The Best Stunts In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart is, by its very nature, a series with prime friendship-ending material. A stray lightning bolt or lucky blue shell at just the fitting moment can catapult you into victory as they launch their goal into therapy, and that is even before you get into the mirror races.

But later entries within the eminent kart racing series have inadvertently made the sting of defeat even sharper by adding stunts: little emotes your racer can do for those who time a hop right as you go over a jump, giving a pleasant speed boost. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe arguably perfected that art, but which of them are the perfect to tug off as you careen towards first place and an uncomfortable ride home from game night?

12

Luigi

A Terrified Win Is Still A Win

Keeping together with his extremely relatable trend of never quite holding it together in any given moment, Luigi’s most important stunt involves him holding on for dear life in a quite hilarious contrast together with his infamous evil eye. Plus, it’s arguably a fair worse insult.

Sure, the evil eye is essentially Luigi saying “yeah, in fact I’m passing you.” But for those who see him flailing around like certainly one of those ewoks from Star Wars who hijacked a speeder bike as he overtakes you, it just feels downright shameful.

11

Wiggler

All Those Legs Deserve A Rest

It’s price noting that stunts aren’t meant as taunts in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Their most important purpose is the little speed boost you get when landing after successfully executing one. But as Wiggler demonstrates, they’re also just fun to look at.

While some racers are content with waving on the camera or doing an athletic move, Wiggler hefts their substantial segmented body out of their kart and lounges luxuriously for that half-second of airtime. That is dedication to the craft.

10

Inklings

You are A Kid Now, You are A Squid Now, Which Must Be Frustrating For The DMV

The addition of the Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy from Splatoon to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a game changer. Possibly not by way of the gameplay itself, however it opened the door for non-Mario characters to finally join the series roster. what which means. We want Mother Brain, darn it.

As ambassadors between Mario Kart and the remainder of Nintendo, the Inklings had to tug out all of the stops, and it’s only natural that this could include a stunt where they shift into their squid forms. Thankfully, their easy water solubility is ignored on this game.

9

Petey Piranha

His Breath Cannot Smell Worse Than Exhaust

Picture this, you are driving along, about to pass this bizarre-looking plant driving a kart in front of you. Ignoring the scientific implications of such a phenomenon, you speed up, but possibly you do not need to get so close.

Petey Piranha doesn’t care. Petey Piranha just desires to bite. Certainly one of his stunts involves him simply turning around and chomping in your general direction. The road ahead be darned, psyching you out is the actual priority here.

8

Isabelle

She Doesn’t Care About Winning, But She Did Just Win

Mario Kart doesn’t all the time need to be a storm of competitive bile. Sometimes it could actually just be a friendly competition. Should you’re playing as Animal Crossing’s cute and healthful Isabelle, that is mainly the vibe.

Isabelle’s most impactful stunt is not a boast or fancy trick. It’s just her clapping, expressing her enjoyment and appreciation for the opposite racers. Take that to heart. Or immediately follow it up with a ruthless barrage of lightning. As much as you.

7

Peachette

A Photo Finish With Peach Would Make The Camera Explode

Peach herself will pull off some pretty sick moves like vaulting across the handlebars of a motorcycle or swinging out of her kart. But sarcastically, it wasn’t until Peachette joined the roster that fans could see a cool throwback to Peach’s iconic floating move from Super Mario Bros. 2.

It sort of appears like identity theft to see Peachette, who’s literally just Toadette with a magic crown, steal Peach’s classic floating skirt feat. But Peachette’s own quite sassy little sideways stunt kicking her legs off her bike almost makes up for it. Still, we have our eye on you, poser.

6

Bowser Jr.

Sore Winner, In More Ways Than One

Sure, most stunts are only fun tricks to tug off. But others are very much within the taunt territory, which is amazingly on brand for characters like Bowser Jr. He takes that ball and runs with it.

His stunts range from smacking his bottom at you to laughing like every schoolyard bully you have definitely gotten over. On the very least, he leaves no ambiguity regarding what he’s attempting to convey. What a considerate mean person.

5

Tanooki Mario

Think About The Good Old Days As You Eat His Dust

A little bit nostalgia can go a good distance. Nintendo has mainly nailed that vibe in the identical way Ubisoft nailed towers. Those of you who’ve been chilling with games for the reason that 80s, or who can appreciate the crunchy pixel classics of yesteryear, will enjoy this instance.

Tanooki Mario is a transparent throwback to Super Mario Bros. 3, so Nintendo would have missed an enormous opportunity if it didn’t bring back some classic moves. His stunts involve a clearly recognizable tail-out pose and Mario’s flutter jump also seen in Super Mario 3D Land.

4

Funky Kong

Don’t Ask Where He Keeps The Surfboard

Funky Kong is something special. In Donkey Kong Country and its sequels, he would fly and ferry you across the map. In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, he was mainly the sport’s easy mode. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, he yells rather a lot.

But despite Funky’s assorted incoherent wails counting amongst Mario Kart’s most iconic quotes, it’s his cool factor that comes into play together with his stunt. His teeth shine as he hops out of his kart to lounge on his surfboard, making you seriously wonder about his pilot’s license.

3

Pauline

Might As Well Have A Soundtrack For Your Trash-Talking

As certainly one of the previous couple of racers added to the sport, Pauline had a few years of fan hopes to live as much as. Luckily, she did just that, bringing her beloved musical stylings along for the ride.

Her stunts largely involve some impressive poses, but her most notable busts out a microphone stand in a stance fit for the duvet of Rolling Stone. It pairs especially well with a line from Super Mario Odyssey’s Jump Up, Super Star! which she sings when gliding.

2

Link

Ready, HYET, Go

For somebody who never utters a word, The Legend of Zelda’s Link is shockingly emotive in his kart. Added alongside the Inklings when Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launched after appearing within the DLC for the unique, Link also had to essentially make it count.

That is exactly what he did. Not only did he join with a perfectly-themed track, but his stunts are mainly exactly how we might all act if we were capable of carry swords while driving. Possibly with fewer hospital visits.

1

Donkey Kong

You have Been Struck By, A Smooth Simian

Donkey Kong is a force of nature in his games. Even just slamming the bottom can shake foundations and alter landscapes. So how does he present himself in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? With a sick power pose.

Jump over a jump, and DK will likely strike a figure that is dangerously near a dab. It’s absolutely remarkable to see an 800 pound cartoon gorilla pull off what would not look misplaced on TikTok.