Nintendo has removed the controversial “bagging” strategy from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the game’s Update 3.0.0.
Bagging, short for sandbagging (deliberately weighing yourself down at the beginning only to remove the weights and perform better later), basically means just that in Mario Kart 8. Players would start slow in the race in order to pick up an overpowered item, work their way back up into contention, and then use the item to guarantee victory.
As reported by GamesRadar and verified by IGN, this is no longer an option in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe despite being a prominent but controversial part of online racing since the Wii U version launched in 2014.
Yup looks like it’s over for Bagging strategy in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Homie @vnt__x pulled a Green Shell in 12th on GBA Cheese Land a sandbagging staple.
RIP Sandbagging 2017 – 2023pic.twitter.com/RmgCzA8rfI
— Bear (@BearUNLV) November 9, 2023
It was particularly popular on races with huge shortcut opportunities like the aptly titled GBA Cheese Land. X/Twitter user Bear posted a video confirming its removal. “Looks like it’s over for Bagging strategy in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” they said. “Homie pulled a Green Shell in 12th on GBA Cheese Land, a sandbagging staple.”
In IGN’s own tests, we picked up 10 Item Boxes while firmly in last place on GBA Cheese Land. Five were single Mushrooms, four were Green Shells, and one was a Banana.
As noted in the Update 3.0.0 patch notes (which can be seen below), Nintendo has “made it so that you can’t acquire strong items when taking an Item Box by stopping or driving in reverse, or taking an Item Box that is in same location multiple times during a race.” Struggling players racing as normal can therefore still get powerful items, but those looking to take advantage of bagging no longer can.
The strategy, or cheat to some people, has been a widely debated subject for years. “Sandbagging is a perfectly viable strategy that definitely has its place in Mario Kart games,” GameFAQs user BabyLuigiOnFire wrote in 2016. “Bagging is so boring and goes against the whole racing idea,” said ItsHammond on Reddit in 2023.
Regardless of opinion on bagging, unless players discover a new way to get it working, the strategy is now a thing of the past.
Update 3.0.0 of Mario Kart 8 also added the final wave of Booster Course Pass tracks alongside a Music button that lets players listen to the game’s songs without playing, a feature that lets players who aren’t friends join each others’ rooms, and more. You can read the full patch notes below.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Update 3.0.0 Patch Notes
Support for DLC
- Added paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, Wave 6 (two cups, eight courses, four characters, 17 Mii racing suits).
General
- Added “Music” button to the top menu.
- This is a feature where you can listen to the background music that plays during the game, as you like.
- Even players who don’t own the Booster Course Pass can listen to the background music of the DLC courses.
- Added feature where other players who aren’t friends can join in a Room.
- After creating a room, press the + Button or – Button to display the Room ID on the Room screen, and tell your fellow racers the Room ID.
- The other racers can join by entering the Room ID in “Search by Room ID.”
- Made it so that you can create a Room even if you have 0 friends registered.
- Added staff credits for the Booster Couse Pass.
- Increased the invincibility time of a portion of characters and vehicle customizations.
- Made it so that you can’t acquire strong items when taking an Item Box by stopping or driving in reverse, or taking an Item Box that is in same location multiple times during a race.
- Shortened the time between when an Item Box is acquired by someone until it is restored.
- Lowered the appearance rate of Mirror and 200cc in “Worldwide” and “Regional.”
- Made it so you can acquire the “Varia Suit” when using a Metroid series amiibo.
- Made it so you can acquire the “Hylian Suit” when using a Legend of Zelda series amiibo.
- Made it so you can acquire the “Kirby Suit” when using a Kirby series amiibo.
- Made it so you can acquire the “Daisy Suit” when using a Daisy amiibo.
Fixed Issues
- Fixed an issue where no Bob-omb car blows up in Wii Moonview Highway, but a Bob-omb car blows up for someone you are playing with online.
- Fixed an issue where, when racing against a Ghost in Time Trials on Yoshi’s Island, the red road would not appear even though the Ghost touched the Winged Cloud.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
