What do coins do in Mario Kart 8? It can be a little confusing to work out exactly what purpose they have in the game, so let’s find out!
Mario Kart is back on Nintendo Switch and has new shenanigans for players to figure out. This time, it introduced coins into it, which appeared first back in the days of SNES.
But what purpose do coins serve in Mario Kart 8? After all, there is no system to gain life by collecting 100 coins like it is in other Mario games. Read to find the answer.
How Do You Collect Coins In Mario Kart 8?
Collecting coins in Mario Kart 8 is very simple. You must have noticed coins randomly splattered throughout the track. While they may or may not serve an aesthetic purpose, the key factor they serve is to be collected by players. That can be done when you run through them.
The game has another way through which you can get coins. That’s based on your starting position when a race starts. The players who start way back at 8th position are rewarded 10 coins as a compensation factor. And those at the front are awarded minimal or no coins. The purpose of this is to make the game fair for every player.
Players can collect a maximum of 10 coins during a race. Any more collected coins will not be added up.
Is It Possible To Drop Coins?
Players can also lose the coins that they have collected. This happens when they run off track, or an opponent hits them with a weapon.
Every time an opponent hits you, 3 coins are lost. These lost coins drop out of your kart and appear behind you as a physical collectible item. Not only does this put you at a disadvantage, but your opponents can also pick them up and get a speed boost.
When you go out of bounds of the track, Lakitu will recover you and deduct 3 coins from your arsenal. Consider this a service fee. Even if you run out of coins, Lakitu will still recover you without taking any coins. Such a kind soul he is.
What Good Does Collecting Coins Do?
Coins serve a dual purpose in Mario Kart 8. They have their advantages on track as well as off-track.
On The Track
There is a reason why the developers dispersed coins throughout the track. This adds a layer of depth to the game mechanics.
With every coin players have in their pocket, their top speed gets a small bump. This effect stacks up to the maximum limit of 10 coins per player.
Even though the speed increment given per coin is marginal, stacking this up can prove to be a major factor in winning a race. Collecting 10 coins is an easy task, as the number of coins in a track is massive. A player can easily collect 10 coins after a single lap.
Every time a player collects a coin, they are awarded a speed boost that lasts for a moment. This can give you just the edge you need to get ahead of the opponent you had been tailing behind. This gives you an incentive to collect coins, even if you have reached the limit of 10 coins.
Off The Track
When not racing, coins serve the same purpose as they do in any other game. They act as a currency with which you can buy different stuff. Even though all the characters and race tracks come unlocked when you start a new game, some stuff is still exclusive and requires your hard-earned coins to unlock.
The unlocks come in different categories. These categories are the Karts, the Tires, and the gliders. Even though collecting all of them will require a lot of coins and a great deal of grinding, the completionists will still unlock every single item.
These items can be as cheap as 50 coins for the cushion wheels and can jump up to 2700 coins for the Sports Coupe Kart.
Conclusion
The introduction of coins in Mario Kart 8 baffled a lot of players. Players couldn’t figure out what purpose these coins served. Knowing the on-track advantages of coins is important if you want to gain a raise in your top speed. This could give you the edge that you need to get out ahead of the pack and win.
In this article, we discussed how players can collect coins and also discussed how coins can be lost upon taking a hit or falling off the track. Additionally, we also talked about the uses of coins in the game. That is all for today’s article. Thank you for reading.
Looking for more Mario Kart 8 content? Here’s some more guides:
Visit the official Mario Kart 8 website here.