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. EFYevan
    May 30, 2014
    10
    Simply fantastic! Ladies and gentlemen, GO BUY A WII U FOR THIS GAME. Highly recommended for a fun gaming experience. Nothing on PS4 or XB1 comes close. 10/10
  2. Ireland914
    May 30, 2014
    9
    Everything I could have hoped for in a new Mario Kart game. Fantastic HD graphics, tons of levels, characters, and custom karts... and online play! I've had a hard time finding a flaw with this game.
  3. JN1306
    May 30, 2014
    10
    Fantastic game with an abundance of gorgeous looking courses and awesome music, this game will being you hundreds of hours of fun whether you are playing alone or with friends...the ONLY complaint I have is that the Battle Mode tracks could use some tweaking... All in all a fantastic experience
  4. Plasmaneedle
    May 30, 2014
    9
    Mario Kart 8 doesn't really add much either than some new characters and useful new items(finally can block the flying blue shell!). But it holds on to what makes every Mario Kart game so great: Rock Solid gameplay, well designed tracks and lots of charm.
  5. rhaynes7
    Nov 18, 2014
    9
    I haven't gotten into Mario Kart this much since the DS. This game is gorgeous, and the mechanics have improved so much since then. My only gripe is that a few of the retro stages have been changed for the worse, in particular the unnecessary addition of water sections and confounding zero gravity in some retro stages. It's also a shame that the staff ghosts on time trials areI haven't gotten into Mario Kart this much since the DS. This game is gorgeous, and the mechanics have improved so much since then. My only gripe is that a few of the retro stages have been changed for the worse, in particular the unnecessary addition of water sections and confounding zero gravity in some retro stages. It's also a shame that the staff ghosts on time trials are relatively easy to beat.

    Otherwise, this might be one of the most solid Mario Karts with excellent visuals to complement excellent track selection, and online play that is usually very capable of keeping up with the action.    … Expand
  6. MarioFan1055
    Jun 24, 2015
    9
    Best Mario Kart game yet! This game fixes every disappointment from Mario Kart 7 because this game has bikes, flying and underwater driving, and even anti-gravity! Mario Kart 8 has DLC characters and tracks. The DLC tracks are new courses and retro courses from previous games.
  7. AMMANN7
    Sep 5, 2015
    10
    10/10

    This is what perfect looks like this is the ultimate kart racer: MARIOKART 8

    + Beautiful course design
    + Plethora of courses and characters
    + DLC Packs
    + Online Multiplayer
    + Local Multiplayer madness

    - Battle mode
  8. Focaccia
    Feb 14, 2017
    10
    The best wii u game, and surprisingly the best Mario kart game ever, it outdoes MK 64 and Double Dash. I was not expecting this game to be this good. It is one of the few games that is worth buying on the wii u. If you own a wii u and don't own this game yet, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? Seriously this game is awesome.
  9. jakethesnack
    Dec 29, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best Mario Kart in the series by far. Great music, every track are fun to race on and the item balance in the game is amazing especially the super horn and the fact that there are no more item walls. The only things bad about the game is the disappointing roster, (were the baby and metal characters really necessary?) and battle mode.… Expand
  10. OscarG
    Jul 21, 2014
    9
    This game isn't perfect, but man is it fun! Every single feature in this game is very fun like the Single Player for example. I usually don't have friends to play with so usually I play solo and this is one of the few games in which I have a blast playing alone (lol). Single player is really fun even if you get bored of it, every once in a while is still fun. But the REAL highlight of theThis game isn't perfect, but man is it fun! Every single feature in this game is very fun like the Single Player for example. I usually don't have friends to play with so usually I play solo and this is one of the few games in which I have a blast playing alone (lol). Single player is really fun even if you get bored of it, every once in a while is still fun. But the REAL highlight of the game is... the multiplayer. Multiplayer is as fun as ever, probably even better. Multiplayer is the same as ever: 4 player chaos in creative courses with mind-boggling items and newly made anti-gravity sections. Anti-gravity is as it sounds like, karts racing on walls and upside down, its not really a HUGE thing in my opinion but its a well made new and fresh idea. Online mode is a mode where you race aginst people Worldwide, Regionally, with Friends or in Tournaments. Worldwide is where you race with people around the world, Regionally is where I assume is where you race with people from your continent, with friends is with people you have played with randomly and people in your Friend List, and Tournaments is where you race with a set amount of rules and gain points to see in which place you landed. Like I said, this game ISN'T perfect, but it is a must buy for the Wii U. This is a game for you to buy a Wii U and play a ton of hours with.… Expand
  11. nigelgrab
    Jul 27, 2014
    9
    Mario Kart has successfully made itself feel brand new, more than any prior release in the series. The gameplay is familiar yet fresh and exciting, and the anti-gravity sections actually feel good - slightly more floaty and drifty than normal, but still a joy to control. The latter goes for all the gameplay - finding your style of play and a kart combination to match it is just awesome.Mario Kart has successfully made itself feel brand new, more than any prior release in the series. The gameplay is familiar yet fresh and exciting, and the anti-gravity sections actually feel good - slightly more floaty and drifty than normal, but still a joy to control. The latter goes for all the gameplay - finding your style of play and a kart combination to match it is just awesome.
    However, the replay value is actually fairly lacking, due to a disappointing battle mode that feels tacked on and empty, and no extra modes different to past entries. So pretty much once you complete every grand prix (and mirror mode if you're into that) you're left with nothing else worthwhile.
    Despite that, where it hits the mark, Mario Kart 8 is an absolute joy to play, and is definitely worth getting a Wii U for.    … Expand
  12. Stafmeister
    Jul 31, 2014
    9
    Brilliant. Best racing since Mario Kart 64. The courses are great, the new ones and the re-imaginged ones. I really wanted to give this a 10, but they appear to have been lazy with battle mode - which used to be my favourite. Where have the arenas gone?!
  13. soccerzz5
    Aug 8, 2014
    9
    Almost the perfect game, not just racing game but game, stunning graphics, a lot of character and online features.
    The only thing that bothers me and everyone i guess, is the lack of battle stages, why nintendo???, we has them since Super Mario Kart, maybe we can get them as DLC, but we want it now.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. jessda123
    Jul 17, 2016
    10
    Its really difficult to find a fault with Mario Kart 8, so im just gonna pro / con it!

    Pros: Graphics Presentation Frame rate Loads of vehicles All your favourite characters Track design Online Split screen (2 - 4) Cons: Does have Mercedes product placement (you can pick a few cars from that manufacturer) Thats it. Seriously. If you have the WiiU (and you should) you    Its really difficult to find a fault with Mario Kart 8, so im just gonna pro / con it!

    Pros:
    Graphics
    Presentation
    Frame rate
    Loads of vehicles
    All your favourite characters
    Track design
    Online
    Split screen (2 - 4)

    Cons:
    Does have Mercedes product placement (you can pick a few cars from that manufacturer)
    Thats it. Seriously.

    If you have the WiiU (and you should) you really NEED Mario Kart 8! =)    … Expand
  17. Yoshiboo7
    Aug 11, 2015
    10
    My favorite racing game. The game is so much fun. I play it everyday!

    Pros:
    -Tracks are great
    -DLC is amazingly good and great price
    -Half of the roster is great
    -Online Mode
    -Mario Kart TV

    Cons-
    Battle Mode
    Glitches
    Half of the roster is disappointing.

    Definitely Buy this game.
  18. guajefer
    Jul 8, 2016
    10
    THE BEST MARIO KART GAME EVER! Ir has the essence of Mario Kart games and more new things like characters, circuits, items,, etc. Its online game is so addictive and its DLCs are so cheaper and full. Definitely that´s one of the best games for Wii U.
  19. 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
  20. ShiroiKabocha
    Sep 26, 2015
    8
    Very good game. Almost everything is improved from when I played the Wii version of Mario Kart. I'm not too fond of the item balance in this game and think it's actually worse. An automatic race option over a manual one wouldnt hurt either. But the game controls beautifully and looks real nice.
  21. CntrlAltDel101
    Oct 1, 2015
    10
    Mario Kart 8 is an incredibly fun and addictive kart racing experience for the whole family.

    Slick visuals and excellent handling this game is pure Nintendo gold. The one must own game for any WII U owner.
  22. 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
  23. pdrogmtz
    Apr 14, 2016
    10
    El mejor Mario Kart hasta la fecha, frenético y divertido con adiciones DLC que hacen ver al futuro muy interesante, sin embargo carece de un modo batalla emocionante y parte de los personajes son MUY prescindibles...
  24. Sonyer-Pipero
    Jun 25, 2016
    9
    Best gaming experience I've had in a long time. A Nintendo representative said that technical horsepower alone is not enough. Game-play is what's most important. This piece of software is a perfect example how true this statement is. Thank you Nintendo, you guys rock !!!
  25. Juanes
    May 30, 2016
    9
    The saga of Mario Kart is excellent, and Mario Kart 8 does not leak, because its many characters, wonderful tracks, the huge variety of karts to choose, a unique gameplay, modes not disappoint,o a incredible soundtrack , the fun it is to play with friends and a good online game makes this title a wonderful work, but the only bad thing is the new battle mode that I do not like it much.
  26. TitoXT
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Simplemente PERFECTO!

    - Gráficos perfectos!
    - Música perfecta!
    - Jugabilidad perfecta!
    - Juego en línea totalmente gratuito!
    - Pistas increíblemente geniales!
    - Diversión garantizada!

    El mejor Mario Kart de todos!
  27. mvpeter24
    Jul 5, 2016
    10
    Mario Kart 8 is a total anomaly.

    On a system totally devoid of good games, MK8 shines. This is not just the best game on Wii U, but the best Mario Kart ever, and one of the most polished and fun Nintendo games ever made. Mario Kart 7 tried to mix up the very well-tread Mario Kart formula by adding underwater and air-based sections to many courses. This installment continues that    Mario Kart 8 is a total anomaly.

    On a system totally devoid of good games, MK8 shines. This is not just the best game on Wii U, but the best Mario Kart ever, and one of the most polished and fun Nintendo games ever made.

    Mario Kart 7 tried to mix up the very well-tread Mario Kart formula by adding underwater and air-based sections to many courses. This installment continues that trend, keeping the air and water sections while adding anti-gravity sections into the mix. All the sudden courses that you could never imagine are a reality, as racers ride their karts all over the walls and ceilings.

    But these changes in gameplay aren't even the thing that makes this the greatest Mario Kart yet. What really makes this game stand out are the new tracks. In previous games, I found it easy to pick out the 3-4 "best tracks" in the game. In this game, there is no such thing. It seems like every track is so unique, colorful, and carefully crafted that you could never make a list of the "best." Even the retro tracks are incredible. This game breathes new life into some of the best historical Mario Kart tracks, reimagining them in HD in ways you never even thought about when playing their 16-or-64 bit counterparts (I'm looking at you, Ribbon Road).

    The visuals are probably the best on Wii U, showing off impressive realistic-looking lighting effects on courses that burst with color and charm. You never wanted any more out of a Mario Kart game, and it leaves you wondering if graphics can ever get better than what we have here.

    The music in this game is unbelieveable. Nintendo started orchestrating their music with Super Mario Galaxy in 2007, but it took a long time for that shift to catch on in their other properties. 2008's Mario Kart Wii and 2011's Mario Kart 7 still featured MIDI-based music. This installment marks the first orchestrated Mario Kart game, and it sounds good. So good, in fact, you'll be dying to get the soundtrack.

    In a world where DLC is treated like the devil, Nintendo has given us DLC in this game that any gamer would dream about. For $12, one can purchase an additional 16 tracks for the game, essentially boosting the total content of the game by 50%. These bonus packs keep up the quality that the other courses have, and are an absolute must-own.

    If you made the mistake of buying a Wii U, this game is a must-have. Hell, this game was so much fun that you might consider buying a Wii U just to play it. Just be weary that this is about the only good game on the system.

    10/10    … Expand
  28. Lone_Wolf_Sones
    Aug 7, 2016
    10
    Mario Kart 8 takes the best of the Mario Kart series and flips it on its head...literally. By introducing gravity defying tracks Mario Kart 8 is one of the freshest installments in the series yet. The visuals are beautiful and prove that the WiiU can produce some gorgeous games. It boasts some impressive online features and modes. Mario Kart 8 has had a free update which ratchets up theMario Kart 8 takes the best of the Mario Kart series and flips it on its head...literally. By introducing gravity defying tracks Mario Kart 8 is one of the freshest installments in the series yet. The visuals are beautiful and prove that the WiiU can produce some gorgeous games. It boasts some impressive online features and modes. Mario Kart 8 has had a free update which ratchets up the speed of the game considerably. 200cc is not for the faint of heart. Two DLC packs have been released which offer new carts, racers, and tracks. For $12 you get both packs offering an unprecedented value.… Expand
  29. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    9
    The best mario kart to date, great fun with friends locally or online. Technically impressive, it makes you deserve to buy a wii u just for this game.
  30. TeaFan556
    Dec 19, 2021
    9
    [RU]
    Ну до чего же дое****ся? У игры нету нормального батл мода (по сравнении с версией для свитча), наверное всё! Мультиплеер прекрасен, играть в одиночку не хуже, онлайн можно играть вечно. Отличная игра
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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

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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 »