How to play Mario Kart

What you need

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2.
• A compatible controller per player: a single Joy-Con held sideways, a pair of Joy-Con, or a Pro Controller. Joy-Con wheels work too.
• For couch multiplayer: Nintendo lists 2 to 4 players on one Nintendo Switch, or 2 to 8 on Nintendo Switch 2. Split-screen multiplayer can't be played in handheld mode.
• For online play: a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Online races hold up to 12 players, with up to two per console.
• Wireless play: 2 to 8 players across nearby consoles, up to two per console.

If you play on PC for long stretches, a comfortable mouse or headset makes a real difference. Razer's accessory range is one place to compare options; check platform compatibility first. (Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How links work.)

Set up the game

1. From the title menu, choose Single Player or Multiplayer, then Grand Prix.
2. Choose a speed class. Nintendo recommends 50cc for learning, because speeds are low and handling is easier. The classes are 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, Mirror and 200cc.
3. Pick a character and build a kart from a body, tires and glider. Each part changes speed, acceleration, handling and weight. For a first race, pick whatever looks fun; the differences are small at 50cc.
4. Decide on assists. Smart Steering keeps you on the track by steering and slowing for you (an antenna appears on the kart). Auto-Accelerate keeps the gas held down so you can focus on steering and drifting.
5. Choose a cup. A Grand Prix uses four races with 12 racers, including computer-controlled opponents. This guide does not describe Mario Kart World or battle mode.

Race four courses for the cup

1. Start. During the 3-2-1 countdown, press A just as the "2" appears for a Rocket Start. Too early and you stall; the closer you are to the right timing, the longer the boost.
2. Drive. Accelerate through the course, steer around corners, and avoid slow off-road terrain such as grass and sand. Fall off the track and Lakitu fishes you back, at a cost of time.
3. Collect items. Drive through item boxes to receive items such as shells, bananas or mushrooms. You can hold up to two items. Double item boxes give two at once.
4. Use items well. A banana spins out anyone who drives over it; a green shell flips the kart it hits; a mushroom gives a short boost. A banana or green shell held behind you can block attacks from behind.
5. Drift. Hold R and turn to drift through corners without losing speed. Sparks appear: blue for a Mini-Turbo, orange for a Super Mini-Turbo, and pink for an Ultra Mini-Turbo. Release R to boost; longer drifts give longer boosts.
6. Collect coins. Coins increase maximum speed up to ten coins; falling or being hit loses time and may lose coins.
7. Use the course. Dash panels boost you. In anti-gravity zones, bumping a shiny blue object (or another racer) gives a Spin Boost. Press R at the lip of a ramp or drop for a Jump Boost on landing. Blue ramps with a triangle pattern open your glider.
8. Finish. Most courses run three laps. Finish each race for points toward the cup total. After all four races, the highest combined Grand Prix score ranks first; a single race win does not by itself win the cup.

A sample race, moment by moment

Grand Prix, 100cc, Mushroom Cup race two. You finished 4th in race one, so you start 4th on the grid.

1. Countdown. You press A on "2." Rocket Start. You pass 3rd place before the first corner.
2. First corner. Hold R, steer in, and keep the drift until the sparks turn orange. Release on the exit for a Super Mini-Turbo. You are now 2nd.
3. Item box. You get a banana. Instead of dropping it, you hold it behind your kart. Ten seconds later a green shell from 3rd place hits the banana instead of you.
4. Lap 2. You collect coins along the straight and reach the ten-coin cap. The item box gives you a mushroom; you save it.
5. The shortcut. A grassy shortcut cuts a corner. Normally the grass would slow you, but you fire the mushroom as you hit it and cross at full speed.
6. Lap 3. You take the lead. Behind you, 9th place picks up a Spiny Shell, which chases the leader. It hits you on the final straight. You drop to 2nd but keep it to the line.
7. Result. 2nd place: 12 points. Added to the 9 from your 4th place in race one, you have 21 after two races. The leader has 27. Two races to go.

Grand Prix scoring, with a worked example

Every racer earns points by finishing position in each of the four races. The highest total after four races wins the cup.

Bowser won the first two races and led by 6 at the halfway point, but you win the cup by 2. Consistency across all four races decides a Grand Prix. A top-three overall finish earns a trophy for that cup.

Beginner strategy that actually helps

• Watch the center of the track. Nintendo's own beginner tip. Looking at the middle line keeps you off the grass while you learn the corners. Hugging the inside comes later.
• Hold an item behind you while you lead. A trailing banana or green shell eats an incoming shell. You can still carry a second item in reserve.
• Save boosts for off-road shortcuts. A mushroom across a grassy corner cuts time that a straight road can't.
• Grab coins early. Speed rises with each coin up to ten. Getting hit costs coins, so collect replacements on the next lap.
• Drift every wide corner. Even a blue Mini-Turbo is free speed. Practice reaching orange on long curves.
• Falling behind is not the end. Item odds depend on your position: the further back you are, the more likely you are to get powerful items like the Star, Bullet Bill or Lightning.
• Turn off Smart Steering when you're ready. It keeps a learner on track but blocks the pink Ultra Mini-Turbo.

Common mistakes and mix-ups

• Treating an item box as a guaranteed weapon. The item you get is random and weighted by your position. The leader rarely gets the most powerful items.
• Confusing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World. They have different modes, controls, racer counts and points tables.
• "I won race one, so I've won the cup." No. Grand Prix aggregates results over four courses.
• Using a mushroom on a straight road while far ahead. It's not wasted, but a mushroom across off-road usually saves more time.
• Bumping racers in anti-gravity zones. It gives you a Spin Boost, but the other racer gets one too. Shiny blue posts boost only you.
• Holding a drift too long. Holding the drift through a tight corner may still send you off-road. Stay on the track first, then chase pink sparks.
• Expecting Smart Steering to be "cheating" online. It is a legal assist available to anyone, with the trade-off above.

Popular modes and house rules

• Official mode: Time Trials. Three laps alone with three mushrooms at the start. Beat your lap times to save ghost data and race your own ghost.
• Official mode: VS Race. Pick the courses, number of races, CPU strength and even which items appear. Nintendo suggests turning on only green shells to practice aiming.
• Official options: Frantic Items and Skilled Items. Frantic makes powerful items appear more often; Skilled makes them rarer.
• Official mode: Battle. Arena games such as Balloon Battle. Not covered here.
• House rule: loser picks. The last-place human picks the next course. Keeps younger players invested.
• House rule: no blue shells. In VS Race, switch off the Spiny Shell with Custom Items if the group finds it frustrating.
• House rule: handicap kart. The strongest player must use a heavy, slow combination or 50cc assists off while beginners keep assists on.

Teach it in five minutes: a script for the host

1. "A is the gas. Hold it the whole time, or turn on Auto-Accelerate."
2. "Stay on the road. Grass and sand slow you down."
3. "Drive through question-mark boxes for items. Press L to use one. Bananas go behind you, shells go forward."
4. "Hold R while turning to drift. When you see sparks, let go for a boost."
5. "Four races. Points for every finish: 15 for first, 12 for second, down to 1 for last. Most points after four races wins."
6. "Bonus trick: press A right when the 2 shows up in the countdown. Ready? 50cc first."

Age and group-size advice

• Ages 4 to 6: 50cc with Smart Steering and Auto-Accelerate on. They will finish races and enjoy items without frustration.
• Ages 6 to 10: 50cc or 100cc, assists on at first. Turn Smart Steering off when they stop falling off the track.
• Teens and adults: 150cc. 200cc is for players who are comfortable drifting at high speed.
• Solo: Grand Prix against 11 CPU racers, or Time Trials to learn courses.
• 2 to 4 on one Switch: split-screen Grand Prix or VS Race. On Nintendo Switch 2, up to 8 can play locally.
• Parties larger than that: rotate controllers each race and keep a paper scoreboard with the points table above, or link several consoles with Wireless Play.

Mario Kart questions people ask

Check yourself

Sources and edition notes

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch, Grand Prix mode. Controls and techniques follow Nintendo's beginner guide; player counts follow Nintendo Support. The points-per-place table comes from Prima's official Mario Kart 8 Deluxe guide and the Super Mario Wiki, because Nintendo's own pages do not list it.

Sources and stated format checked October 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.

• Nintendo: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe beginner driving and Grand Prix guide
• Nintendo: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer settings
• Prima Games: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Grand Prix and Time Trials (points table, speed classes)
• Super Mario Wiki: Mario Kart 8 points spread

Related games