Best All-Around Combinations for Mario Kart 8
Yoshi and the Teddy Buggy (or Mr. Scooty) Yoshi is, hands-down, one of the best characters to use in your Mario Kart 8 build (along with characters such as Peachette, Daisy, and Birdo). Yoshi is a medium-weight character, which means he has well-balanced stats with a good mix of speed and handling. Because the Teddy Buggy has no special stats, this combo relies on Yoshi’s balance to make it great—and, indeed, it’s perfect for beginners and experts alike. When choosing wheels and a glider, choose Roller wheels and the Cloud Glider. Yoshi also pairs very well with the Inkstriker and Mr. Scooty karts.
Mario and the Mr. Scooty Mario is another medium-weight character with stats that balance acceleration and handling. Meanwhile, the Mr. Scooty kart has a speed of 6 and a mini-turbo of 17, making the overall build versatile and dynamic, capable of handling lots of different tracks—including ones that require high speed and control. This combination is also great for fast recovery! Add the Roller wheels and the Peach Parasol glider to this combo. Mario also pairs well with the Teddy Bear kart (which has the same ground speed and mini-turbo as the Mr. Scooty kart).
Diddy Kong and the Inkstriker Diddy Kong is another medium-weight character (by now, you’re probably noticing a pattern, here—medium-weight characters are generally a safe choice when making your Mario Kart builds). While he doesn’t have as much speed as other characters, he still has a solid mini-turbo stat, which works great when paired with the Inkstriker kart. Add the Roller wheels and the Peach Parasol glider to this combo. You can also use Diddy Kong with the Mr. Scooty and Teddy Buggy karts. Additionally, Funky Kong can be paired with Mr. Scooty for decent stats. Diddy Kong is best when used for casual play. You might not want to use this combo for a true competitive race, but it’s perfect for a fun game with friends!
Toadette and the Pipe Frame Toadette is definitely a change from previously suggested characters; she’s in the featherweight category—the lightest of all categories, meaning Toadette accelerates faster but has a slower top speed (and can easily be jostled by other drivers). Take advantage of her fast acceleration with the Pipe Frame kart, plus the Roller or Azure Roller wheels. You can also perfect the combination with the Accel Glider. Toadette can also be paired up with the Reel Racer for a zippy kart combination!
Rosalina and the Mr. Scooty (or Teddy Buggy) Rosalina and the Teddy Buggy make another strong duo, with a high ground speed and decent mini-turbo combined with an impressive acceleration score. It’s ideal for races on longer courses—and even beginners should find this kart build easy to maneuver on the more difficult race tracks (like the notorious Rainbow Road). Add the Roller wheels and the Paper glider to this combo. You can also pair Rosalina with the Mir. Scooty vehicle for a great handling score and solid speed.
Luigi and the Streetle Luigi’s medium-weight stats make him another example of one of the game’s best overall racers. His weight creates a solid blend of handling, traction, speed, and acceleration. With the Streetle (an Animal Crossing-themed kart), Luigi’s speed and acceleration can be further enhanced; while weight is the Streetle’s weakness, Luigi balances that out. Add the Roller wheels and the Parachute glider to this combo. This isn’t necessarily the most heavily optimized build in the game, but it’s still very solid—even for seasoned players!
Kamek and the Teddy Buggy While Kamek isn’t the strongest racer in Mario Kart 8, his status as a medium-weight racer still makes him a decent choice when combined with the Teddy Buggy. Kamek and the Teddy Buggy come with a slight decrease in mini-turbo stats, but their speed bump makes them a good combo nonetheless! Add the Roller wheels and the Paper glider to this combo. If you’re looking for a unique, overlooked build while everyone else is off playing as Peach, Toad, Mario, and the other staple characters, try this combo.
Birdo and the Cat Cruiser Birdo joins Yoshi as one of the best playable characters in Mario Kart 8; she’s well-balanced as a medium-weight character and has very similar stats to Yoshi in particular. The Cat Cruiser is pretty much great for aesthetics, since its stats are the same as the Standard Kart. All you need are some fast wheels and a lightweight glider to make this combo a true threat on the racetrack! For instance, try using the Roller wheels and Paper glider with this racer and kart combo. Birdo also comes with more unique color options compared to other racers, which is a fun perk (even if there’s no mechanical benefit).
Peachette and the Cat Cruiser Yes, there are five different versions of Peach in the game (and counting), but here’s why you should use a Peachette build! Both the original Peach and Peachette are in the medium-weight class, but Peachette shines due to her mini-turbo star. When paired with the Cat Cruiser, Peachette is fast, has good acceleration, and decent control on the racetrack. Add the Roller wheels and any lightweight glider (like the Paper glider) to this combo for a truly great build.
Waluigi and the Wild Wiggler Waluigi is a character in the heavyweight class, with a higher ground speed than other characters. When paired with the Wild Wiggler, Waluigi also gets a good acceleration—which is invaluable, since heavy characters tend to accelerate slower on their own. Add the Rollers to this combo for a wider drift, too. Since keeping the vehicle light is important for this build, opt for a lightweight glider—like the Cloud Glider.
Bowser and the Landship If you’re a Bowser fan, we have good news for you: there’s a good Bowser build to use in Mario Kart 8! Bowser is, unsurprisingly, in the “very heavy” character category; he’s harder to control and accelerates slowly, but has the fastest top speed of the playable characters. The Landship balances this out by enhancing Bowser’s acceleration and traction, offering a small mini-turbo boost as well. Add the Azure Roller wheels to make this build as effective as possible. In terms of gliders, the Hylian Kite is a solid choice; it won’t affect your stats, so you can rely on the good speed, acceleration, and traction provided by the kart and wheels.
Link and the Master Cycle Is this pairing a little on the nose? Sure, but it’s too effective to ignore. Link is pretty much made for the Master Cycle, both visually and in terms of statistics; this build offers balanced, middle-of-the-road acceleration plus high speed and weight, ideal for controlled drifting and weaving around obstacles while driving fast. If you’re a Legend of Zelda fan, use this combination! Pair this character and kart combo with the Triforce Tires and Hylian Kite for an aesthetically cohesive (and technically balanced) Mario Kart build.
Wario and the Mercedes GLA Wario and the Mercedes GLA actually make a super-fast combination, despite Wario being a heavyweight character. Wario’s acceleration is lowered, but his top speeds are faster; the Mercedes GLA builds on this by maximizing the speed stat without being too heavy. This build is ideal for seasoned drivers who know how to reach top speeds fast and stay there! Add the Gold Tires and Wario Wing to make the most of this Mario Kart build.
Para-Biddybud and W-Twin Chopper Para-Biddybud is a featherweight character—one of the lightest characters in the pack! Because of this, a kart that maximizes his acceleration capabilities is key, which is why the W-Twin Chopper is a solid choice; it also adds speed and handling to the build, which is great (since Para’s max speed is slower overall). This build has quicker recovery times when hit by other players’ special items, which is definitely helpful! The Para-Biddybud and W-Twin Chopper build is also great for navigating tight turns and taking advantage of shortcuts, giving you a leg up on the competition.
Dry Bowser and the Circuit Special This combination has its pros and cons. On the upside, it’s very fast—one of the fastest builds in the game, in fact! On the downside, it misses out on handling and acceleration. Although a balance of stats is usually quite important, this build can be effective on race courses with more straight lines and fewer sharp turns or terrain challenges to navigate. Add the Cyber Slick wheels and the Wario Wing glider to this combo. Basically, the goal with a Dry Bowser and Circuit Special combination is to get ahead and stay ahead. With its exceptional speed, this build will do the rest!
King Boo and the Cat Cruiser King Boo is another example of a character that isn’t necessarily the best technical choice, but one that works great when paired with a particular kart. In this case, that kart is the Cat Cruiser—which offers amazing traction and handling to help you navigate challenging maps and sharp turns. Combined with decent speed and acceleration, this is a surprisingly strong build! Add the Roller wheels to this build for even better overall stats, along with a Standard glider.
Baby Mario and Streetle Baby Mario and the Streetle kart is a super beginner-friendly build; it has a great mini-turbo stat to make up for its lower max speed, along with high acceleration and decent handling. For newer players who are still making mistakes while racing, this build offers easier recovery (so mistakes won’t feel so impossible to overcome or move past during games). Add the Roller wheels and the Parachute glider to this combo.
Good Combinations for Speed & Time Trials
Speed trials In terms of the Speed trials, your ideal build really depends on the track you’re using. In addition, it’s hard to account for player-based obstacles (like Shells or Boomerangs). So, use your best judgment when picking a Speed trial build! Here are our recommendations: Para-Biddybud and the Mach Rocket: Acorn Heights, Block Ruins, and Whistlestop Summit Toadette and the Mach Rocket: Airship Fortress, Sky-High Sundae, Shy Guy Bazaar, Mario Circuit, and Wario Stadium Wario and the Baby Blooper: Boo Cinema, DK Spaceport, Dry Bones Burnout, Crown City, and Toad’s Factory Bowser Jr. and the Reel Racer: Bowser’s Castle Bowser and the Reel Racer: Cheep Cheep Falls, Choco Mountain, Dandelion Depths, Desert Hills, DK Pass, Peach Beach, Salty Salty Speedway, and Starview Peak Bowser and the B Dasher: Rainbow Road, Koopa Troopa Beach, and Peach Stadium Pianta and the Reel Racer: Wario’s Galleon Cow and the Bowser Bruiser: Dino Dino Jungle and Moo Meadows Penguin and the Reel Racer: Faraway Oasis
Time trials When you create a build for the Time trials, maximizing speed and handling is key! You won’t need to rely on acceleration as much, since there aren’t too many sharp turns to worry about, nor any trick items from players to dodge. So, your best choice is a heavy-weight character—Bowser, for example—and a speedy car like the Reel Racer. If Bowser isn’t your speed, you could choose a character like Wario instead! Wario is a bit lighter but has more handling and acceleration. Nonetheless, it’s really up to you what build you choose. The above recommendation is definitely effective, but there are plenty of other builds to try, too!
Core Stats to Know In Mario Kart 8
The four core stats are speed, acceleration, weight, and handling. These stats are clearly displayed in the menu when you’re creating your Mario Kart build—and all of them are important! It might be tempting to pour as many points into speed as possible, but don’t discount the other stats, either. Here’s what each of them represents: Speed refers to the maximum speed a kart can reach. This is affected not only by the kart you choose, but also by the wheels and the character (since lighter characters have slower speeds than heavy ones). Acceleration determines how fast a kart can get to its maximum speed. The higher a kart’s acceleration, the quicker it can speed up in a race! This factor is also affected by the character you choose and their weight (lighter characters accelerate faster). Weight refers to how well a vehicle can withstand collisions—if it maintains its course or gets knocked out of the way. Weight is also a major stat for playable characters, affecting their maximum speeds and capacity for acceleration. Handling reflects a vehicle’s ability to make tight turns and navigate obstacles (and, overall, how easy it is to control). The higher your handling score, the easier it is to maneuver your kart build. Bonus: Mini-turbo determines how fast a character or kart can charge mini-turbos and how long they last. Mini-turbos help maintain your speed when racing! However, the mini-turbo stat is hidden and not displayed like the others.
Characters also come with different stats and advantages. As we mentioned above, characters come with their own set of stats—although these stats aren’t listed outright for players to see. Rather, each playable character comes with a weight class assigned to them, and although you can’t see this weight class category, it heavily affects how the characters interact with their chosen vehicle. Featherweight characters are the lightest in the game; as such, they have the fastest acceleration but the lowest top speeds. Includes: Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Para-Biddybud, and Swoop Very light characters perform similarly to featherweights; their acceleration is slightly decreased, and their max speed is increased. Includes: Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Rosalina, Cheep-Cheep, Goomba, Dry Bones, Sidestepper, Spike, Peepa, and Fish Bone Light characters can reach slightly higher speeds and recover from accidents more quickly, but still have a lower top speed. Includes: Toad, Toadette, Koopa Troopa, Lakitu, Shy Guy, Nabbit, and Stinger Medium-light characters generally perform better than light characters, but are still a bit slower than medium characters. Includes: Monty Mole, Yoshi, Bowser Jr., Peach, Daisy, Dolphin, and Coin Coffer Medium characters are the most balanced, with decent speed, acceleration, and handling stats. Includes: Mario, Luigi, Birdo, Pauline, Penguin, Pokey, Hammer Bro, and Rocky Wrench Medium-heavy characters can be a little more challenging to use, but have slightly faster speeds. Includes: Rosalina, Piranha Plant, King Boo, Snowman, Conkdor, and Cataquak Heavy characters have slower acceleration but can reach higher max speeds overall. Includes: Cow, Donkey Kong, Waluigi, Wiggler, Wario, Chargin’ Chuck, and Pianta Very heavy characters are the fastest, but also the hardest to control. There’s only one character in this category: Bowser!
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