The latest game of a flagship Nintendo franchise has come to Wii U, and Mario Kart 8 delivers an experience that is all around fantastic. There's not much I have to tell you about the deep lore and plot that you don’t already know (because there is none), so the basis of my opinion is formed from what the game makes itself to be, which is great kart racing. Beautiful graphics and sound, fun and fast gameplay, and a slew of new tracks and features make this iteration of the series a top contender for what can be argued as the best Mario Kart game.
This is the first time we get to play Mario Kart in HD, and the visuals are stunning. The
game runs at 60 frames per second for one player and two player split-screen, while three and four player split screen runs at 30 frames per second. It has a native resolution of 720p, which can be bumped up to 1080p if running on a TV capable. There is also no anti-aliasing, which just means that jaggy parts of the picture are not smoothed out. However, these technical shortcomings will probably not matter at all to the average player, and in my opinion don’t take anything away from the game. Tracks look brighter, bigger, and are packed with more visual
appeal than ever before. Speaking of tracks, one particular track, the soundtrack (ahem) is a great mix of jazzy “big band” style music. The other parts of audio, like the engine noises to the sounds of gliding through the air and underwater, all add up to what makes an amazing audio and video combination.
Mario Kart 8 really shines in its gameplay. While I thought at first playing with the Wii U gamepad was going to be awkward because of its size, it ended up being just as good as any other controller. You’re given the option to play with the Wii remote sideways, with the nun chuck, using a classic controller, or the Wii U pro controller. I found all ways to play equal with each other, so one great thing is that you can use the controller you’re comfortable with. Whatever you use, control of movement feels precise and polished; everything we can expect from a Nintendo game. Finer adjustments to the game include a faster pace, with lakitu picking you up after falling off a course with twice the speed as before, and item blocks appearing almost right after someone runs into one. This makes for a more enjoyable experience as you feel like you’re always in the action of a race, which are just as intense as they are fun.
Before you call this game a “rehash” and accuse “Nintendo fans of buying the same game every year”, look to what Mario Kart 8 does that’s new. Half of the game is completely original tracks, while the other half takes the best tracks from previous titles and reworks them with fresh ideas and designs. Vehicle customization and selection gives you plenty to work toward unlocking. New items like the piranha plant and boomerang vary the ways you attack other racers. Then there's the super horn that can finally tell the blue shell to kindly go @#$%
itself. Underwater driving and paragliding make a return from Mario Kart 7, but the crème de la crème comes in the new anti-gravity sections. It literally adds a whole new dimension to a flat course, as well as a new mechanic where bumping into another racer while in zero G will give you a speed boost instead of slowing you down. The online functionality improves drastically; it’s easy and fast to connect with friends or strangers around the world and features tournament play also. Then there’s the new Mario Kart TV, which lets you watch your last 12 races and create videos where you can edit the footage and implement Slow Mo. You can then even upload
your content onto Miiverse or YouTube to share with everyone.
With all that being said, Mario Kart 8 does seem to lack some elements that will leave you with more to be desired. The character roster is one of these things, which in this game include newcomers such as all seven koopa kids, five baby versions of characters, and Pink Gold Peach (who haunts my nightmares). Where’s King Boo, Petey Piranha, Funky Kong, Dry Bones/Bowser, or Ridley? It just doesn’t feel as complete as in the other Mario Kart titles.
Now let’s move onto the battle mode featured in this game. Balloon battles now take place on smaller versions of tracks, but the arena type maps we used to see are cut out completely. There was nothing like playing coin or balloon battles on Block Fort, and some of the most hectic and crazy fun I used to have is gone, replaced with something that had my interest for only a couple games. Finally, I was surprised to see no new mode that integrated the gamepad controller into asymmetrical gameplay with other players. My dreams of a four versus one Mario Kart boss battle mode, or a track creator a la Excitebike might have to be realized in DLC, or sadly not at all.
Despite what it doesn’t have Mario Kart 8 stands tall and strong among video games today. If you own a Wii U, buy this game, as it’s one of the best on the platform. If you’ve been considering buying a Wii U, a packaged bundle is being sold that gives you a great value. Every copy of Mario Kart 8 can be registered and give you a digital code to download a full-fledged retail game of your choice from a list of the greatest hits on the system. To conclude, Mario Kart 8’s graphics and audio look and sound more vibrant than ever, and the game features
exceptional track designs while bringing exciting new elements of gameplay that give players an amazing fun time
of racing.
The latest game of a flagship Nintendo franchise has come to Wii U, and Mario Kart 8 delivers an experience that is all around fantastic. There's not much I have to tell you about the deep lore and plot that you don’t already know (because there is none), so the basis of my opinion is formed from what the game makes itself to be, which is great kart racing. Beautiful graphics and sound, fun and fast gameplay, and a slew of new tracks and features make this iteration of the series a top contender for what can be argued as the best Mario Kart game.
This is the first time we get to play Mario Kart in HD, and the visuals are stunning. The
game runs at 60 frames per second for one player and two player split-screen, while three and four player split screen runs at 30 frames per second. It has a native resolution of 720p, which can be bumped up to 1080p if running on a TV capable. There is also no anti-aliasing, which just means that jaggy parts of the picture are not smoothed out. However, these technical shortcomings will probably not matter at all to the average player, and in my opinion don’t take anything away from the game. Tracks look brighter, bigger, and are packed with more visual
appeal than ever before. Speaking of tracks, one particular track, the soundtrack (ahem) is a great mix of jazzy “big band” style music. The other parts of audio, like the engine noises to the sounds of gliding through the air and underwater, all add up to what makes an amazing audio and video combination.
Mario Kart 8 really shines in its gameplay. While I thought at first playing with the Wii U gamepad was going to be awkward because of its size, it ended up being just as good as any other controller. You’re given the option to play with the Wii remote sideways, with the nun chuck, using a classic controller, or the Wii U pro controller. I found all ways to play equal with each other, so one great thing is that you can use the controller you’re comfortable with. Whatever you use, control of movement feels precise and polished; everything we can expect from a Nintendo game. Finer adjustments to the game include a faster pace, with lakitu picking you up after falling off a course with twice the speed as before, and item blocks appearing almost right after someone runs into one. This makes for a more enjoyable experience as you feel like you’re always in the action of a race, which are just as intense as they are fun.
Before you call this game a “rehash” and accuse “Nintendo fans of buying the same game every year”, look to what Mario Kart 8 does that’s new. Half of the game is completely original tracks, while the other half takes the best tracks from previous titles and reworks them with fresh ideas and designs. Vehicle customization and selection gives you plenty to work toward unlocking. New items like the piranha plant and boomerang vary the ways you attack other racers. Then there's the super horn that can finally tell the blue shell to kindly go @#$%
itself. Underwater driving and paragliding make a return from Mario Kart 7, but the crème de la crème comes in the new anti-gravity sections. It literally adds a whole new dimension to a flat course, as well as a new mechanic where bumping into another racer while in zero G will give you a speed boost instead of slowing you down. The online functionality improves drastically; it’s easy and fast to connect with friends or strangers around the world and features tournament play also. Then there’s the new Mario Kart TV, which lets you watch your last 12 races and create videos where you can edit the footage and implement Slow Mo. You can then even upload
your content onto Miiverse or YouTube to share with everyone.
With all that being said, Mario Kart 8 does seem to lack some elements that will leave you with more to be desired. The character roster is one of these things, which in this game include newcomers such as all seven koopa kids, five baby versions of characters, and Pink Gold Peach (who haunts my nightmares). Where’s King Boo, Petey Piranha, Funky Kong, Dry Bones/Bowser, or Ridley? It just doesn’t feel as complete as in the other Mario Kart titles.
Now let’s move onto the battle mode featured in this game. Balloon battles now take place on smaller versions of tracks, but the arena type maps we used to see are cut out completely. There was nothing like playing coin or balloon battles on Block Fort, and some of the most hectic and crazy fun I used to have is gone, replaced with something that had my interest for only a couple games. Finally, I was surprised to see no new mode that integrated the gamepad controller into asymmetrical gameplay with other players. My dreams of a four versus one Mario Kart boss battle mode, or a track creator a la Excitebike might have to be realized in DLC, or sadly not at all.
Despite what it doesn’t have Mario Kart 8 stands tall and strong among video games today. If you own a Wii U, buy this game, as it’s one of the best on the platform. If you’ve been considering buying a Wii U, a packaged bundle is being sold that gives you a great value. Every copy of Mario Kart 8 can be registered and give you a digital code to download a full-fledged retail game of your choice from a list of the greatest hits on the system. To conclude, Mario Kart 8’s graphics and audio look and sound more vibrant than ever, and the game features
exceptional track designs while bringing exciting new elements of gameplay that give players an amazing fun time
of racing.