'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Unlocks: All characters and items the game makes you work for

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe comes with almost every character and track fully unlocked, letting you jump right into the game. But there are some Mario Kart 8 Deluxe unlockables hidden within the game that aren't available to you at the start. If you're interested in the best experience playing the Switch version of Mario Kart 8, unlock every character, kart and equipment part the game has to offer. 

Here's what you're missing.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe unlocks: Always grab coins for new kart parts

As we've previously written, coins are a huge part of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Not only do they make you go faster and raise your top speed, but outside of the raceway they unlock new karts, bikes, wheels and gliders for you to use. Whether it's motorcycles like the Yoshi Bike and the Master Cycle, or the assortment of wheels and gliders, coins will grant you the granular customization you seek.

Among the hardest items to unlock are the gold kart pieces of equipment. Unlike other items that unlock with coins, the Gold Kart, Gold Wheels and Gold Glider will require extensive play-time. 

To obtain the Gold Kart, according to GamersHeroes, you'll need to have received a gold star in every cup playing at 150cc difficulty, as well as a gold star in every cup in Mirror mode as well. 

The gold tires are slightly harder to unlock in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. They require beating all the staff ghosts in Time Trial mode. If you think you can beat the game's creators in a race, competing against a staff ghost lets you put your money where your controller is, so to speak.

Unlike the other two gold items, the Gold Glider actually does unlock with coins. Snag 10,000 coins to make use of your gilded parachute.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe unlocks: How to get the hidden character

Before you can be fully shiny, you'll have to unlock Gold Mario the hard way. While most characters come unlocked in this iteration of Mario Kart 8, Gold Mario remains the only holdout. Unlocking the yellow version of Metal Mario doesn't require coins, just raw talent. Obtain a gold trophy in every cup in the hardest difficulty, 200cc.

Gold Mario may be one of the hardest unlocks in the game, but showing him off in Mario Kart's online multiplayer is definitely worth it.

Check out more Mario Kart 8 Deluxe news, tips and tricks

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 eight characters the game needs ASAP. Check out the best techniques to race with and learn how you can buy the game bundled with the console, including one bundle from Nintendo. Find out if we're expecting DLC and our initial impressions of the new console it's on from back in January. Or you can play Mario Kart 64 on a newer console instead, if you're looking for some nostalgic throwback. And when all else fails, back that thang up.