Mario Kart 8 Reviews
Therein lies "Mario Kart 8's" dilemma. The Wii U has the tools to make this a standout game in the series, but instead it's just a pretty look at more of the same. It's still all about racing friends in a chaotic battle for first place. That old form of fun is present, but this latest edition fails to drive the series forward with meaningful change.
Mario Kart 8 looks spectacular, sounds impressive, and delivers solid racing action worthy of the series. But it's also that rare Nintendo game that manages to be less than the sum of its impressive parts thanks to some ill-advised design choices, half-baked ideas, and gimped Battle Mode.
Mario Kart 8 is a nearly flawless kart racer, which is only marred by its developer's confusing decision to alter its traditional Battle Mode.
Even the most hardened kart-racing veterans would be hard-pressed not to consider Mario Kart 8 as one of the best, if not the best, entry in this phenomenal series. Mario Kart has long been known for bringing players of all size and skill together. This newest iteration, with its tightly balanced gameplay, giant content offering and lush visuals and audio, will have you and yours screaming, cursing and cheering through countless hours of play.
In years to come the debates over the best Mario Kart games in the series will, inevitably, feature this as a contender.
If you're a fan of Mario Kart, getting this game is a no-brainer. And if you're someone who took a break from the series, I still recommend trying Mario Kart 8 out. It just might rekindle your love for Mario-style racing.
What it lacks in raw innovation it more than makes up for in pure joy. Mario Kart 8's bare-bones presentation is offset by its solid core racing, and is an essential purchase for every Wii U owner who appreciates fun.
Mario Kart 8 feels like a re-definition for the series, without straying from its roots. The gameplay is fantastic, the visual presentation is stunning, and the social features will keep players coming back for more. The Wii U has a killer addition to its line-up that could easily drive sales of the console. Now that's something worthy of a victory lap.
While I do wish certain mechanics such as two-racer teams and character exclusive specials would have made the list, and many gamers might be disappointed with the partial voice chat, 8 is still an excellent entry that should not be missed.
Mario Kart 8 is a sterling example of Nintendo at their best as craftsmen, a game whose attention to detail and joy is mostly unsullied by some unfortunate misunderstandings about how people communicate online.
All in all, Mario Kart 8 gives seasoned players the game that they deserved when its Wii sibling hit the shelves, but also doesn't rely so heavily on past experience, keeping it open for new players. The 50cc class is a nice spot for beginners, and can be used to unlock any of the game's eight Grand Prix Cups for play in the tougher 100 or 150cc classes.
Mario Kart 8 won't change your mind if you're against the series' basic conceptual design, of course, but for everyone on the fence who just wants a fun, skill-weighted, multiplayer-centric party racer, this is truly as good as it gets. The balance of luck and skill is very well done overall, and the selection of available features, items, and gameplay elements is the best the series has had to offer yet—not to mention the excellent track design. It's safe to say that this is the best Mario Kart since the SNES days, and that's a pretty heavy statement.
It just took a game like Mario Kart 8. Although it does absolutely nothing to upset or improve the historical formula, this title is one of the most fun and qualitatively curated experiences that we have had the opportunity to play this year.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ultimately Nintendo have again produced the goods and delivered another system seller. Many companies long for one true example of this in a console's lifetime; Nintendo now has two within a year of each other. The driving is exquisite, the track design is wonderful and the overall presentation is marvellous. We have here perhaps the finest Mario Kart to date, aside from battle mode, and an entry into the series which whilst being so special, only serves to highlight the series' flaw more prominently. Good job then that that flaw was never seen as one anyway as that's not what Mario Kart is about. This is what Mario Kart is about - wonderful, prolonged fun.
In its transition to high-definition, Mario Kart 8 preserves the series' strengths, but fails to correct any of its long-standing faults.
A combination of fun, fairness, beauty and joy, Mario Kart 8 is absolutely brilliant. A botched battle mode and some missing online features stop it short of perfection, but it's hard to imagine any Mario Kart game looking, playing, or sounding better.
"Mario Kart might be a franchise that's old enough to drink now, but this latest chapter doesn't feel crusty in the slightest.."
Mario Kart 8 represents the best game currently available on the three next gen consoles, and is the best reason to get a Wii U if there ever was one.
Despite my criticism of some of the modes and gameplay mechanics, Mario Kart 8 is still an amazing game, and as intense and addicting as its predecessors. I may wish for a better Battle Mode and more online features, but I have happily raced hundreds of matches, and expect thousands more for many months, and even years, to come. There is not a single blemish in the track design and detailing, and handling the vehicles is tight and responsive, whether using the analog stick or tilt controls. Mario Kart 8 is perfect in most respects, but a few features are still bound by Nintendo's restrictive hand.