Top 10 Worst Ways to Lose in Mario Kart
The most infamous way to lose and definitely the most frustrating. Anyone who has played the series for a long time can tell you how infuriating it is. It's pretty safe to say that Blue Shells have ruined friendships since Mario Kart 64.
This has happened to me multiple times, but the most painful one was in a Mario Kart 7 online race. It was on the final lap, and I instantly went from first place to seventh.
Nothing is worse than this. The Blue Shell is evil when I'm not using it.
I love it when I'm using it, of course.
If it's a close race, this could be the deciding factor, especially on harder tracks like Rainbow Road. One fall, plus Lakitu being slow, could be the difference between a win or a loss.
In the Wii version, Lakitu is really slow to pick people up, so this could send you spiraling into 12th place. It's better in Mario Kart 8, though.
This happened to me in Mario Kart 7 mirror mode on Maple Treeway. I was in 1st place, fell off, then got hit by items. I went from 1st to 8th place in a few seconds and finished in 8th. I was lucky to win the Grand Prix by getting 1st on the other three tracks.
Incoming! Red Shell on your tail. Incoming! Blue Shell slowing you down. Warning! You lose the race. Try again.
You basically get spammed by a bunch of items in a short amount of time. You go from 2nd to 8th in a matter of seconds.
I love Mario Kart, but seriously, the coins need to go. The only time they were necessary was in "coin runners" mode in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7. Other than that, they shouldn't be in the courses since they serve no real purpose.
This is why I hate coins. They do nothing for you but leave you vulnerable. The fact that they appear frequently in Mario Kart 8 is really frustrating. It makes zero sense, especially with the amount of coins already on the tracks.
Worse still if you've already collected 10 coins and don't even need more.
You have to be strategic when using this, with a great sense of timing.
I once had this happen on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online multiplayer. I was in 10th place with a Bullet Bill and a Star, and I got hit by lightning just as I was about to use the Bullet Bill. I would have used the Star right after.
That would really suck if you got hit by lots of items on the final lap.
This happened to me on Big Blue time trials when I was trying to win the gold tires. Just before I was about to cross the finish line, the ghost passed me. It made me so angry that I had to redo the race to beat the ghost. I don't know why Nintendo had to make that ghost so hard.
When this happens, I yell at my TV and say, "How?! Is (insert character name) a wizard?!"
This always happens to me in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS. I don't know why...
I hate when I'm playing as a little Koopa, and I look in my rearview mirror while on the bridge during the last lap in DK Mountain. I see a big Donkey Kong riding my tail and gaining on me. That's the moment when I know it's all over...
I play as the Mii (Mario Kart Wii), Mario, or Metal Mario, so I have to be careful with this. I always end up in first place for most of the race, but then there are always these guys catching up and hitting me off.
Yep, weight can help at times push you off, but it works against the kart when you try to attempt it.
The Newcomers
It's arguably the most embarrassing way to screw yourself over.
You can dodge a Blue Shell in 1st place, but you need to be really close to the 2nd place driver and have good reflexes. If you notice a Blue Shell approaching, slow down until the 2nd place driver takes the lead, then pick up speed again. If you stop completely, the Blue Shell will still hit you, regardless of whether you're in 3rd, 5th, or any other place. This strategy only works in handheld games since you can't see a Blue Shell coming until it's too late on consoles.
Once in Mario Kart: Double Dash on Luigi Circuit, I got hit by 3 Blue Shells on the final lap - 2 in 10 seconds at the beginning of the lap, and one near the end. I got 2nd place.
It's always on the last lap, and for me, it's usually a Blue or Green Shell. In the worst cases, it's a banana an inch before the finish line.
Similar to slipping on a banana, this could be what kills your chance of winning.
A lucky green shell shot, or slipping on the common banana peel, can really ruin your race.
Clash into incoming non-karts, and yeah, it's absolutely difficult to come back from the race.
This happened to me when I played GCN Mushroom City for the first time.
My dad always wants to play Mario Kart with me and GreyRose, and he drives backwards.
I have experienced running into my own fake item box at times - it was camouflaged by the normal item boxes.
Ha, I'm guilty of doing this all the time in online races.
This happens to me sometimes, so I sing, "Why do you drive so fast? Why do you drive so fast? Where you gotta go, where you gotta go? Maybe you should try and drive slow." My singing is so bad that it distracts people! Yay!
Imagine missing it in a tight photo finish. Then, all of a sudden, playing 200cc, the speed boosts might be the enemy that can make you crash more than anything else.
This could be crucial in a tight race. Missing it could be the reason you lose, or it could be the reason you win if you manage to hit it.