What is 200cc in Mario Kart

Starting in Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U, and returning in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch, Nintendo introduced a new 200cc speed class to the Mario Kart franchise. Unlike the more moderate increases between 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc speed classes, 200cc provides a significant, noticeable boost in speed. The increase is substantial enough that it even changes the way players approach the game.

Many players rarely find a need for the brake button in most Mario Kart games. But in 200cc they'll need to make extensive use of braking just to safely navigate corners. There are plenty of tips and helpful hints that apply specifically to the new play style that develops with 200cc mode.

10/10 Start With Lightweight Drivers And Transition To Heavy Class Characters

Players will have an easier time in 200cc mode using lighter drivers. Karts, tires, and gliders that focus on handling and acceleration will be beneficial starting out. Because it's such a fast mode, the extra handling will help with sharp turns, and the acceleration will help get players back up to speed quickly if they fall off the track.

As players get more used to 200cc mode and their skills increase, they may wish to transition over to heavier drivers that focus more on top speed. With heavier drivers, they can easily knock lighter drivers out of their path. The fastest race times are only possible with the heaviest drivers focusing on their top speed stats.

9/10 Use Smart Steering As Training Wheels

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch introduced some new features to the game. One of those is smart steering, which will automatically help players stay on the course whenever they are in danger of veering off the side. It's especially helpful in 200cc mode, where players very commonly fly off the track due to its high speeds.

However, there are some downsides to using smart steering. For one thing, players cannot reach the new third stage of drift boosts, called Ultra Mini Turbos. An even more detrimental downside is that because smart steering always tries to keep players on the main track, it actually prohibits taking most shortcuts.

8/10 Get Familiar With The Brake Button And The Brake Drifting Technique

Many players that are used to playing the normal speeds in Mario Kart games will find it strange if someone mentions the brake button. It's rarely necessary to even use it, Mario Kart 8 included. Most of the game can be successfully navigated just using the acceleration button, the hopping shoulder buttons, and the item buttons.

200cc changes things. Not only will players need to use brakes frequently just to make it successfully around corners, but a new technique, brake drifting, will come into focus for many. Brake drifting is easy to learn but challenging to master. If players brake for too long, it will cancel out their drift boost.

7/10 Let Off The Accelerator

Decelerating probably runs contrary to what most players would be used to doing. Letting off the accelerator can actually benefit at times in 200cc mode. It's especially helpful to assist with canceling drift boosts to get around multiple sharp corners.

On sharp S curves,  if players drift boost during the first turn, they are likely to go flying off the track. Players can instead use a combination of decelerating and even braking as needed to cancel their first drift boost. This allows for taking the second corner sharply, and players can successfully boost out of the second turn without going off course.

6/10 Drift Over Boost Ramps Rather Than Tricking Off Them

Most players have gotten used to doing tricks when they go off of ramps to get an extra boost of speed. In 200cc mode, that extra speed can do more harm than good sometimes. This is especially true for boost ramps that already give players a quick burst of speed.

Sometimes it makes sense to try drifting off of certain boost ramps instead. Players can maintain their drift boost even while in the air, and they don't have to compensate for even further speed boosts. If it happens to be on a curve or corner, it can also help with cornering at faster speeds as well.

5/10 Hop To Align

Players are used to hopping off ramps to perform tricks and get an extra boost of speed. Hopping has other benefits as well. In 200cc mode, it can be crucial to help align the direction a racer is pointed in while going through turns and can position players ideally for using items.

This can be especially beneficial when combined with mushroom items. As players take a particular turn or cut a corner in preparation for using a mushroom to get a speed boost, hopping will help align the trajectory of their boost. When aimed well, it can make it so they have an ideal line coming off of the mushroom boost to continue racing at optimal speeds.

4/10 With A Star, Hopping Around Turns Is Faster Than Drifting

The star powerup item gives players a natural boost in speed when used. In 200cc mode, the increase becomes even more pronounced. Surprisingly, on some corners, hopping rather than the usual drift boost technique works out better overall when using the star.

Hopping around corners with a star doesn't work perfectly with every vehicle type though. Bikes that have sharp inner turning when they drift will not really work the intended way for this particular technique. However, for the scenarios where it does work, it can be a beneficial time-saving approach to cornering in 200cc.

3/10 Control A Character's Descent Even Without The Glider Appearing

Controlling the angle of descent after hitting a ramp is a technique that is possible in other speed classes, but really becomes more pronounced and useful in 200cc mode. After hitting a ramp, players can hold up to guide their kart back to the track quickly. Holding down instead helps to prolong the time spent in the air.

Most players know to do this with the blue glider ramps already, but it applies even to normal ramps and boost ramps as well. With downhill descent courses especially, players can stay in the air for a surprising amount of time. It's even possible to bypass certain obstacles, such as in Mute City, where players can glide straight over a curved stretch of track near the finish line.

2/10 200cc Mode Opens Up The Possibility For New Shortcuts

One of the most interesting things about 200cc mode is its many shortcuts. Some shortcuts are only possible to do thanks to the increased speed of 200cc. If players discover and practice these, the shortcuts can really be used to their advantage for faster race times.

One example is the downhill Big Blue course. There is a smaller jump shortcut that is possible to make regardless of what speed class players are racing on. But in 200cc mode, because of the increased speed and the length of time that players can stay in the air, if a mushroom is used at the right angle, players can actually skip a whole second portion of the course from the same shortcut, landing far below.

1/10 Learn By Watching Other People Play In 200cc

Of course, the best way to learn good ideas and strategies is to watch other players play in 200cc mode. Some players know secrets about the game that others haven't discovered yet, and that includes advanced techniques. A technique known as Fire Hopping is one such example in the original Mario Kart 8, but it was removed by the developers for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as it was an unintended feature.

Watching other players is also a great way to discover the best racing lines to take for the fastest times. It's a great way to determine the best character and vehicle combinations to use for the best results as well. There is a lot that players can gain when they experiment and share their findings, and 200cc mode is no exception.

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