Mario Kart 8 Review

After pressing the Mario Kart 8 icon on the Wii U gamepad I’m greeted by the sounds of a racetrack.  Unseen cars zoom by as I wait at the load screen, then, the voice of the man himself exclaims, “Mariooo Kaart Eeight!”  Cue brass instruments erupting into a jam, instantly pulling me to the edge of my seat. 

The music for MK8 sets the tempo of the game, it’s going to be fast and it’s going to be intense.  The new mechanics and features assure this. Beautiful modeling and graphics transport you and your friends into a new reality as you blast each other with an assortment of the 20 available items. 

New features, same nostalgia

Faster recoveries

There is nothing worst than watching your first place position turn into eighth as you wait for Lakitu, the cloud riding savior, to fish you out of the water. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the help, but the cloud fisherman hasn’t exactly been known for his haste, until now.  In Mario Kart 8 Lakitu has mastered his art, helping you recover and moving like he just chugged a pot of coffee. 

Antigravity sections

What could be better than racing through the traffic of Toad’s Turnpike?  How about racing along the walls of Toad’s Turnpike!  For the first time ever each kart has been fitted with antigravity capabilities, opening the door to a whole new racing experience.  Driving over a special blue strip triggers the capability, allowing you to drive up the wall and sometimes the ceiling.  Collisions with other characters in antigravity mode will give each of you a speed boost, allowing players to team up and blast forward. 

Coins are back

Every single person that I’ve played MK8 with has asked the same question during their first lap, “What’s with the coins?”  Coins first appeared in the original Mario Kart for the SNES and weren’t seen again until Mario Kart 7.  

Coins provide three things:

Greater top speed- Your top speed increases for each coin you have.  You can carry up to 10 and lose 3 each time you are hit by an attack.

Speed boost – Each time you collect a coin you get a tiny speed boost. 

Unlockables – Gathering coins will unlock cool new karts, wheels, and gliders.

Kart'n never looked so good

Whether it’s the dark haunted hallways of the Twisted Mansion or the white slopes of Mount Wario, each track has its own rich scenery filled with vivid colors.

Playing single/two player offers you 60fps racing, making it look as smooth butter.  At 720p, MK8 looks as expected on the Wii U.  When racing with three or four players on the same console the frame rate will drop to 30fps; which is really only noticeable if you specifically look for it.  

More new weapons to destroy your friends

MK8 features four new items that are sure to turn your friends against you. 

The Piranha Plant

Eats everything in front and to the side of it, including other characters!  When its not eating it gives you a boost.

The Boomerang Flower

This boomerang can be thrown three times; it doesn’t return on the third but has a longer range.

The Super Horn

Finally, an item that you can get in first and is able to disarm the dreaded blue Spiny Shell.  The horn also can be used to blast your opponents if they get too close.

The Crazy 8

The craziest of any Mario Kart items, this item isn’t really an item at all; it’s eight of them.  The items circle you just like Triple Shells would and consist of a Coin, a Banana, a Green Shell, a Red Shell, a Bob-omb, a Blooper, a Mushroom, and a Star.  Use them quickly though, other characters can steal the items if the run into you.

Playing again and again

After you've been dazzled by the new looks and gameplay and have gotten a gold trophy in each cup race, you'll likely be looking for more to do.

Game modes

Versus- In versus mode you can customize the difficulty of the coms and even choose to be on teams.  I use this mode quite a bit when my friends want to play all 32 tracks because it allows you to play them in order or random.  Back-to-back a 32 track race takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Battle- This mode is the only thing that is terribly wrong with the game.  Battles take place on the same tracks that are used for racing, leaving many Kart fans wondering where the classic battle maps like Block Fort went.  

DLC coming

There are two DLC packs on the way for MK8 for $7.99 each or $11.99 as a bundle.  The bundle will include 16 new tracks and 6 new characters.

In conclusion

If you already have a Wii U then Mario Kart 8 is a must have.  If you don't, you might want to consider getting a new console just for this game.  Anybody that once loved Mario Kart 64 or Mario Kart: Double Dash will find that this game gives you everything you miss.