Always win with Mario Kart? Science has a way

For many players, Mario Kart is not a very serious game. But what if you really want to win? Then there are some choices you have to make and science can help you with that.

When playing Mario Kart with friends, most people will simply choose the character they like best in the kart that looks edgiest. But anyone who has played online before will undoubtedly notice that some decks are more popular than others.

For example, in Mario Kart 8, it often happened that you were in a race where almost everyone used Waluigi in the Wild Wiggler. There's a reason for this, because all characters and card parts have stats, so each set has its own strengths and weaknesses.

This is how you calculate the best version of Mario Kart 8

The question then becomes which combination is best to use if you want to win. Data scientist Antoine Meyerowitz has devoted a lot of time to this. With the help of 19th-century economist Vilfredo Barreto, discover the best characters and karts in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

A lot of work has gone into this, because all the characters and card parts in the game make no less than 703,560 combinations possible. Fortunately, there are certain characters and parts with the same stats, leaving “only” 25,704 unique options. Fortunately, there are only a few of them on the so-called Pareto front, where you will find the most efficient options on two or more statistics.

Meyerowitz assumes that the most important metrics are speed and acceleration. Combined with the hidden mini-turbo stat, this ultimately means only 14 character and kart parts combinations that are truly efficient. Those who are already well-versed in competitive Mario Kart won't be in for much of a surprise.

Who is the best character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

It turns out that the combination that many top players are already using looks good even after all of Meyerowitz's calculations. It's a combination of Peach, Teddy Buggy, Roller Tires and Cloud Glider. This assumes you are playing the latest version of the game. Before updates in recent years, other characters were better, like the aforementioned Waluigi.

Naturally, this does not mean that this combination of personality and card will be beneficial to you either. Fortunately, you can tinker a little with Meyerowitz's work. on The page he compiled about his findings In some charts, you can adjust the statistics you consider most important.

For example, if you want to drive as fast as possible and not get too upset if you go off track, you can see on Mayerowitz's website which characters have the best combination of speed and off-roading. You can do this with any combination you find interesting to try. Design suggestions will then appear, which you can further customize depending on which stats you've chosen are most important to you.

Of course you can still choose your favorite character. But if you want to win, or just want to learn more about Mario Kart, this is a way to give it a try.