Mariokart 8 Deluxe, despite being a port from a Wii U game, might just be one of the best games on the switch. Millions of people have bought it, and Nintendo has filled it to the brim with content. It has a hard core fanbase who will stop at nothing to win. I am one of those people, so here are some strategies you can use to secure a top three placement. 

Bagging: If there is a track with lots of off road to cut through, this strategy is king. It involves intentionally driving bad until the final lap, where you chain amazing items and pass a lot of people. To perfect this strategy, try to stay as far away from first place as possible without going below 9th place. The way the engine gives you your items relies on distance from first place and placement. 9th to 12th get the best items, so 9th is the best spot for you.

Another critical part of bagging is to go for coins and double item boxes. Coins make you a lot faster, and having two last place items is the best position you can be. Bagging, although it sounds easy, is hard to perfect. It just takes practice, but as you become good at it you can easily get top three.

Dodging a Blue Shell: This can be done in two ways. The first way is to throw a banana in front of you. This gives you invincibility and makes you slide forward, making it faster than being hit by the blue shell. The second way is my favorite. For some reason, there are frames where you can use a dash mushroom and speed out of the blast. This is a very precise move, though, and it takes practice. To do it, wait for the blue shell to drop down on you. While it does this, quickly use the mushroom. It’s a small time window, so this method is tricky to pull off. 

Bill Extensions: If you have a bullet bill, don’t use it right away. Wait for a specific spot and quickly use the item. This makes the game confused, and it will freak out and drop you off three seconds later. Although it may sound small, that time gap can be the difference between winning and losing.

Snaking: This is very easy to do. In a straight section, instead of just driving, charge and release mini turbos. If you go in a curved line, you won’t hit the wall and will go much faster.

Dodge Item Chaining: If you just finished lap 2 and there has not been a shock yet, start chaining dodge items. Dodge items are anything that make you invincible. This includes, Bullet Bills, Stars, and Boos. Start using these one after the other to attempt to dodge the shock. If done correctly, you will not be hit and will go significantly faster than the other racers. 

These are all the strategies that I use. Although you may not take them seriously, they can work very well. Now it’s to make your friends rage.       

Image: Nintendo. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass. Accessed 14 11 2024.