Mario Kart 8 Reviews
Mario Kart 8 stands tall among the kart racing genre once again and is a must-buy game for Wii U owners.
If there’s one thing to say about this title, it’s that Mario Kart 8 is the savior that the Wii U desperately needed. We’ve seen many key franchises release titles over the past year, but nothing comes close the amazing detail that Mario Kart 8 gives. From the characters, to the track, the full Nintendo experience is here, and it is glorious. Well done, Nintendo.
Mario Kart 8 is a great example of how to keep a 20-odd year old franchise relevant. It isn't shy to give you what you've already had before with it's predictable racing fun. But conversely it also offers up so much more with this latest installment thanks to brilliant track design, item tweaking, customisation and a strong online offering to keep you coming back for more for months to come.
Mario Kart 8 is another decent, if unspectacular effort from Nintendo. The series needs better balancing if skill is to ever become a factor again and the single player mode may be a total slog, but Mario Kart is still a hit where it always mattered: with friends.
MK8 is easily a top three contender for best Wii U game. Outside of a few niggling oddities and small blemishes, the pure bliss of soaring across MK8's wonderful courses is as close to gaming perfection as it gets.
Mario Kart 8 warrants another go.
After two decades of racing, the Mushroom Kingdom crew have come together in a package that ticks a lot of positive boxes - tight controls, exceptional course designs, brilliant music and plenty of scope for high-octane online/local races and battles. Quite simply, Mario Kart 8 is absolutely sublime and the best overall installment in the series so far.
I like playing Mario Kart 8. I think it's a satisfactory entry in the series, but nothing more. The final package ends up feeling like someone who covers themselves in makeup to hide the fact that they are 10 years older than they are pretending to be.
With the Wii U struggling sales-wise, and in danger of becoming a footnote of this current generation, a new Mario Kart is exactly the game Nintendo needed, and the fact it's perhaps the best iteration since the original doesn't hurt either.
Considering that the majority of this review is spent going over the many marginal changes that accumulate to a massively entertaining whole, the bottom line is that 'Mario Kart 8' is 'Mario Kart,' just better, so the worst thing about 'Mario Kart 8' is it doesn't strive to reinvent much of anything. But then that's how the series has been ever since odd dog 'Double Dash' did its own thing.
Naturally every Wii U owner should pick this up but old fans should also consider it because it truly is the Mario Kart that you remember.
The best game on Wii U, and the reason you'll keep coming back to it. Grab some friends and Mario Kart 8 simply won't disappoint.
Much like Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8 shows that nobody makes games quite like Nintendo. A master class in design that shows how tragic it is that the Wii U finds itself in such dire straits. A sure fire system seller that everyone who owns the console should buy, and if you don't, now's the perfect time to buy one.
Mario Kart 8 is a return to the root of the franchise: short tracks full of curves that demand skill and a total memorization of each of its details and shortcuts. Over the years, the careers of this series were filled with small tasks to accomplish; they are stimuli with a more powerful brain massage effect than a sudoku.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Mario Kart 8 is one of the reasons why it pays to reach for the Wii U. Such addictive gameplay is not often seen, and even if you have a decent time in the game yourself, definitely invite someone to it. It may end up with a few swear words, but it's an experience that very few games on the market can give you.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Mario Kart 8 may look different from its pixelated forebears of the '80s and '90s, but it's infused with the same magical spirit and exacting craftsmanship. It's the kind of game that's bound to inspire nostalgia someday.
I have to admit that this is arguably the best game on Wii U. Mario Kart 8 brings all the frustrating fun and friendly chaos that has been expected from the series, but this iteration is much more refined and well-toned. The controls feel really great, no matter what configuration you use. If there is any reason to buy a Wii U, let Mario Kart 8 be it.
It's not surprising that Mario Kart 8 is phenomenal. And while it's still not nearly as experimental as Double Dash, the new anti-gravity segments add enough skill-based gameplay to make even seasoned veterans rethink their kart racing strategies. In the realm of mascot kart racing games, there is no doubt that Mario Kart is still king.
On the other hand, Mario Kart 8 is easy to pick-up, easy to enjoy, and no matter how good you are, there will be moments that make you smile. You don't have to spend hours perfecting your driving style, and memorising complex tracks; it's almost a 'Sonic Transformed lite'.
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.