Shake Up the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Meta with These Alternative Builds
It’s no secret that the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe meta has gotten a bit stale. The Teddy Buggy kart dominates the field everywhere you look in online lobbies. And while it’s undeniably one of the best kart setups in the game, it’s also… boring. So, what if we told you other builds can match the Teddy Buggy in effectiveness while giving you some variety in how you play?
In this guide, we will shake things up and give you alternative kart, tire, and glider setups for each Mario Kart 8 Deluxe weight class. These builds are just as viable as the Teddy Buggy, offering different strengths and unique handling to give you an edge on the track. So, let’s dive in and explore these fun, competitive alternatives!
Weight Classes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Before we jump into the builds, it’s important to understand how characters are categorized by weight in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Each character falls into one of six weight categories:
- Featherweight
- Light
- Light-Midweight
- Midweight
- Cruiser
- Heavy
Each weight class has its own advantages and disadvantages, and your kart build should complement these traits. Let’s break it down by class.
Featherweight Characters: Maximizing Acceleration and Mini-Turbo
Featherweight Characters: Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Dry Bones, Lemmy, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, and Light Mii.
Featherweight characters have naturally high acceleration and mini-turbo, which makes them a great choice for players who value quick recovery after being hit. In Mario Kart, you’re bound to get hit a lot, so focusing on builds that allow you to regain speed quickly is a strong strategy. To maximize their strengths, focus on builds that enhance mini-turbo and handling.
Recommended Build:
- Kart: Bitty Buggy or Mr. Scooty
- Tires: Roller or Azure Roller
- Glider: Cloud Glider, Parachute, Flower Glider, or Paper Glider
This setup nearly maxes out your mini-turbo, allowing you to maintain control in tight corners while accelerating quickly after being hit. Speed isn’t the priority here, but with enough drifting, you’ll keep up with even the fastest karts. The high handling and traction also make it a smooth build to race with, perfect for navigating tricky tracks.
Light Characters: Speed and Versatility
Light Characters: Toad, Toadette, Wendy, Lakitu, Koopa Troopa, Bowser Jr., Shy Guy, and Larry.
Light characters have a bit more speed than the featherweights but slightly lower mini-turbo. This makes them more versatile, allowing for better performance on tracks with fewer turns. For these characters, we’ll focus on a balanced build that leans into speed while maintaining solid handling and mini-turbo.
Recommended Build:
- Kart: Streetle
- Tires: Button or Leaf Tires
- Glider: Cloud Glider, Parachute, Flower Glider, or Paper Glider
This build gives you a nice balance of speed and mini-turbo, making it more forgiving on tracks that have long straightaways. You’ll still be able to out-drift many other setups, and the slight increase in speed will give you the edge in mid-tier lobbies.
Light-Midweight Characters: Rivaling the Teddy Buggy
Light-Midweight Characters: Yoshi, Peach, Daisy, Birdo, Peachette, Cat Peach, Diddy Kong, Female Villager, and Inkling Girl.
Light-Midweight characters are often considered the best in the game because of their excellent balance between speed, handling, and mini-turbo. While the Teddy Buggy is the go-to kart for these characters, there are some exciting alternatives that offer similar stats while providing a smoother racing experience.
Recommended Build:
- Kart: Varmint or City Tripper
- Tires: Roller or Azure Roller
- Glider: Cloud Glider, Parachute, Flower Glider, or Paper Glider
Both the Varmint and City Tripper have nearly identical stats to the Teddy Buggy, with a slight reduction in acceleration but improved handling and traction. This makes them a great option for players who want more control in turns without sacrificing speed or mini-turbo.
Midweight Characters: Balanced and Powerful
Midweight Characters: Mario, Luigi, Tanooki Mario, Iggy, Ludwig, Inkling Boy, Male Villager, Kamek, and Midweight Mii.
Midweight characters have a higher overall speed stat than the light-midweight, making them ideal for players who like to balance speed with handling. We’ll aim for a build for these characters that sacrifices a bit of acceleration for more speed without losing too much mini-turbo.
Recommended Build:
- Kart: Pipe Frame
- Tires: Roller or Azure Roller
- Glider: Cloud Glider, Parachute, Flower Glider, or Paper Glider
The Pipe Frame is a highly underrated kart that pairs perfectly with midweight characters. This setup gives you solid speed and mini-turbo, resulting in a balanced build that can perform well on almost any track. It’s a great all-around setup for players who want a reliable kart for both online and offline play.
Cruiser Characters: High-Speed, High-Acceleration Builds
Cruiser Characters: Pauline, Rosalina, Link, King Boo, Roy, Waluigi, Wiggler, and Donkey Kong.
Cruiser characters are known for their high-speed stats, but they can be a bit cumbersome to handle. To offset this, we recommend a build that maximizes acceleration and mini-turbo, giving you the best of both worlds: speed and control.
Recommended Build:
- Kart: Bitty Buggy or Mr. Scooty
- Tires: Roller or Azure Roller
- Glider: Cloud Glider, Parachute, Flower Glider, or Paper Glider
This setup complements the naturally high speed of Cruiser characters by boosting acceleration and mini-turbo, making it easier to recover after being hit. It also improves handling, which is crucial for heavier characters who might struggle with tighter turns.
Heavy Characters: Underrated Speed Machines
Heavy Characters: Bowser, Dry Bowser, Wario, Morton, Funky Kong, Metal Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Piranha Plant, and Heavy Mii.
Heavy characters are often seen as slow and difficult to maneuver, but they can dominate the track with the right build. To make the most of these characters, we’ll focus on a kart that improves their handling and traction while still keeping their speed competitive.
Recommended Build:
- Kart: Landship
- Tires: Roller or Azure Roller
- Glider: Cloud Glider, Parachute, Flower Glider, or Paper Glider
The Landship is an underrated kart that offers excellent traction and handling, helping you control your heavy character more easily. It also lightens your overall setup, making it a bit easier to maneuver while maintaining vital speed and mini-turbo.
Final Thoughts: Shake Up the Meta
The Teddy Buggy may reign supreme in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe meta, but that doesn’t mean you must stick with it. By trying out some alternative builds, you can bring variety and excitement back into your races while staying competitive. Each of these setups offers its unique strengths and playstyles, making Mario Kart more dynamic and fun.
So, the next time you hit the track, don’t be afraid to shake up the stale meta and show the online lobbies that there’s more than one way to win!
