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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Stroot
    Feb 5, 2015
    9
    This is a great game and a must-own for the Wii U. The online racing experience is smooth and the courses are a fun mix of new and updated classics. The only major complaint is the lack of battle mode arena courses. Instead of creating battle mode arena courses Nintendo decided to just make the regular courses available for battle mode. Seems like a lazy move by Nintendo and probably theThis is a great game and a must-own for the Wii U. The online racing experience is smooth and the courses are a fun mix of new and updated classics. The only major complaint is the lack of battle mode arena courses. Instead of creating battle mode arena courses Nintendo decided to just make the regular courses available for battle mode. Seems like a lazy move by Nintendo and probably the result of needing to meet a deadline. It doesn't completely take away from the main experience of the game play and still receives a very high score.… Expand
  2. Supermoose
    May 31, 2015
    9
    This is an amazing game! The Mariokart gameplay is better than ever with new items and mechanics. The new "anti-gravity" mechanic may seem gimmicky and useless, but it actually changes the gameplay quite a bit. Most if not all of the courses are really good, Mount Wario being a personal favorite. The music is awesome, and the DLC is also really great. And despite being on the lessThis is an amazing game! The Mariokart gameplay is better than ever with new items and mechanics. The new "anti-gravity" mechanic may seem gimmicky and useless, but it actually changes the gameplay quite a bit. Most if not all of the courses are really good, Mount Wario being a personal favorite. The music is awesome, and the DLC is also really great. And despite being on the less powerful Wii U, this game is still prettier to look at than most games out. The one negative to this game is battle mode, which gets rid of the arena-style battle courses of the previous games, and instead uses the race tracks for battles. it is a minor flaw when compared to the rest of the game. But other than that the game is fantastic.… Expand
  3. AGN
    Feb 8, 2015
    9
    Fun multiplayer, offline and online, nice vehicles, gorgeous tracks, huge character roster. Do I need to say more? These many reasons and more make this probably the best racing game of this generation.

    Rating: 9/10
    Grade A-
  4. spongeswift
    Mar 20, 2017
    9
    Mario Kart 8 is fun for all ages but can be enjoyed by the pros as well. Yes the battle system may suck, the item balance is not great, and the Rainbow Road may suck but this still is the best Mario Kart game to date. The tracks are beautiful and fun, there's a huge variety of characters and gravity system is amazing and one of the most innovative ideas in Mario Kart history. Overall MarioMario Kart 8 is fun for all ages but can be enjoyed by the pros as well. Yes the battle system may suck, the item balance is not great, and the Rainbow Road may suck but this still is the best Mario Kart game to date. The tracks are beautiful and fun, there's a huge variety of characters and gravity system is amazing and one of the most innovative ideas in Mario Kart history. Overall Mario Kart 8 may have it's flaws but the good aspects of the game definitely make me forget about the bad stuff in the game.… Expand
  5. MightyMING
    Mar 30, 2015
    9
    Mario Kart 8 is the sole reason for owning Nintendo's technically super crap console. The graphics are crisp and beautiful, the game play is amazingly fun, I have very little complaints about this game.
  6. WackoDaSniper
    May 15, 2015
    9
    Great Mario Kart, easily my 2nd fav mario kart next to double dash. The graphics are superb finally a 1080p mario kart. Although it could use some anti aliasing. The tracks are cool and the soundtrack is the best ive ever seen in mario kart. The online is thriving too. Must have wii u game and a lot better than mario kart 7
  7. MEJO86
    Mar 30, 2015
    9
    Very well made racing game with awesome graphics! Nice tracks and a variety of veichles to choose from. The driver rooster could have been better where you have characters such as Baby Mario/Luigi/Peach/Daisy/Rosalina, Metal Mario and last but not least Pink gold Peach instead of say Diddy Kong, Hammer bro or Birdo. But apart from that the rooster is fine (but why is Donkey Kong a cruiserVery well made racing game with awesome graphics! Nice tracks and a variety of veichles to choose from. The driver rooster could have been better where you have characters such as Baby Mario/Luigi/Peach/Daisy/Rosalina, Metal Mario and last but not least Pink gold Peach instead of say Diddy Kong, Hammer bro or Birdo. But apart from that the rooster is fine (but why is Donkey Kong a cruiser weight?). The balance of items are fixed which means you won't get a blue shell up your *ss as soon as you are in first place.… Expand
  8. BlueFox098
    Apr 23, 2015
    9
    Mario Kart 8 it's simply amazing, one of the best in the series. Fun Gameplay, Fun courses, HD graphics, the only downside of it it's the battle mode. It's heavily recommended to anyone that owns a Wii U.
  9. Craftfischerhp
    Apr 10, 2017
    9
    It's a cool razing game and one of the best games for the WiiU.
    Good to Play with friends. And it makes fun on a party.
    Only critic point is, that the battle-mode is bad.
  10. 2cben
    Sep 7, 2015
    9
    A great game, it is fast, fun and pretty. If you like Mario kart buying a Wii U just for this game is worth it. The online mode (sadly not perfect but I'll come to that later) will give you hundreds of hour of game time.

    What I like: - There are so much details put in most of tracks it is just insane! Some tracks are definitely better than others though. - It's really smooth, the    A great game, it is fast, fun and pretty. If you like Mario kart buying a Wii U just for this game is worth it. The online mode (sadly not perfect but I'll come to that later) will give you hundreds of hour of game time.

    What I like:
    - There are so much details put in most of tracks it is just insane! Some tracks are definitely better than others though.
    - It's really smooth, the framerate does not see any drop in 1 player mode. in 3 or 4 players it feels really slow at the beginning and then you get use to it.
    - It's a complete delight to drive, the control feels very good and responsive.
    - Items are better balanced than in Mario kart Wii even if I would personally reduce the likelyhood of getting strong item (a little less red/blue shells, stars ...)

    The following change in online mode would be VERY welcome:

    - Your online score does not mean that much, something more like the World of warcraft pvp arena rating (at least the way it used to be at the beginning) would be much better.
    - Along side your score a few stats would be very welcome. Like your average position, how many races in total played, I would love to know that the dude who's been beating me for the last half hour actually played 100000 races (or actually 10!)
    - Being able to pick from 4 races is not enough and seriously is it purely random??? I feel like some races NEVER appear.

    One last thing, more DLC please!    … Expand
  11. CowMan
    May 27, 2015
    9
    An Outstanding game for the Wii u , And one of the best Mario kart games ever. It's ashame there was no new battle mode courses. But evrything else is perfect. go buy it now
  12. ThunderRazor
    May 27, 2015
    9
    This game has gotten me back into gaming. Mario Kart 8 is wonderful from every aspect. It gorgeous, plays very well, has wonderful music, great online play, lots of characters and carts, really fun and immersive tracks, the AI isn't wimpy but isn't cheap either, and most of all it's just pure fun. You have fun from the moment you pick it up and keep on having fun as you master theThis game has gotten me back into gaming. Mario Kart 8 is wonderful from every aspect. It gorgeous, plays very well, has wonderful music, great online play, lots of characters and carts, really fun and immersive tracks, the AI isn't wimpy but isn't cheap either, and most of all it's just pure fun. You have fun from the moment you pick it up and keep on having fun as you master the courses and really start to understand some of the deeper techniques for mastering the game and coming in 1st place online. It's a wonderful experience that any games should treat themselves to.… Expand
  13. forevernes
    May 20, 2018
    9
    mario kart 8 se a consolidado como el mejor de la saga, con permiso del frenetico mario kart64, bueno espere el segundo pack dlc para dar mi analisis, una joya por donde se le mire, una delicia jugable y frenetico a los mas no poder los 200cc le van de maravilla, las pistas en hd uff magnifico, un juego rwalmente bello, e pasado muchas horas con el y no me canso de disfrutar uno de losmario kart 8 se a consolidado como el mejor de la saga, con permiso del frenetico mario kart64, bueno espere el segundo pack dlc para dar mi analisis, una joya por donde se le mire, una delicia jugable y frenetico a los mas no poder los 200cc le van de maravilla, las pistas en hd uff magnifico, un juego rwalmente bello, e pasado muchas horas con el y no me canso de disfrutar uno de los mejores de wiiu 100% recomendable la razon para hacerse con una wiiu, el modo online me va excelente y puedo disfrutar con amigos a la distancia y pasar momentos agradanles como en los giejos tiemps, nintendo a entendido lo importante que es en los video juegos de hoy en dia, bueno mario kart se pelea el trono con grandes joyas como smash y mario 3dworld, obra de arte 10/10 bueno se me olvidaba, las pistas de f- zero y de zelda y la inclucion de trajes con los amiibo dan mucha mas variedad al titulo y espero que nintendo siga haciendo joyas como esta a y nada mejor que sea un f-zero… Expand
  14. pg_x
    Aug 9, 2016
    9
    After the horrible balanced Mario Kart Wii and the for me pretty boring Mario Kart 7 it was a surprise how well Mario Kart 8 turned out... only Double Dash!! is still a bit better, and sure we are missing the battle mode a bit... but I only really enjoyed this in Double Dash!! so without two people in one Kart and a huge load of Items I don't really miss it.
  15. iandizion713
    Jun 6, 2015
    9
    Mario Kart 8 is one of the best Mario Kart games to date. Not only that, its also one of the best ever racing games. The gem has it all, you can get lost in the single player and race in the circuits, or you can race 2 player on TV and Gamepad. The online mode is epic and the connection quality is outstanding. This is a racing game that lasts a generation.
  16. UltraTektite
    Aug 26, 2015
    9
    Mario Kart 8 isn't revolutionary, but it's without a doubt the most polished and graphically impressive Mario Kart game to date. It's not the new items, new characters, or anti gravity gimmick that make this game great, but the absolutely beautiful graphics and detail, great online mode, and the return of the beloved Mario Kart formula. The only big disappointment was battle mode whichMario Kart 8 isn't revolutionary, but it's without a doubt the most polished and graphically impressive Mario Kart game to date. It's not the new items, new characters, or anti gravity gimmick that make this game great, but the absolutely beautiful graphics and detail, great online mode, and the return of the beloved Mario Kart formula. The only big disappointment was battle mode which sucks now, but that blow was softened by the fact that nobody expected a ton from it because MKWii's and MK7's battle modes were already not as good as those of their predecessors.

    In conclusion Mario Kart 8's main selling feature (the anti grav) really didn't add much to the game, but that didn't stop the outstanding gameplay and graphics from making this game a worthwhile buy for any Wii U owner.    … Expand
  17. YellowKirby
    Sep 9, 2015
    9
    Probably one of the greatest games ever created. If you don't have a Wii U, this game is worth buying one. Great graphics, great gameplay, great courses... almost perfect.
  18. Digibutter64
    Sep 24, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can say with confidence that for me, Mario Kart 8 is the best game in the series. It looks beautiful, plays fantastically (as well as bringing back gliding and underwater driving from Mario Kart 7, the new anti-gravity mode, quite literally, puts a new spin on things), and is always fun when you have people over at your house. My only criticisms would be the new Battle Mode styles (I preferred exclusive battle courses rather than the same courses used in races) and some of the character roster choices (Pink Gold Peach, but no Diddy Kong?), but for me, the latter's a minor issue, especially considering that all seven Koopalings are playable (great news for me)!… Expand
  19. Jollyjoe1000
    Mar 20, 2016
    9
    the graphics are a little wired and the tracks arent as good as mario kart 6's (wii) but its still incredibly decent. But the big issue that sets it apart from mario kart wii is that battle mode is ruined.
  20. Viltgance
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    The best Mario Kart game to date, it would be a perfect 10 if it had proper battle mode arenas. The new tracks are extremely fun and well designed and also brings back some of your favorite retro tracks. It runs extremely well on the Wii U, single player or split screen. A definite must own.
  21. Hakros323
    Nov 22, 2015
    9
    This game is another must have for anyone who is one of the following:
    Likes Mario
    Likes racing games Have a Wii U Or all of the above. Mario Kart 8 is one of the best games in the Mario Kart series, and heres why: The graphics are AMAZING. It's absolutely breathtaking, and the littlest details were perfect. The retro courses and a beauty makeover too, and they look better than ever.    This game is another must have for anyone who is one of the following:
    Likes Mario
    Likes racing games
    Have a Wii U
    Or all of the above.
    Mario Kart 8 is one of the best games in the Mario Kart series, and heres why:
    The graphics are AMAZING. It's absolutely breathtaking, and the littlest details were perfect. The retro courses and a beauty makeover too, and they look better than ever.
    The courses are all awesome, fun, and unique. Its hard to choose a favorite! It does have the best Bowser Castle IMO, and while this Rainbow Road can be a bit lackluster compared to other rainbow roads, it's still good. The Retros courses were....eh....but I'm sure there's some courses that fans are happy to have back.
    Like Mario Party 7, the online play for Mario kart 8 is great. Compete is races and battles with many players around the world. You can join online Tournaments and even make your own.
    This game introduced the Anti-Gravity feature. With this feature, you can race virtually on any surface. Driving on walls and ceilings, this makes the race even more fun, and it's a interesting feature.
    And customize your kart feature returned from Mario Kart 7. You can make your own unique kart combination.

    There's a few flaws this game does suffer from, though. Namely, the Roster and Battle mode.
    The roster, while way better than Mario Kart 7, still lacks some fan favorites like Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong, Boo, & Dry Bones. Although they did return Toadette and Waluigi. But the newcomers introduced are, well, bad. The Koopalings make their first playable apperance, which is good if you like them, but if you don't care about them, that 1/3 of the roster you're not going to like. There's a lot of baby characters in the game, all 4 babies from Mario Kart Wii returns along with Baby Rosalina. It's good if you like cute characters, but they're generally unwanted. Aaaand there's Pink Gold Peach, a character that NOONE wanted. So......roster still needs work.
    And the battle mode? While is previous installments, you battle on courses made FOR battle mode, this installment, you battle on courses made for racing, with a few adjustments made. Not very creative.

    But this is still a strong game for the Wii U. Get it if you have one.    … Expand
  22. Cosmozerk
    Feb 26, 2016
    9
    This without a doubt this is the best Mario Kart there has ever been.
    STORY: NONE watsoever.
    PRESENTATION: Man, this game is just a pleasure to look at, the 60fps, 1080p, the weather and lighting effects, the moddeles, the animations, the music, pretty much everything in mario kart 8 is great looking and well done. GAMEPLAY: The item and character balance is the best in the entire    This without a doubt this is the best Mario Kart there has ever been.
    STORY: NONE watsoever.

    PRESENTATION: Man, this game is just a pleasure to look at, the 60fps, 1080p, the weather and lighting effects, the moddeles, the animations, the music, pretty much everything in mario kart 8 is great looking and well done.

    GAMEPLAY: The item and character balance is the best in the entire series, the CPU doesn't cheat, the new items are very fun to use, the new courses are awesome, the modes 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, mirrorcc and the new 200cc are all as fun as they always were and the online work's very well, the only 2 issues i have with the game is the battle mode, which takes place in normal arenas, making it easy to not even see your opponent and the roster, even with the dlc, the roster is not the best, there are so many baby characters, and koopalinks, and marios, and peachs, etc, i mean seriously, why cut diddy kong or dry bones, or why not add more original characters like Captain Falcon, Sonic, Pac-man, etc, i mean the roster is not terrible, like is good to see some animal crossing characters, and link from the legend of zelda, but you still have to buy those characters (don't get me wrong, the dlc in this game is sweet, but....still).
    Overall mario kart 8 is nearly a perfect game and if nintendo decides to do a dlc pack 3 which added more characters like the one's i mentioned and fix the battle mode then i would not doubt to give this game a 10/10, but as it stands mario kart 8 gets a 9/10    … Expand
  23. SuperMatt777
    Dec 12, 2015
    9
    Mario Kart 8 plays as good as it looks. The courses are not only dynamic, but a pleasure to look at, with all of them filled with detail. Even the retro tracks look beautiful with their nice re-designs. The roster of characters is a bit of a mix, having an equal amount of interesting adds (such as the Koopalings) and pointless adds (such as Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach). While it wasMario Kart 8 plays as good as it looks. The courses are not only dynamic, but a pleasure to look at, with all of them filled with detail. Even the retro tracks look beautiful with their nice re-designs. The roster of characters is a bit of a mix, having an equal amount of interesting adds (such as the Koopalings) and pointless adds (such as Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach). While it was nice that the kart part unlocking criteria wasn't nearly as time consuming as it was in Mario Kart 7, I still think that there could've been a better method. All in all, I'd highly recommend Mario Kart 8 to any Wii U owner.… Expand
  24. MatadorVoraz
    Dec 16, 2015
    9
    Spectacularly fantastic! Brought me hours and hours of fun with friends and family. The graph is spectacular, and perhaps the only problem it is at the lack of anti-aliasing. One of the few games that brought a great added content for a low price. Soundtrack and great gameplay. A strong unique for the Wii U.
  25. EpicLadySponge
    Feb 3, 2016
    9
    With a whole load of features and endless amount of data to chose from, Mario Kart 8 will call every Mario Kart fan and Wii U owner to get their very own copy before they fade away.
  26. Zorua
    Feb 4, 2016
    9
    Mario Kart 8 is easily the best Wii U game out there. A fantastic combination of fun racing but challenging courses, the Mario Kart series has always been popular with a certain breed of gamers. Mario Kart 8 is easily the best out of all the entries in the series, with stunning HD graphics, fun and interesting new items and characters, and challenging courses creating a fantastic hybrid ofMario Kart 8 is easily the best Wii U game out there. A fantastic combination of fun racing but challenging courses, the Mario Kart series has always been popular with a certain breed of gamers. Mario Kart 8 is easily the best out of all the entries in the series, with stunning HD graphics, fun and interesting new items and characters, and challenging courses creating a fantastic hybrid of genres for the Wii U title.
    First off, character selection. Everyone's favourite veterans return, with the likes of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, Bowser and many more taking to the track once again, though there are some characters that perhaps should've been included but were ultimately left out. A whole range of new characters such as the Koopalings and Baby Rosalina also add new characters for you to race with, though some characters *cough cough Pink Gold Peach* are quite bizarre and in my opinion don't deserve a spot over the likes of Diddy Kong or Bowser Jr.
    Nintendo have also introduced a whole new range of items, which include the Super Horn, Piranha Plant and Boomerang, as well as Coins returning from Mario Kart 7. As is traditional with the Mario Kart series, a whole new host of courses are introduced, which also incorporate the new anti-gravity feature, which allows for a F-Zero-like experience. There are also a whole new range of Retro courses from previous Mario Kart games which give you a blast to the past to the likes of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS.
    Overall, Mario Kart 8 is a highly fun game that only gets better when playing online or with friends. Two lots of DLC have also been released, which add characters, karts, and courses, and although I would've liked to seen maybe Diddy Kong or Bowser Jr. in one of this packs, there could still be more. The only criticism I have with this game is the Battle Mode, with Battle Mode instead being played on regular courses, which massively nerfs it. Apart from that, the game is one of the best I've played, and I'd recommend to buy a Wii U just to play it.    … Expand
  27. ZankEraux
    Apr 18, 2016
    9
    Este juego es increible, todos sus apartados gráficos, sonoros.., lo hacen un juego casi perfecto.
    Da gusto ver hoy en día un juego de carreras tan espectacular, original y con tanto contenido como es el caso de Mario Kart 8. Ver como le puedes dedicar sin aburrirte más de 30 horas hacen del juego uno de los mejores títulos disponibles en la WII U.
    En mi opinión, este es el mejor Mario    Este juego es increible, todos sus apartados gráficos, sonoros.., lo hacen un juego casi perfecto.
    Da gusto ver hoy en día un juego de carreras tan espectacular, original y con tanto contenido como es el caso de Mario Kart 8. Ver como le puedes dedicar sin aburrirte más de 30 horas hacen del juego uno de los mejores títulos disponibles en la WII U.
    En mi opinión, este es el mejor Mario Kart de todos.    … Expand
  28. Barnes1987
    Mar 6, 2017
    9
    Another great Mario Kart game to add to the collection. Although the battle mode is poor the rest of the game is top notch and a certain buy if you own a Wii U.
  29. MEFzelder
    May 9, 2016
    9
    Desde "Mario Kart 64" no encontraba un juego de carreras que me atrapara tanto, esta nueva versión tiene una manejo muy suave y responsable que hace que sea fácil de aprender y dominar, sin mencionar el detalle puesto en cada pista haciendo que cada escenario sea entretenido y vistoso.
    "Mario Kart 8" es uno de los juegos que mejor cumplió en cuanto a ejecución, a pesar de que la Wii U no    Desde "Mario Kart 64" no encontraba un juego de carreras que me atrapara tanto, esta nueva versión tiene una manejo muy suave y responsable que hace que sea fácil de aprender y dominar, sin mencionar el detalle puesto en cada pista haciendo que cada escenario sea entretenido y vistoso.
    "Mario Kart 8" es uno de los juegos que mejor cumplió en cuanto a ejecución, a pesar de que la Wii U no sea tan potente como sus rivales generacionales el juego se reproduce en unos fluidos 60 frames por segundo, y solo se reduce a 40 cuando son 4 las personas que estan jugando en simultaneo. El juego utiliza la fórmula de siempre carrera de kartings con items con diferentes funciones que hacen que la carrera sea competitiva y cambiante en cada momento, con la incorporación de 32 pistas, de las cuales 16 son remakes de pistas de versiones anteriores.
    Uno de los puntos fuertes de esta versión es la diversidad para construir tu competidor ideal, no solo puedes balancear el vehículo a tu gusto sino que se agregaron dos pesos a los tradicionales corredores livianos, medios y pesados, sumando peso pluma y muy pesados. Otra mecánica es la secciones de 0 gravedad donde el vehículo anda de cabeza pero debido a que la cámara te sigue siempre detrás y con la misma perspectiva no me produce ninguna diferencia con ir sobre tierra.
    El punto más débil del juego es el modo batalla, debido a que no hay niveles planeados para este modo, se reutilizan las pistas de carreras generando situaciones muy aburridas para atacarte con items porque es muy difícil coincidir con tus rivales, este modo es totalmente olvidable.
    A pesar de lo malo del modo batalla este juego es un "Must have", es de lo mejor en cuanto a jugabilidad y gráficamente, ideal para competir en línea o local con amigos.    … Expand
  30. Yako
    Apr 13, 2016
    9
    Excelente juego, las pistas son geniales, el juego va muy suave, los modelados de los personajes y de las pistas son geniales, la banda sonora ni se diga,lo que viene siendo el online es muy bueno y le agrega mas jugabilidad al mario kart, muy divertido muy recomendable
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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
See all critic reviews »