Mario Kart 8

 Wii U
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2023 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,789 out of 2023
  2. Mixed: 86 out of 2023
  3. Negative: 148 out of 2023
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  1. Forbod
    Sep 22, 2014
    5
    While i'm a huge fan of most Nintendo games I have to say that Mariokart 8 was a bit of a let down. Don't let the massive hype and undying fan-dom of people fool you into thinking that all Nintendo games are super fantastic perfect games. While Mariokart 8 sported great graphics and fun gameplay. It did however lack in the character department sporting many unpopular Bowser spawns andWhile i'm a huge fan of most Nintendo games I have to say that Mariokart 8 was a bit of a let down. Don't let the massive hype and undying fan-dom of people fool you into thinking that all Nintendo games are super fantastic perfect games. While Mariokart 8 sported great graphics and fun gameplay. It did however lack in the character department sporting many unpopular Bowser spawns and baby versions of characters. But what really destroyed my love for this game is the realization that the game purposefully punishes winners and rewards losers during a race via the power up system. Whereas if you are holding 1st place you have a 90% chance of receiving just coins (Even if you have your max 10/10 coins) from the power-up cubes and a 0% chance of getting any strong power ups. The best you may receive is a single mushroom boost or a green shell but those are very very rare. This leaves anyone trying to hold 1st at a huge disadvantage and completely defenseless and usually easily beat at the last stretch of the race unless the person in 1st is a extremely far ahead.

    All and all I kinda regret paying 60 bucks for this game and the only real fun i get from is it playing with friends locally.    … Expand
  2. BeanTheDuck
    Jun 4, 2015
    5
    The same old Mario Kart is here with almost nothing new and it is more boring than ever but is pretty to look at because of the HD. I would recommend the DS and 3DS game over this WIIU title.
  3. pxsh
    Aug 21, 2015
    7
    Great game overall, fantastic singleplayer experience, run in smooth 60 fps which is a major upgrade from the older series. Lots of tracks and a decent AI that does not seem to cheat too much, as the old MK games did. The Game lacks a proper Battle mode and it's a shame and disgrace towards all fans of the series to skip this in favor for a"new and innovative" battle mode, whichGreat game overall, fantastic singleplayer experience, run in smooth 60 fps which is a major upgrade from the older series. Lots of tracks and a decent AI that does not seem to cheat too much, as the old MK games did. The Game lacks a proper Battle mode and it's a shame and disgrace towards all fans of the series to skip this in favor for a"new and innovative" battle mode, which demonstrably have been proven quite boring by too many players, including me. A question for Nintendo, where is the classic battle map DLC or any hints regarding a possibility ? The 7 out of 10 score from me is due to the great singleplayer experience. Don't buy this and expect some great multiplayer experience like in the former games in the series.… Expand
  4. Mikeylano
    Jun 2, 2014
    7
    Most reviews fail to point out any of MK8's flaws. I shall attempt to do so. Nevertheless, I bought the Wii U specifically for this game and I am glad I did. It is a masterpiece, but it is not perfect.

    Everything is great, except for: - Ability to hold a weapon in reserve: Now you can only hold one item at a time. You cannot hold, for example, a banana behind you for defence whilst    Most reviews fail to point out any of MK8's flaws. I shall attempt to do so. Nevertheless, I bought the Wii U specifically for this game and I am glad I did. It is a masterpiece, but it is not perfect.

    Everything is great, except for:

    - Ability to hold a weapon in reserve: Now you can only hold one item at a time. You cannot hold, for example, a banana behind you for defence whilst hitting an item box to get something else in reserve. This feature was removed unnecessarily. Now, if you are in 1st, you simply hold on to whatever defensive item you get, rather than attempting to sabotage 2nd place (in fear that you may get a coin). This makes the game significantly less tactical.

    - No on-screen map: whilst there is a map on the game pad, it is not as practical as having one at a glance on the television screen. It also makes playing with a Pro Controller more difficult. Checking whether and who is fast approaching is now not as easy unless you pause the game, lift the pad up and try to retain concentration or use the rear view mirror, which may only give you a brief snapshot of what is going on behind. This pales in usefulness to a full map which shows you the precise location of everyone (including those ahead) in an instant.

    - No quick way to compare vehicles and parts: There should be a compare button that allows you to select one vehicle/part and track the bars of others against it. The only practical way to compare is looking up an online table.

    - Online track voting: no longer can you select any of the tracks. You are given a selection of four tracks, or can simply opt for any random course. This is a step backwards.

    - Awful battle mode: I am alarmed at how bad this is. There are no arenas - you just race around (a select few of) the normal tracks firing at each other. This is so bad that it makes you wonder whether the game was rushed.

    - No horizontal two-player split screen: the only available mode is vertical. This makes it very difficult to see around sharp corners in advance, and caters for the few times that the camera deviates slightly on the diagonal. Give players the option at least.

    - Character selection: too many babies and repeats. You can play as three types of Mario and Peach. The Koopalings are a nice addition but at the expense of great characters like Diddy Kong. Why is "Pink Gold Peach" more iconic than Diddy, Dixie or King Boo?

    - "View replay" is default selection after race: by default, "next race" should be selected, not view replay. This gets frustrating when you just want to get to the next race but through 20 years of habit press A only to be presented with the replay screen.

    - AI: unfortunately the AI seems to cheat quite a lot. Thankfully, now that online is the centrepiece, this does not matter so much. You can really tell the difference in challenge when you play against the AI and then online. The AI has faultless accuracy for items like green shells and the boomerang, and seems to get the perfect item to ruin your race at just the right time. Expect bloopers on the last section of Grumble Volcano and blue shells in the last 20 seconds of a race when you are winning (this usually happens at least once every grand prix).

    - Weapon distribution: Weapons from 1st to 6th place are invariably on the weak side. Mushrooms, coins and single bananas/shells are very common. Things only get interesting in the lower half of the pack, unless you race on frantic mode. In past MK games, 3rd place and below usually netted you something more powerful, such as triple red shells. However, even at the back of the pack, it is still entirely possible to get weak items, whilst those in the middle get high powered ones. This is very bizarre.

    -Effect of coins: I think the return of coins is a great idea, but they are so important that driving skill is less important than whether you have 10 coins or not. The problem is that when you get hit or fall off, you lose three coins. This means that people in the middle of the pack are less likely to ever catch up with first place because they are constantly battling it out between each other and slowing each other down. In my experience, most races have one person far out in front and an explosive pack of people in 3rd - 10th that is anyone's game.

    - Retro track selection. Personally I think there are too many tracks from the handheld games, although all of them are done well. However, I think Toad's Turnpike should NOT have included anti gravity elements, because this means that the main focus of the track - bustling amongst the traffic - is lost.

    This may seem like a lot of criticism, but overall it still means that MK8 is a great game. All the tracks are enjoyable to play (although I don't think any of them are spectacular), the music is great and the racing itself is very smooth. The way the blue shell works (back to N64 days) is very welcome. No doubt I will be playing it for many years to come, hopefully with patches.    … Expand
  5. emwick81
    Jun 27, 2014
    6
    Mario Kart 8 would have been much more enjoyable had it allowed arenas for battle mode. I long for the battle mode days of the SNES. It is nearly impossible to track down one's opponents in the race track battle mode environment of Mario Kart 8. Nintendo, please correct this!! Otherwise, this will be the last Mario Kart that I buy. Thanks for your consideration.
  6. Celever
    Jun 8, 2014
    6
    In a game series such as Mario Kart, breaking the bar and delivering a truly fantastic addition to the series is far more difficult than one would first think. Mario Kart 8 is overall a great game and is a lot of fun to play, however there are several design choices which I highly disagree with. The most noticeable is, of course, there being no map on your television screen. Looking downIn a game series such as Mario Kart, breaking the bar and delivering a truly fantastic addition to the series is far more difficult than one would first think. Mario Kart 8 is overall a great game and is a lot of fun to play, however there are several design choices which I highly disagree with. The most noticeable is, of course, there being no map on your television screen. Looking down to your gamepad for a map is also very detrimental to your race, and having to do so will hinder more than help. This was especially noticeable in battle mode, where a map is more necessary than ever as you try to navigate full-sized tracks in order to find another player.
    Another less noticeable design choice was that after a race in a Grand Prix or Versus race cup, you cannot merely mash the "A" or "2" button to move on to the next course. This is because they placed "View Highlight Reel" above "Next Race" or "View Results" in the menu, which has made me have to view the replays unnecessarily. Especially because, let's be honest here, very few people view replays of their races. This leads on to another complaint I have; it feels as if the development team hasn't tried to refine the game properly, and spent their time on unnecessary features such as Mario Kart TV, which is essentially a primeval version of the "Mario Kart Channel" we saw back in 2007 for Mario Kart Wii. A couple of noticeable cases of not refining the game properly is the lack of a stopwatch, and having the scores added or subtracted to your ratings disappearing after a short amount of time.
    The game is also unfortunately easy. The whole point of Mario Kart is to be hectic, exciting and a fun multi-player experience. This game seems to be more like a generic racing game the likes you would find on other consoles. The Special Cup had me falling off of it a total of 2 times my first time playing this game (which was 150cc) when I truly didn't know the tracks. Both "Rainbow Road" tracks have too many walls for a finale, and other, actually quite hectic tracks such as Cloudtop Cruise or even the very first Mario Kart Stadium are pretty much lined with walls the whole way through. However, one of those examples is from the Mushroom Cup and the other from the Special Cup. This game has no difficulty curve! This is especially apparent when DK Jungle, from Mario Kart 7's Special Cup, appears in the Banana Cup of all things. Arguably the hardest new track in the game, Mount Wario, is in the Star Cup, not the Special... I could go on.
    However, one must give credit where credit is due. It is likely that all of the retro tracks have had to have been made from scratch, as many redesigned parts have been placed in the tracks, along with all textures now being HD. Unfortunately, I prefer the retro tracks to the new tracks almost unanimously, but there are a few new courses which I think are going to be all-time favourites for me, such as Cloud Top Cruise. The Anti-Gravity is an incredibly fun feature, and it seems quite chaotic whilst driving through them in a pack. However, there are times where it seems quite tacked on (such as in Wario Stadium). In a franchise like Mario Kart, you have such high expectations to have to try and live up to it is no wonder this game isn't quite as good as others in the series. However, this is the worst game in the franchise, but it is still quite close.
    However, this doesn't stop it being an incredibly fun game, and while it doesn't appeal to me, I'm sure it appeals to many other players. It looks gorgeous, as has been stated repeatedly over the Internet, but graphics alone don't make a game. Not once have I had a sudden urge to play Mario Kart 8 since buying the game. However, this is because the game doesn't appeal to me because what I see in a Mario Kart game is a short burst of fun-filled adrenaline with items and constant shifting of the places. What I see in Mario Kart 8 is a serious racing game the likes of the Dirt series featured on other consoles.

    In short, if you want a serious racing game, I would buy Dirt 3 and an Xbox 360 over the far more expensive Mario Kart 8 and Wii U. If you want a fun and hectic Mario Kart game, a Nintendo GameCube (or Wii!) and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! would be the better option for you, along with Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Wii in that order. If you already have a Wii U, then Mario Kart 8 is a very worthwhile game to pick up in the shallow game library the system has.    … Expand
  7. Aayph
    Jun 3, 2014
    7
    I'm a bit disappointed by most of the reviews here, especially the 10 point reviews.
    Many praising for the good old Mario Kart in HD, the sales bringer for the Wii U.
    As hardcore Nintendo / Mario fan it seems you are not allowed anymore to note something negative, otherwise you might be a hater... But let us face it straight - As Hardcore Mario Kart gamer it's letting me down. Of    I'm a bit disappointed by most of the reviews here, especially the 10 point reviews.
    Many praising for the good old Mario Kart in HD, the sales bringer for the Wii U.
    As hardcore Nintendo / Mario fan it seems you are not allowed anymore to note something negative, otherwise you might be a hater...

    But let us face it straight - As Hardcore Mario Kart gamer it's letting me down.
    Of course the game has many good points and it's still an excellent game, but if you played Double Dash, or the Wii version and you played it really hardcore you will find many difference in the Balancing of the game which will annoy you.

    Lets start with the positive:
    -> Best Graphics in a Mario Kart game so far
    -> New Type of Vehicle, Quads
    -> You can build your vehicle as you like (comp. to Wii)
    -> Wonderful track design

    Points that are neutral, mostly depends on personal taste:
    -> New Items - There are good and bad additions
    -> Character Selection - Some nice characters have removed, some have been added
    -> Wheelies have been removed (comp. to Wii)
    -> Item rates depending on place have been greatly change, less different items for first places etc.
    -> Redesign of old tracks (+because it's not just a copy, -because they have become less interesting)

    Negative things:
    -> You can now only hold 1 items, removes strategy aspect from the game
    -> Tracks are easy to master, it requires not much skill anymore to drive good times
    -> Game became more luck based because of the new balancing

    For me the races do not feel that intense anymore as on the Wii, I've the feeling I've less control over what happens with me. It was always the case you could have a good or a bad phase, you could easily drop to the last place or with luck having a comeback and win the race from last place.
    In Mario Kart 8 it seems more usual that you drop a lot places, then gain a lot places again etc. the field is more tight together, but this does not mean it makes more interesting, it makes it just more annoying.

    In my opinion the game has become even more casual than it already was, so for people playing from time to time, families and Kids it's great. But for people who also wanted to drive for competition need to look for a new game.

    Actually subjective I would give it rather 4-5 Points, but from objective view it's more 7 - 7,5 points.

    I as Nintendo fan boy and Mario Lover hope the next game becomes more intense again, but Mario Kart has lost the status for me as 'must buy game'.

    - Former Mario Kart Wii player with a 9999 score    … Expand
  8. Rikkaiser
    Jun 11, 2014
    5
    Mario Kart 8 is a step backwards for the Mario Kart franchise. It's getting a lot of positive attention, as you would expect a Mario Kart game to get. I think people are beginning to disregard any flaws that a Mario Kart game may have now because of a delusion that all of these games are perfect. If this is your first time picking up a Mario Kart game, I would recommend Mario Kart Wii overMario Kart 8 is a step backwards for the Mario Kart franchise. It's getting a lot of positive attention, as you would expect a Mario Kart game to get. I think people are beginning to disregard any flaws that a Mario Kart game may have now because of a delusion that all of these games are perfect. If this is your first time picking up a Mario Kart game, I would recommend Mario Kart Wii over this game, if you already have a Wii or Wii U. So why don't I like Mario Kart 8? They changed things that didn't need to be changed. It felt like they took content out. They added things that didn't need to be added. And worst of all, it feels like it was lazy. I'll get the positive things out of the way now, because I'd like to put more emphasis on the negative aspects. The game is fun, as usual. The game is gorgeous, too. The graphics are very nice to look at, the music sounds pretty good. They added a Piranha Plant power-up, which I thought was a strong and good addition- it chomps every few seconds, giving you a small boost each time and grabbing/attacking anything on your screen (even the Blooper that sprays ink). They also added a Music Box power-up, which was an excellent addition because it sends out a shock wave around the user, flipping any nearby enemy drivers and destroying any incoming hostile projectiles (including the Blue Shell) or any bad things left on the road. It's a power-up that requires skill and timing, and there can never be enough of that. Online mode is pretty smooth, I've never lagged and I've never had any problems finding people or connecting. Bikes were also made more similar to karts, which, while it takes away some of the uniqueness of bikes, adds a bit more balance to the game. The game also lets you take on the Grand Prix with your friends, something that should have been added a long time ago. That's it for the good. Time for the bad. And there's a lot more of it. When I first started the game, the first thing I did was look up a list of specific prerequisites to unlock characters (sorry, I didn't feel like finding out for myself), and the characters themselves. When I found something to read, it told me that all the characters are unlocked in a random order. That's stupid. In Mario Kart Wii, there was the more difficult-to-get Dry Bowser, who seemed awesome. And you know how you unlock him? By getting a one star rating or higher on all the new 150cc cups. Not too difficult, but was definitely satisfying to complete that specific goal and have that character waiting for you as a reward. Dry Bowser is just my favorite example- there are plenty of other characters that were unlocked in many different unique and specific ways. Mario Kart 8, however, has the universal method of coming in 1st place in any cup, unlocking one character per gold trophy. So you can't just go for the characters you want by taking on specific challenges- you just play and hope the game gives you the character you want (if there are even any on MK8's roster). My experience works out perfectly for this review- the only character I wanted was the last one I unlocked. That was real nice. Oh, and yeah, I only cared about one- Rosalina. The rest of the roster was garbage. They used all 7 Koopaling bosses from the original Super Mario World. While I was amazed and happy at first, realizing that they put ALL SEVEN of them in the game ruined any kind of excitement and nostalgia I felt. That was a lazy choice. And in case there weren't enough babies, Baby Rosalina joined the fray! Because, you know, we need more of the same exact character. Metal Mario is kinda cool I guess. Lakitu is okay, I love Rosalina, and the heavy/metal versions of Mario and Peach were fine. But, in my opinion, the rest of the roster was lame and lazy. 2-player split screen was made worse. The screen is now divided with a vertical line instead of a horizontal one, making your vision of what you actually need to see worse. Battle Mode was butchered. This one was painful. Remember those fun, arena-like tracks where you could have balloon battles in a frenzy? They're gone. The new selection of courses to battle on are just a few of the actual racetracks from the game. This was one of the stupidest decisions they made. They added some power-ups that are horrible. There's a Coin as a power-up now. It gives you a barely noticeable speed boost and two coins. Useless. There's also a Boomerang, which is seemingly impossible to aim. The "8" is stupid too, because it consists of 7 mediocre power-ups and a Star. But you have hardly any control what order they're used in, so I just mash the button until I get the Star. If you hold a power-up behind/around you now, like a banana peel, it doesn't empty your item slot. This takes away strategy from the game. Finally, the new anti-gravity mechanic is practically unnoticeable. I'm sorry to end it so abruptly, and I had more to say, but I'm reaching the character limit. Mario Kart 8 is a disappointment to the franchise… Expand
  9. Hardycore
    May 31, 2014
    6
    Having read some of the reviews, I can't understand why people rate this game so high. Of course everyone has their own opinion, but I'm not that fond of it.

    Let's start with the good stuff. The game looks gorgeous. That, coming from someone who doesn't care about the graphics much, that means a lot. The soundtrack is nice too. It is very fitting. What this game is lacking, however,    Having read some of the reviews, I can't understand why people rate this game so high. Of course everyone has their own opinion, but I'm not that fond of it.

    Let's start with the good stuff.
    The game looks gorgeous. That, coming from someone who doesn't care about the graphics much, that means a lot. The soundtrack is nice too. It is very fitting.

    What this game is lacking, however, is skill to master it. It is a nice and very fun game for any casual gamer and even my friend who is really bad at games in general, liked it.

    But that's just it. It's easy and simple. There isn't much to be good at.

    I'm not saying it doesn't take skill at all. It matters where you drive and there are several ways to take shortcuts. There are also several ways to increase speed. However, most tricks, if not all, you'll learn your first day.

    The courses have gotten somewhat easier, the AI worse and items aren't as devastating as they used to be (which is a good thing). Having played mainly mario kart double dash, I have to say it has gotten worse instead of better. In double dash, you had to push enemies around and picking characters actually mattered. Each character had their own unique item, and that was certainly a very strong point.

    In mario kart 8, the characters don't matter besides the 3 (6) weight categories. They simply look different. There is a whole lot of characters to unlock and if they would have been different from one another, it certainly would have added more depth to the game. Sure, it's nice to play with your favorite character, but for someone who's less interested in the lay out and cares more about the gameplay, it isn't really worth unlocking them.

    A nice addition to the game is the option to build your own carts/bikes. Each part has their own stats, which is nice, but to me, the stats don't seem to matter much. Different bikes/cars don't require a unique way of driving, besides the difference between bikes and cars. The parts also often have the same stats, making it also visuals, pretty much.

    Cool about this game is that it has zero gravity. You can drive upside down and on the walls. I also like the flying parts. However, because of the way the camera always follows the car, you can't really see the difference between being upside down or not. The flying parts are cool, but what would have been really nice is if it was optional. Being able to turn your car into a kite at all times. It would allow all sorts of techniques to get past obstacles and would add much more depth.

    Something else I don't really like about this game is the lack of options. There is no option screen whatsoever. No way to turn down the music or change the controls. Also, using any controller other than the gamepad is somewhat buggy. Whenever you lay down your controller for a while, you can't pick it up and keep on playing. Instead, it suddenly goes to the gamepad, forcing to use that instead.

    The game is also rather short, because it's so easy. At 150 CC you finally get the feeling you have to do something, so you can finish the game the first day. Luckily you can play online, so the game becomes both more challenging and it extends the duration. It's just not something I enjoy, because it doesn't take much skill but a whole lot of luck.

    Overall:
    It's a very fun game. It's casual and relaxing and lots of fun with friends. But casual it is. It is in no way competitive. The game doesn't take much skill to master, but it is very dependent on items, meaning it is a very luck based game. In competitions, you try to avoid luck based factors as much as possible and in this game it can't be avoided, especially because the game doesn't have much else to offer.

    The graphics are great and the music is good too. The game plays like a charm and everyone can jump right in, without needing a lot of practise. You can play with all controllers (from gamepad to nunchuks), so everyone can use whatever they want.

    Overall I give this game a 6.5    … Expand
  10. GridironCJ
    Jun 12, 2014
    6
    Mario Kart 8 is a fun game, but it fails to take the series anywhere it hasn't been before and suffers from Nintendo's laziness in a few areas. Let's start off with the good. There are plenty of courses and a decent roster of characters to choose from. Nintendo added a little more depth by being able to choose your vehicle type, tires, and air peripheral. The game is colorful and looksMario Kart 8 is a fun game, but it fails to take the series anywhere it hasn't been before and suffers from Nintendo's laziness in a few areas. Let's start off with the good. There are plenty of courses and a decent roster of characters to choose from. Nintendo added a little more depth by being able to choose your vehicle type, tires, and air peripheral. The game is colorful and looks decent for a Nintendo game. Why am I saying decent a lot? I'm simply not very impressed overall with this game. The graphics, while decent for a Nintendo game, are still very lackluster. There are a lot of rough edges and the detail just isn't there. Then again, I have higher standards than the average gamer. Additionally, you can no longer carry more than one item at a time. This makes the game a little less strategic, which is unfortunate. The battle mode is probably the worst-executed part of the game. There aren't even specialized maps for battle. Nintendo literally took some of the race courses and made them battle courses. Online multiplayer is also very underwhelming, as you cannot fill and entire race with human opponents.

    Overall, Mario Kart 8 is a fun, but lacking game. It would be nice to see Nintendo try a little harder next time and not take the easy way out in so many areas.    … Expand
  11. ozorxoron
    Jun 9, 2014
    6
    This is an incredibly fun game don't get me wrong, if you enjoy doing the same thing over and over and over then this is the game for you, it's just it lacks any real content. Sure it has a lot of tracks, but 50% of those tracks are pulled from previous games, some of which are absolutely tedious and make me question who in their right mind decided to bring them back. The variety ofThis is an incredibly fun game don't get me wrong, if you enjoy doing the same thing over and over and over then this is the game for you, it's just it lacks any real content. Sure it has a lot of tracks, but 50% of those tracks are pulled from previous games, some of which are absolutely tedious and make me question who in their right mind decided to bring them back. The variety of characters is very poor, it's mainly an assortment of your usual Mario, Luigi and Peach and then the babified versions of those characters and even metal versions of Mario and Peach. The variety is sorely lacking with the characters, I have no idea why as there's a lot of characters to choose from in the Mario-verse.

    My biggest problem with this game comes from the lack of things to do, sure racing is fun for a few hours against the AI, then you realise over a decade later they still haven't fixed the AI to target anyone but you, so that spoils racing against the AI. The multiplayer is fun, sure, when you're not being disconnected from races. Even then it's just a matter of time before this games goes from amazing fun to tedium as you're just playing the same maps with the same vehicle over and over with nothing really changing.

    A fun game, but a lacking one.    … Expand
  12. Vanpire73
    Jun 6, 2014
    7
    Pretty fun, but it's still no Diddy Kong Racing. Having an answer for the blue shell is welcome and the HD graphics are an improvement, but at the end of the day it's essentially the same thing it's always been.
  13. ynotownemall
    Jun 1, 2014
    7
    I really wanted to love this game but as it is I only like it. It looks fantastic and has a good variety of tracks. The player roster leaves a little to be desired, there should be less babies and koopa kids and more of the other toons we all like (Samus).

    But when push comes to shove this is just the same Mario Kart game (that some of us have been playing since the SNES) with pretty    I really wanted to love this game but as it is I only like it. It looks fantastic and has a good variety of tracks. The player roster leaves a little to be desired, there should be less babies and koopa kids and more of the other toons we all like (Samus).

    But when push comes to shove this is just the same Mario Kart game (that some of us have been playing since the SNES) with pretty graphics.

    This is still a good game and any Mario Kart fan should pick it up, but it could have been great, Nintendo were simply to scared to take any real chances with it.    … Expand
  14. lordrichington
    Jun 4, 2014
    5
    As far as value goes, given that we got a free game with it - this game is worth it.

    This is only aimed at the veteran. Disregard and buy if you are new to MK. I give this game 5/10 because for all its colourful splendour - it was still boring me, an hour in. .. It just has really very little new to offer. Most of the additional things are cute but gimmicky stuff that will only    As far as value goes, given that we got a free game with it - this game is worth it.

    This is only aimed at the veteran. Disregard and buy if you are new to MK.

    I give this game 5/10 because for all its colourful splendour - it was still boring me, an hour in.

    .. It just has really very little new to offer. Most of the additional things are cute but gimmicky stuff that will only be used if you're stuck in the later places, looking for something to boost you back into contention. I don't begrudge that, but I know how to play the game so I just barely see that - and really, the longer you play the game, the less interest you have in the items.

    Sure, we get customisation of "parts" to karts - but at the end of the day, that just doesn't really have much impact.

    Tracks look nice, but are fairly easy and you're effectively vying for first place, during your first lap (there are no real surprises). Drive well, slide round corners, rinse and repeat. We've been here before.

    Who really cares whether we're underwater or hovering on jets? Either way, the aim is to slide around the corners with the EXACT SAME handling.

    My point is, there is no further effective changes to game play and really quite frustratingly there are no battle tracks, which means you're really basically reduced to doing the same thing you were doing on the previous game.

    It might sound like I'm trolling to give it 5/10, but it's the eighth game in this series and if you're a veteran, you can go buy a very lowly rated game and at least get an hour into it without being tired. I haven't played a single minute of mario kart in about 2 years, prior to playing this and it was instantly underwhelming.

    It's still ok at the price and current offer, but it's certainly a very mediocre effort by Nintendo - who have in the past really innovated - and with the state of this console, I really expected more. Give us race modes, give us battle arenas, give us handicap options, something!

    When you've played this game for a couple of hours, you will realise this game is iterative. There may be tons of gushing reviews at the moment, but that will wash away, soon enough.    … Expand
  15. NeedleBanger
    Aug 28, 2014
    5
    Take a look at the number of positive reviews vs. negative ones for this game, that should give you a little microcosm of the ratio between idiots & people with brains in this world. I love that one moron: "GO OUT AND BUY A Wii U FOR THIS GAME". Good lord buddy, I bet you're required by law to wear a hockey helmet every time you walk to the corner store. This game SUCKS and will entertainTake a look at the number of positive reviews vs. negative ones for this game, that should give you a little microcosm of the ratio between idiots & people with brains in this world. I love that one moron: "GO OUT AND BUY A Wii U FOR THIS GAME". Good lord buddy, I bet you're required by law to wear a hockey helmet every time you walk to the corner store. This game SUCKS and will entertain somebody with brain cells for a week tops. Anybody who gave this game a score of 9 or higher has no clue what they're talking about. If you bought a Wii U I already feel sorry for you, and don't give Nintendo any more money until they finally deserve it (this isn't the time). This game is for 5 year olds, and stupid ones at that, who will never have a clue. It would suck to just be starting off in this world & thinking pure trash is good all the time. If this game is a 9/10 then KILL ME NOW!… Expand
  16. DukeJon
    Jun 2, 2014
    6
    Same old same old. Too little has changed since the wii version. The anti-grav/flying parts are lifted straight from Sonic and Sega all stars racing transformed.
  17. endn
    Jul 31, 2014
    6
    Worst Mario Kart. I appreciate the updated graphics, but the core gameplay is broken. Items are no fun to use because tracks are often too wide and splits into two or more paths that racers are too far apart. Not to mention you rarely get fun item if you are top 3. Battle mode is completely ruined.

    AI cheats too obviously. For example you can be #1 for 2 laps and everybody seems to    Worst Mario Kart. I appreciate the updated graphics, but the core gameplay is broken. Items are no fun to use because tracks are often too wide and splits into two or more paths that racers are too far apart. Not to mention you rarely get fun item if you are top 3. Battle mode is completely ruined.

    AI cheats too obviously. For example you can be #1 for 2 laps and everybody seems to catch up in the last lap. Unlockables are lackluster. Ugly kart design, either too serious or too childish looking. Very unspired. Too much focus on collecting coins. Too many bowser children.

    My wife and I loved Mario Kart since Super Nintendo. It's gotten worse over the years but there were always something interesting that kept us playing. This is the first Mario Kart that my wife actually quits before we complete 100cc. Said it felt like a chore.    … Expand
  18. umafeo23
    May 31, 2014
    5
    Could have been better. They recycled the exact same elements from Mario Kart 7, 6, 5 and the ones before that. It's pretty much the exact same game with better graphics. I mean, I could understand that all Mario Karts were the same before because they were running on weak consoles that could not handle HD, but now, this console finally as the HD capability and can handle complex processesCould have been better. They recycled the exact same elements from Mario Kart 7, 6, 5 and the ones before that. It's pretty much the exact same game with better graphics. I mean, I could understand that all Mario Karts were the same before because they were running on weak consoles that could not handle HD, but now, this console finally as the HD capability and can handle complex processes that could have made the game incredible (such as the Twinkle-Vane process; makes games, especially RACING games, incredible and could only be handled by the Cell Processor and above). So yes, thanks Nintendo. Not just for giving me the same Mario Kart game every 2 years (is this CoD? same game every year), but for giving me REALLY high hopes. I am a die-hard Nintendo fan. I am ReflexionIntelectual and in my channel, already said this game disappointed me, but it's a lot more beautiful to express feelings with written words. Thank you for reading this and see ya next time!
    PS: It's funny how Nintendo fanboys are comparing this game and Watch Dogs. It's alright that you're a Nintendo fan (like me), but saying this is better than Watch Dogs? They're not even in the same genre and are COMPLETELY different games.    … Expand
  19. forestmarie
    Jun 3, 2014
    5
    I'm not going to say Mario Kart 8 is the best Mario Kart ever. I'm also not going to say it's not. It is too early to tell but all I know is its the most fun I've had in years. And with online and future downloadable updates, the sky is the limit for this well made instant masterpiece.
  20. Pongdok
    Jul 1, 2014
    6
    My wife and I were extremely excited for this game. We tried to find one of the bundles, but ended up buying the game separately. No big deal. We got home and started playing it. The come-down was pretty hard.

    The good: - Looks great - Drives alright The Bad: - Boring character selection - Unnecessary Kart customization (go play gran turismo, or whatever...) - Tracks excessively    My wife and I were extremely excited for this game. We tried to find one of the bundles, but ended up buying the game separately. No big deal. We got home and started playing it. The come-down was pretty hard.

    The good:
    - Looks great
    - Drives alright

    The Bad:
    - Boring character selection
    - Unnecessary Kart customization (go play gran turismo, or whatever...)
    - Tracks excessively wide and devoid of interesting features (Anti-G doesn't appear to actually do anything.)
    - Can't pick up a second item while trailing the first or surrounded by the 3-shell shield
    - Track maps are on the game pad, for some reason. (I know you have a directive to use the game pad as much as possible to make it feel relevant, but busting the game isn't the best approach. Nobody should be looking down at the controller while trying to play a driving game.)

    The very, very, very bad...:
    - R.I.P. Battle Mode (Some people may not care, but this was an enormous disappointment for me.)

    o.O Look at all these 10/10 reviews from what I assume are Nintendo PR spammer accounts and people who have never played a proper Mario Kart game. (You have my eternal scorn and heartfelt pity, respectively.)

    While I appreciate whatever effort has been put into this, the focus is dreadfully wrong. Graphics and attempts at innovation are fine, but if you get the feel wrong, the fun just drains away and I want to go play another game. Use a variety of play testers next time, (ideally from as many demographics as you can get) and listen to what your old, die-hard fans tell you prior to release day.

    I would play Mario Kart (SNES), Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Double Dash before this.

    I feel like my key gripe is MK8's bafflingly idiotic iteration of battle mode. Balloon battles don't belong on the circuit tracks, and they certainly don't need a dozen computer-controlled characters driving around fouling everything up. If I wanted to fight computers, I'd go race. I feel like they were put in because of the lack of proper battle arenas. Even with a bunch of extra cannon(turtle shell?)-fodder racing around in circles the 'battle tracks' feel huge and empty. There is no complex strategy and no sense of exhilaration or anticipation as you might have experienced stalking each other around the Block Fort in MK 64. In MK8, you either chase an enemy or try to joust in the second or two between when you see him and when you pass each other. This new battle mode is unplayable garbage, not worthy of a top-tier Nintendo release. Seriously, whoever gave the O.K. for this needs to get out of the video game industry and go become an accountant or investment banker.

    If there is no patch to address some of these issues, then this was my last Mario Kart game. I'd feel completely cheated if it hadn't come with a download code for Pikmin 3.

    I am holding out hope that the new Smash Bros. won't be a dumpster fire like this drek. If that's rubbish, I'll probably just play the Project M mod for Brawl and retire Nintendo to nostalgia-town. They have the intellectual property and the talent, but they've lost the Soul.    … Expand
  21. X-fushion
    Sep 12, 2014
    7
    This game is overrated within the context of it own series, While Mario Kart 8 is a solid, fun and well designed (for the most part) it has some issues that put it away from "perfection". In the core Mario Kart 8 is great, the tracks are well designed and every single one has an unique charm, both visually and technically also you don't feel that the tracks are the same all of them hadThis game is overrated within the context of it own series, While Mario Kart 8 is a solid, fun and well designed (for the most part) it has some issues that put it away from "perfection". In the core Mario Kart 8 is great, the tracks are well designed and every single one has an unique charm, both visually and technically also you don't feel that the tracks are the same all of them had "personality", their own gimmicks and obstacles making them fun and challenging to play. Other welcome addition new vehicle customization the game, is kind of basic but works well, it suits your play style better and the vehicle classes (Kart ,bike, sport bike and ATV) bring balance to the game and more variety some vehicles like karts are better in straight line tracks while others like the sport bikes do better in sharp curves tracks, picking your vehicle is no longer a "it looks cool" fact it's about what vehicle suits you best and it brings more depth in the game. Also Drifting and mini turbo are nearly mandatory in the game, there's no longer an automatic or manual option, fortunately performing a drifting is vey easy unlike Mario kart wii and more responsive, master it to perform the super mini turbo requires a little practice but nothing hard or out of place, while it's possible to play the game without drifting is a game breaker if you decide to not, since all the CPU by default do it, and most of the players also do it because is to simple to execute, so don’t be surprised if you lose most of the time because you are not drifting. So at this point it sounds that Mario Kart 8 is a game that involves pure skill, well yes but also involves luck in the form of items the series had since the beginning you know throwing shells at opponents, using mushrooms to boost, that kind of stuff, unfortunately the very items is the downfall of Mario Kart 8, making it a game more about luck than skill. It's true that in Mario Kart luck comes to place but in past MK games skill was a more important factor sure you can be in 10th place and get cool items like the golden mushroom and bullet bills, but no matter how good the items were they meant little if the guy at 1st place was good at driving, and Mario kart 8 is the complete opposite for the most part, is more about the items you get than how good you are at driving. Let me go more in depth in Past Mario Kart Games, Like Mario Kart Wii for instance there was always called "item priority" this means that the lower you are in the place list you'll get better offensive items like a star, 3 red shells, a lighting, etc. and the higher you were you'll get basic offensive items and more defensive items, like a single red shell, bananas, green shells etc. So it worked well giving the guy in 12th place an edge to pass the opponents while giving the guy in fist place basic items to "shield" him/herself from the rest. In Mario Kart 8 that is no more, Item priority now is random, except from the guy in first place, so now you van get stars in 3rd place, triple red shells in second, lightning in fourth and even a bullet bill in fifth place, but in 1st place is more common to get the new coin item that a defensive item like a green shell, the coins in the game act like a boost you can collect them in the track or by getting one at the item box, collect 10 of them and you'll gain a little speed boost, the problem is that collecting 10 coins is way to easy and most of the time in 1st place you'll stock up real quick, not to mention that the coin item still appears even if you are max out, this means that the game somehow has the 1st place items prioritized by making coins more common that actual items, so this means that if you manage to get to 1st place there's barley any way to defend yourself from items. So that just throw over the window the whole skill add-ons like customization and drifting, sure there's some skill involved but now the guy that gets the better items wins this is way more notorious if you play online. So follow my strategy, don't ever try to be on first place the whole race always try to be in 3rd or lower that way you'll get all the cool items while the lead player can barely do anything to protect him/herself and when the final lap comes then try to lead the race at the half of the track, is more likely that you'll win this way than by trying to speed up all the time. Also there's no battle mode, well it is but is way to broken, the battles are without a radar in the main tracks, so yeah no battle arenas just tracks, is very uncomfortable to play, you'll spend 99% of the time trying to look for the other players and is just not fun at all. Mario Kart 8 still of its flaws still a good, fun game and you can have a great time with it, but is way to far to be the best Mario kart game.… Expand
  22. rushiosan
    Oct 29, 2014
    6
    A 10/10 game if you look back at what the franchise achieved since 1990's, but a 6/10 in a matter of gameplay.

    Mario Kart 8 suffers from major problems of item balancing and the gap between skill / luck that spoiled previous entries, but this time things got even worse. To put in simple words, it punishes good players. It's not a goot thing to stay in first, second or third places    A 10/10 game if you look back at what the franchise achieved since 1990's, but a 6/10 in a matter of gameplay.

    Mario Kart 8 suffers from major problems of item balancing and the gap between skill / luck that spoiled previous entries, but this time things got even worse. To put in simple words, it punishes good players. It's not a goot thing to stay in first, second or third places because your item sorting was greatly nerfed to either coins (absolutely useless) and bananas all the time. Forget green or red shells if you're 1st to 3rd place. The game is meant to punish good players even at vs CPU races, which's absolutely atrocious and frustrating. Why is there content to unlock by winning single-player cups then? This setting works perfectly for multiplayer parties because it gives everyone in the room a chance to win against a good player, but throwing that at CPU matches is absolutely non-sense.

    I put this game down after finishing all mirror cups and I rarely play now. Videogames are meant to be enjoyed, not to frustrate you. Leave the "luck" aspect to board games and stuff.    … Expand
  23. gattienzo
    Sep 19, 2015
    6
    Juego correcto, esperé mucho más de este título. Por empezar no posee un modo historia, solo jugar y jugar partidas sin sentido, segundo los contenidos de las armas siempre tocan en funcion de la posicion en la que se esta... osea si vas primero siempre te va a tocar una moneda o cascara de banana . Tercero, el modo batalla es un chiste totalmente mal hecho . Prefiero jugar al Crash TeamJuego correcto, esperé mucho más de este título. Por empezar no posee un modo historia, solo jugar y jugar partidas sin sentido, segundo los contenidos de las armas siempre tocan en funcion de la posicion en la que se esta... osea si vas primero siempre te va a tocar una moneda o cascara de banana . Tercero, el modo batalla es un chiste totalmente mal hecho . Prefiero jugar al Crash Team Rasing de ps1… Expand
  24. vahn
    Apr 22, 2015
    7
    Before saying anything, I want to tell right away that this game is fun: there's a lot of stuff in it, a lot of characters, a lot of detail and I really enjoyed it a whole lot when I played it: the new features such as anti-gravity and the glide kind of makes it quite weird but also interesting, without ruining the flow, and a tiny bit of customization that definitely makes the game evenBefore saying anything, I want to tell right away that this game is fun: there's a lot of stuff in it, a lot of characters, a lot of detail and I really enjoyed it a whole lot when I played it: the new features such as anti-gravity and the glide kind of makes it quite weird but also interesting, without ruining the flow, and a tiny bit of customization that definitely makes the game even more personal. In other words the game is fun, and it was the game that made me purchase the Wii-U.

    AND MAN, what a boring-fest after a short while.

    Before playing this game I spent at least 50+ hours in a very similar game, and more specifically Sonic All-stars racing transformed, and I had a huge amount of fun in that game for many reasons. But as soon as I went on this game, I finished almost all of the circuits, at 150cc (I can't get the 200c because I can't connect my Wii-U. Thank you for no Ethernet plug Nintendo!)), in a single day. Why? Because it's mindblowingly easy and simple! I finished all my tracks using ONE type of vehicle, ONE set of parts, and rarely lost any race and on top of that each race is incredibly short too, making each race last not even 5 minutes (or barely so).

    I mean wow, I don't like to compare games nor to bash on such a famous series of kart games, but I expected much more from this game: aside the usual circuit there isn't much else to do, and while there are many characters to unlock I have only managed to unlock bowser's children and various toads. REALLY?! I don't care about Bowser's sons and toadette, give me the actual real characters of the games! But it doesn't really matter anyway: stats don't really change much if you change character, only the parts you put on your vehicle do and that's it. As far as I noticed, the character is just for visuals.

    Sure, the game is a lot of fun to play in multiplayer...but frankly it's barely an excuse: I've played Mario Kart 64 back on the Nintendo...64, and it was way more enjoyable and cured than this game, even in single player. But this game I just got instantly bored as soon as I finished the circuits...oh and I forgot to mention how the AI is atrociously bad, but not in only one way: it's very common at high difficulties to lose a race because, suddenly, ALL of the racers will start throwing their skills at you. It seems like everyone hates the player to the point of not even letting you recover, and the funny part is that only one or two racers will actually reach first and win. throughout all 4 tracks, leaving the rest on the dust.

    I suppose they just don't want me to win...I guess I'm even more disliked than Waluigi hm...

    At any rate, this is a good game, an excellent racing game BUT with a lot of lackings in my opinion: the Circuits are short, the customization is nearly pointless, the many characters are almost a joke (I don't want mini bowsers or toads copies!!!!!!), and the game doesn't really feel fair in challenge.: on top of that I didn't see any interesting mode except for battle, which is downgraded in comparison to the previous games.

    Overall, it's a good game, DEFINITELY not bad, but I can't deny that It made me want to play the Mario Kart 64 the more I played this one. Or Sonic Racing Transformed on the pc...

    At least the sensation of speed there is done better....    … Expand
  25. andree1991
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    Fun but there's no real strategy to win. It looks like it was made to make people not feel like losers for sucking at this game. if you are in last you only get stars and crazy powerful items. if you are first you get coins and other garbage. This game is for kids, and since im a big kid i liked it.
  26. Sofatayra
    Jan 13, 2017
    7
    for about 60+ hours and obtained all easy, medium difficulty on gold on all maps.
    Mario Kart is fun to play, there is no denial, and if you have never played this genera before
    you will be having lots of fun, Mario Kart have detained the best title of its kind for a while, until i tried Sega all star racing transformed, that literally transformed my vision on Mario Kart.specially after    for about 60+ hours and obtained all easy, medium difficulty on gold on all maps.
    Mario Kart is fun to play, there is no denial, and if you have never played this genera before
    you will be having lots of fun, Mario Kart have detained the best title of its kind for a while, until
    i tried Sega all star racing transformed, that literally transformed my vision on Mario Kart.specially after playing both for a super long while:

    Mario Kart Pros:
    Solid character design
    Large variety of vehicles
    Bring nostalgia
    Can be addictive
    Colorful
    Rewarding unlocks

    Sonic All Star Transformed Pros
    Level great design
    Different ways of racing land see and air
    Level Musics
    Level Variety
    Fast paced , true feeling of racing
    Progress to unlock levels and other.
    Price (literally available now for 3$)
    ON PC and consoles.
    Works well on low end PCs
    Interface
    Can upload to YouTube with no restrictions.
    Very addictive
    Car transformation is so fan
    Modes : Combat, Racing till end,Online Races and very quick, Parcour maps.
    Supports 3 monitors on PC for Eyefinity and Surround

    Mario Cart Cons
    Bikes handeling is less adventagious than karts
    Seen before gameplay
    Level design can be very short
    looting boxes and not random however based on position. Like if you are the last kart you would obtain the super power.
    No Key configuration on a WIIU Gamepad that is a little taxing on your controler grab positions.
    Brings barelly nothing new from previous mario karts
    Very expensive game at 59$ USD and 75$ CAN Dollars and rare discounts
    Few Modes
    Exclusive to WiiU

    Sonic All Star Racing Transsformed Cons
    Online match making is a little random.
    The Casino slot machines are kind of useless at times.
    Gathered Slot machine stars are too expensive to use.    … Expand
  27. LSky
    May 25, 2015
    7
    This game is very overrated. The item system in this game is totally messed up. In mario kart games, you've been punished for being in first, but it's especially bad this game. Half the time in first you get the worthless coin item, and you can not cycle through items like you can in previous games(i.e. have one item in your item box and dragging one behind you). I find every time I race,This game is very overrated. The item system in this game is totally messed up. In mario kart games, you've been punished for being in first, but it's especially bad this game. Half the time in first you get the worthless coin item, and you can not cycle through items like you can in previous games(i.e. have one item in your item box and dragging one behind you). I find every time I race, I stay in 1st-3rd place, and then get hit by multiple items at the end that brings me down to 6th or lower. They tried to make up for this with the super horn being able to destroy blue shells, but you never get it in first place. It must be Not to mention battle mode is completely ruined by the lack of arenas. Mario Kart DS, Wii, and 7 are all vastly superior to this mediocre game. Very disappointing.… Expand
  28. SableSoldi3r
    Oct 12, 2017
    7
    Mario Kart 8 is everything you should come to expect from a next-gen Mario Kart title. The visuals are beautiful: graphics are very detailed, and courses are colorful and eye-catching. The gameplay is nothing new for Mario Kart, as it employs all of the mechanics from previous games while new additions are minimal, ranging from a few new power-ups to some new kart customizations. Making aMario Kart 8 is everything you should come to expect from a next-gen Mario Kart title. The visuals are beautiful: graphics are very detailed, and courses are colorful and eye-catching. The gameplay is nothing new for Mario Kart, as it employs all of the mechanics from previous games while new additions are minimal, ranging from a few new power-ups to some new kart customizations. Making a return from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 7 are coins, which add some variety to the game and allows for some "fun along the way" as you try to grab coins to cap out your max speed. The revamped courses are gorgeous and very nostalgic, and the remixed music was a blast from the past. My personal favorites are N64's Rainbow Road, SNES's Donut Plains 3 and Wii's Moo Moo Meadows.

    One minor complaint I have about this game is the item balance, both in quality and quantity. First: one of the new items unleashes a piranha plant that frantically snaps its mouth, giving you speed boosts, nabbing nearby coins and knocking out opponents in the process. Although you only typically acquire the piranha plant when you're towards the bottom of the board, it seems a bit overpowered and does a lot for one power-up.

    Second: just like in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8 increases the number of concurrent racers from eight to twelve, which drastically increases the number of items on-screen. When I first picked the game up, I immediately jumped into 150cc Grand Prix. Being a veteran of the series, I've done this before with previous entries to challenge myself and was able to get accustomed fairly quickly. In just about every race this time around, I was in first place for more than half a race, ahead by a considerable distance, and then out of the blue I got hit with an assortment of three or four different shells that sets me back at least eight places and left me to finish the race in fourth at best. For a game that requires you to get first on all four races in a cup in order to get the best award for that cup, this is infuriating and incredibly frustrating. You can do everything right in a race (drifting, drafting, hitting speed boosts, doing tricks off every jump, collecting ten coins, etc.), only to be barraged with shells at the very last second and to be thrown into sixth place, forcing you to restart the entire cup and ultimately resulting in a waste of time. It feels like, no matter what you do, this game doesn't reward skill but simply gives you a slight chance of having a three-star rating fall into your lap, which honestly isn't fun in the slightest.

    Items aside, this game is very fun to play with friends and it's a very refreshing Mario Kart experience. Just don't expect to have much fun if you're in it even remotely for the achievement.    … Expand
  29. Nickname
    Aug 20, 2014
    5
    It might be fun if you play it casually, but if you really wanna play the game seriously online and aim for 1st place it's horrible. But this game has it's bright sides, so I'll adress these first. The visuals are gorgeus, by far the best-looking Wii U game yet. They even managed to bring the Koopalings unique personalities just by their animations. The game also runs at 60 frames perIt might be fun if you play it casually, but if you really wanna play the game seriously online and aim for 1st place it's horrible. But this game has it's bright sides, so I'll adress these first. The visuals are gorgeus, by far the best-looking Wii U game yet. They even managed to bring the Koopalings unique personalities just by their animations. The game also runs at 60 frames per seconds unless you're driving in 3- or 4-Player mode, there's only 30 fps. The soundtrack is also great and memorable, especially the new renditions of the retro tracks' music are great. My only complaint is that the whistles on the remake of SNES Donut Plains 3 are missing except you're in 1st, but that's an extremely minor complaint. The Retro courses were remade really well and sometimes look like whole new courses. Only complaint is that few courses use the anti-gravity feature to its best. Memorable are only the Water Park loop, the spinning Mario Circuit and the few (often optional) sections where you drive on the walls while others stay on the ground, like in Thwomp Ruins or Toad's Turnpike, a returning track from Mario Kart 64. Also, all new tracks use Anti-Gravity atleast once and all Retro tracks use atleast one of Gliding, Diving and Anti-Gravity, new features introduced in Mario Kart 7 and 8. Rainbow Road is also a pretty huge letdown. Many expected a track that twists and turns all around the place like the Wario Colloseum track back on Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but it's pretty linear and the coolest thing about it is where the track splits into two paths and you can jump from one to another to cut distance. But in the end, the track design is pretty solid and tracks like the disco stage Electrodrome and the adventurous and extremely diverse track Mount Wario are already fan favorites. The Single Player is what you'd expect from a Mario Kart game, GPs to unlock characters and vehicle parts ,returning from Mario Kart 7, Time Trials to compete for the best times on courses, VS races with custom rules and battle. Battle is the first big letdown since you battle on courses instead of arenas, but since I don't battle too often, it's not too big of a letdown for me. Offlien Multiplayer is one of the most fun parts of the game, since you can just drive casually with friends and family. Next is the roster, which has cut many fan favorite characters like Diddy Kong, King Boo or Dry Bones in favor of a golden reskin of Peach and a baby version of Rosalina, and all 7 Koopalings. While I miss Dry Bones, the Koopalings are more diverse then expected and fun to use. Online's features are neat but limited. Mario Kart TV leta you upload videos of your races to YouTube, but only 1 Minute highlights and you can't edit camera angles or anything. Tournaments are an evolution of MK7's communities, now you can edit the time where it goes, restrict characters etc. Only letdown is that tournaments can't be all day and have to pause for 1 hour daily. But now, for the online play. If you don't know what online play is, it's basically like offline racing, but you race against players from around the globe and gain "VR" for racing "BR" for battling. But unlike in Mario Kart Wii where it mostly showed a player's skill, in Mario Kart 8 it shows for how long you've been playing. Max VR is 9999 like in Mario Kart Wii, but you start at 1000 VR (you started at 5000 VR in Mario Kart Wii) and VR growth is slow... You don't lose about any VR on losing and gain not much, so it'll most likely take you a long time to gain VR. In Mario Kart Wii, however, you can lose your VR very fast. You mostly balance out at one number after enough races, and mostly keep it along with your skill level. But the biggest dread, the items. Maio Kart Wii was mostly criticised for rubber banding, but I think Mario Kart 8's item balance is even worse. Coin is mostly the most common item you get in 1st. This makes an incoming red shell as dangerous as a blue shell, especially since both slow you down about the same time. The most dangerous items? Shocks and Bananas. Why? Because Shells don't kick you around and put your speed at 0 anymore, while Bananas make you spin for an awfully long time. There are no invincibility frames after getting hit, so after a hitz prepare for many hits, since you can't do anything while flipping, but enemies still can hit you. THAT'S what kills all possible fun for me. You can't even be sure to get revenge after falling behind, since even in 10th Bananas or Triple Green Shells aren't too rare. The item system is horrible, and as someone that actually wants to do GOOD this doesn't help, neither does the fat you can only hold one item.

    So, while playing it for fun is good, you can get super frustrated if you try to really play the game for ding good. So if you're okay with getting hit for unfair reasons, go buy this game! If you wanna play a fair game, play Mario Kart Wii online via the Custom Server "Wiimmfi" instead.    … Expand
  30. IrontreeStudios
    Sep 16, 2014
    7
    Mario Kart 8 is great! The inverted gravity mechanic that the developers added put a fun spin on the already fun game play. The creative track designs and seemingly never ending Kart upgrades keeps players wanting to stay in the game for more. As we all know, Nintendo needs to beef up their online play, which is the only reason I didn't score this game as a solid 10. I just wish I had moreMario Kart 8 is great! The inverted gravity mechanic that the developers added put a fun spin on the already fun game play. The creative track designs and seemingly never ending Kart upgrades keeps players wanting to stay in the game for more. As we all know, Nintendo needs to beef up their online play, which is the only reason I didn't score this game as a solid 10. I just wish I had more friends with a Wii U.… Expand
  31. tommyboy247
    Oct 15, 2014
    6
    Now I was a huge fan for Mario Kart Wii. It was intense, colourful and took great advantage of the Wii motion controllers, however its home console successor was a bit of a disappointment because in every tournament its really scripted and repetitive when the same a.i. end up in the same position every time, its really really frustrating hat the Wii U gamepad is really awkward to use as aNow I was a huge fan for Mario Kart Wii. It was intense, colourful and took great advantage of the Wii motion controllers, however its home console successor was a bit of a disappointment because in every tournament its really scripted and repetitive when the same a.i. end up in the same position every time, its really really frustrating hat the Wii U gamepad is really awkward to use as a motion controller so you just have to use the standard controller which is really boring, you can use the wii remote but anyone who didnt own a Wii before hand or didnt buy a remote with the system will have to stick with the boring gamepad, and the last problem is paid DLC. Now this game isnt all bad, it can still be fun because its georgus visuals, great soundtrack, fun online sessions, brillient level design and when its not repeditive its really thrilling.
    Thats my review for Mario Kart 8. I wish Nintendo did more for this game.    … Expand
  32. Mefiresu
    Nov 13, 2014
    5
    i'm not best fan of Mario. It's good racing. it's fun fine game levels from others games of Mario universe. But it's still not best game for Wii u system at all.
  33. ShadowUchiha73
    Nov 20, 2014
    7
    Mario Kart 8 is a very good game, but is it really the best Mario Kart, let only best Wii U game; how about no. Mario Kart 8 has a few noticeable problems like coins being items, ruining Battle Mode, and a few problems with Mario Kart in general I always had: No Campaign, some luck involved with the items, Green shells being too slow, and the Leader Shell. Regardless, it's still a greatMario Kart 8 is a very good game, but is it really the best Mario Kart, let only best Wii U game; how about no. Mario Kart 8 has a few noticeable problems like coins being items, ruining Battle Mode, and a few problems with Mario Kart in general I always had: No Campaign, some luck involved with the items, Green shells being too slow, and the Leader Shell. Regardless, it's still a great game and I recommend it to any Mario kart fan but I still can't say I enjoyed that much.… Expand
  34. Gold_Grande
    Mar 8, 2017
    6
    Mario Kart 8 is a release that tries to bring many new things to the Mario Kart franchise. With a great online scene, there is always something to do. The stages and courses look better than ever and the soundtrack is top of the line. But while those things are terrific, the game tries a bit too much with the zero gravity driving and the paragliding. I feel like I have much less controlMario Kart 8 is a release that tries to bring many new things to the Mario Kart franchise. With a great online scene, there is always something to do. The stages and courses look better than ever and the soundtrack is top of the line. But while those things are terrific, the game tries a bit too much with the zero gravity driving and the paragliding. I feel like I have much less control over my kart compared to previous titles. I do not think those additions where refined enough. The item roulette is pretty bad in the game with distribution of items being weird. Blue shell not being able to fly feels like a minus. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable game but not one I'd marry. I'm happy to give this a 6/10. Decent.… Expand
  35. Djungelorm
    Sep 27, 2016
    5
    This game is easily the weakest in the series in my opinion.
    Playing offline multiplayer is when Mario Kart 8 is at its best, and is still fun. The graphics are great and the track design, when taking into account the redesigned retro tracks, is the best in the series, with antigravity allowing for more freedom and possibilities in track design, for example driving down a waterfall or    This game is easily the weakest in the series in my opinion.
    Playing offline multiplayer is when Mario Kart 8 is at its best, and is still fun. The graphics are great and the track design, when taking into account the redesigned retro tracks, is the best in the series, with antigravity allowing for more freedom and possibilities in track design, for example driving down a waterfall or along the side of a building.
    Now for a note on battle mode.. This time around you battle on racetracks, which can make it hard to find opponents. The worst thing, however, is the absence of a coin / shine collection battle mode - you can only do balloon battles.
    There is one glaring flaw with Mario Kart 8, however: the item system, which seems as though it has been designed to ruin the fun for all competitive players. Getting powerful items like triple red shells in second place is now likely, and since you are forbidden from dangling one item while storing another in reserve, the leader has no defense and will inevitably be killed, and most likely fall to the back, hence minimizing the skill in winning a race. Seriously, I would say race performance is about 20% skill and 80% luck (on average), which is fine when you're playing with friends, but not when you're playing online, trying to improve your ranking.
    If you're playing for fun with family or friends, this game is ideal and guaranteed to give you a fun experience. But if you, like me are competitive and serious about playing online at a high level, this is not the game for you.

    Rating: 5.5    … Expand
  36. GoodGameAnyway
    Jul 29, 2016
    7
    One of the best games on Wii U, but unfortunately not quite as good as Mario Kart Wii. With more "balanced" items, the game has lost its 12-player craziness many players loved in Mario Kart Wii. If MKWii was still available to play online this would be okay, but due to Wi-Fi Connection being shut down, this is one sad disaster for me.

    However, the tracks and the visuals are cool. DLC is    One of the best games on Wii U, but unfortunately not quite as good as Mario Kart Wii. With more "balanced" items, the game has lost its 12-player craziness many players loved in Mario Kart Wii. If MKWii was still available to play online this would be okay, but due to Wi-Fi Connection being shut down, this is one sad disaster for me.

    However, the tracks and the visuals are cool. DLC is among the best I've ever seen. That still won't fix the broken gameplay choices.

    Also, do not expect to be able to choose tracks online freely: you have to pick one out of three randomly selected or an another random track.    … Expand
  37. ellocopepe96
    Nov 27, 2016
    7
    primero que todo este juego es muy bueno y divertido como todos los mario karts los escenarios están muy bien hechos los graficos de puta madre , el juego va muy fluido , diversion asegurada.
    Pero para mi no esta a la altura de los anteriores juegos de la saga , lo encuentro un poco vacio , el modo batalla no esta trabajado, no hay escenarios especificos para ese modo como en todos    primero que todo este juego es muy bueno y divertido como todos los mario karts los escenarios están muy bien hechos los graficos de puta madre , el juego va muy fluido , diversion asegurada.
    Pero para mi no esta a la altura de los anteriores juegos de la saga , lo encuentro un poco vacio , el modo batalla no esta trabajado, no hay escenarios especificos para ese modo como en todos los otros mario karts , hay muchos personajes que no pintan ni con cola xd como los secuaces de bowser o toadette o peach de oro rosa que son mas bien de relleno , hubiesen metido a diddy kong o funky kong o bowsitos desde antes y no en un dlc o bowser jr etc . Algunas pistas son muy aburridas , la musica es normalita no me gusto que casi cada tema del juego tuviese trompetas todo el tiempo y muchas veces la musica pasa a segundo plano y no se escucha casi nada ya que ni siquiera te da la opcion de bajarle a los efectos de sonido del juego y dejar la música en un volumen mas alto. yo creo que eso es algo esencial hoy en dia ,que un juego te permita bajar o subir el volumen de cada sonido del juego .
    y lo de los dlc es lo peor osea ¿que paso nintendo xD ? ya esta mal hacer dlc´s pero los dlcs que pusieron son de risa lo unico que vale la pena de los dlc son link ,bowsitos y algunas pistas nuevas, pero aun asi se nota que al juego le falto mas cariño.    … Expand
  38. MarioGames
    Jul 10, 2017
    7
    This game is too much good quality and have a lot of guy + the koopaling are no appropriate. You can pay amiibo just for a Mii costume and the amiibo price like 16$
  39. FS_Lover
    Apr 11, 2018
    5
    I'm not very satisfied with this game, the only thing I appreciated was the graphics, which are very good, but there are many things that disappoint me... This isn't a pure Mario Kart, because there are characters from universes other than Mario's. Notice that I'm not saying that I'm disappointed that there are characters from other universes, but I am disappointed that Mario charactersI'm not very satisfied with this game, the only thing I appreciated was the graphics, which are very good, but there are many things that disappoint me... This isn't a pure Mario Kart, because there are characters from universes other than Mario's. Notice that I'm not saying that I'm disappointed that there are characters from other universes, but I am disappointed that Mario characters weren't given priority. There are many Mario characters they could have used, such as Birdo, like in Mario Kart Wii, or doctor Toadley, shroob, princess shroob, kamek, fawful, kylie koopa, cackletta, popple. There are so many Mario characters to choose from, there's no need to get characters from other series.
    Another thing I dislike about MK8 are the physics. They're odd and you go faster if you hop.
    The characters' voices are too quiet compared to the background music that you hear much more. On top of that, the characters don't have enough voice clips, unlike Mario Kart Wii.
    I also dislike the rearranged tracks, particularly Wario Stadium. I think they could have done a better job with them.
    t's a great thing that the retro tracks have been improved, however, they have been modified a bit , which is something they should have avoided. Again, Wario Stadium is a good example of this Another bad thing about this game is the way the objects work. For example, if you keep a banana peel behind you, it doesn't disappear from the object icon like it should.    … Expand
  40. RedXTL
    Oct 31, 2019
    6
    This game is alright. The controls a little bit off. the stages are fantastic but i didn't enjoy this game as much as i thought i would.
  41. TropicalNayr
    Mar 31, 2021
    7
    i would give this a 75%
    This is a fun party game but they didn't really change a lot to it and it does not have anything different to it unlike the other Mario kart games if this is you're first time playing it it is a good game but it is just like the other Mario kart games but they just add new maps and charters i wish they added something new like double dash or something different    i would give this a 75%
    This is a fun party game but they didn't really change a lot to it and it does not have anything different to it unlike the other Mario kart games if this is you're first time playing it it is a good game but it is just like the other Mario kart games but they just add new maps and charters i wish they added something new like double dash or something different they just did not really think out side the box.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Wii U Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2014
4
#4 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 82 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 82
  3. Negative: 0 out of 82
  1. GameCritics
    Sep 18, 2014
    80
    Mario Kart 8 is pretty great in many ways, but undoubtedly moreso with a collection of friends to play with, or when facing off against other players online.
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  2. CD-Action
    Aug 25, 2014
    85
    No revolution here, but still it’s an absolute must-have for every Wii U owner. [08/2014, p.68]
  3. Universo Nintendo
    Jul 31, 2014
    95
    A beautiful and fun racing game, which uses the possibilities offered by its host platform to emphasize and renew the truly universal appeal of the series.
    Read full review
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