Rival

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information.

The rival[1] system is a recurring game mechanic in the Mario Kart series where one or more computer-controlled opponents are given a massive advantage to ensure the point standings in the tournament grid are always close. Some implementations of the system may also dictate the rank order of the entire grid and not just the CPU closest to the player. It is usually enforced through rubber band AI, a racing game convention where opponents get a speed boost (often beyond what the in-game statistics for the character would allow) when they fall too far behind the player. Rival characters may be given other advantages such as recovering faster from hits and getting better item probability.

History

Super Mario Kart

Mario gets first in Super Mario Kart
The rivals are expected to finish in a particular order. In this case, though, Princess got a lower spot than normal.

In Super Mario Kart, rivals contain one very fast driver, one fast driver, one medium driver, one slow driver and three very slow drivers. It is notable that when one of the three slowest drivers gets hit, that kart will keep its place, while when one of the faster cars gets shot, it will usually resume its previous place very quickly unless unable to catch up fast enough before the race ends. For this reason, the drivers (except the human racer) will (if unaffected) always finish in the exact same order. If the human-controlled player tries to hit an opponent, said opponent jumps over the item a majority of the time. The rivals are also not determined in pairs, so that even if Donkey Kong Jr. is Mario's rival, Mario will not be Donkey Kong Jr.'s rival, as shown in the table below.

The rivals for each driver are always the same, the list below will be in that exact order for the first race. It is possible to change the order if the rivals can't recover their place at the end (for example, if someone is playing as Luigi and Yoshi finishes last, Yoshi will then become one of the three slower drivers while everybody takes the next position up). It happens mostly on 100cc and 150cc.

The rivals are determined by the current points standing, meaning that if Yoshi was still only second to the player, he will boost back to first position from the start.

Character Rival Order
Very Fast Fast Medium Slow Very Slow
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Yoshi
Yoshi
Luigi
Luigi
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Yoshi
Yoshi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Luigi
Luigi
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Luigi
Luigi
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Yoshi
Yoshi
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Luigi
Luigi
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Yoshi
Yoshi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Yoshi
Yoshi
Luigi
Luigi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
BowserSMK.png
Bowser

Mario Kart 64

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Mario Kart 64 and most of the subsequent installments (beside Mario Kart: Super Circuit) until Mario Kart 7 employ a simpler variation where one or two random opponents are selected at the start of a tournament to be of much greater skill than the other racers. Rival racers have strong rubber-band AI.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Mario Kart: Super Circuit features a preset order of CPU opponents from slowest to fastest for each character in Grand Prix mode. In Quick Run mode, the orders are reversed, except in the first track of each cup. When playing Grand Prix in multiplayer, the rival order depends on the first player's character.

Player Fastest CPU 2nd-fastest 3rd-fastest 4th-fastest 3rd-slowest 2nd-slowest Slowest CPU
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Princess Peach
Peach
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Wario
Wario
Luigi
Luigi
Wario
Wario
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Yoshi
Yoshi
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Princess Peach
Peach
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Princess Peach
Peach
Luigi
Luigi
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Yoshi
Yoshi
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Wario
Wario
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Princess Peach
Peach
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Wario
Wario
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Yoshi
Yoshi
Princess Peach
Peach
Luigi
Luigi
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Wario
Wario
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Yoshi
Yoshi
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Luigi
Luigi
Princess Peach
Peach
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Wario
Wario
Wario
Wario
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Yoshi
Yoshi
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Luigi
Luigi
Princess Peach
Peach
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Sprite of Bowser
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
Princess Peach
Peach
Mario from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario
Yoshi
Yoshi
MKSC Toad and Pipe Frame.png
Toad
Luigi
Luigi
Wario
Wario

Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 returns to a system similar to Super Mario Kart, although more simple as two characters are set instead of single characters followed by another single character, etc..

Each character's rivals will always be the same; for example, Bowser will always appear in a Grand Prix if the player is playing as Mario. However, if a set character is supposed to be unlockable, the set character is replaced by a default character until the unlockable character can be used. That will make the default character a third rival that occasionally appears in the race. Wario is the only character to break this rule due to both of his rivals being starting characters.

Character Rivals Third Rival
Mario Metal MarioBowser Princess Peach
Luigi Mario Princess Daisy Yoshi
Princess Peach Lakitu Donkey Kong Toad
Yoshi Wiggler Toad Donkey Kong
Bowser Mario Rosalina Luigi
Donkey Kong Wario Koopa Troopa Bowser
Toad Rosalina Princess Peach Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa Yoshi Shy Guy Luigi
Princess Daisy Princess Peach Wario Luigi
Wario Luigi Mario N/A
Rosalina Honey Queen Princess Peach Toad
Metal Mario Bowser Rosalina Mario
Shy Guy Toad Lakitu Koopa Troopa
Honey Queen Koopa Troopa Metal Mario Yoshi
Wiggler Shy Guy Yoshi Bowser
Lakitu Donkey Kong Honey Queen Mario
Male Mii BowserMetal Mario Mario
Female Mii YoshiRosalina Princess Peach

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 uses a Rival system similar to its predecessor, with several alterations. A set rival system is present only in the Grand Prix mode of the game; all other modes, including single player VS and battle are not affected and have randomized CPU opponents. Furthermore, only the original characters from the E3 build of the game receive a set system of rivals (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Koopa Troopa, Waluigi, Toad, and Toadette). The rest of the playable characters do not have a rival system of any sort, and all of their opponents in any modes are randomized. If there is more than one player participating in a Grand Prix, the first player's character determines whether there is a rival system or not, and what specific rivals the game gives the character. If other players choose the rival characters, the rivals are replaced by another, random character.

Player Opponent(s) Player Opponent(s) Player Opponent(s)
Mario PeachBowser Yoshi ToadDonkey Kong Bowser MarioLuigi
Luigi MarioDaisy Toad KoopaWaluigi Donkey Kong BowserWario
Peach ToadDonkey Kong Koopa Troopa YoshiToad Wario MarioDaisy
Daisy PeachWaluigi Toadette YoshiWario Waluigi LuigiToadette

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe uses the same system, however more characters have been given rivals though a few don’t have any rivals at all.

Rival Order
Player Opponent(s) Player Opponent(s) Player Opponent(s)
Mario PeachBowser Baby Mario Bowser Jr.Baby Peach Lemmy Larry
Luigi MarioDaisy Baby Luigi Baby MarioBaby Daisy Larry Lemmy
Peach ToadDonkey Kong Baby Peach Baby MarioBaby Daisy Wendy DaisyPeach
Daisy PeachWaluigi Baby Daisy Baby PeachBaby Luigi Ludwig Iggy
Rosalina Toad Baby Rosalina Toadette Iggy Ludwig
Tanooki Mario Cat Peach Metal Mario Pink Gold Peach Roy Morton
Cat Peach Tanooki Mario Pink Gold Peach Metal Mario Morton Roy
Birdo Yoshi
Yoshi ToadDonkey Kong Wario MarioDaisy Inkling Girl Inkling Boy
Toad KoopaWaluigi Waluigi LuigiToadette Inkling Boy Inkling Girl
Koopa Troopa YoshiToad Donkey Kong BowserWario Link None
Shy Guy Yoshi Bowser MarioLuigi Villager Isabelle
Lakitu None Dry Bones Koopa TroopaDry Bowser Villager Villager
Toadette YoshiWario Bowser Jr. Peach Isabelle Villager
King Boo None Dry Bowser Dry Bones Mii None

References

  1. ^ "Tip #2: Watch the Computer Rival": "During the Grand Prix, you'll see after two races that a computer rival is consistently in first place or second place behind you (assuming you're first!). This rival is the one to gun for in future races to make sure he doesn't steal your lead.". Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Prima strategy guide, page 11