Best Mario Kart 8 set-up: Top kart-building tips to dominate on the track

23.08.2023 - 14:09 / radiotimes.com / Wii U / Mario Kart / Mario / Best

Whether you’re new to the game or have been playing since it first launched on Wii U back in 2014, you’ll want to know the best Mario Kart 8 set-up so you can be the fastest and dominate on the track.

Owing to its new Booster Course Pass DLC — which adds 48 new tracks and several new playable characters to the already massive game — Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still one of the best releases on Nintendo Switch, and many new players keep joining in on the fun.

Whether you’re finding the 150 and 200cc singleplayer tournaments too difficult or want to improve online (or in local multiplayer against your friends and family), bragging rights are important — and we’re here to help you earn them.

Fortunately, you can improve your chances of success by selecting the best set-up of driver, kart, wheels and glider.

Your choice is represented by five stats: acceleration, speed, weight, handling and traction/grip. You need to pay attention to each of these stats to perform at your best.

Read on to find out what the best Mario Kart 8 set-up is and to learn our top tips to improve your times on the track.

The primary school of thought when it comes to the best Mario Kart 8 set-up is to choose a heavy character. Heavy characters have the highest maximum speed, but come with the lowest acceleration. Therefore, it’s best to pick characters such as Donkey Kong, Wario and Bowser.

Generally speaking, the heavy characters are the best as they will drive the fastest (as long as you can race cleanly and avoid obstacles).

On paper, the best Mario Kart 8 set-up looks something like this:

Ultimately, the choice is yours. While a heavy character is best for maintaining speed in first position and staying there, it can be trickier to reach the podium in first place given the items being thrown your way.

The best set-up will differ from person to person. If you prefer an instant zip of acceleration and improved handling, you need to pick a lightweight character such as Baby Mario, Baby Peach or Dry Bones. Those looking for an all-rounder will need to pick someone in the middle like Luigi, Kamek or Yoshi.

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Once you have your character and kart combo sorted, you’ll need to bear some of our other top tips in mind to dominate the race track.

Our first? Earn the starting line boost by pressing and then holding the accelerate button just as the number two locks into place in the countdown.

Our next tip is to always be drifting. Earn drift boosts like your life depends on it. Press and hold the R button to drift around a