Scientist analyzes Mario Kart 8's 703,560 possible builds to create a formula that picks the best racer for you

Mario Kart Tour and Candy Crush are built to be addictive, giving you slices of gameplay and nudging you ever so slightly towards their premium currency to keep the fun going, whether it be through lives, characters, or in-game items. They can tempt even the most unlikely of people into throwing away mountains of cash, which is allegedly what one Catholic priest from Pottstown, Pennsylvania managed to do over the course of three years.

Throwing banana peels at your rivals and driving down a rainbow with Donkey Kong in your rearview mirror, you might not think Mario Kart is the type of game that really lends itself to products that make its experience a reality. While you can't drive up a rainbow using it, you can own your very own Mario Kart via Jakks Ride-On Racer Cars. You might want to give your kart a once over if you own one though as 17,500 of them have been recalled due to an issue with the accelerator pedal.

An Elden Ring player has found a hidden weapon in theShadow of the Erdtree DLC trailer which many seem to have missed all this while. The hand-to-hand combat mechanic has been one of the most talked about aspects of the trailer, and it seems like the Elden Ring community has finally figured out what makes it possible.

is a souls-like ARPG that features a desolate environment, challenging bosses, and plenty of stats to upgrade as you level up. The core stats include Health, Stamina, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Focus. Each stat directly impacts your gameplay and character strength in direct, distinct ways.

There's something truly magical about special events at Disney Parks, and one of the most exciting parts is all the new, exclusive merch you can snag up and wear or display with pride. Keeping up with that trend, Pixar Fest has a ton of wonderful options for fans of all ages, and Disney invited me out to Disneyland to check out what guests can expect from the event that has officially started and will run through August 4.

Today, Amazon is offering the powerful and high capacity Anker Prime 20,000mAh USB Power Bank for only $89.98, a hefty 31% price drop from its original $130 MSRP. This is the successor to the Anker 737 that we deemed the best Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally charger. It boasts an absolutely massive 200W of USB power delivery to charge all of your mobile devices simultaneously.

Martin Hultberg - once the director behind Ubisoft's looting, shooting The Division - now has his eyes on the fledgling get-in-and-go extraction shooter genre, which he reckons can still reach the "mass market."

No Rest for the Wicked's director has cited Baldur's Gate 3 and Hades 2 as examples of how early access launches can be fantastic, and said releasing in early access is "one of the best decisions we could've made."

Your character choice in determines the skills and abilities you can wield throughout your adventure, whether you are with others or engaging in solo play. Some of the best traits from various classes are only available when you pick a specific character at the start of your journey. Some characters work better in groups with friends, while others are more powerful when they are alone.

A Mario Kart 8 Deluxe study has found the best combination of playable character and customizable vehicle build, with the most optimal option being Peach with a Teddy Buggy. The Mario Kart franchise has had a history of character tiers, where certain playable characters end up outclassing others in the game. These tiers are usually based on the most optimal character to hit the top speed, accelerate, and handle on the track. Heavyweight characters have traditionally been the most common choice for expert Mario Kart players, as seen with characters like Bowser in Super Mario Kart or Funky Kong and the Flame Runner in Mario Kart Wii.

Who hasn’t spent sleepless nights pondering what would happen if we applied Vilfredo Pareto's (the early 20th-century Italian economist) theories to Mario, the Mushroom Kingdom’s Italian high-jump champion and part-time elephant cosplayer? Data scientist Antoine Mayerowitz, PhD, tackled that age-old question, and the resulting work provides an objective way to tell us the best Mario Kart 8 racer combinations. Hint: It sure as hell ain’t Koopa Troopa.

Everyone has their favourite Mario Kart character to play as, but is there really a best option? A choice which will actually give you an edge to beat your rivals — to go just a little bit faster, or recover that little bit quicker?