Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

 Switch
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2774 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,427 out of 2774
  2. Mixed: 176 out of 2774
  3. Negative: 171 out of 2774
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  1. HicksyUK1
    Aug 16, 2023
    7
    Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is fun to play with other people, but gets boring when on your own. The AI's seem to get items when they want to, and have as many as they want.

    That said, it is still a good game and is worth your money.
  2. kamhagh
    Jul 24, 2018
    5
    This game is very okay, It's just mario kart... with better graphic, for 60$ it has WAY too little content, It gets boring after 6h because you just do the same, you race, that's all, there's a battle mode but I don't like it at all personally.

    The online mode is very Nintendo. It has long waiting times. and needs a NAT Type B or A There's just not much to do. you can pretty much    This game is very okay, It's just mario kart... with better graphic, for 60$ it has WAY too little content, It gets boring after 6h because you just do the same, you race, that's all, there's a battle mode but I don't like it at all personally.

    The online mode is very Nintendo. It has long waiting times. and needs a NAT Type B or A

    There's just not much to do. you can pretty much play the old ones online on a browser if you want to and it's the same just graphics aren't as good

    Pros: Fast loading times means that if you just want a quick race outside (against bots since the NAT Type requirements) it's super easy, I honestly avoid splatoon a lot because of the loading times but that's on a cartridge (slower) too :|

    Good graphics at 60fps 1080p afaik when docked

    cons:
    A huge lack of content, there just isn't much to do

    Boring

    Bad online multiplayer as expected from Nintendo...

    again if you like mario kart go ahead and buy it! But even for someone who is playing it for pretty much the first time it got boring very quickly I don't think I can get a maximum of 20hours of playtime out of this game    … Expand
  3. runeasgar
    Jun 1, 2018
    7
    It's a lot of fun, but the frantic barrage of weaponry frequently ruins races in the final stretch. I wish there were an option to have no items in the campaign mode.
  4. Kas_scientist
    Jul 4, 2020
    5
    While fun... I find it frustrating as hell.
    There is no point in getting good if in the last lap you lost a huge lead and finish last just because luck and because the game (Nintendo) wants it.
  5. ElCaptain
    Jul 19, 2020
    7
    Does not add that much content and it is much too expensive for the price they are asking for this
  6. imypabloxeonalv
    Jun 27, 2020
    6
    The game is good, not awesome, but good, my cousing when i go to his house he only wanted to play this game, but it's a little bit boring and repetitive, the gameplay it's good but no awesome, and i think it's so expensive for this game
  7. spongeswift
    Oct 22, 2017
    7
    Mario Kart 8 Deluxe does a lot wrong. The item system has completely been flipped upside down for the worse and battle mode is only fun for a while into you find yourself only doing races. Yes it still offers the fun time that Mario Kart 8 does, but it's item system is not great and not enough new stuff was added. A 60 dollar purchase can't be justified for this game in my opinion, it's aMario Kart 8 Deluxe does a lot wrong. The item system has completely been flipped upside down for the worse and battle mode is only fun for a while into you find yourself only doing races. Yes it still offers the fun time that Mario Kart 8 does, but it's item system is not great and not enough new stuff was added. A 60 dollar purchase can't be justified for this game in my opinion, it's a good 40-50$ game but it's really just a port with some new bells and whistles.… Expand
  8. DrZomboid
    Jan 21, 2019
    5
    I sold the game after few races. It is ok and nice but I like Crash Team Racing better. I mean, I feel too old for karting anyway.
  9. Yiskanute
    Apr 29, 2017
    6
    By far the most 'definitive' Mario Kart you're going to find for a while. Is it fun? Depends. Do you find being smacked by twenty-two red shells fun? Do you like courses littered with bananas? Do you like being struck by lightning twice in a row?

    The game plays well, don't get me wrong, but I feel like the balance of the game is thrown out of wack because of the two-item system. It    By far the most 'definitive' Mario Kart you're going to find for a while. Is it fun? Depends. Do you find being smacked by twenty-two red shells fun? Do you like courses littered with bananas? Do you like being struck by lightning twice in a row?

    The game plays well, don't get me wrong, but I feel like the balance of the game is thrown out of wack because of the two-item system. It makes staying in first place harder, which is probably the intention, but it also makes getting ahead of the middle of the pack harder because two items per player just means you're going to experience being a crab in a bucket more often than not.

    Ultra mini turbos, while a nice addition, is too tricky to pull off in most cases as a lot of courses aren't exactly built with them in mind and when you're playing 150cc or 200cc, it becomes nearly detrimental to try and pull them off.

    New battle mode is pretty sweet and a complete upgrade from what we got in the original, plus the portability of this Mario Kart port means you get the best handheld Mario Kart experience, sorry, 7, but 8 got you beat here.

    In short, a nice port but not worth the asking price for existing owners of MK8. Balance is horrible thanks to the existence of the two-item system, meaning that while this is the more definitive version of Mario Kart 8, it is also the least balanced of the two by a long margin.    … Expand
  10. MiracSpectac
    Dec 19, 2017
    7
    Having never owned the original Mario Kart 8, I see Deluxe as a game filled to the brim with interesting racing content that is sure to bring fun times with friends. However, as with many of the recent installments of the Mario Kart series, it tries to do too much. With plenty of items and kart choices, it makes an absolute mess of the genre. It feels as though item exploitation, alongHaving never owned the original Mario Kart 8, I see Deluxe as a game filled to the brim with interesting racing content that is sure to bring fun times with friends. However, as with many of the recent installments of the Mario Kart series, it tries to do too much. With plenty of items and kart choices, it makes an absolute mess of the genre. It feels as though item exploitation, along with a little luck, is more than often what wins the race. All in all, this makes Mario Kart 8 feel like another step back rather than a significant improvement over predecessors.… Expand
  11. AlexMakesToast
    Nov 23, 2022
    6
    Mario kart 8 = 6/10
    ........................................................
  12. AlexToral_F
    May 8, 2017
    7
    Ahora que los ports y las remasterizaciones se han puesto de moda, Nintendo no iba a ser menos y ha decidido subirse al carro, empezando por un juego con más ventas en la incomprendida y mal parada Wii U.
    Para empezar, en cuanto al apartado sonoro no hay nada que añadir, puesto que no se percibe ningún cambio notable. En cuanto a lo visual, se nota cierta mejora en cuanto a la calidad: en    Ahora que los ports y las remasterizaciones se han puesto de moda, Nintendo no iba a ser menos y ha decidido subirse al carro, empezando por un juego con más ventas en la incomprendida y mal parada Wii U.
    Para empezar, en cuanto al apartado sonoro no hay nada que añadir, puesto que no se percibe ningún cambio notable. En cuanto a lo visual, se nota cierta mejora en cuanto a la calidad: en modo sobremesa corre a 1080 y 60fps estables y en modo tableta a los ya vistos en Wii U 720 y 60fps. Sí es verdad que en el modo multijugador a pantalla partida de 4 jugadores se nota una pequeña bajada de velocidad. En lo que al online respecta, va fluido, pero tampoco es para tirar cohetes.

    Ahora, centrándonos en lo importante: ¿merece la pena comprarlo? Este Mario Kart es uno de los más divertidos y competitivos de la saga: el aumento de la dificultad y el modo multijugador mejorado ofrecen más diversión todavía y el añadido de todos los personajes y circuitos (incluyendo nuevas características y los DLCs) se agradece; sin embargo, se hecha de menos la alegría que da el desbloquear elementos como personajes o copa, ya que, a excepción de los vehículos y una nueva skin para Mario de metal, todo viene ya en bandeja.

    En mi opinión, si no tuviste la oportunidad de comprar y disfrutar del juego en Wii U, esta es una estupenda manera de hacerte con el mejor Mario Kart de la saga. Si bien le has echado horas a la anterior versión hasta quemar la Wii U, el juego se hará algo repetitivo a no ser que revientes el multijugador.

    PD: las pegas que se le ponen a este juego por parte de muchos usuarios no tienen que ver casi con el MKD DX en sí, sino en la compra de este. Pagar 60 euros por un port como si fuera algo nuevo para todos los jugadores habiendo gente que ya ha tenido este juego, es algo abusivo y no hubiera estado de más algún tipo de plan renove o de recompensa a los usuarios por parte de Nintendo.

    Sí, es el Mario Kart más completo de todos y sí, al final se convierte en un obligado, pero tampoco ha supuesto una novedad ni un boom tan grande como para convertirse en el mejor de la saga.

    (PD2: Ninguno podrá superar al Mario Kart DS ;P)    … Expand
  13. toaplan
    May 2, 2017
    6
    Fun little Kart game and the best Mario Kart ever, but visually not a match for Sonic Racing in 4K on the PC and Sonic Racing also has superior tracks. For a motorsport fan, these games however are diversions that don't by any means represent the best of what the racing genre has to offer.
  14. Xxdaniels751xX
    May 10, 2017
    6
    The same as always, great fun with friends but it looks like a dlc from wii u. They could have innovated a little more since according to nintendo, the switch was going to be the revolution both in games and in design and this mario kart as it is not revolutionary.
  15. Aldeberuhn
    Jun 18, 2017
    7
    Having played this game already on the Wii U, the Deluxe version really didn't add a whole lot to the experience. Mario Kart 8 seemed like a great and innovative approach to the Mario Kart franchise when it first came out on the Wii U, but the newer version feels more like a cash grab at this point. The addition of Inkling racers from Splatoon is a nice touch and the graphics are a littleHaving played this game already on the Wii U, the Deluxe version really didn't add a whole lot to the experience. Mario Kart 8 seemed like a great and innovative approach to the Mario Kart franchise when it first came out on the Wii U, but the newer version feels more like a cash grab at this point. The addition of Inkling racers from Splatoon is a nice touch and the graphics are a little crisper, but when you're speeding around the track, the slightly upgraded graphics aren't all that noticeable. I understand that the game was released on the Switch in order to appeal to a larger audience, but there just isn't enough added to it for it to be worth the price of a brand new $60 game, especially if you've already purchased all the DLC on Wii U.

    Another big issue with this game is the online setup. Whatever netcode Nintendo used on the Wii U version was evidently carried over to the Switch with no improvements. You will find yourself being disconnected from online matches multiple times in a single play session. Meanwhile, the races that you aren't kicked out of suffer from extreme lag issues. Playing against laggy people online really gets annoying when none of your items appear to affect your target, despite it clearly showing the animation that they've been hit. You'll also find yourself being hit by items that never seemed to exist in the first place. Items will materialize right in front of you, giving you no opportunity to defend yourself. The online portion of this game is terrible, and I'm really disappointed in Nintendo for not even caring to fix it after the issues people were having on the Wii U. If anything, the problems seem more common on the Switch, but that may just have to do with the larger amount of users.    … Expand
  16. andrew9
    Nov 16, 2021
    7
    mario kart .
  17. Robjapan
    Apr 29, 2019
    6
    It's a wiiU mario kart game on switch. Did Nintendo release switch without telling anyone? Why wasn't a new mario kart game ready for the switch??
    If I had played this on the wiiU then this game would be getting a 3/10.
    As it is, it's a good game, the game play, maps, graphics and handling are all excellent. There are multiple weapons in the game which are entirely unnecessary. If    It's a wiiU mario kart game on switch. Did Nintendo release switch without telling anyone? Why wasn't a new mario kart game ready for the switch??
    If I had played this on the wiiU then this game would be getting a 3/10.
    As it is, it's a good game, the game play, maps, graphics and handling are all excellent.
    There are multiple weapons in the game which are entirely unnecessary. If people aren't good enough to catch up or win races, then so be it. Having people win races because they got multiple bullet bills on the last lap is such ****
    No weapon should exist in the game that allows the player to do something automatically.
    Green shells, red shells, mushrooms and stars. Nothing else is needed in the multiplayer at least.
    In the single player, hey go crazy and give us interesting challenges, maybe we have to use a bullet bill to get over a gap or whatever.
    I'm giving this game a 6/10 because it's still fun to play with friends, but on your own it's an exercise in annoyance and frustration.    … Expand
  18. PaddingtonBear
    Oct 10, 2018
    6
    As a seven year old kid in 1992, I absolutely loved Super Mario Kart. However, the Super Nintendo was the last gaming console by Nintendo that I owned until fourteen years later when the Wii was released. During that time, my taste in games changed, and Mario Kart became a distant memory.

    As a present for Christmas '18, my girlfriend requested a Switch. Frankly, it held no appeal to me,    As a seven year old kid in 1992, I absolutely loved Super Mario Kart. However, the Super Nintendo was the last gaming console by Nintendo that I owned until fourteen years later when the Wii was released. During that time, my taste in games changed, and Mario Kart became a distant memory.

    As a present for Christmas '18, my girlfriend requested a Switch. Frankly, it held no appeal to me, as I've never been a fan of handheld gaming consoles, it didn't offer a unique experience (unlike the Wii), and the limited time I spent gaming was already fulfilled on a gaming PC or Xbox One X. However, it did provide an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane with Mario Kart 8, so my girlfriend was gifted a Switch, and I got to indulge in nostalgia.

    Quickly glancing at user reviews on this website for Mario Kart 8 will show an abundance of 10/10 ratings. This would indicate it is a perfect game. Unfortunately, it's not, and far from it. There are many facets to Mario Kart 8, and most of them are fantastic. However, the most important facet, the game play, is absolutely infuriating and severely detracts from the experience. Anyone providing a 10/10 rating is either a shill (i.e. paid-for reviewer), a massive fanboy, or hasn't completed a single race with AI opponents.

    Prior to playing Mario Kart 8, I would have thought that using the word "infuriating" to describe a Mario Kart game would be nothing more than a demonstration of an oxymoron. Unfortunately, it provides a concise summary. The game play is fixated on enforcing an artificial balance of skill. In other words, if you have a low-skill player in last position and a high-skill player in first position, the game logic severely stacks the odds in favor of the low-skill player in last position. It does this through manipulation of the item box outcomes and AI interactions. Whilst the developers likely think this creates an enjoyable challenge for the high-skill player, it doesn't, as it's a cheap and irritating game play mechanic. If the low-skill player wins, it's a hollow victory, as both players are well aware that the outcome has been largely determined by the overbearing artificial balancing system.

    If you spend the majority of your time in first position, item boxes will only produce bananas and coins (with the very occasional useful item, such as a horn, being immediately forfeited by a lightning strike before an opportunity to use it arises), and you'll be continuously bombarded by AI opponents (especially on the final lap) with Blooper ink, blue and red shells, and lightning (which you recover from slower than other players) until you inevitably lose the race. This isn't as much of an issue in the 50cc class, where closing the distance on incapacitated players takes longer, but for all other classes it very much is.

    Item box outcomes should be utilizing randomly generated numbers with slight offsets. The keyword being "slight". A player in first position should not be limited to bananas and coins, and a player in last position should not be guaranteed high-powered offensive items.

    I also believe that the default controller configuration needs to be initially obvious to players. My girlfriend and I spent several races bemused at why the steering was randomly ineffective, until we discovered that both smart-steering and tilt-steering were both enabled, which was fighting against our intended actions. An initial prompt on our first race would have made us aware that these controller assist options existed, and allowed us to disable them if desired.

    My final criticism is that there seemingly isn't any long-term appeal for Mario Kart 8. Once you've raced in (and presumably won the trophies for) the various cups, which takes a weekend of your time, that's it. What other motivation for playing is there? Sure, you can fire it up when friends visit, but once again, the local multi-player is largely ruined by the artificial balancing system.

    If the game play gets tweaked in the future, I will return to revise my review. Currently, however, I just don't think it's worth the $70 AUD asking price.    … Expand
  19. WalElefant6512
    May 17, 2020
    5
    so...
    This Game has Good Gameplay, Track,Free DLC and everything important that needs a Mario Kart.
    BUT there are a lot of things why this Game isnt a good one. First im a person that dont play Games to Pas some Time games are in my Eyes only good if there have Somthing Speciel ore somfing thats make the Game to ART. When i am real this Game is UNDER Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart    so...
    This Game has Good Gameplay, Track,Free DLC and everything important that needs a Mario Kart.
    BUT there are a lot of things why this Game isnt a good one.
    First im a person that dont play Games to Pas some Time games are in my Eyes only good if there have Somthing Speciel ore somfing thats make the Game to ART.
    When i am real this Game is UNDER Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8(Becuse its a Port)
    So there are a LOT of Downgrades in this Game that are for Normal Persons Not very Specil but for Game Designers Like Me you must do a view from another Pespctive.
    Lets Get into it.
    First:
    This Game has PINK GOLD PEACH ok thats not really a fact but its a Worst caracter ok.
    Second:
    This Game has fewer animations then MARIO KART WII lol, Like Trick Jumping in the First Game where this Got Invented the Caracters had more Animations than Today WHY i dont now.
    Also where is My Camera show from all Posebil Perspectivs like MKWII in this game the camera is after Win/Lose only in the third person front WHY.
    Third:
    The Music i dont mean the Track Music this is Good but the Hub Music ore The Win / Lose Music is SO BAD i dont now if this is my one feling but really The Music is Bad in this Game.
    Forth: This is a port and added absolutly NOTHING new to the Game (Tracks dont count).
    So there are a lot of things why this Game is Bad/Good but i dont wanna Tell all of it ye.    … Expand
  20. likefurnis
    Apr 21, 2022
    6
    As unfair as ever. As unfair as ever. As unfair as ever. As unfair as ever. As unfair as ever. As unfair as ever.
  21. aditya1101
    Jan 27, 2018
    7
    Another awesome game in the mario kart series - super fun, and tons of improvements to the graphics, characters, courses, etc. It loses a point for having a garbage battle mode though :(
  22. OscarAdcock
    Mar 2, 2018
    7
    Hey its Mario kart with shiny graphics, all your favourite tracks and ink boy and ink girl. What can I say its a mastapeece. But seriously it feels slightly worse than the wii u version but this is probably just because of my hatred for the joy cons.
  23. wpng
    Jun 1, 2018
    6
    To me, the Mario Kart franchise feels a little boring. Racing in singleplayer mode feels kind of meaningless. And I think that mainly has to do with the lack of rewards, especially in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. All of the levels are already unlocked when you first start the game up. For example, in Mario Kart Wii you have to unlock all of the levels thru playing singleplayer mode. So that whenTo me, the Mario Kart franchise feels a little boring. Racing in singleplayer mode feels kind of meaningless. And I think that mainly has to do with the lack of rewards, especially in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. All of the levels are already unlocked when you first start the game up. For example, in Mario Kart Wii you have to unlock all of the levels thru playing singleplayer mode. So that when you unlock those levels it acts as a reward for playing the singleplayer mode. Sure you can get trophies in Deluxe, but you cant doing anything with them. This game shines in its Online matches and multiplayer mode.… Expand
  24. Szymonhead
    Mar 16, 2018
    6
    For me, I would say this is one of the weaker Mario kart games. Although I do enjoy it.. Just meh. I don't enjoy it that much. It has bad characters, good game play, an ok mechanic and bland tracks. Out of the 8, I would put this at #4 which is the middle
  25. Kire_92
    Aug 20, 2018
    6
    A fun and relaxing game that’s perfect to play when on the go or with friends. The game is very well made with a lot of charm and you can tell that Nintendo have invested a lot of passion when making the game. The local and online multiplayer is where this game really shines. It provides a bigger challenge when playing online and when playing with friends it’s easy for those who don’t playA fun and relaxing game that’s perfect to play when on the go or with friends. The game is very well made with a lot of charm and you can tell that Nintendo have invested a lot of passion when making the game. The local and online multiplayer is where this game really shines. It provides a bigger challenge when playing online and when playing with friends it’s easy for those who don’t play games that much too just jump in and play alongside you. The racing part of the game is also very satisfying and fun and feels very polished.

    Though there are some problems with the game in my opinion. I wish there was more tracks that was a bit longer. Most races last only about 3 minutes and it would be nice to have more options in the lengths of races. The game also has a problem that it can get boring fast. It’s not a game that I can play for a few hours and still feel entertained. Most sessions only last 30 – 60 minutes before I want to stop playing. It somehow starts to feel repetitive and does not offer much variety and lacks meaningful progression and rewards. Though after putting the game down and returning the next day I have no problem in playing it for another 30 minutes when on the go.

    Overall the game is a fun, casual game that’s perfect when I just want to have a bit of fun. Though it does not offer anything extraordinary and works only as a bit of temporary fun for me and my friends, but it does that job very good and I love playing it from time to time.    … Expand
  26. Rens
    Feb 28, 2018
    7
    Mario kart 8 deluxe is a good game and the most packed mario kart, but it does not get me hooked. I have it half a year now and it is my least played game on the switch. There are no updates, DLC or events. I only play it when a friend wants to play on the switch, only because it is my only couch multiplayer on the switch.

    So if you love mario kart and have a lot of friends and you like    Mario kart 8 deluxe is a good game and the most packed mario kart, but it does not get me hooked. I have it half a year now and it is my least played game on the switch. There are no updates, DLC or events. I only play it when a friend wants to play on the switch, only because it is my only couch multiplayer on the switch.

    So if you love mario kart and have a lot of friends and you like to play games with them. Only then I would recommend it.    … Expand
  27. Discocow
    Apr 6, 2018
    6
    I was kind of disappointed that there wasn't a lot of new content like new tracks, but we did get new characters and a few new game modes. if you enjoyed Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U then you will love the switch version.
  28. GloryBust
    May 3, 2018
    7
    It's good. but let's go over the ground rules.
    Controls: God forbid you use Motion control and I usually play with a Pro Controller and it makes my hand's cramp.
    Overall just use it in portable mode.
  29. Cesar3
    May 26, 2020
    5
    Buen juego, una lastima q solo sea un refrito del de la anterior consola de ninttendo
  30. Pantufas
    Jun 19, 2018
    7
    It's a good game, however doesn't bring anything new, its fun co-op/multiplayer game, however it can get boring after a few races.
    The singleplayer is the weak part of the game, no story, not much difficulty or anything different than the multiplayer, so might as well play with people.
    This game can be very frustrating and kinda unfair often and I think there are better co-op games for    It's a good game, however doesn't bring anything new, its fun co-op/multiplayer game, however it can get boring after a few races.
    The singleplayer is the weak part of the game, no story, not much difficulty or anything different than the multiplayer, so might as well play with people.
    This game can be very frustrating and kinda unfair often and I think there are better co-op games for the switch and this one is definitely Not a must have.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Switch Game of 2017
4
#4 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
4
#4 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 95 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 95
  3. Negative: 0 out of 95
  1. Power Unlimited
    Oct 19, 2017
    85
    You could see Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as an easy port, because it is to a certain extent. But it would be silly to disregard the ultimate fun this kart experience offers because of this. If you have a Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an essential purchase you will play for over three years and never regret buying.
    Read full review
  2. Wired UK
    Aug 30, 2017
    90
    Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a refinement rather than a remaster, but one that corrects the few flaws of its predecessor. It would be nice if there was just a bit more new content to help justify the full price release, or if you didn't have to unlock kart mods all over again, but for the foreseeable future, this is the definitive – and best – Mario Kart experience.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 5, 2017
    60
    Funny racing game featuring the most popular tracks from all older sequels and versions. Don’t waste your time with reality – shoot the enemy with the turtle shell! [Issue#275]
See all critic reviews »