Here are some questions that we are frequently asked. Please read through before making a post

Thank you to Pianist15 for most of this information. His original thread can be found at the following link, but some of the information is outdated https://www.speedrun.com/mk8dx/forums/etl7j

Q: Is the digital or cartridge version faster?

A: Digital is much faster (and beyond that, the system reads the game slightly faster when it’s saved directly in the Switch’s internal memory compared to a microSD card). It saves about 3 seconds on the first loading screen and about 1 second on every other loading screen compared to cartridge. Note that this is only true for the base game tracks. As far as we can tell, the Booster Course Pass loads are the same between Cartridge and Digital

Q: Why don’t we use IGT (in-game time) instead of RTA (real time) to discount loading discrepancies between versions?

A: Ideally we would use IGT, however Nintendo removed in-game timing from MK8 / MK8 Deluxe. Additionally, we have tried manually load timing runs ourselves but the process is extremely tedious and it makes runs take MUCH longer to get on the leaderboards, so for the foreseeable future, RTA is the the best we've got

Q: Do I need a capture card to record my run?

A: Not at all! Most alternatives such as phone cameras and webcams aren’t as high quality as capture cards, but they are perfectly valid as long as what’s happening on the screen is clear.

Q: What if I make a mistake when submitting my run?

A: Whether you submit a run to the wrong category, with the wrong time, or something else, you can edit submitted runs by going to View Profile > Pending Actions, clicking on the time of the run you want to edit, and selecting Edit Run from the three dots.

Q: Why isn’t there a leaderboard for individual tracks or time trials?

A: Several other sites already keep track of time trial records, such as this one: https://mkwrs.com/mk8dx/ and this one: https://www.mkleaderboards.com/mk8dx and this one: http://www.mariokart64.com/mk8/ and this YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC_292L5mAJowD4LCCNZRbHg. We would be heightening the redundancy even more my having our own leaderboard.

Q: What’s the best character combo, and why is that the best?

A: For 150cc, Yoshi + Biddybuggy + Rollers + Paper Glider or an equivalent build (i.e. Peach instead of Yoshi, Parachute instead of Paper Glider, etc). For 200cc you can use the same build but swapping out Teddy Buggy for Biddybuggy. Technically it's probably a bit faster to use Luigi / Iggy instead of a Yoshi equivalent, but the time save is pretty minimal and some of the mini turbo strats become a bit harder. As for why these are the fastest, short answer is that they have the best balance of speed and mini turbo, which are the two most important statistics in the game

Q: Why aren’t digital and cartridge times separated?

A: In one sense, they are. You can filter the leaderboard to show only cartridge or only digital runs. They aren’t separate categories, though, for several reasons: First, simplicity. Adding separate cartridge categories would double the number of categories. Second, version differences do not affect the gameplay whatsoever. Third, the time difference is relatively small compared to what you can achieve through personal improvement. Finally, no one is excluded from obtaining a digital copy. If you truly want to have the fastest time possible, a digital copy is readily obtainable. Yes, it costs money. The mods realize that. BUT, it has been decided that the cost barrier is not a valid excuse to separate the leaderboard. This topic has been thoroughly discussed and firmly decided on. Please don’t petition to have it changed unless you think you have new evidence or arguments.