A few months ago Nintendo added 8 new courses to Mario Kart 8, with iconic tracks like Choco Mountain from Nintendo 64 and Coconut Mall from Wii. Nintendo plans to continue releasing more tracks, with the second wave of DLC planned for December 2023, and fans are already speculating which of their favorite tracks they could get this time around.
Mario Kart has become a must-have item for fans and collectors who wish to have the full Nintendo experience. As one of the funniest Nintendo games to play with friends, fans all over the world are constantly sharing their experiences, creating some of the most hilarious memes.
The Item Algorithm Is Shady
Although Mario Kart is programmed to distribute items equitably, a lot of the time it's still unbalanced. While it's true that players in the first places won't get powerful items, sometimes the players in the last positions don't obtain items that would help them recover. It can't be frustrating to see other racers getting bullets and stars while you only get mushrooms.
However, that's what makes these games so fun. While a lot depends on skills and knowledge of the tracks, ultimately luck is also involved. In a really unfortunate game, other players could obtain enough blue shells to dethrone a player that had managed to create a lot of space between them and the others - nothing can be taken for granted.
Strategy Will Significantly Better The Odds Of Winning (Sometimes)
Although a lot of the time Mario Kart can be random and chaotic, people still can use some tips to balance the scales a little. For example, one good idea is to let other players go over you when there's a blue shell incoming, so you can them once the shell hit them.
However, it's a very mean thing to do, mainly when playing with friends. But players need to be ruthless if they want to come in the first place. This chaotic energy makes Mario Kart one of the best Nintendo games to play at parties - even if people lose a few friendships along the way.
Coins Are Completely Useless, Yet the Most Common Item In First Place
A feature that it's only present in the Switch version, Mario Kart 8, coins often cost players the first place. While second a third places usually obtain green and red shells, first players get a lot of coins, which is a bit upsetting in a time of need, mainly when a player gets three red shells in one go.
However, players sometimes are unaware that coins in Mario Kart can be helpful. Besides their off-race features, like getting to buy new cars and accessories, players can use coins to obtain more speed. With the number of coins first place obtains, the advantage could be significant.
Bananas Are The Most Useful Item In The Game
Many players could argue that there are more useful items since the bullet or the stars can help drivers climb many places, sometimes even getting players to the first place. However, bananas are definitely better, because in a game with powerful items, it's very difficult to stay in the first place, and this fruit is one of the only defenses against red and green shells.
On top of that, very skillful players can use them to make other dangerously close drivers slip on them. Furthermore, there's always the bonus of leaving them in strategic places to catch people unaware, such as where the item boxes appear or on the edge of cliffs. Still, players need to be careful to not slip with their own banana peels.
It Has A Lot Of Happy Accidents (But Mostly Unhappy Ones)
A Mario Kart race track usually looks like a lawless land. There are dangerous items everywhere, and the track usually comes with its own obstacles. However, once in a while, the chaos will be advantageous to the players, who could inadvertently manage to do something right.
Still, there are more possibilities of something horrible happening to the drivers. Along one lap the same player could go from first place to the last one (or the other way around). The magic of this game is that the future is always a surprise.
Rainbow Road is Mario Kart's Most Iconic Track
Mario Kart's most iconic and challenging race track, Rainbow Road has accompanied the players from the first installment of this successful Nintendo spin-off. From the one featured in SNES's Super Mario Kart to Mario Kart 8's version, each Rainbow Road has its pros and cons, but all of them have a place in the heart of the fans.
Being a staple of Nintendo's culture for almost thirty years, it's no wonder that anyone who sees a sign that says "rainbow road" would immediately think of this course, even those who haven't played the game all that much. Hopefully, Redditor mkhan333 is ready for what's coming their way.
When It Seems It Can't Be More Chaotic... Mirror Mode
The Mario Kart games have many tough tracks, but nothing is more strenuous than having to play these same courses in Mirror Mode. In this version of the game, everything changes direction, so what used to be on the left side is now on the right one and the other way around.
Debuting in Nintendo 64, usually, the players must complete several trophies before getting to play this version. By this point, players already are well acquainted with most of the tracks, and it becomes almost impossible to not get carried away by previous knowledge of the regular versions.
Green Shells Can And Will Backfire
Many would argue that green shells are the least useful item in the Mario Kart games. Even though they carry the same amount of power as red shells, they're lacking in accuracy. Unlike the red shells, players need to carefully aim this weapon, and in a game filled with movement and unpredictable turns, this is quite a challenge.
Most of the time players will fail when throwing green shells and they will become dangerous and unpredictable. These shells tend to bounce off the walls or other elements in the tracks to the point where they can even hit the person who used them. Unfortunately, it's often necessary to play them if players want to be able to grab other items.
Mario Kart Is One Of Nintendo's Most Outstanding Franchises
With almost thirty years of this franchise, Nintendo has introduced ten of these installments along all their consoles, making Mario Kart one of the best racing video games of all time. Each of these games comes with specific characteristics that have gradually transformed the dynamics of this spin-off.
While some of the most memorable traits of the games were unintended, like the SNES version's cheats, all of them have become iconic of a period in video games. Who could forget about Funky Kong or the absurd amount of overpowered items you could get in the Mario Kart 7?
The Blue Shell Is OP
The most feared item in Mario Kart, the spiny shell, most commonly known as the blue shell, is the only item guaranteed to beat the driver in the first place of the race. Whereas players can find ways to avoid being hit by other items, the blue shell is practically unavoidable. What's even more disheartening is that because of Mario Kart's rubber-banding, it's almost impossible to remain in first place after being hit by one of these.
However, nothing makes a player feel more powerful than this devastating weapon. Even though usually only players in the last places get this coveted item, there's nothing better than knowing someone will lose their valuable first place. And who knows, maybe the explosion will destroy more than one driver.