What to do to win at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 200cc
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 200cc definitely requires a lot of skill to win. To me it’s a totally different strategy than 150cc. Item management, drifting, shortcuts, and racing lines are very greatly between 150cc and 200cc.
For starters, bagging isn’t nearly as good on 200cc as it is on 150cc. Frontrunning works best for 200cc. Get in front as soon as possible and stay there to the finish line in 200cc.
This changes item strategy from critical use of mushrooms, stars, or red shells to basically just holding on to defensive items as much as possible in 200cc. Being toward the front of the pack means very few mushrooms, stars, or bullet bills.
Instead of items, the primary focus of 200cc is taking good racing lines to avoid hitting any walls or obstacles. Many times, just avoiding walls and obstacles is all that’s needed to win.
Avoiding the walls, or worse falling off the track, is easier said than done in 200cc. While I rarely use the brake in 150cc, braking is crucial in 200cc. I use it constantly throughout every race in 200cc.
Brake Drift
Tapping the brake during drifts gives you just about as much control as the joystick during drifts in my experience. Holding the brake too long results in spinning out or losing the drift boost altogether.
In order to brake drift, start a drift then tap or hold the brake button. During this time you hold the drift with your index finger and accelerate button with your thumb. Then roll your thumb to tap or hold the brake button. This takes some practice but is a crucial skill for 200cc.
Item Usage
Items don’t play as important of a role in 200cc as they do in 150cc. Sure a red shell or well placed banana helps, but overall a 200cc race focuses on racing lines.
In my experience, many races I just get a defense item or two during the race. Avoiding bananas, shells, and obstacles consumes all my attention. I just check to see whether I got a trailing item or not.
In 200cc you can safely trail a bomb for protection. It’s rare but I’ve got caught in the explosion when I was going too slow. 200cc is so fast you can delay, or even put off being hit by a blue shell too.
In Moonview Highway, if you hit all the boost pads leading up to the finish line in 200cc a blue shell can’t catch you until after the finish line. Unfortunately, red shells can still catch you in 200cc.
The goal in most 200cc races is to not fall so far back to even get a red shell. Get in the lead an staying there is the objective in 200cc. A mushroom or red shell is no substitute for good driving.
Shortcuts
Good driving involves frequent use of shortcuts. There are shortcuts in every track. Many require mushrooms but some don’t. Some that require a mushroom in 150cc can be done without one in 200cc.
For example, the waterfall shortcut in Yoshi Circuit. In 200cc you need a orange boost and a trick to jump the gap. No mushroom required.
Many of the 200cc shortcuts take practice since the timing and aim is very precise. Of course, racing any track in 200cc requires practice. Once you get comfortable driving in 200cc start trying the shortcuts. Start with the easier ones and work up to the harder ones.
Summary
Winning at 200cc requires different skills vs winning at 150cc. Driving skills matter more for 200cc than 150cc. Item management matters less for 200cc than 150cc.
Good driving at 200cc takes a lot of practice. I recommend not switching between 150cc and 200cc until you consistently win at 200cc.
Generous use of brake drifting is crucial in 200cc. At times canceling a drift boost or avoiding a trick boost actually helps in 200cc. It takes a lot of practice to learn when and when not to drift in 200cc.
The first time playing on 200cc is intimidating. It’s easy to fly off the track or constantly bounce off walls. While braking is rarely used in 150cc, it’s required for almost every turn in 200cc.
Keep practicing. Learning each track takes months of practice. Get comfortable holding the accelerate button while tapping the brake button at the same time during drifts. This gives you more control for taking good racing lines.
The better lines you take the less you bounce off walls, hit obstacles, or need to slow down coming out of a turn. Taking good racing lines is the primary skill for winning at 200cc.
FAQ
How to Win at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe brought to you by David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
