5 Tips to Help You Master Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 2026

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the ultimate version of a game we’ve been playing for generations and now with the added booster packs adding an extra 48 track and various characters and items it’s better than ever before.

Whether you are playing against family and friends or prepping for an eSports tournament here are 5 tips that will help you to Master Mario Kart and leave your opponents in your dust.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tips

Tip 1: Master the Boost Start

A great way to get a jump start on your opposition is with the initial boost start from the opening grid of your race. What most people don’t realise is that in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe there are actually different levels of boost depending on your timing.

For this tip, hold down the accelerator button at the moment during the countdown that the 2 stops moving down. Now that you are off these other tips will come into play.

Tip 2: Master the Drift Boost

When roaring around a corner rather than just stear it’s better to jump into the corner and drift around instead. Holding a drift for long enough will cause different coloured sparks to appear under your kart, The blue coloured sparks will give you a small speed boost when you release the drift and orange an even better boost. But master the drift on a long corner by turning off your auto steering and getting the colour of the sparks to go purple. Corners long enough to perform this manouver are few and far between but when you can pull it off its worth it.

Tip 2: Master the Jump Boost

Similar to the drift boost, when you’re heading over any ramps tap that R button to jump off the top of it. This will perform a stunt and get a boost on landing. Nail the different stunts by moving your directional stick on the execution.

The downside is that if you don’t time it correctly you could lose speed from the basic jump.

Tip 4: Master the Collection of Coins

You can collect coins on the track to use in unlocking item but they have a much more benificial use to help you win your race.

Each coin you collect up to a total of 10 will give you a slight speed boost. So keeping as many coins as you can for a long period of time will give you a better chance of winning overall. It’s why the game takes coins away when you get wacked with a red shell or run over banana’s. Remember if you cause that to happen to someone in front of you take their coins as you wizz by.

Tip 5: Master Character Selection

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is full of great characters from the world of Mario and beyond. Just like picking the right loadout to pick your playstyle in a game of Call of Duty it’s important to choose the loadout for your style and the types of tracks.

The loadout includes the combination of your character, the vehicle body type, wheels and finally the glider.

Don’t just choose based on colour and style, try multiple combinations to find what works for you.

More physical players are suited better to larger characters like Donkey Kong who can throw their weight around.

Check the stats for increased acceleration so you can get back up to full speed quickly or push all your hopes and dreams into boosting your top speed. You’ll take longer to reach it but if you don’t crash you’ll be leader of the pack and collecting gold trophies in no time.

These are just a few tips and tricks to get you racing with the best of them. Remember nothing will stop you from that purple shell, but it won’t matter if you are so far out in front they’ll never catch you.