Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis a game that anyone can pick up and play, thanks to itsintuitive designandsimple control scheme. However, once you hop into an online lobby, you’ll find that it can get fiercely competitive. Sure, you may get lucky and getan amazing itemat the perfect time, but you’re able to’t always count on a Bullet Bill or Golden Mushroom to get you out of a jam. If you want to get to the top of the rankings, you’ll need to practice your racing skills, familiarize yourself with the course layouts, andpick the right character and kart for the job.

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Every character, kart, wheel, and glider has a different stat spread. If you want to optimize your build, there are three stats, in particular, you should focus onAcceleration,Mini-Turbos,and Top Speed.

The Lightweight Option

Two of the most important stats in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe areAccelerationandMini-Turbos. Acceleration determines how quickly your character gets up to top speed, while the Mini-Turbo stat determines how powerful your boosts are when youperform a successful drift. Both of these stats are the specialty oflightweight characters—if you want to prioritize these stats, try to make the lightest build possible.

Thanks to their rapid acceleration, lightweight characters aren’t too bothered by items. If a Koopa shell knocks them for a loop, they can get back to top speed in no time at all. Thanks to their superb Mini-Turbos, they can also take full advantage of drifting sections. Be sure to play with Smart Steering turnedoffin order to perform Ultra Mini-Turbos.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Lemmy in the Character Select Menu

Maximize Acceleration Stat

The following build options will maximize your Acceleration and Mini-Turbo stats:

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The Heavyweight Option

While heavyweight characters may not have the lightning-fast acceleration or enviable mini-turbos of the lightweight bunch, they make up for it in one crucial way: top speed. TheTop Speedstat determines the highest possible speed you’re able to reach. Heavyweights may take a while to get to their top speed, but once they get there, there’sno stopping them.

Another benefit of picking a heavyweight character is that other racers can’t bump into you as easily. If Metal Mario and Baby Mario collide on the racetrack, Baby Mario will go flying while Metal Mario will keep trucking along.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wario in the Character Select Menu

Maximize Speed Stat

If you want to max out your Top Speed, the following heavyweight options are worth considering:

Somewhere In-Between

If you want to have your cake and eat it too, you can always create amiddleweight build. While middleweights may not excel at any stat in particular, they have decent stats across the board, making them a perfectly valid option.

Good All-Around Stats

The following build options all have good Acceleration, Mini-Turbo, and Top Speed stats:

Of course, it’s important to remember that having a super-optimized kartisn’teverything. A talented racer can get astonishing times even with a less-than-ideal kart, while having the best kart in the game won’t do you a lick of good if you’re constantly falling off the track.Practice makes perfect, as they say. Keep on racing, challenging other players, and whittling down your times, andthose tricky DLC trackswill crumble before your karting prowess!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Peach in the Character Select Menu

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