(Quick note before I begin this review: I know I'm a month late here. I apologize for reviewing the game fairly late, it just slipped my mind. It's also kind of long, and not the most professional review out there... Anyway, let's-a go!)
The Mario Kart franchise has been one of Nintendo’s biggest hitters ever since the days of 16-bit consoles. The series has had an entry on every single Nintendo home console since then, and every Nintendo handheld since the Gameboy Advance. As a result, it’s no surprise that the most recent entry in Nintendo’s frantic racing franchise, Mario Kart 8, has received quite a bit of attention as of late. Gamers awaited the game for a long time, and it finally released a month ago. Was the wait worth the wait?
While I don’t consider graphics to really affect my score for a game, it would be best to start off with the graphics. This game looks amazing. Nintendo’s just beginning with HD games, and Mario Kart 8 is definitely their best example so far. There’s incredible detail everywhere in the game, and the whole game is done in a typical Nintendo artstyle. Not that that’s a bad thing; Nintendo’s visual style is definitely appealing. The music is also another quick point worth mentioning at the start. The soundtrack of this game is also what you’d expect from a Nintendo game; it’s fantastic. There are a number of catchy tunes in the game, and a lot of the retro track remixes sound great as well.
For those who have played a Mario Kart game before, you already know what to expect. The game’s a kart racer, but far from the typical racing game. In fact, Mario Kart’s inspired its own sub-genre. Players choose a character and a track, and then race against each other. However, there’s an interesting twist added in with the use of items. Throughout tracks, there are large, glowing boxes. Driving through them will grant the player a random item. These items vary from shells to toss at opponents, bananas to drop on the track, and mushrooms to give players speed boosts. There are various other items with their own effects, as well. Mario Kart 8 also adds in a number of new items, all of which really change the way the game is played. The first is the boomerang. This is essentially a shorter range shell that can be tossed three times, and is able to hit opponents on the way back. It’s a nice item, especially when you hit someone as the boomerang returns to you. The next is the piranha plant, which will attack nearby players, as well as scoop up bananas, shells, and coins along the way, giving you a quick speed-boost as it lunges forward. Speaking of coins, these make a return from Mario Kart 7. While it’s best to save the details for later, they also appear in an item form. The last new item, and easily the most interesting, is the Super Horn. The Super Horn knocks away any nearby players or obstacles, including the Blue Shell. It’s incredibly satisfying to finally deny a Blue Shell without a perfectly timed boost.
Another point to explain about items is how they’re chosen. While they are random, there are certain factors involved in deciding what item a player gets. For example, players towards the back of the race will get items such as Blue Shells and Super Horns more often, as well as the incredibly useful Bullet Bill. Towards the front, you’ll mostly end up with coins, as well as the occasional banana or shell. This encourages you to hang on to an item if you want a backup in first place, which was a really interesting change.
As for the coins, those have two primary functions. The first function is that they boost your top speed. You can collect a maximum of ten in a single race, and will lose coins if you’re hit by an item or fall off the track. You’ll want to pick up as many as possible at the start of a race to avoid falling behind later on. The second use involves your coin total. After a race, the coins you collected are added to your coin total. When you hit a certain amount of total coins, you will unlock a new kart piece.
Kart customization also makes a return from Mario Kart 7. As you collect more and more coins, you’ll be given more pieces. These pieces are chosen at random, so there’s no telling when you’ll get a specific part. Parts all have their own stats, allowing you to adjust to your own specific play style. It’s really nice being able to find what kart perfectly suits your play style instead of having to go with a preset kart, like in past console entries. Another important thing to note is that there are three types of vehicles: The first is obviously the kart, which handles well, and has a decent speed. The second is the bike, a returning option from Mario Kart Wii. Bikes lost the old wheelie option from MK Wii, which helps balance the game out. They have clean drifts, but the handling can be difficult without some practice. The third type is the ATV. Honestly, I rarely used the ATV, so I can’t really say how its stats work out compared to karts and bikes. Along with these body types, you can also choose wheels and a glider to use for your kart. However, vehicles are not the only factor affecting your stats. Your character also plays a role in this aspect.
Mario Kart is known for its diverse collection of characters, and while Mario Kart 8 is a bit disappointing compared to recent entries in this regard, it’s still not an exception. There are thirty playable characters in the game, all of which are divided into three weight classes. As usual, there are a number of newcomers in this entry. The seven Koopalings from various Mario entries are all featured in this game. The other two newcomers are Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach, a metal counterpart to Peach. These two characters were fairly disappointing to many, since Nintendo had hinted at more interesting players in the past. To add to the disappointments, this means that there are now five baby characters, and two metal characters in the roster. Many of these spots could have easily been exchanged for characters such as Diddy Kong or Dry Bones. However, despite these disappointments, the overall roster is still very nice, as would be expected from a Mario Kart game.
Mario Kart is also known for its diversity in the race tracks, and Mario Kart 8 definitely does not disappoint in this regard. Following the standard of recent entries, Mario Kart 8 has 4 cups featuring new tracks, and 4 cups featuring retro tracks. This totals to 16 new tracks and 16 retro tracks, or 32 tracks altogether. I personally enjoyed every single track, and wouldn’t really say any of them disappointed me. The new tracks all had their own interesting twists to them. A personal favorite is Sunshine Airport, where you get to drive not just through an airport, but you even get to take off into the sky with an airplane soaring overhead. The track has a number of different paths for you to take, as well. While the new tracks are all fun, the retro tracks all have cool twists added, too. For example, Moo Moo Meadows has a ramp allowing you to go into glider mode, which can be used off of another nearby ramp to get a nice speed boost. There’s also one retro track, the final one in the last retro cup, which has led to mixed reactions from players. I personally liked what they did to the track, but I’ve seen a lot of people say otherwise. Overall, I would personally say this is the best track selection in any Mario Kart game. A certain new feature, anti-gravity, certainly led to this.
Anti-gravity is easily the biggest feature of Mario Kart 8. I’d also say it’s one of the best features in the entire series. Anti-gravity affects your play style quite a bit. For example, bumping into other racers or obstacles will give you a temporary speed boost. Instead of avoiding everything on the track, you shift your attention to anything that you can hit. This change in mindset took some adjustment, but definitely made things much more interesting. You don’t really see much of a difference while racing, but can easily notice your racer driving along walls and ceilings in replays.
Speaking of replays, Mario Kart 8 puts an emphasis on race replays. There’s even a feature called Mario Kart TV, which allows you to edit replays, and even upload them to Youtube if you wish to do so. However, I rarely used this feature, since I was more interested in the races themselves. It’s certainly led to a lot more attention for the game, however.
One specific aspect of Mario Kart 8 that’s brought quite a bit of criticism is the Battle Mode. Instead of battling in a small, focused arena, players now choose from a selection of 8 race tracks to perform a battle on. While jarring, I personally felt that it wasn’t quite as bad as many other reviewers have said. However, it was definitely difficult to find and hit opponents. I have not played much of the Battle Mode in this entry, but I definitely think it’s worth a shot before writing it off as obsolete.
Multiplayer play is the last topic that really needs to be mentions. As usual, you can play with up to four players locally, and play online if you wish to do so. The screen is split from left to right this time, instead of from top to bottom, which was a bit annoying. However, it wasn’t bad to the point where it affected my view on multiplayer. The frame rate stays at a steady 60FPS
even with two players. It supposedly drops to 30FPS with 3 or 4, but I never did races with that many people locally.
Online play is mostly the same is local play, only with more people. As for tracks, instead of choosing from any track you want, you’re given three tracks, and a random option. While some might find this annoying, it prevents people from always choosing the same tracks, forcing players to learn more about other tracks as well. The BR rating also makes a comeback from MK Wii, encouraging players to continue doing better to keep up a good ranking. You can also play with a second player locally during an online match, which is fun. Both local and online play are easily the most enjoyable game mode in Mario Kart 8, and can easily lead to years of fun for players.
Mario Kart 8 is easily the best game released on the Wii U so far, and arguably the best game so far of this console generation. The gameplay is solid and near-flawless, the content is incredible, and the game is overall a blast to play. In a generation where it feels as though cinematic, emotional stories and highly competitive multiplayer is a standard for games, it’s refreshing to see a game that encourages us to just relax and enjoy the ride. I personally give Mario Kart 8 a 9.5/10. However, it’s incredibly close to being a 10/10 in my eyes. I definitely recommend it to anyone with a Wii U, or anyone interested in getting a Wii U. Mario Kart 8 was seen as the game that would push the Wii U towards success, and it’s clearly just the start of a fantastic lineup for the system.
(Quick note before I begin this review: I know I'm a month late here. I apologize for reviewing the game fairly late, it just slipped my mind. It's also kind of long, and not the most professional review out there... Anyway, let's-a go!)
The Mario Kart franchise has been one of Nintendo’s biggest hitters ever since the days of 16-bit consoles. The series has had an entry on every single Nintendo home console since then, and every Nintendo handheld since the Gameboy Advance. As a result, it’s no surprise that the most recent entry in Nintendo’s frantic racing franchise, Mario Kart 8, has received quite a bit of attention as of late. Gamers awaited the game for a long time, and it finally released a month ago. Was the wait worth the wait?
While I don’t consider graphics to really affect my score for a game, it would be best to start off with the graphics. This game looks amazing. Nintendo’s just beginning with HD games, and Mario Kart 8 is definitely their best example so far. There’s incredible detail everywhere in the game, and the whole game is done in a typical Nintendo artstyle. Not that that’s a bad thing; Nintendo’s visual style is definitely appealing. The music is also another quick point worth mentioning at the start. The soundtrack of this game is also what you’d expect from a Nintendo game; it’s fantastic. There are a number of catchy tunes in the game, and a lot of the retro track remixes sound great as well.
For those who have played a Mario Kart game before, you already know what to expect. The game’s a kart racer, but far from the typical racing game. In fact, Mario Kart’s inspired its own sub-genre. Players choose a character and a track, and then race against each other. However, there’s an interesting twist added in with the use of items. Throughout tracks, there are large, glowing boxes. Driving through them will grant the player a random item. These items vary from shells to toss at opponents, bananas to drop on the track, and mushrooms to give players speed boosts. There are various other items with their own effects, as well. Mario Kart 8 also adds in a number of new items, all of which really change the way the game is played. The first is the boomerang. This is essentially a shorter range shell that can be tossed three times, and is able to hit opponents on the way back. It’s a nice item, especially when you hit someone as the boomerang returns to you. The next is the piranha plant, which will attack nearby players, as well as scoop up bananas, shells, and coins along the way, giving you a quick speed-boost as it lunges forward. Speaking of coins, these make a return from Mario Kart 7. While it’s best to save the details for later, they also appear in an item form. The last new item, and easily the most interesting, is the Super Horn. The Super Horn knocks away any nearby players or obstacles, including the Blue Shell. It’s incredibly satisfying to finally deny a Blue Shell without a perfectly timed boost.
Another point to explain about items is how they’re chosen. While they are random, there are certain factors involved in deciding what item a player gets. For example, players towards the back of the race will get items such as Blue Shells and Super Horns more often, as well as the incredibly useful Bullet Bill. Towards the front, you’ll mostly end up with coins, as well as the occasional banana or shell. This encourages you to hang on to an item if you want a backup in first place, which was a really interesting change.
As for the coins, those have two primary functions. The first function is that they boost your top speed. You can collect a maximum of ten in a single race, and will lose coins if you’re hit by an item or fall off the track. You’ll want to pick up as many as possible at the start of a race to avoid falling behind later on. The second use involves your coin total. After a race, the coins you collected are added to your coin total. When you hit a certain amount of total coins, you will unlock a new kart piece.
Kart customization also makes a return from Mario Kart 7. As you collect more and more coins, you’ll be given more pieces. These pieces are chosen at random, so there’s no telling when you’ll get a specific part. Parts all have their own stats, allowing you to adjust to your own specific play style. It’s really nice being able to find what kart perfectly suits your play style instead of having to go with a preset kart, like in past console entries. Another important thing to note is that there are three types of vehicles: The first is obviously the kart, which handles well, and has a decent speed. The second is the bike, a returning option from Mario Kart Wii. Bikes lost the old wheelie option from MK Wii, which helps balance the game out. They have clean drifts, but the handling can be difficult without some practice. The third type is the ATV. Honestly, I rarely used the ATV, so I can’t really say how its stats work out compared to karts and bikes. Along with these body types, you can also choose wheels and a glider to use for your kart. However, vehicles are not the only factor affecting your stats. Your character also plays a role in this aspect.
Mario Kart is known for its diverse collection of characters, and while Mario Kart 8 is a bit disappointing compared to recent entries in this regard, it’s still not an exception. There are thirty playable characters in the game, all of which are divided into three weight classes. As usual, there are a number of newcomers in this entry. The seven Koopalings from various Mario entries are all featured in this game. The other two newcomers are Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach, a metal counterpart to Peach. These two characters were fairly disappointing to many, since Nintendo had hinted at more interesting players in the past. To add to the disappointments, this means that there are now five baby characters, and two metal characters in the roster. Many of these spots could have easily been exchanged for characters such as Diddy Kong or Dry Bones. However, despite these disappointments, the overall roster is still very nice, as would be expected from a Mario Kart game.
Mario Kart is also known for its diversity in the race tracks, and Mario Kart 8 definitely does not disappoint in this regard. Following the standard of recent entries, Mario Kart 8 has 4 cups featuring new tracks, and 4 cups featuring retro tracks. This totals to 16 new tracks and 16 retro tracks, or 32 tracks altogether. I personally enjoyed every single track, and wouldn’t really say any of them disappointed me. The new tracks all had their own interesting twists to them. A personal favorite is Sunshine Airport, where you get to drive not just through an airport, but you even get to take off into the sky with an airplane soaring overhead. The track has a number of different paths for you to take, as well. While the new tracks are all fun, the retro tracks all have cool twists added, too. For example, Moo Moo Meadows has a ramp allowing you to go into glider mode, which can be used off of another nearby ramp to get a nice speed boost. There’s also one retro track, the final one in the last retro cup, which has led to mixed reactions from players. I personally liked what they did to the track, but I’ve seen a lot of people say otherwise. Overall, I would personally say this is the best track selection in any Mario Kart game. A certain new feature, anti-gravity, certainly led to this.
Anti-gravity is easily the biggest feature of Mario Kart 8. I’d also say it’s one of the best features in the entire series. Anti-gravity affects your play style quite a bit. For example, bumping into other racers or obstacles will give you a temporary speed boost. Instead of avoiding everything on the track, you shift your attention to anything that you can hit. This change in mindset took some adjustment, but definitely made things much more interesting. You don’t really see much of a difference while racing, but can easily notice your racer driving along walls and ceilings in replays.
Speaking of replays, Mario Kart 8 puts an emphasis on race replays. There’s even a feature called Mario Kart TV, which allows you to edit replays, and even upload them to Youtube if you wish to do so. However, I rarely used this feature, since I was more interested in the races themselves. It’s certainly led to a lot more attention for the game, however.
One specific aspect of Mario Kart 8 that’s brought quite a bit of criticism is the Battle Mode. Instead of battling in a small, focused arena, players now choose from a selection of 8 race tracks to perform a battle on. While jarring, I personally felt that it wasn’t quite as bad as many other reviewers have said. However, it was definitely difficult to find and hit opponents. I have not played much of the Battle Mode in this entry, but I definitely think it’s worth a shot before writing it off as obsolete.
Multiplayer play is the last topic that really needs to be mentions. As usual, you can play with up to four players locally, and play online if you wish to do so. The screen is split from left to right this time, instead of from top to bottom, which was a bit annoying. However, it wasn’t bad to the point where it affected my view on multiplayer. The frame rate stays at a steady 60FPS
even with two players. It supposedly drops to 30FPS with 3 or 4, but I never did races with that many people locally.
Online play is mostly the same is local play, only with more people. As for tracks, instead of choosing from any track you want, you’re given three tracks, and a random option. While some might find this annoying, it prevents people from always choosing the same tracks, forcing players to learn more about other tracks as well. The BR rating also makes a comeback from MK Wii, encouraging players to continue doing better to keep up a good ranking. You can also play with a second player locally during an online match, which is fun. Both local and online play are easily the most enjoyable game mode in Mario Kart 8, and can easily lead to years of fun for players.
Mario Kart 8 is easily the best game released on the Wii U so far, and arguably the best game so far of this console generation. The gameplay is solid and near-flawless, the content is incredible, and the game is overall a blast to play. In a generation where it feels as though cinematic, emotional stories and highly competitive multiplayer is a standard for games, it’s refreshing to see a game that encourages us to just relax and enjoy the ride. I personally give Mario Kart 8 a 9.5/10. However, it’s incredibly close to being a 10/10 in my eyes. I definitely recommend it to anyone with a Wii U, or anyone interested in getting a Wii U. Mario Kart 8 was seen as the game that would push the Wii U towards success, and it’s clearly just the start of a fantastic lineup for the system.