For this writer, it's the boring choice of Mario himself (because why wouldn't I want to go for the titular role?), but other gamers will opt for anybody from Princess Peach to Bowser, each character bringing their own set of skills as they complete each important race.
But have you been picking the wrong character all along? To celebrate Mario Day - Mar10, get it? - we've taken a deep dive into the game's most powerful racers, to find out who you should be selecting as your virtual avatar.
These are the correct stats as of the most recent entry in the enduring franchise, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. And we're not including unlockable characters - you can play as any of these from the first home screen onwards.
10. Shy Guy
A fan favourite ever since he was introduced in the Nintendo DS edition, Shy Guy is often overlooked as he's part of the game's lightweight class, with top speeds that are average in comparison to other characters.
However, his acceleration is amongst the best in the game, which means that in the right hands, you can easily weave in and around the larger vehicles.
Just be warned: that will all change when lightning strikes.
9. Donkey Kong
A mainstay of the franchise, Donkey Kong is one of our favourite characters to play as, although choosing the gorilla does come with challenges.
As a chonky boi, he can often weigh down his vehicle, making it harder for him to achieve the top speeds you'll need to race across that finish line first.
However, if you take the time to choose the right set of wheels, you will quickly reap the rewards - all you need to do is maintain a constant speed and you have a great chance at winning.
8. Waluigi
Waluigi has increased in power over the years: he was introduced as a middleweight, and in the game's current iteration, is a heavyweight competitor to be feared.
However, as with Donkey Kong, this means you have to find the right vehicle to suit his comparatively average acceleration and slower turbo speeds: he's not as well-suited to the land and water parts of each track.
Where he is formidable is in the air - so make sure to keep him in the skies for as long as possible, as that's where he's fastest.
7. Bowser
He's Mario's main enemy in the central Super Mario games and he's almost unparalleled on the track too - only two other racers can boast speeds faster than Bowser.
When on land, his weight and speed make him one of the top rivals for any player. He isn't quite as strong when it comes to water and air, due to having some of the weakest handling ability out of the game's starting characters - but keep him on the track and you'll reap the rewards.
6. Baby Peach
After a string of heavyweights, our next entries are all from the lightweight class - and they're all baby characters, newly available from the starting screen in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe after previously being unlockable figures.
They share many of the same skill sets, so ranking in order is difficult. The weakest of the four is Peach, who despite her acceleration and off-road skills, has the relatively lowest speed of the bunch.
5. Baby Mario
Again, with not much in it, Baby Mario is next: his handling abilities help him adapt to difficult terrain, even as his speed lags behind some of his other youthful counterparts.
4. Baby Luigi
Luigi's skills are far more diverse than the prior two. His speed may not be one of the game's most noteworthy, but he makes up for this via his acceleration, handling, and grip.
Combined with his small size, he's an incredibly versatile character, who can zoom around much larger competition despite his speed deficit.
3. Baby Daisy
Surprisingly, the fastest baby of all (as of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) is Daisy, who easily bests her other pre-school companions when it comes to speed.
Yes, it's still low in comparison to more heavyweight characters, but when combined with her high acceleration, handling, and grip, she's a force to be reckoned with.
2. Yoshi
Players will opt for Yoshi for several reasons - not least because you can customise the cute dino to reflect your own personal style, but there are several other benefits to going with Yoshi as your racer-of-choice.
In terms of stats, Yoshi is one of the most consistent across the major categories, with great acceleration, handling, and traction in particular.
And as an added bonus, if you find yourself in the dirt, Yoshi is one of the best-placed characters to get you out of it and back on the track if you're in one of the larger vehicles.
1. Wario
This should come as no surprise to seasoned Mario Kart players, but Wario remains the undefeated champ when it comes to the starting screen characters.
No matter what vehicle he's in, he's the best performing heavyweight character - and that's not just due to his incredible speed, but his sheer durability on the track.
You know when you're playing as another character and see Wario boost into first from behind you, leaving you in the dust? Well, that's reason alone as to why he remains the number one pick for the character you should be playing as.
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