Mario kart 8 deluxe
Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch™ – Official Site
Will send anyone who hits it into a spin.
Three Bananas that spin around your vehicle.
Green Shells travel in a straight line and knock over the first driver they hit.
Three Green Shells that spin around your vehicle.
Red Shells lock on and pursue the vehicle in front of you, knocking over the first driver they hit.
Three Red Shells that spin around your vehicle.
Pursues the driver in 1st place, knocking over any other vehicles it hits along the way. This one won’t stop until it catches the leader!
Bob-ombs explode a short time after use or on impact with a vehicle.
Gives you a brief speed boost.
Three Mushrooms that spin around your vehicle. Press [L] to use one of them for a brief speed boost.
For a short time, allows you to use a Mushroom every you press [L].
Temporarily transforms you into a Bullet Bill, making you zoom automatically toward the finish line while knocking over any vehicle you make contact with.
Squirts ink on the vehicles ahead of you, briefly obscuring the drivers’ views.
Strikes all opponents with lightning, causing them to lose their items. It also temporarily shrinks them, reducing their speed.
Makes you temporarily invincible and increases your speed. Any vehicle you hit will be knocked over.
Lets you throw fireballs for a short time by pressing [L]. Any vehicle you hit will spin out of control.
The boomerang can be thrown up to three times. Any driver it hits will spin out of control.
Attaches temporarily to the front of the vehicle. When the Piranha Plant bites at something, the momentum of its lunge provides a slight speed boost.
Sends nearby vehicles and items flying with an ear-splitting honk.
Eight items that orbit your vehicle. Press [L] to use the one closest to the front at that moment.
Gives you two extra coins. The more coins you have, the faster your vehicle will go.
Launches your vehicle into the air, avoiding bananas and shells. Hit an opponent during a jump to steal one of their balloons.
Makes your vehicle temporarily ghostly, allowing you to pass through bananas and shells. You might also steal an item from one of your opponents.
mariokart8.nintendo.com
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shortcuts
With more tracks in Mario Kart 8: Deluxe come more shortcuts to find. Here’s a rundown of every shortcut, as well as some course-specific tips.
Table of contents
- Mario Kart Stadium
- Water Park
- Sweet Sweet Canyon
- Thwomp Ruins
- Mario Circuit
- Toad Harbor
- Twisted Mansion
- Shy Guy Falls
- Sunshine Airport
- Dolphin Shoals
- Electrodome
- Mount Wario
- Cloudtop Cruise
- Bone-Dry Dunes
- Bowser’s Castle
- Rainbow Road
- Wario Stadium (DS)
- Sherbet Land (GCN)
- Music Park (3DS)
- Yoshi Valley (N64)
- Yoshi Circuit (GCN)
- Excitebike Arena
- Dragon Driftway
- Mute City
- Wario’s Gold Mine
- Rainbow Road (SNES)
- Ice Ice Outpost
- Hyrule Circuit
- Baby Park (GCN)
- Cheese Land (GBA)
- Wild Woods
- Animal Crossing
- Neo Bowser City (3DS)
- Ribbon Road (GBA)
- Super Bell Subway
- Big Blue
As the most basic Cup, there aren’t a whole lot of nuances to learn, but the Mushroom Cup does hide a few secrets.
Mario Kart Stadium
Shortcut 1: The main shortcut in Mario Kart Stadium is at the very end of each lap. Just look for the pipes in the rough and use a boost item (a mushroom or star) to blast past the sand.
Water Park
Shortcut 1: It’s not a traditional shortcut, but you can rub against these tire-like objects while in the water for a boost. They’ll follow the center track.
Shortcut 2: In that same underwater area, you can boost over or simply drive over this carousel and shave a second off your time.
Sweet Sweet Canyon
Shortcut 1: Both the left and right paths of Sweet Sweet Canyon are mirror images, note which paths other human players are taking. If you’re in the lead, try to veer off and go on a track others aren’t on so you can avoid more accurate item attacks.
Shortcut 2: Another straight boost path is located near the end of the track if you have an appropriate item. Just aim for the donut.
Thwomp Ruins
Shortcut 1: You have the option of taking the traditional left road or the gravity tilted right side. The right path actually has two more coins on it, so take it if you’re running low on your coin stock.
Shortcut 2: After the second thwomp in the outdoor area near the end of the course, you’ll find a platform to jump to.
Shortcut 3: Near the finish line you can land on either the left or right ramps to get a stunt boost and grab a few coins.
Shortcut 4: After the first lap, the center area of the pond zone will open up, allowing players to take another path with a glide ramp.
Flower Cup
It’s getting a little trickier with the Flower Cup, but most of the shortcuts are in plain sight.
Mario Circuit
Shortcut 1: There’s really only one shortcut to speak of in this simple track. Near the end you can take the optional flight ramp to soar over other players — just watch the towers of goombas.
Toad Harbor
Toad Harbor shortcut 1 Shortcut 1: Right near the start, you can take the left side ramp to leap over the docks, which gives you a straight shot to the upper scaffolding area away from players. Note however that it’s very easy for someone else to knock you into the water, so be wary of taking it if someone is behind you with an item (after the first lap).
Shortcut 2: Right after the market, you have a choice: the left low road or the right high road. Both are basically equal, but again, note which path other players typically take and do the opposite if you’re in the lead.
Shortcut 3: If you keep getting hit by the trolleys, consider taking this safe left path after the aforementioned split.
Shortcut 4: Have a boost item? Ignore the left side and just boost forward over the grass near the finish line.
Twisted Mansion
Shortcut 1: Obscured to the left here is a rough path shortcut. Use a boost item.
Shortcut 2: If you have enough top speed directly following the water area, you can hit a stunt boost off the ramp and coast into the upper floor.
Shy Guy Falls
Shy Guy falls shortcut 1 Shortcut 1: Alternate left and right to hit as many boost pads as you can while you’re in the rapids area.
Shortcut 2: Directly following the big blue ramp into the canyon, if you have enough speed and hit your stunt boost, veer left and aim upward to nestle into the upper cave area.
Star Cup
A lot of small time savers start to pop up all over the place in Star Cup. For Mount Wario you won’t get any second chances as it’s a downhill race.
Sunshine Airport
Shortcut 1: Hit the orange ramp at the start and you can leap right into the plane.
Shortcut 2: Hit the bumpers for a quick boost while you’re in low-grav mode.
Shortcut 3: Hop over the luggage belt at the end of the course for a quick shortcut.
Dolphin Shoals
Shortcut 1: Taking the right path will lead you into a cave with a boost pad.
Shortcut 2: With a boost item, you can get across this rough ground and charge right into the finish line.
Electrodome
Shortcut 1: In an almost mirror image of the first course, you can boost through the last corner before the finish line.
Mount Wario
Shortcut 1: This inconspicuous glacier before the first checkpoint is actually a ramp.
Shortcut 2: In the outdoor area where the track splits, you can actually head to the center, where a hidden ramp lies. Make sure you bring a boost item to get to it, as the snow will slow you down.
Special Cup
The going gets very tough in this complex cup, but consistently hitting each shortcut will ensure that you’re placing higher as you learn each track.
Cloudtop Cruise
Shortcut 1: After the first turn, veer left and into a giant bumper for a shortcut. Don’t forget to stunt boost.
Shortcut 2: You can see the finish line for this shortcut. Just hop onto the leaves.
Bone-Dry Dunes
Shortcut 1: If you have a boost item, you can skip the turn right as the track begins or after a new lap.
Shortcut 2: The same goes for the area immediately following that turn, as another boost item will get you across the rough and into the ramp for a stunt boost.
Shortcut 3: Head to the right side in the fork following the previous shortcuts, hit the stunt boost on the ramp and ram into the objects ahead for boosts.
Shortcut 4: With enough speed and a boost, you can aim upward and land on the platform above after the blue ramp.
Shortcut 5: One final boost between two bundles of bones stands between you and victory.
Bowser’s Castle
Shortcut 1: Whenever you get to the split with the giant Bowser creature, take a look at what area he’s punching. Speed up as quickly as you can and pick that path. He likely won’t be fast enough to return to it by the time you reach the area where his fist will land.
Shortcut 2: Taking the left side before the finish line will lead you to a ramp where you can perform a stunt boost.
Rainbow Road
There are no major shortcuts in Mario Kart 8’s version of Rainbow Road, but it’s important to remember that with each lap the conveyor belt arrows change sides. As you’d expect, you want the green side.
Shell Cup
Comprised of tracks from older iterations of Mario Kart, these tracks bring us back to a simpler time.
Moo Moo Meadows (Wii)
Shortcut 1: Another boost opportunity is right near the start.
Shortcut 2: The Monty Mole enemies leave bumps in the track off of which you can stunt boost.
Mario Circuit (GBA)
Shortcut 1: These boost patches are all over the place! Hit one at the start or after a lap.
Cheep Cheep Beach (DS)
Shortcut 1: It doesn’t look like you’d survive, but in the shallow, light colored water, you can boost ahead and skip this turn around the start of the track.
Shortcut 2: This shortcut appears immediately following the first. It's subtle, but you can see a trail of coins peeking up above the water.
Toad’s Turnpike (N64)
Shortcut 1: Going up the low-grav ramp on the right isn’t necessarily faster, but it leads to coins. Grab them if you’re low or at the start to keep your speed up.
Shortcut 2: If you hit a ramp on an open truck, you can land on another truck and grab a quick stunt boost.
Toad’s Turnpike shortcut 3 Shortcut 3: In a rare turn of events, you might be able to hit the truck ramp just before the tunnel. Coast over the bridge for a massive shortcut.
Banana Cup
As the second set of retro tracks, the Banana Cup is a little trickier.
Dry Dry Desert (GCN)
Shortcut 1: At the beginning of each lap, you have the chance to hit a very helpful boost shortcut. Make sure you have two mushrooms (or a star) or you’ll hit a lot of rough spots.
Shortcut 2: Fortune favors the boost items. You can skip this entire section with them.
Shortcut 3: If you end up in the water, you can stunt boost off these sinkholes.
Donut Plains (SNES)
Shortcut 1: Hey look! Another boost shortcut at the start of a lap.
Shortcut 2: More Monty Moles, more chances to stunt boost off of their mounds.
Royal Raceway (N64)
Shortcut 1: After the first bend, there’s a ramp you can get to with a short boost. Even a mini-turbo will work.
DK Jungle (3DS)
Shortcut 1: Veering left after the big blue ramp will save you some time, but the path contains less coins. Choose accordingly.
Leaf Cup
The Leaf Cup has several tricky tracks, including Yoshi Valley, so you’ll need to cut corners as much as you can.
Wario Stadium (DS)
Shortcut 1: You can stunt boost off of every single ramp in this level.
Shortcut 2: It’s not a big shortcut, but you can boost over this gap underwater on the final corner.
Sherbet Land (GCN)
Shortcut 1: Boost between the lamppost and the ice column at the start.
Shortcut 2: The cones herald danger, but they also hide an alternate path in the water through a cave.
Shortcut 3: The final area also hosts another extra path beyond the cones. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe alternate routes aren’t necessarily faster, as you can use the new pink boost level to drift around the corners on the ice above and nab an ultra mini-turbo.
Related
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tips: Drifting to win
Music Park (3DS)
Shortcut 1: It’s a trend! Boost at the start across the rough.
Shortcut 2: Following the piano key bend, veer left and take the ramp. You don’t need a boost to make it, but it helps.
Shortcut 3: Right as the black notes slam down, you can stunt boost off of the ripple effect it creates. This will work as long as you’re in the gray area.
Shortcut 4: The final turn will lead you to a drum to the right that you can use as a shortcut.
Yoshi Valley (N64)
Shortcut 1: Yoshi Valley is a notoriously difficult track to learn as there are many twists and turns that are all optional. But there is a common ground at the end, when you can boost ahead onto a ramp after the giant egg hazard. Save a mushroom or star for that purpose during each lap.
Lightning Cup
The final cup of the retro series kicks things up a notch.
Tick-Tock Clock (DS)
Shortcut 1: If the hand on the clock at the start is in position, you can use it to bypass the gap. Make sure you stunt boost off the center.
Shortcut 2: The second clock around the last bend is tougher to hit as you don’t have much time to aim. Just skip it if it’s not pointing directly toward the other side.
Piranha Plant Slide (3DS)
Shortcut 1: This bush on the final stretch of Piranha Plant Slide is actually fake! You can ram into it normally but you’ll be pushed backward a bit. Use a boost item to get through unscathed.
Grumble Volcano (Wii)
Shortcut 1: This map is full of rough that you can boost through. Be on the lookout for every turn.
Rainbow Road (N64)
Shortcut 1: The infamous over-the-rails shortcut at the start has been taken out due to the low gravity mechanic. So while there aren’t any hard shortcuts for this downhill map, the best advice that we can give is to hug the wall near the train — it’ll provide you with coins.
Egg Cup
We’re moving into the DLC tracks now, with a mix of retro courses and some taxing new ones.
Yoshi Circuit (GCN)
Shortcut 1: Immediately after the start/finish line there’s a waterfall with a ramp. You can hit it without a boost item as long as you’re moving quickly. When you exit the waterfall, veer to the right quickly or you’ll fall off the cliff.
Shortcut 2: You can boost here with an item. Just don’t get caught by the piranha plants on the side.
Excitebike Arena
Excitebike Arena is one of those rare levels with no shortcuts, given its simple U shape. Just be sure you hit every stunt boost on every ramp.
Dragon Driftway
Shortcut 1: After the cavern inside the dragon’s mouth, take the ramp to the left. It’s possible to boost over the rough patch, but it’s dangerous because you can careen into the wall.
Shortcut 2: With an item or even a mini-turbo you can boost around this bend.
Mute City
Shortcut 1: Instead of collecting traditional coins, you’ll need to drive on the boost pads to up your coin count. Use them until you hit your maximum of 10.
Shortcut 2: Directly before the finish line of this downhill jam is a boost opportunity.
Triforce Cup
The second DLC Cup, part of the same add-on as the Egg Cup, contains a few more straightforward tracks.
Wario’s Gold Mine
Shortcut 1: You can actually leap off the rails and into this area on the left. Mainly use it to earn a quick respite from getting fired upon or to dodge an enemy attack.
Shortcut 2: Your low gravity ability triggers while you’re in the mines. Touch the sides of the carts to get a boost.
Rainbow Road (SNES)
Shortcut 1: If you’re brave, you can save fractions of a second by drifting and hopping around corners. Outside of that, don’t expect to find any major shortcuts since the feather item isn't available racing modes.
Ice Ice Outpost
Shortcut 1: After the break in the path with the two highways, veer right into the cavern and onto the two ramps. Be quick with your stunt boosts so you don’t lose momentum and fall off.
Shortcut 2: Yet another pair of ramps awaits you before the finish line. Make sure you take this one at an angle, though, so you don’t just hit the first ramp and go sailing into the ocean.
Hyrule Circuit
Shortcut 1: At the start of each lap, aim this mushroom at this angle to get the maximum distance.
Shortcut 2: Hit all three boost pads in the castle to open up the ramp next to the Master Sword statue.
Shortcut 3: Another boost path awaits you after the castle section.
Crossing Cup
As you might expect, a Cup themed around Animal Crossing won’t challenge you much, but there are still a few shortcuts to find.
Baby Park (GCN)
In a shocking turn of events, this track really doesn’t have any true shortcuts. Just master the art of drifting each corner and you’ll be fine.
Related
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tips: Drifting to win
Cheese Land (GBA)
Shortcut 1: At the start is a boost opportunity.
Shortcut 2: The next bend is a lot less subtle, as there’s a giant cave signaling a boost path.
Shortcut 3: It’s partially obscured by some cheese wheels, but the last bend has a ramp if you can boost past the rough. Since it’s a flight ramp, this is one of the most effective shortcuts in the game.
Wild Woods
Shortcut 1: When given the choice of a path at the beginning, the left side has more coins while the right is likely to be less crowded.
Shortcut 2: At the end of the track is a short ramp boost. You don’t need a boost to get to it.The stunt boost from the prior ramp should be enough to make up for the slowdown from the rough area. Just be quick to veer left after the ramp in the previous area as it’s easy to miss.
Animal Crossing
Shortcut 1: The seasons may change to alter this track aesthetically, but the layout does not. After reaching the beach zone, you can immediately boost over the gap to the left of the track. Make sure that you have an item as the rough patch is long.
Shortcut 2: Right at the end is another boost path.
Bell Cup
The last Cup of the bunch boasts a few of the toughest tracks.
Neo Bowser City (3DS)
Shortcut 1: It’s a very small patch, but you can boost over this section immediately after entering the tunnel.
Shortcut 2: Right as the low gravity section kicks in, there’s another rough patch to boost over. If you hit the rotating boost spots or use a mini-turbo, you can clear it without an item.
Shortcut 3: As you approach the blue ramp at the end of each lap, use a boost item to get massive air then veer to the left. Use the current to lift yourself up and back onto the track.
Ribbon Road (GBA)
Shortcut 1: Near the start is a deceivingly pink rough patch you can boost over. We would not recommend using a mushroom as the bend is rather narrow and too much of a boost would send you into the wall.
Shortcut 2: Halfway into the shaking blue ribbon track is a yellow ramp that leads to a blue flight boost.
Shortcut 3: Have you caught onto the pattern yet? Most races have a boost path near the end of each lap.
Super Bell Subway
Shortcut 1: Hey, it’s one of the last final bend boost paths in the game.
Big Blue
Shortcut 1: While it’s not a traditional shortcut, you can use all sorts of boosts to your advantage at the start of Big Blue. You can not only drift for a mini-turbo — you can also hit the boost stumps since the map is in low gravity, as well as drive over the boost pads and hit stunt boosts on the ramps.
Shortcut 2: They’re a little more dangerous than most, but the first bends in Big Blue allow for some boost shortcuts.
Shortcut 3: Leap off right near the end of the water slide section with a boost, and you’ll end up scoring one of the biggest shortcuts in the game.
Shortcut 4: You thought Super Bell Subway had the last corner boost shortcut? Think again! At the very end of Big Blue when the finish line is in sight, you can cut the final bend.
Related
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe guide - Polygon
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The 7 best things about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Three years ago, I felt comfortable calling Mario Kart 8 on Wii U “the best Mario Kart ever.” It wasn’t a drastic shift for the long-running series, but more of a refinement. From the twisting, gravity-defying tracks to game-changing new weapons to the vibrant and beautiful levels, Mario Kart 8 took almost everything I loved about the series and made it better. Mario Kart 8 went on to become the beleaguered Wii U’s best-selling title by a huge margin; more than half of 13 million people who owned the console also had a copy of Mario Kart 8.
Next week the game is getting a chance to reach even more players with the launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch. It’s largely the same game from 2014, but with a few important changes and additions that make this the definitive version. The best Mario Kart is now even better — here are the most important reasons why.
You can hold two items at once
The biggest gameplay change seems like a small tweak: you can now hold two items at the same time. The improvement is significant. It alleviates one of the few problems with the original version of the game. Now, if you’re holding onto a useful item like a fire flower or a super horn, you don’t have to use it in order to pick up another item.
Unfortunately you can’t swap between the two items. But the ability still adds an extra layer of strategy to an already well-tuned experience. I found myself trying to collect two sets of turtle shells or bananas, using them as a defensive shield once I darted ahead of the pack.
Almost everything is unlocked from the start
When you start Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you’re greeted with a huge roster: there are 42 characters in total, including a handful of new additions. All of them are available from the beginning. Unlike in the original Mario Kart 8, you no longer have to spend hours grinding through the Grand Prix mode to unlock new characters or race tracks for multiplayer. That said, you’ll still need to collect coins in order to gain access to new vehicles and parts, but having so much content available right away makes it easier to jump into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, especially for those who already played plenty of the Wii U version.
Image: Nintendo It goes where you go
Like most Switch games, Mario Kart 8 benefits a great deal from the console’s portability. It may be best-known as a console series, but with Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7, Nintendo produced some of its best entries for handhelds. It’s a game that works well on the go, though fans of the early entries may prefer playing split-screen crowded around a TV. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe allows for both.
Finally, a proper battle mode
The original Mario Kart 8 was an incredible racer, but it lacked one big thing: a robust battle mode. The mode was technically included, but was seriously lacking in options. It also re-used race tracks from the main game, which weren’t ideal for all-out battles. Deluxe fixes this with eight arenas designed specifically for battle mode — four new, four based on arenas from previous games — and five different kinds of battles.
Most of the new battle options are pulled from previous Mario Kart games, but my favorite is new. Called “renegade roundup,” the mode gives each player a chomping piranha plant, and the goal is to snap up as many members of the opposing team as possible.
Smart steering makes it easy for kids to play
One of the new additions to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is something called “smart steering.” Essentially, the feature makes it easier to stay on the track, subtly correcting your steering to avoid accidents. When you couple this with the automatic acceleration option, you have the perfect racing game for kids. Now they can just focus on guiding the kart and using items.
With both of these features switched on, my four-year-old daughter managed to get through an entire grand prix and finish in fourth place; not bad for her first time playing the game. Even better, these options can be switched on individually for each player, making it easy for players of different skill levels to play together.
You get all of the downloadable content
The original Mario Kart 8’s downloadable content added many new tracks and characters, some from outside of the Super Mario universe. You could race as Zelda’s Link through quaint towns based on Animal Crossing, and there was even a fast-paced track based on futuristic racer F-Zero — probably the closest we’ll get to a new F-Zero game anytime soon. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe includes all of these add-ons in addition to the main game, so you’ll get an extra 16 tracks and an oddball mix of Nintendo characters right out of the box.
In a word: inklings
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn’t introduce any new tracks, but it does include a handful of new items, characters, and vehicles. There’s the Boo ghost power-up that steals items from other racers, and you can now drive as Baby Bowser or the skeletal turtle Dry Bones. By far the best addition, though, is the inklings from Wii U paint shooter Splatoon. These human-squid hybrids are some of Nintendo’s best new characters in years, and with their colorful, competitive nature they slot seamlessly into the world of Mario Kart. Let’s hope this is just a step towards Inkling Girl joining the cast of Super Smash Bros.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is coming to Nintendo Switch on April 28th.
www.theverge.com
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe unlockables
When you start playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, all of the characters (except one) are available, as are all of the tracks — and this includes tracks from all three downloadable content packs for the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8. You’re still going to have to collect coins to unlock the various karts and parts, though.
In this guide, we’ll review what used to be locked or part of a DLC and show you what’s different now. We’ll also talk about the things we know have been added in the Switch version of the game, like new characters and karts.
Mario Kart 8 unlockable and DLC characters
Mario Kart 8 locked characters in two ways: 14 of which were baked into the game and several more arrived with DLC.
From YouTube user ShadowMario3Unlockable characters
On Wii U, Mario Kart 8 had 14 characters that unlocked in a random order as you completed cups. (Technically, it wasn’t completely random since the eighth character to unlock was always the Mii.)
If you’d like to begin Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with the previously locked characters, you can choose from Baby Rosalina and grown-up Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy, the Koopalings Iggy, Roy, Larry, Lemmy, Wendy, Ludwig and Morton (who doesn’t get a link), Toadette, Laikitu from the general Super Mario universe, Pink Gold Peach and Metal Mario — metallic versions of the classic characters, and Mii.
DLC characters
Mario Kart 8’s DLC added seven playable characters. Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach and Link were part of Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8. The boy and girl villagers and Isabelle from Animal Crossing and Dry Bowser were added with Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8.
Purchasing both of these DLC packs would also unlock eight color variants each for both Yoshi and Shy Guy.
So what’s different in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?
Gone are the days of randomly unlocking characters. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has done away with that. Every character is available at the start except for one: Gold Mario (and his gold kart).
New and returning friends
That’s not to say that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn’t have any changes to the lineup (racing pun). King Boo, Dry Bones and Bowser Jr. have been added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as playable characters. Additionally, the Inklings from Splatoon are making their debut for the first time in the Mario Kart series.
How to unlock Gold Mario
From YouTube user ShadowMario3To unlock Gold Mario, first you’ll have to progress through the 50cc, 100cc and 150cc Grand Prix cups normally to unlock the 200cc races. Then, you’ll have to take first place in all of those Grand Prix cups as well. Once you pull that off, Gold Mario will replace Metal Mario on the character select screen.
How to unlock karts and parts
Unlockable karts and parts
Mario Kart 8 started you off with seven bodies — four karts, two bikes and one ATV — four sets of wheels and one glider. You could unlock 18 more bodies, 17 more sets of wheels and 10 additional gliders. These were unlocked as you collected coins during races — one would unlock every 50 coins until you reached a total of 1,000 coins, at which point one would unlock every 100 coins.
There were three more parts — the gold standard body, gold tires and gold glider — that were unlocked while playing. You’d unlock the gold standard body by getting a star in every Grand Prix cup in every engine class. The gold tires were unlocked by beating the staff ghosts in every time trial. Collecting 10,000 coins would unlock the gold glider.
DLC karts and parts
The three DLC packs added 11 bodies, three sets of wheels, and two gliders.
So what’s different in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?
You’re still going to have to collect coins to unlock karts and parts, but all of the DLC additions are available to you.
New parts
Three new bodies have been added for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: the Koopa Clown from Mario Kart 7 and the Inkstrider and Splat Buggy from Splatoon.
How to unlock gold parts
You’re going to have to put in a bit of work to unlock the gold parts. To unlock the gold standard body, you’ll need to get a star rank in every cup in mirror mode (which you unlock by completing all grand prix cups in all engine classes). The tires will now require you to beat the staff ghosts in all of the 150cc time trials. The glider is still unlocked when you collect 10,000 coins.
Mario Kart 8 unlockable and DLC tracks
Unlockable tracks
You started Mario Kart 8 with only one cup (four tracks) available in the Mushroom Cup. Placing third or better in the cup would unlock the next cup, and then you just repeated that process until everything was unlocked.
DLC tracks
In addition to the 32 tracks — eight cups worth — in Mario Kart 8 by default, there were 16 additional tracks — four more cups — available as DLC. The Triforce and Egg Cups were part of the Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8 DLC and the Bell and Crossing Cups were added by Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8.
So what’s different in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?
All of these tracks (and cups) are available at the start of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — even the DLC tracks.
www.polygon.com
