The COMPLETE Pro Guide to Help You WIN in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Summary

The guide argues that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is less luck-dependent than it may seem. Items can disrupt any individual race, but strong driving and smart decisions improve a player’s average results. It focuses mainly on 150cc and outward-drifting vehicles, with notes on 200cc and inward-drifting bikes. The central advice is to learn techniques gradually, practice them in Time Trials, and apply them in races.

Core Driving Techniques

• Prioritize mini-turbos. The mini-turbo stat affects how quickly a boost charges, how long it lasts, and how much speed it gives. A combo with a high mini-turbo stat can outperform one that looks faster.
• Soft drift by holding the stick just under a 45-degree angle. This charges mini-turbos quickly without turning as sharply as a full sideways input. Alternate between soft drifting and a wider input to control your line.
• Use alignment hops after mini-turbos to correct your direction. The guide recommends making this a habit on every turn.
• Use counter hops selectively. Hop opposite the direction of the drift before starting it to gain more room to charge a mini-turbo, especially when a shortcut requires an orange boost. Avoid them when they worsen your line.
• Try delayed drifting by hopping first and beginning the drift just before landing. This can improve the mini-turbo, though a regular drift may give you a better line when there is plenty of room.
• Snake by alternating left and right drifts to build mini-turbos on wide sections. On narrower roads, combine counter hops and drifts instead.
• Learn these techniques in stages: start with soft drifting and alignment hops, then add the more situational delayed drifts and counter hops.

Shortcuts, Gliders, and Ramps

• Many shroomless shortcuts rely on a mini-turbo hop over an uphill slope. The takeoff point matters: hopping too late on an uphill can reduce airtime, while hopping on flat ground may not clear the gap.
• On some shortcuts, drift through part of the off-road and release an orange or purple mini-turbo to escape. The usable distance depends on the surface.
• A mini-turbo boost can slow you down in off-road. On some cuts, release it early so it has ended before you reach the grass. There are exceptions, including certain aerial mini-turbo techniques on Yoshi Valley and Donut Plains.
• Charge mini-turbos in the air by starting a drift on the ground and holding the drift through airtime. Use a soft drift for a fast charge. Floating and underwater sections handle differently.
• Some mushroom shortcuts also require a mini-turbo hop or a drift through the off-road. Plan the whole cut so you don’t spend the mushroom before the most difficult part.
• On gliders, glider vectoring can be faster than tricking: drift off the glider, release the mini-turbo, and steer diagonally to curve back toward the track. Motion controls can increase the effect, but are generally more practical in Time Trials than online, except for some large online shortcuts.
• On cannon gliders, hopping onto the end of the glider panel can be faster than tricking.
• A mini-turbo trick—releasing a mini-turbo just before a ramp, then tricking—can provide a strong boost. On bounce-pad ramps, a super bounce uses an aerial mini-turbo released just before the pad, followed by a trick.
• Land in a drift and cancel it to correct your alignment. A counter slide—briefly landing in the opposite drift before switching to the desired one—can help charge the next boost sooner.
• On halfpipes, use airhops to adjust alignment and chain boosts rather than relying on tricks.
• Trick direction affects the next drift: a sharp trick can help with a tight turn, while a counter trick can make a later mini-turbo easier. Underwater, up or down tricks can delay the boost until the kart lands; on some water sections, mini-turbos are better than tricks.
• As a general rule, trick on 150cc if you’re unsure. On 200cc, avoid tricking when the extra airtime or boost could ruin the next turn.

Online Race Strategy

The guide describes two broad strategies:

• Running: Drive forward quickly and maintain a strong position. This is usually preferable on tracks with few useful item shortcuts.
• Bagging: Stay back to gather coins and powerful items, then use shortcuts and item timing to recover. This is strongest on tracks with major item-dependent shortcuts.

Some tracks favor starting behind because of drafting or an early mushroom shortcut; others favor getting to the front. Reassess as the race unfolds based on your position, coins, items, nearby threats, and how much of the race remains.

When Running

• Drive cleanly and gather convenient coins. Ten coins provide a substantial speed increase, but detouring for them can expose you to attacks.
• Look behind and use the minimap to anticipate threats. Change speed or take a different line to avoid items rather than relying only on last-second reactions.
• At the start, take tight lines and avoid detours for coins or double item boxes unless they’re already on your route. Use a coin item promptly, seek a draft when useful, and use mushrooms to pass racers or take an early shortcut.
• In first place, chain items at safe opportunities and seek useful protection, especially against blue shells. In high-level rooms, second place may hold back from attacking first; adapt if opponents at your level behave differently.
• Second place is often a safe position: preserve red-shell protection, watch the racers behind, and attack first only when there’s a good reason. In middle positions, mushrooms and defensive items can help you escape the pack.
• On the final lap, avoid unnecessary risks. Keeping a useful item can be better than gambling for a new one at the last item set.

When Bagging

• Consider bagging if you lack coins, are surrounded by threats, or the track offers valuable shortcuts. Don’t switch to it automatically: a strong position and good defensive items may make running better.
• Aim for 10 coins, then seek items. In a 12-player room, ninth through twelfth generally have the best item options. Being too close to first can limit the items available, while falling too far behind can make a comeback unrealistic.
• Use item boxes thoughtfully. Item odds depend on both placement and distance from first. The guide notes that item chaining and stopping at boxes have limits after a balance update, so repeatedly waiting for more items is often not worthwhile.
• Plan item use around shortcuts and item sets. Chain items when seeking better options or a shock dodge, but hold useful items when they’re needed for a key shortcut or a strong finishing position.
• Practice bagging on a variety of tracks; it requires judgment about distance, item timing, and when to start moving forward.

Item Play and Survival

• Drafting grants a temporary speed boost, but it doesn’t stack with a mini-turbo. If possible, wait to release the mini-turbo until the draft ends.
• Smart Steering can prevent falls, but it can also enable faster routes in certain situations. It may help recover from mistakes, manage sharp turns during speed boosts, or take specific shortcuts.
• After getting hit, accelerate by moving sideways until you can drift and charge a mini-turbo. With a speed item, hopping while accelerating can be faster.
• Brake drifting is particularly useful on 200cc, and can also help in 150cc to manage spacing or approach an item box.
• To dodge a blue shell, use a Super Horn or time a mushroom for the moment the shell’s spikes appear. Hazards or a banana can also grant invincibility, but only use them when it’s safe.
• Red shells can often be blocked by trailing an item. If you can’t trail your item, watch behind you and time a throw; canceling a drift first may help. A wall can sometimes break a red shell.
• Back-thrown items are difficult to dodge on reaction, so anticipate them around item boxes and the finish line. When an item is already on the ground, prioritize avoiding it over holding an ideal racing line.
• Online lag affects trails, revolving items, and thrown items. Give trailing items space, account for where an item will appear on another player’s screen, and aim slightly ahead when sniping.
• Use offensive items selectively. Green shells can be aimed around turns, and multiple attacks can be spread in different directions. Hiding an attack in a second item slot can create a surprise.
• If a hit is unavoidable, try to take it on a boost panel or during a glider section, where its effect may be reduced. Sometimes it’s better not to block one hit if doing so preserves protection against a more dangerous follow-up.

Additional Advanced Techniques

For players who want to go further, the guide covers situational methods such as neutral drifting, wall bonks to extend drifts, low gliders, drift tricks on boost-panel ramps, Kusaan slides and tricks, launch tricks, and airhops between closely spaced boost panels. It also stresses that boosts can overlap, so a larger mini-turbo isn’t always useful if another boost is about to take effect.

The overall training recommendation is to practice a few techniques at a time in Time Trials, study strong runs for each track, and then apply the skills in online races. Small time savings add up and can help a player avoid attacks, reach better item positions, or secure a lead.

Featured Gamers and Sources

• Shortcat — guide host and creator of the shortcat.pro strategy resource.
• Pii — consulted for and fact-checked the driving techniques.
• Gyrodos — co-wrote and fact-checked the racing strategy section.
• Alberto — featured demonstrating motion glider techniques.
• Euan — recorded bullet-extension information.
• Japanese Mario Kart blog — credited for the item-probability maps.
• The guide also points viewers to MK8DXRecords for Time Trial records and a shroomless world-records spreadsheet for shortcut practice.