Tips and tricks for mario kart tour
Intro
What’s not that old is new again: Mario Kart is hitting the pavement on the Nintendo Switch, and just about everything you knew and loved from the original Wii U edition is back. Naturally there’s a few other surprises, so here’s a rundown of some of the most useful advice.
Hold items, especially if you’re ahead
In the original Mario Kart, holding an item behind your kart wouldn’t remove it from your currently held arsenal. That has not changed in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but there are now two active item slots, so you have more wiggle room and can make more liberal use of your items regardless of your current standing.
One of the oldest Mario Kart tricks is to hold an item like a shell or banana behind you to block shots or automatically hit someone who’s tailgating you. Upon impact, the item will be consumed — its job is done, and you can grab a new item. Get in the habit of cycling through objects or putting them in situations where you can use them instead of hoarding them. There is one exception: the super horn, which you can use to blow up a blue shell when you’re in first place.
Check your rearview mirror
One thing a lot of players overlook is the dedicated rearview mirror button. On the Switch, all you need to do is press X and you look behind you as long as you hold the button down.
Get in the habit of doing this often when you’re ahead. Even if you’re just looking back when you have an item in your possession that you can hold or throw backward (bananas, shells, bombs), swapping constantly will help you better aim your power-ups and stay in the front of the pack.
Also keep in mind that boxing out enemies that are behind you isn’t always a good thing, especially when you consider slipstreams (which we’ll talk about momentarily). Try to stay away from enemy karts that are behind you at all times.
If you’re behind, get a slipstream boost
Introduced very early in the series, a slipstream (or draft) is a slight speed boost when tailgating directly behind an opposing racer. After roughly one second, a wind effect will appear (it's really faint, especially if you're playing split-screen) and provide a small increase in speed.
If you’re not in first place, always look for opportunities to slipstream. You can identify players who don’t make use of their rearview, and thus aren’t aware of your presence. Combining a slipstream boost followed by the use of an item (right as you’re about to pass them and lose the boost) is one of the best ways to get a major lead on someone. And it prevents them from reacting with their own item.
Perfect your start of race boost timing
Getting that massive jump start at the beginning of a race is a Mario Kart staple. For some, it’s muscle memory. But if you aren’t consistently getting that initial boost, keep in mind that there is a science to it.
Everyone has their own formula, but the easiest way we found is to focus in on Lakitu on the right side of the screen. Right as he turns on the second light (or directly after the second chime sounds), press the A button and hold it. Even if you’re a little late, you’ll obtain a small boost, though there is a maximum boost if you can nail it perfectly.
If you aren’t confident in your abilities yet and don’t have time to practice, just don’t use the boost at all. Time it incorrectly, and you’ll just spin out in place and be worse off than if you had just never tried to boost.
