials are a great way to practice your racing skills and learn the tracks inside and out. By racing against your own ghost data, you can identify areas where you can improve your lap times. Pay attention to your drifting technique, item usage, and shortcut utilization. Time Trials are also a good way to experiment with different kart combinations and find what works best for you.
Observing the Pros: Learning from the Best
Watching professional Mario Kart players is an excellent way to learn new strategies and techniques. Pay attention to their kart setups, their racing lines, and their item usage. Many pro players stream their gameplay on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, so there's plenty of content to learn from. Analyzing their strategies can give you valuable insights into how to improve your own game.
Custom Item Sets: Tailoring Your Experience
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe allows you to customize the items that appear during races. This can be a great way to tailor the game to your preferred play style. For example, if you're tired of getting hit by Blue Shells, you can decrease the frequency of that item. Or, if you want more chaotic races, you can increase the frequency of Bob-ombs and other offensive items. Experiment with different item sets to find what's most fun for you.
Teamwork in Multiplayer: Coordinating for Victory
When playing in teams, communication and coordination are key. Discuss your strategies with your teammates before the race and assign roles. For example, one player can focus on attacking opponents, while another can focus on defending the team from incoming attacks. Sharing items and protecting each other are also important aspects of teamwork. By working together, you can increase your chances of winning.
Mastering Anti-Gravity Sections
Anti-gravity sections add a unique twist to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. These sections allow you to drive on walls and ceilings, opening up new possibilities for shortcuts and strategic maneuvers. Bumping into other racers or obstacles in anti-gravity mode gives you a speed boost, so be sure to take advantage of this mechanic. Mastering anti-gravity sections is essential for success on many of the game's tracks.
Final Lap: Becoming a Mario Kart Master
So there you have it! With the right kart setup, mastered techniques, and a strategic mindset, you'll be leaving the competition in the dust in no time. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep racing and experimenting until you find what works best for you. Now get out there and dominate the track!