'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Unlockable Characters: Getting Gold Mario on the Switch version

Firing up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch, you may notice that every single character slot and course option is filled from the start. While previous Mario Kart games required you to race to unlock new characters, Mario Kart 8 on Switch gives you every single one from jump — mostly. There's one Mario Kart 8 Deluxe character that requires players to race their heart out before they can use him. That character is Gold Mario.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Characters: How to unlock Gold Mario

Yes, Gold Mario. The amiibo that you probably are going to spend too much money on joins Pink Gold Peach and Metal Mario as a metallic Mario Kart character. And it's the only one that requires unlocking in the Switch version.

Unearthing Gold Mario in MK8 Deluxe will require that you get a gold trophy in every single cup at the 200cc level, which isn't an easy task: Gold trophies are awarded to those who place first in a cup in Grand Prix mode and 200cc is the fastest mode in the game. YouTube user NF Magazine shows us how to get Gold Mario on video, but needed the assisted driving mode to do it. Once you've obtained a gold trophy in all 12 cups you'll qualify to unlock Gold Mario — which is worse than our wish list of Mario Kart characters, to be honest.

Check out more Mario Kart 8 news and coverage

If you're anxious to get racing in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, check out our video gameplay of the first 20 minutes of the game and find out the characters the game needs ASAP. Learn how you can buy the game bundled with the console, including one bundle from Nintendo and see every level packed inside the game. Or play Mario Kart 64 on a newer console instead, if you're looking for a nostalgia fix.