The right driver in the right car could be the difference between victory and defeat.

Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Switch has lived up to expectations as a fast-paced and competitive spin-off of one of the most beloved video game series of all time. With a fully packed roster and waves of DLC available through the Switch Online Expansion Pass, there are many ways to experience the game.

RELATED: Best Mario Kart 8 Cars, Ranked

You might find yourself wondering where to begin, and what to use. Ten of the best Kart and driver combinations have been compiled right here, just for you.

The antithesis of the franchise star, Wario, has been on Nintendo’s roster for a long time. While he looks hilarious in the Cat Cruiser, there is merit to this combo.

The low traction of the Cruiser makes underwater tracks like the ones in the Mushroom Cup a lot trickier, but the Cyber-Slick tires bring the speed and weight up to compensate for the loss when you’re taking on hardy desert courses like Cheese Land and Dry Dry Desert. The Wario Wing is just for style, but that’s actually what matters most right?

The City Tripper bike leaves something to be desired, although Isabelle does look downright adorable in it. The solution? The Sneeker, a giant shoe with wheels on it. Great handling and acceleration make up for what the car lacks in speed, while the Flower Glider gives you just a little more traction.

RELATED: Mario Kart 8 Tracks That Should Come Back As Retro Tracks

Leaf Tires and the New Horizons-themed Paper Glider add that perfect Animal Crossing touch. Just watch out for rough wrecks while speed-boosting .

If something isn’t broken, why fix it? Yoshi on the Standard Bike remains a strong combo through and through. The speed is a little low, but adding on the Waddle Wing glider brings your speed up to a much more tolerable level while keeping the weight of the bike down where it needs to be.

With the Retro Off-Road tires added, the Standard Bike can cut turns harder, making drifting and recovering after a hard Red Shell hit a breeze.

You have to offset Donkey Kong’s immense weight somehow, and the simplest way to do it is with a small vehicle like Mr. Scooty. Adding the Monster tires helps even out your numbers and makes it a lot easier to see where you’re going.

Donkey Kong, like King Boo and Bowser, takes up a considerable amount of the screen, so it’s important to know your tracks and utilize items as often as possible. A nice air-boosting glider like the Parachute is a great addition to this combo.

The Wild Wiggler is an underrated Kart. With high-speed drivers like Waluigi behind the wheel, this little bug vehicle hits some ridiculous speeds with quick acceleration. The Roller wheels give you a wide drift that takes some time to get used to, but you can choose to tighten this up with any variety of the Off-Road tires.

RELATED: Ways Mario Kart 8 Is The Best

The MKTV parafoil is a great glider that helps keep the Kart’s weight down and lets you speed through any track you choose.

Are you confident enough to handle wide drifts and screamingly high top speeds? If so, then Bowser is going to be the driver for you. You’ll need a lightweight Kart like the Blue Falcon to compensate for the weight of Bowser’s kingly might, but throw on the Cyber Slick tires and the Bowser Kite, and he’s ready to go.

The acceleration is a little slow, making this combo better for circuit races than slippery, twisting tracks like Ice Ice Outpost. Any way you choose to ride with Bowser, you're up for a challenge.

Gold Mario in the Gold Kart is an obvious choice. After all, why wouldn’t the hardest combo to unlock be one of the best? Gold Mario and the matching Kart, wheels, and glider will take a lot of playtime to obtain, but with high speed and tight handling, the combo is definitely worth the time and effort.

Getting first place in every single race in the entire game is going to be no small feat, but it sure is pleasing to look at.

The only thing fancier than gold is pink gold. Paris Promenade, Coconut Mall, and the rest of the Golden Dash Cup courses were practically made for Pink Gold Peach, especially piloting the high-octane Jet Bike. The Crimson Slim tires bring the handling up to help with the high speeds of the bike, and the Peach Parasol takes some heavy lifting off of the sheer weight of all that metal.

Traction may be low, but on the raceway-type tracks, you’re absolutely (pink) golden.

Don’t you love it when the aesthetically pleasing, perfectly matched choices are the ones that work well? Coming straight from the Splatoon arena into Mario Kart 8, Inkling Girl and the Splat Buggy are a well-rounded combo that’s hard to beat.

The Super Glider and Off-Road tires add the perfect amount of resistance and air to make fast, jump-heavy tracks like Excitebike Arena and Dragon Driftway in the Egg Cup tons of fun.

Link is surprisingly a new addition to Mario Kart, as compared to how long he’s been a Nintendo superstar, dating back to Super Smash Bros Melee and Diddy Kong. With Link as the driver of the Master Cycle, Triforce Tires, and Hylian Kite included, he’s practically unstoppable.

This combination offers well-balanced speed and weight with a medium acceleration, making it easy to drift around long turns, cut between obstacles, and stable at high speeds. Tricky tracks like the ones in The Bell Cup are a great place to really make this combo shine.

NEXT: Things Missing From Mario Kart 8

Teddy (they/them) is a Cajun Romani writer, comedian, educator, and public speaker who travels the country cooking weird food and looking for new inspirations.