What I Think Of: Mario Kart 8

With every new Nintendo console, we are guaranteed a few games: A new Zelda title, a new Smash Bros title (N64 and forwards), and a new Mario Kart game. It's kind of surprising that there are ONLY 8 games in the series that dates back to 1992, considering how well they have sold, but maybe THAT'S why they sell well; consumers aren't bombarded with these games and it helps that they are all different levels of great.

So how does the new entry stack up? Is this finally the reason people should go buy a WiiU? Well...

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LET'S GO!

The structure of the game modes in MKart 8 is exactly like the rest of the series; there is the Grand Prix (4 races) mode, VS Mode, Time Trials, and Battle Mode (I will get into the online later). There are 32 tracks in the game, 16 new and 16 classic tracks. If you have played a MKart game ever, you know what to expect here.

What sets Mario Kart 8 apart from the rest in the series, besides being the most HD game in the series, is the ability to drive on walls and ceilings, which leads to really interesting track designs, even being incorporated into the retro tracks. A few tracks (such as Twisted Mansion, Bowser's Castle, and Shy Guy Falls) really stand out to me as nailing this crazy idea of driving on the previously undrivable.

Speaking of the tracks, many of the new tracks found in MKart 8 can easily be considered the best in any MKart game. There are way too many to name here but the variation in the tracks, the anti-gravity portions, the visual look, and the awesome music in Bowser's Castle, help make these new tracks enjoyable and instant classics.

The retro track selection for 8, I find, is a bit underwhelming though. There are a few gems (Music Park from Mario Kart 7 remains one of my all time favorites), and sure, after bringing back retro tracks in several games prior, their pool of tracks may be limited now, but I am pretty sure gamers just want their favorite tracks, even if they have seen it in a recent game.

The game features 30 racers (the most in the series) plus the ability to choose from any Mii on your console, not just the primary one. You don't know what awesome is until you have a Mii version of Geordi La Forge driving around on a Jet Bike. As I previously stated in an earlier post, some choices for characters seem odd (I'm looking at you Pink Gold Peach), but overall, it's pretty par for the course.

Now on to the actual playing of the game. I'll get this out of the way now, this is the best looking WiiU game out there. The characters look great, you get a real sense of speed, the track designs are eye-catching and the attention to detail is impeccable. Also, as long as it's just one person driving on the TV, it's a smooth 60 frames per second. This is the bar future WiiU games should be held to, and it makes me extra excited to see how the new Smash Bros will look later this year.

It is worth mentioning that if you start adding players and split the screen, the frames dip to 30 frames per second. Understandable, sure, but still sort of a bummer since you do lose that sense of speed.

As with most things Nintendo does, it's the little things in the visual department that help add to the overall experience. It's the head turning when players are getting passed, it's the facial expressions, it's the tire tracks left on the course through the duration of the race, the Nintendo references surrounding the tracks, Nintendo knows how to add flavor around the core game and it is beautifully shown off here.

The online portion allows up to 12 people to race against each other. Also, taking a cue from Mario Golf: World Tour, you can race and create tournaments. In the cup that I am currently taking part in, you race on 8 tracks and your overall score (depending on how you finish) is added up and becomes your tournament score. Being able to create your own tournament with custom parameters will definitely increase the longevity here.

All the players in the lobby vote on a track from 4 available options, the game randomly picks one, and you are off and racing. The wait time was basically non-existant and I didn't notice any severe hiccups or hitches in the gameplay.

Mario Kart 8 may seem like just another game in the series, and from a feature standpoint, you would be mostly right (apart from the online portion). However, the fact is that Mario Kart 8 sports the best looks in the series, the craziest track designs in the series, some of the best tracks in the series period, and the ability to finally counter the damn Blue Shell (one of the most satisfying feelings ever, every time), it all adds up to what's making a strong case to being my favorite Mario Kart game. While I need to spend more time with this to make the full-on "favorite" claim, those looking for a reason to buy a WiiU need look no further, and those who have a WiiU, this game is a perfect reason to dust it off and get racing.

TEAM LUIGI!!