Look, let’s be real for a second. If you’re still rocking the standard Mario or even the Pink Gold Peach in your online lobbies, you’ve probably seen that shimmering, blindingly bright golden figure zoom past you on a Blue Falcon and wondered if that player is just a try-hard or if they’ve actually mastered the game. Getting Gold Mario in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is basically the ultimate "I have no life" badge of honor, but in the best way possible. It’s the only true unlockable character in the entire game. Everything else—the Inklings, Link, the Villagers—is handed to you on a silver platter the moment you boot up the Switch version. But not this guy. He makes you work. He makes you suffer through 200cc.
Most people think he’s just a trophy. A shiny skin. But there’s a weird bit of history and some specific stats behind him that most casual players totally miss. He’s not just a "Metal Mario" clone with a paint job, although, okay, his stats are identical. But the prestige? That’s different.
The Brutal Path to Unlocking the Midas Touch
You want him? You gotta earn him. There is no cheat code. There’s no "press A+B at the title screen" nonsense like it's 1996. To get Gold Mario in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you have to place first in every single Grand Prix cup at 200cc.
That sounds easy until you’re flying off the edge of Rainbow Road because your brakes are basically decorative at that speed. 200cc is a different beast entirely. It’s not about finding shortcuts; it’s about survival. You have to learn how to "drift brake"—holding the B button while you’re mid-drift so you don't careen into a wall. If you haven't mastered that, Gold Mario will remain a ghost in your character select screen.
Honestly, the 200cc requirement is what gatekeeps most players. You can be a god at 150cc and still get absolutely wrecked by the AI on 200cc because they don't play by the rules. They have perfect pathing. They hold items with psychic precision. You need a gold trophy—at least one star—in every cup. That includes the original 12 cups. You don't actually need the Booster Course Pass tracks to unlock him, which is a relief for some, but you still have to conquer the likes of Mount Wario and the Special Cup at breakneck speeds.
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Why Stats Matter (Even if He's Heavy)
In terms of raw data, Gold Mario is a "Heavyweight." Specifically, he sits in the same weight class as Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach. We’re talking about a high top speed but pretty abysmal acceleration.
- Weight: 4.75
- Top Speed: 4.75
- Acceleration: 3.00
If you get hit by a Red Shell while playing as him, it feels like it takes an eternity to get back up to speed. It’s painful. But if you can stay in the lead? He’s a juggernaut. Because of his weight, you can bully smaller characters like Toad or Lemmy off the track. It’s satisfying. Kinda mean, but satisfying.
The Mystery of the Gold Standard
Ever noticed how some players have the full gold set? It’s not just the character. To truly flex, you need the Gold Kart, the Gold Tires, and the Gold Glider.
The Gold Kart is probably the most tedious to get. You need a one-star rank or higher in every cup in Mirror Mode and all 150cc Grand Prix. The Glider? That’s tied to your coin count. You need 5,000 coins. In the original Wii U version, it was 10,000, so Nintendo actually threw us a bone here. The Gold Tires are arguably the hardest because they require you to beat every single Staff Ghost in Time Trials at 150cc.
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When you combine Gold Mario in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with the full gold kit, you actually don't have the best build in the game. Far from it. The "Meta" usually involves Teddy Buggy or Mr. Scooty with Roller tires. The full gold build has terrible traction. You’ll be sliding around like you’re on ice. But man, do you look cool doing it.
Common Misconceptions About the Golden Plumber
A lot of people think Gold Mario was in the original Wii U version. He wasn't. He was added specifically for the Deluxe version on Switch as a replacement for Metal Mario's slot (well, technically he's a variant of Metal Mario).
Another weird myth? That he has better item luck. He doesn't. Your item pulls are determined by your distance from the person in first place, not by how shiny your character is. I’ve seen people swear up and down that they get more Frenzies (wait, that’s Tour) or better Mushrooms as Gold Mario. Nope. Just placebo effect. You’re just hyper-focused because you’re playing as a literal bar of gold.
The Strategy for the 200cc Grind
If you’re struggling to unlock him, change your build. Don't try to use a high-speed setup on 200cc. Use something with high handling and acceleration. The Biddybuggy or Mr. Scooty with Azure Roller tires and the Paper Glider is the secret sauce.
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Why? Because on 200cc, the game is too fast for the engine to handle comfortably. You need to be able to turn on a dime. Once you unlock Gold Mario in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, then you can go back to being a speed demon. But for the unlock process, play it safe. Focus on taking the tightest lines possible.
The hardest cups are usually the ones with heavy turns. The Leaf Cup and the Special Cup will test your patience. Yoshi Circuit is a nightmare at 200cc because of those constant S-curves. Just remember: brake during your drifts. It sounds counter-intuitive to slow down in a racing game, but it's the only way you're getting that gold skin.
Is He Actually Worth the Effort?
Value is subjective, right? If you just play locally with friends, they might not even know what it took to get him. But in the online competitive scene, seeing a Gold Mario tells you something about the person behind the controller. It tells you they’ve beaten the "single player" mode of the game entirely.
He’s a status symbol. He’s the "Platinum Trophy" of Mario Kart.
Plus, there’s something genuinely fun about the way light reflects off him in tracks like Electrodrome or Sunshine Airport. The developers put a lot of work into the shaders for his metallic skin. He looks premium. Even if you end up going back to your Mii or Waluigi for the better stats, having him in your roster feels like completing a journey that started back in 2017 when the game launched.
Step-by-Step Action Plan to Mastery
- Warm up in Time Trials: Don't go straight into 200cc Grand Prix. Go to Time Trials and practice the 200cc lines on tracks like Dragon Driftway and Big Blue.
- Toggle Auto-Accelerate: If your thumb is cramping, turn on auto-accelerate. It lets you focus entirely on braking and steering, which is vital for the 200cc unlock.
- The "Safety" Build: Switch your character to a Small or Medium weight (like Koopa Troopa or Inkling Boy) and use the Biddybuggy/Roller combo. It’s much easier to get the gold trophies with this setup than trying to use a heavy character immediately.
- Check Your Progress: Open your stats menu from the main screen to see which cups you’re missing. You need that gold trophy icon on every single one of the base 12 cups at the 200cc level.
- Claim the Prize: Once that final trophy pops, Gold Mario will appear as a color variant when you select Metal Mario on the character screen.
Mastering the drift-brake is the single biggest hurdle between you and the gold. Once that muscle memory clicks, the 200cc cups fall like dominoes. Start with the Mushroom Cup today—it's the shortest and easiest way to build the confidence you'll need for the Special Cup.