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Mario Kart World Coins Don't Function As You'd Expect, New Evidence Suggests

Historically, collecting coins in the Mario Kart series generally grants a bit of a speed boost. While never a huge improvement, it gives players another way to build a marginal edge in races. In Mario Kart World, coins do grant additional speed, but it's a more complicated process than in past titles.

New evidence surfaced by TikTok user shortcatt321 suggests that each additional coin (up to the max of 20) does not grant a constant speed boost. In other words, coins add speed on a curve--rather than the speed bonus building on a linear scale. In a TikTok video, the user explains that this speed boost curve is actually different depending on the kart and character a player selects.

The curve for low top-speed builds is front-loaded, where early coins add a bigger bonus than later coins. High top-speed builds, meanwhile, are the inverse: later coins matter much more. At 20 coins acquired, both types of builds receive the same boost of 5.1% faster top speed.

Because of this discrepancy, optimal strategies toward collecting coins can differ depending on whether you choose a lightweight or heavyweight combo. Shortcatt321 suggests that collecting at least seven coins is important for lightweight, low-speed character/kart players, while heavyweight combos should either commit to collecting 20 coins, or not worry about coins at all.

Mario Kart World launched with the Switch 2 earlier this month, and it has been an immediate hit with Switch 2 early adopters. Mario Kart World's refinements to the core Mario Kart formula have inspired a wealth of new tips and tricks, such as by exploiting the rewind feature to dodge blue shells. If you want to see all that the game has to offer, be sure to check out our guide on how to unlock all of the Mario Kart World characters.