Highlights

  • In Mario Kart 8, no lead is ever safe, as chaos can quickly turn first place into last.
  • The Super Horn is highly valued in Mario Kart 8, as it is the best way to avoid Blue Shells.
  • Green Shells and Bananas can backfire, often hitting the player who threw them, leading many to use them defensively.

Over the last decade, Nintendo has released a handful of games that have sat firmly in the stratosphere of popularity, with little to no signs of coming down. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are just a couple examples of this success, but one title in particular has demonstrated widespread appeal and near-endless replayability: Mario Kart 8. The arcade kart racer is nearly 10 years old and still maintains a passionate playerbase, and its longevity has only increased thanks to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC.

After so many years on the market and so many copies sold, gamers have spent a lot of hours tearing up the Mushroom Kingdom's best racetracks. In that time, both hardcore and casual Mario Kart 8 fans have given the game additional depth by establishing a list of unwritten rules. Like house rules in a board game, these unwritten rules can serve as helpful tips and govern the etiquette of each race. Many other games, especially competitive titles like Fortnite, have unwritten rules of their own, but those found in Mario Kart 8 demonstrate just how unique the Nintendo Switch's best-selling game has become.

Mario kart 8 Luigi
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No Lead In Mario Kart 8 Is Ever Safe

One of the first truths that must be accepted when playing Mario Kart 8, is that no matter how far in first place someone may be, no matter what items they may be holding, and no matter whether they're using one of the best Mario Kart 8 racers, their lead is never safe. If there's one thing that's certain in any race, it's chaos, and that chaos can take someone from first to last swiftly and without hesitation. Even the most skilled players can find their lead ripped away in an instant, especially when a Spiny Shell—or Blue Shell as it's more commonly known—is thrown into the fray. Sometimes, it's best just to embrace it.

The Super Horn Is For Blue Shells Only

On the topic of Blue Shells, another one of Mario Kart 8's unwritten rules revolves around one of the few dependable ways to avoid it. Mario Kart 8 introduced an item called the Super Horn, which can destroy throwable items as well as stop players in their tracks. Those throwable items include Blue Shells, making the Super Horn highly valuable for players in first who can be targeted by the projectile. For that reason, whenever some players are lucky enough to get the Super Horn, it's often strictly used to take out Blue Shells, even if it could be used to hinder other racers or clear other items.

Green Shells & Bananas Have No Loyalty

In Mario Kart 8, and just about every Mario Kart game that came before it, racers can be hit by any Green Shell or Banana. It's a rather straightforward aspect of the game, but as many Mario Kart 8 players have likely experienced, throwing these items can often do more bad than good. Not only can Bananas be forgotten about and run over later in a race, but Green Shells ricochet all over the track once they're thrown, and often miss their target completely just to come back and hit the player who threw it. Due to this risk, many players will instead use these items for defense and avoid the frustration.

Mario Kart 8 has cemented itself as not only one of the most popular Mario Kart games of all time, but one of the most popular games Nintendo has ever made. Its longevity is something many games could only dream of, and its accessibility makes Mario Kart 8 an excellent party game for even the most casual gamers. Even when Nintendo eventually moves on from Mario Kart 8, many of its unwritten rules will likely remain.