Who hasn’t had restless nights wondering what would happen if Mario, the Italian high-jump champion and occasional cosplayer of elephants from the Mushroom Kingdom, was subjected to the theories of early 20th-century Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto? The long-standing query was addressed by data scientist Antoine Mayerowitz, PhD, and the outcome offers an unbiased method of determining the optimum Mario Kart 8 racer combinations. Hint: It’s not Koopa Troopa for sure.
There are more than 700,000 possible variations when it comes to the build options in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (including driver attributes and different car specifications). Whoa. However, after removing duplicates that are merely different in appearance, the number of options drops to “only” 25,704. How do you select the best racer from there by reducing the field? Let’s introduce Mr. Pareto.
Pareto’s theories, most notably the Pareto front, help us navigate the complexities of choice. They can pinpoint the solutions with the most balanced strengths and the fewest trade-offs. Pareto’s work is about efficiency and effectiveness. Now we’re talking.
When choosing a Mario Kart racer, you have to consider their stats for speed, acceleration, handling, weight, offroad and mini turbo. That’s a lot to weigh.
Even if you decide that speed and acceleration are the most important, you’re still left with imbalances. For example, it’s tempting to go all in on speed (like Bowser or Wario), but they have weak acceleration. However, if you prioritize acceleration instead (such as Baby Mario or Dry Bones), you may be left with quick surges that plateau at a lousy top speed.
Meanwhile, some racers are always dominated in the most important stats — meaning their balance of speed and acceleration consistently comes out behind. Koopa is one example of that, so don’t pick him if you care about winning. (But you can absolutely choose him because he has cute bug eyes and a snazzy shell.)
Mayerowitz’s Pareto front analysis lets you narrow your possibilities down to the 14 most efficient. And it turns out the game’s top players were onto something: One of the combinations with the most ideal balance of speed, acceleration and mini-turbo is Cat Peach driving the Teddy Buggy, roller tires and cloud glider — one already favored among Mario Kart 8 competitors.
Of course, if that combination isn’t your cup of tea, there are others that allow you to stay within the Pareto front’s optimal range. As Eurogamer points out, Donkey Kong, Wario (my old standby, mostly because he makes me laugh) and Princess Peach are often highlighted as drivers, and you can use Mayerowitz’s data fields to find the best matching vehicles. Keep in mind that others have identical stats, so racers like Villager (female), Inkling Girl and Diddy Kong are separated only by appearances.
