Apr 05, 2024 20:00:00

An attempt to derive the fastest 'character, kart, glider, and tire combination' in Mario Kart using Pareto optimization, but the optimal solution differs depending on the play style

In Mario Kart, one of the classic racing games, there are several techniques such as rocket starts and drifting that can be said to be essential to gain an advantage in the race, but in the latest game in the series, '

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ,' you need to select a character, kart, glider, and tires, so the combination of these is also a very important factor. Attempts are being made to derive the fastest combination in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe using Pareto optimality.

Mario meets Pareto
https://www.mayerowitz.io/blog/mario-meets-pareto

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there are 42 characters (plus Mii), over 41 types of karts (including bikes and ATVs), 15 types of gliders, and 22 types of tires, each with their own individual stats such as speed, acceleration, weight, turning ability, slip resistance, and mini turbo. Therefore, there are 703,560 possible combinations that players can choose from.

However, some parts may look different but have the same stats. Even with that in mind, there are still thousands of possible combinations for players to choose from, making it very difficult for players to choose between characters, karts, gliders, and tires.

Therefore, economist and data scientist Antoine Maelowitz is attempting to derive the fastest combination in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe using the 'Pareto optimum' devised by economist

Vilfredo Pareto .

The first thing Maelowitz did was to find the 'fastest character,' and he said that if we were to go by speed alone, Bowser and Wario were the best choices.

However, Mario Kart characters have not only speed but also acceleration, weight, turning ability, slipperiness, and mini turbo stats. For example, the acceleration (vertical axis) and speed (horizontal axis) of each character are graphed as follows.

The characters are compared in terms of weight (vertical axis) and mini turbo (horizontal axis) as follows.

Basically, a speedy character is heavier and has weaker acceleration and mini-turbo, so there's a trade-off between stats.

However, for example, Koopa has a weaker acceleration than Toad, which has the same speed performance, and a slower speed than Cat Peach, which has the same acceleration performance. In other words, if you want to win, you shouldn't choose Koopa.

Considering speed and acceleration performance as a base, the nine characters who are not inferior to other characters are Kinopiko, Cat Peach, Tanuki Mario, Peach, Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser.

Narrowing it down to two stats will help you determine the most efficient option:

If you are prioritizing speed (horizontal axis) and acceleration (vertical axis), the most effective character is Cat Peach.

The four most effective karts are Standard Bike, Kuma Ride, Super Comet, and Neko Classic.

The most effective glider is the Mokumoku Balloon.

The two most effective tires are standard tires and GLA wheels.

If you prioritize Mini Turbo (horizontal axis) and handling (vertical axis), the most effective character is Baby Peach.

The most effective cart is Pata Ten Ten.

The most effective gliders are the Pete Parasol and the Smoky Balloon.

The most effective tires are roller tires.

However, in Mario Kart, there are multiple statuses, so it is very difficult to determine the optimal option. For users who have played Mario Kart for some time, the next most important status after speed and acceleration is 'mini turbo', which is a status that indicates how much speed boost it provides after drifting.

So, the most efficient option was derived by taking into account the three Pareto optimal stats: speed, acceleration, and mini-turbo, but even in this case, there are multiple options. These options involve trade-offs such as reducing acceleration in exchange for increasing speed, making it difficult to determine which configuration is the best.

Looking at the builds used by top Mario Kart players, the character chosen is Peach, the kart is Kuma Ride, the tires are roller tires, and the glider is Mokumoku Balloon. This configuration is also one of the optimal solutions derived from Pareto Optimality.

'Pareto optimality is an objective criterion for eliminating non-optimal options, and the final decision is yours to make,' said Maelowitz. He said that players need to choose the best option by taking into account their own playing style and skill and what they should prioritize.

In addition, there is a tool at

the bottom of the link that will help you determine the optimal build taking into account the three elements of speed (red), acceleration (blue), and mini-turbo (green).By adjusting the stats you prioritize using the slider bar, you can have the build that is best suited to you suggested.