Mario Kart 8 Reviews
"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.
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
To say that Mario Kart is popular is an understatement. Few series have ever matched its twenty-year legacy of sheer popularity and critical acclaim, so needless to say, Mario Kart 8 has a lot to live up to. Expectations have perhaps never been higher, as this is the first entry on a high-definition, online-competent console, but the game pretty much fulfills all of them. It is classic Mario Kart and that means it\'s great — the game even throws in several cool improvements and additions to the franchise. But it is not quite perfect, and by no means is it a revolution.
Nintendo promised and delivered. Mario Kart 8 is the shiniest star in one of the shiniest series in the world of videogames. Perfectly fine-tuned gameplay, a leap in the right direction for the online component, a magnificent audio-visual pillar worthy of the Wii U and an immensely fun and absorbing experience, whether solo or multiplayer, making Mario Kart 8 an instant and timeless classic.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
There is no reason to wait any longer. Get a Wii U and buy Mario Kart 8.
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.
I commend Nintendo for crafting a game that continues to cater to those who still love having friends over to compete, but Mario Kart 8 needs to step out of its comfort zone in other ways. Despite this game's gleaming high-definition sheen, there's little doubt this granddaddy of the karting genre is beginning to show its age.
The game's 30-character roster has its pros (all hail Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach) and its cons (too many babies, and the Koopalings aren't all that special either), but there's enough dissimilarity in weight classes that there's always a suitable option in any versus situation.
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.