If you’re feeling the need for speed and have a meddlesome set of friends that keep beating you on Mario Kart, then here’s a list of the best Mario Kart 8 setups for you to find a winning formula!
It’s always the same, isn’t it; you stick to your favourite character and just hope that a well timed red or blue shell will help you to get over the finish line.
But when frantic items are turned on and the going is getting tough on 150 or 200cc, you’ll need more than sheer luck and a well-timed shell to secure a win.
I play a lot of Mario Kart online with evil cretins (aka friends), and I’ve tested a lot of karts and bikes with different wheels and gliders in order to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
That’s a more complicated way of saying that I get my dignity handed to me on a plate on a regular basis, and that I’ve learned the hard way which setups do well and which are downright terrible.
So, without further ado, let’s drift into action and see which combos will bring home gold when you hit the tarmac. It’s time to list the secrets of the best Mario Kart 8 setups and to grab victory with both hands!
Table of Contents
1. Villager Boy, B-Dasher, Slim Wheels, MKTV Parafoil
The best Mario Kart 8 set up of all time is without a doubt this slick-little Villager and B-Dasher combo, with Slim wheels and the MKTV glider.
Now, I know this for a number of reasons, the main one being that my friend Denville always uses this setup to beat me and all of our other friends every single time we play races at 150cc.
I know you might read some articles that tell you this set or that set is faster because of ‘Stat A’ or ‘Stat B’, but trust me, I’ve watched him come first so many times that this top entry was a no brainer.
The B-Dasher adds 0.5 to Speed but also 0.25 to weight, with a total -1.25 to your overall score.
Still, the Villager is more than up for the task, with 21.5 total stats across the board. The Slim wheels increase handling and the MKTV Parafoil adds extra turbo boost too!
2. Ludwig, Blue Falcon, Cyber Slick Wheels, Mario Gold Glider
As I’ve already said, I play a lot of Mario Kart 8, which is why I can say with confidence that this next Mario Kart 8 setup is also an absolute blinder too.
If the dreaded Denville comes in first every time, then my fellow bald-eagle Josh comes second come rain or shine.
And his set up of Ludwig (aka Ludders), the Blue Falcon borrowed from the Cap’n, Cyber Slick wheels and the Mario Gold Glider has almost infuriated me as much as the Villager has over the years.
What is it about that blue Falcon that makes it so special? I mean, F-Zero moves at stupid-million miles a second, so I guess that could be something to think about…
It does add 0.25 to speed and 0.5 to traction, and twinned with the added speed of the Cyber Slick tyres, it becomes a superb set-up for those wanting to get an early lead away from the pack.
Especially considering the 0.25 Mini Turbo boost the Cyber Slicks give users too!
3. Bowser Jr, Pipe Kart, Cyber Slick Wheels, Cloud Glider
And now we come to one of my go-to setups, one that statistically should be the best in the business according to the official stats
When looking at the fastest characters on paper, Bowser Jr is up there every single time. The fastest Kart on paper is the Pipe Kart too, hence why I chose this set up. Yet time and time again, I rank lower than my friends when playing on 150CC.
Like Ludwig, Bowser Jr has obviously taken some tips from the Koopa King himself and brings the fire whenever he’s in a race. This little Koopaling has great handling and acceleration, and twinned with the Cloud Glider, players get an extra Mini Turbo bonus and Acceleration upgrade.
The Cyber Slick Wheels, a set you’ll hear me talking about a lot in this article, help to even out the Pipe Karts weaker points and make it easy to drift through water too.
4. Koopa Troopa, Streetle, Leaf Wheels, Paper Glider
How many of you have played 200CC before? Well, if you’re looking for the best Mario Kart 8 setups to cope with insanely high speeds, then this Koopa and Streetle mash up will definitely do the trick.
This Streetle set up is yet another set that my smug friend Denville uses when he’s wanting to destroy us all on 200CC.
The speeds are insane, but Koopa Troopa’s high Traction and Handling marries well with the Streetle’s Acceleration and Mini Turbo stats, with each complementing the other and levelling out problem areas.
The Streetle adds 0.25 acceleration too, and the leaf tyres help to level out handling and weight too, especially when twinned with the Paper Glider.
Good luck if you’re tackling 200CC – you’re going to need it!
5. Shy Guy, Inkstriker, Roller Wheels & Cloud Glider
Shy Guy will forever be one of my favourite characters in Mario Kart 8. In fact, scrap that – he’s one of my favourite Nintendo characters full stop!
While Inkling, Cat Peach, Yoshi and Birdo are also great choices to put with the Inkstriker, I’ve found that Shy Guy is the best man… guy… masked thing for the job when it comes to getting over the line ahead of friends.
That’s because Shy Guy beats them in handling and Traction, and the Inkstriker’s extra weight helps to beef up Shy Guy’s stats a little, making those turns much neater.
This is the first time the Roller Wheels have made an appearance in our best Mario Kart 8 setups list, this time bolstering the Inkstriker’s Acceleration and Mini Turbo stats.
6. Bowser, Badwagon Kart, Cyber Slick Wheels & Parachute
We’ve had two of his family members, and now it’s finally time for Papa Koopa to enter our best Mario Kart 8 setups compendium!
I know he doesn’t look it, but Bower is a fast beast. He, along with Wario, Dry Bowser, and Morton, have some of the fastest speeds in the entire game.
The main problem, as you might have guessed, is that these guys have big weight stats which affect Acceleration and Handling.
Still, the mixture of the Badwagon and the Cyber Slick Tyres, and the Parachute adds 0.75 to speed, reaching a max speed of 5.5. The Parachute cancels out the extra weight added by the Cyber Slick tyres too.
Tip – You can also use the Super Glider if you want to go into a race without tinkering with any of the Cyber Slicks, Badwagon, or Bowser’s stats, but you won’t take advantage of the extra Mini Turbo that the Parachute provides.
7. Wario, Circuit Special, Metal Tires, & Wario Wing
Wario driving the Wario Circuit special has been a fan favourite setup for years now. Like Wario’s dice in Super Mario Party, however, using this mixture of Wazza, the Circuit Special, Metal Tires and the Wario Wing is a bit of a gamble.
The gamble lies in the fact that this is a setup that promotes great speeds but has terrible handling.
If you can work with the kart and manage to practice drifts while working with the steering, then you might end up with kart that could finally take the mighty Denville down.
Sorry… I’ve got a massive grudge, and if you saw my measly win record against him you’d see why.
This is a heavy ol’ setup too, with a total weight stat of 5.25. So, if you’re without a weapon but want to bash your opponent out of the way, then this combination could well provide you with a useful solution.
This setup takes a lot of time to master, however, so don’t expect to stick it all together and beat your arch nemesis straight away.
8. Kamek, Mercedes, W25 Silver Arrow, Azure Roller Wheels, Paper Glider
Kamek is the newest character in our list of the best Mario Kart 8 setups, and he’s a wizard (obviously) when it comes to Speed and Handling.
It might look a little silly to see a blue hat sticking outside of a Mercedes GLA, but stick with me.
The Silver Arrow adds to Acceleration, Grip and Handling, and the Azure Roller wheels also give a boost to Acceleration, Handling, and Mini Turbo to
The Paper Glider gives an extra Acceleration boost too, giving you a grand total of 4 Acceleration with a setup that grips the road like it’s on rails!
So, a fast wizard in a fast Mercedes… sounds like a win/win to me!
9. Baby Mario, City Tripper, Cyber Slick Wheels, Cloud Glider
Baby Mario takes the 9th spot in this list of the best Mario Kart 8 setups, taking the City Tripper, Roller Wheels, and Cloud Glider into action.
What Baby Mario lacks in Speed and Weight, he makes up for in every other stat. This little dude has the highest acceleration and the second highest handling stat out of all the racers.
So why the City Tripper?
Well, this is one of the fastest bikes in the entire game, alongside Mr Scooty and the Varmint. It’s a nippy little number and pairs well with the Cyber Slick wheels and Cloud Glider.
The high traction of Baby Mario takes a little bit of a battering from the Cyber Slick tires, but the City Tripper’s +0.25 bonus help to soften the blow and the Cloud Glider adds some extra acceleration to help you get ahead of the pack.
Like Wario’s Circuit Special, this is a bit of a wild-card set up that favours acceleration and handling.
Still, it’s one that can secure you that win if you manage to keep momentum up and value your handling stats.
10. Yoshi, Mr Scooty, Leaf Wheels, Super Glider
Last, but by no means least, is Yoshi, ending our list of the best Mario Kart 8 setups with Mr Scooty, the Leaf Wheels, and the Paper Glider as his ‘weapons of choice’.
Mr Scooty is the bike that adds most acceleration to your character’s base stats, and as Yoshi has 3.75 for both Speed and Acceleration, that’s a nice little bonus that will help you to beat the likes of Baby Mario.
Mr Scooty adds to Handling, Traction, and Mini Turbo stats, twinning well with the Leaf Tires (that only change stats slightly) and the Super Glider which is neutral across the board.
And everyone loves Yoshi, right?
What Are The Best Wheels In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?
The best Wheels in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are the Cyber Slick tires.
On paper, they have the biggest overall ‘minus’ stat rating out of all the wheels, but I’ve found that they help to level out most characters and karts in the game and are great for drifting in water.
If you’re a serious Mario Kart player with an arch nemesis like mine, then stat counting is criucial, and the Cyber Slicks help to even the odds.
Plus, they look incredibly cool!
Don’t forget to check out all the latest news on Mario Kart 9 before you go!
