Mario Kart 8 Reviews

Mario Kart 8 is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN Italy
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
May 16, 2014

Mario Kart 8 is a beast: with great track design, plenty of characters, karts, bikes and power ups is the best Mario Kart of all time. Also thanks to revamped online modes and some gorgeous graphics, is the single reason you need to own a Wii U.

Review in Italian | Read full review

May 15, 2014

There is no reason to wait any longer. Get a Wii U and buy Mario Kart 8.

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Will Greenwald
Top Critic
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Wii U is the best-looking Mario Kart to date (and the first with HD graphics), thanks to some fantastic new and remixed tracks.

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9 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

Nintendo's created a heck of a Mario Kart game that's great for fans and newcomers alike. It's what this series should be.

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7.8 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

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.

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Unscored
May 15, 2014

All in all, these missing features and changes for the worse are disappointing blemishes on what is still an incredibly enjoyable game. Mario Kart 8 isn't the best game in the series, but it adds enough new visual, gameplay, and track design flourishes to its well-trodden core kart-racing gameplay to be worth a look.

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7.5 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

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.

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May 15, 2014

Nintendo needed another great game to make the Wii U look as enticing as possible and Mario Kart 8 fits the bill. The anti-gravity gameplay slots in alongside classic kart racing, hang-gliding, and underwater action. All the tracks look amazing and Nintendo has a lot of fun making each track twist, turn, and soar into the sky. Robust online multiplayer, downloadable player ghosts, and Mario Kart TV add a bit of extra muscle. Mario Kart 8 is not the best in the series, but it does stand near the top.

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4.5 / 5.0
May 15, 2014

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.

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8 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

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.

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4.6 / 5.0
May 15, 2014

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.

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9.8 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart 8 is the new showcase title for the WiiU. If the fantastic visuals were never a hard sell for you, know that the gameplay really makes this game a must own for any WiiU owner.

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80 / 100
May 15, 2014

If you're looking for a whimsical and accessible racing game to play with your friends and family, Mario Kart 8 is one of the best. Just don't expect any additional content outside of the most basic modes.

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IGN
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart 8 is a fun kart racer that uses gravity-defying tracks and better item balance to build a better game.

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9.3 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart remains pure fun, and it's never been better

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9 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

It may not be revolutionary, but it adds just enough to pique interests while keeping the core experience we've all grown up with, regardless of age. Mario Kart is one of those timeless franchises that every age group can enjoy, and sometimes, that's enough to celebrate.

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8 / 10
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart 8 shows a playful spirit, refinement, and attention to detail that has been missing in the last few entries.

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May 15, 2014

Intuitive controls, beautiful circuits, and a perfectly realigned power-up system – Mario Kart 8 has set out to top the 1992 original

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9 / 10
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart 8 forms a loop that connects everything that makes Mario Kart one of the greatest multiplayer series of all time, not to mention offering what is expected of a spectacular title on a console like the Wii U.

Review in French | Read full review

9 / 10.0
May 15, 2014

Mario Kart is one of the things nintendo knows how to do best. This new chapter demonstrates this with obvious clarity, precisely because it is not content to revise the driving model here and there, to add some new power-ups and to improve the balance and the overall variety. Mario Kart 8, in addition to doing all this, pushes on the accelerator of design, proposing 32 tracks one more beautiful than the other.

Review in Italian | Read full review