Mario Kartjust simply wouldn’t be Mario Kart without its array of entertaining items. They grant the ability to save a disastrous race, and they can just as easily ruin what would otherwise be a first-place finish.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxepacks some of the best items in the series, featuring both returning favourites and new additions that have major ramifications once you are on the race track. Whether they help you win or lose, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just wouldn’t be the same without these items.
10Feather
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
After debuting in the original Super Mario Kart, it was a very long wait before the Feather would see the light of day in another title. And while it is slightly disappointing that the Feather is only available in the Battle Mode of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, that doesn’t take away from the pure feeling of joy it elicits.
The Feather lets you perform a high jump in the air that can be used to clear gaps, reach elevated areas, or pop a balloon in Balloon Battle. It’s a more technical item than some of the others, which is why pulling off a perfect leap with one feels so unbelievably satisfying.
9Piranha Plant
A Snappy Chappy That Makes You Happy
The Piranha Plant is the ideal ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ item in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While its speed boosts and attacking abilities aren’t as effective as other items in the game, the fact that it has both acceleration and offensive potential makes it a handy find, nonetheless.
The Piranha Plant is perhaps most useful when in a large cluster of racers, as you are almost guaranteed to bite your way to the front of the pack. Whether you let the Piranha Plant do its thing or spam its bites right away, you’re likely be in a better position than where you started.
8Bob-omb
Blast Your Way To The Very Top
The Bob-omb has a similar functionality to the Banana – with the key difference being that it could all blow up in your face if you get it wrong (literally). There’s a huge risk/reward gamble that you need to play if you throw this explosive weapon at an opponent in front of you, but if you pull it off, then there are few feelings more rewarding in the entire game.
Bob-ombs also have the potential to clear out multiple opponents at once, making them a useful item to gain quick positions or fend off racers who are close behind you. And if you are unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast of a Bob-omb, then you know exactly how destructive they can be.
7Triple Green Shells
One For The Purists
The Green Shell may lack the convenient homing abilities of its red counterpart, but that makes actually landing a shot with this item all the more rewarding. There’s genuine skill in executing an effective Green Shell shot or, at the very least,a lot of dumb luck.
The Triple Green Shell grants you a few chances to get your opponents with three shells that can be deployed whenever you wish. Throw in the Green Shell’s defensive capabilities against Red Shells, and you have an item with far more use than it initially appears to have.
6Super Star
Makes Your Wishes Come True
Invincibility gives you so much freedom. For the handful of seconds in which you benefit from the Super Star’s power, you are the master of your own destiny.
Obviously you can’t take damage from other items, but you can also knock over other opponents and take off-road shortcuts that are typically inaccessible. Using the Super Star in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers a short but immense burst of power that is one of the best feelings in anyKart racing game.
5Spiny Shell
Gaming’s Ultimate Friendship Killer
We’ve all been there before. The finish line is in sight. You hold a comfortable lead over second place. A win is all but guaranteed. Until you hear that dreaded warning of an oncoming Spiny Shell. And just like that, a certain victory is cruelly ripped from your grasp.
The Spiny Shell (commonly known as the Blue Shell) is legendary for its ability to reshape the look of a race in an instance. It doesn’t care about you or your feelings, but no Mario Kart game would be the same without it.
4Crazy Eight
Eight Of The Absolute Best
Just like some out-of-control Mario Kart octopus, the Crazy Eight item gives you an extreme amount of value and versatility. With eight different items at your disposal at once, you may, in theory, take your time using each one at a point in the race that strategically makes the most sense.
Or you can spam each item in quick succession, causing a huge deal of chaos on the racetrack. Whichever approach you go for, the Crazy Eight is one item that always leaves a big impression in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
3Super Horn
A First Place Player’s Best Friend
It took over 20 years for the Mario Kart series to finally develop an item that could counter the cruelty and carelessness of the Spiny Shell, but boy, was it worth the wait. Whether in the base game orbooster courses, the Super Horn delivers a sense of balance to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe that grants first place players some sense of security that their hard-earned push for victory might actually come to fruition.
Other than being a deodorant for the Spiny Shell and other dangerous items, the Super Horn also damages any nearby racers, helping clear the way if there is a tight contest near the top of the race. The Super Horn isn’t just a necessity. It’s an innovative item that hopefully never gets dropped from the item roster for future Mario Kart games.
2Triple Red Shells
The Ultimate Triple Threat
The Red Shell locks onto the nearest player in front of you, ensuring you will land a hit and most likely move up a place or two in the race… almost. If your target is protecting themselves with a Green Shell or Banana, or if your Red Shell gets intercepted by another item or obstacle, then that hit will never land, and you will have essentially wasted your shot.
The beauty of the Triple Red Shell is that you are almost guaranteed to get at least one hit in — if not two or three. No player is safe as you use your three Red Shells to burst through defences, knock over opponents, and gradually climb your way to the top.
1Bullet Bill
Shoot Your Way To The Very Top
The Bullet Bill isn’t an item. It’s a force of nature. It turns the look of any Mario Kart 8 Deluxe race completely upside down. And it has the potential to completely save you from an otherwise horrid race, leaving a path of destruction in your wake.
It’s fast, it’s furious, and it takes no prisoners. The Bullet Bill is the ultimate disrupter in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and is always a welcome sight to see pop up in your item slot.
