Mario Kart 8 takes the famous racing series and turns the gameplay completely upside down. Both new and re-worked classic tracks now incorporate anti-gravity portions that will have the all-star cast sailing around inverted speedway. The hang gliding element and underwater levels of Mario Kart 7 return to enhance tracks with a variety of challenges. Gamers will appreciate MK8’s abundance of new characters, versatile items and innovative courses to choose from. The Wii U has faced harsh criticism about the lack of third party support and the fact that compelling first party games are few and far between. Mario Kart 8 attempts to rally support for the Wii U by enticing gamers with a taste of what the console has to offer.
Sixteen characters are available at the beginning of the game with an additional fourteen drivers to unlock by competing in the Cup matches. Bowser’s funky haired minions spice up the lineup as they make their first appearance along with the introduction of Baby Rosalina. Racers range from light to large frames; each one affects your vehicle of choice differently. Joining the selection of bikes and karts you are now able to choose from a group of ATVs. This new choice offers better traction than most bikes while sacrificing acceleration. Customizations are rewarded throughout the game allowing you to mix and match tires and gliders each with their own special attribute to help you personalize a dream machine to best suit to the way you race.
Three new items make their debut including Crazy Eight, a batch of items at your disposal to use against fellow racers. The Potted Piranha Plant is an incredibly useful tool, not only does it send contenders within range spinning with a single bite it also devours nearby coins or threats such as shells, all while providing speed boosts. The Boomerang Flower can be use to stop its victims dead in their tracks and drop their coins with three chances to throw it. The Super Horn is extremely effective in areas where traffic bottlenecks with a single use you can clear a path through crowded areas. Item boxes replenish faster than ever before making it possible to grab items even if you are following closely behind other motorists.
A particular highlight of the lush graphics includes the slick appearance of the Donut Plains 3 track, where the puddles glisten in the sunlight. The attention to small details on each course enrich the environment and give each stage a unique story to tell usually focusing on a specific time of day, distinct climate or the unique inhabitants. As you fly around the bends of Shy Guy Falls small vignettes of the miners hard at work outline the course. The creativity and complexity of these backgrounds constructs an interesting narrative for each location.
Entering the anti-gravity portion of the courses transforms your kart into a hovercraft like vehicle and you can gain a boost and propel yourself forward by bumping into other drivers. While the anti-gravity effect looks amazing in the recorded footage that is gathered through the game using the Mario Kart TV feature, it is more subtle during certain races. Replays recorded by Mario Kart TV can be edited and uploaded to Miiverse where you can share hilarious wipe-outs and best times. Whether you are playing with friends from around town or around the world MK8 is definitely a challenge and will have you promising yourself just one last race after every match.
In previous Mario Kart titles, Battle mode consisted of several specific arenas dedicated to tossing projectiles and bananas back and forth while avoid hazards or obstacles. Mario Kart 8’s approach takes stages straight out of the regular track lineup and sets teams off in different directions to hunt each other down. This approach seems to have missed its mark as it is too easy to park and avoid your enemies all together, the battle becomes like a game of hide-and-seek rather than tag. This could have been an opportunity to explore some of the more interesting tracks that showcase the topsy-turvy nature of the anti-gravity effect. Instead most of the courses to choose from rely on simple half-pipe side walls that utilize the gravity shift. Taking your time to explore tracks like Mario Circuit can really demonstrate how twisted even seemingly straightforward paths are.
Like its Wii predecessor you are able to use several different controllers; including the Wii Remote, Wii Wheel, GamePad, Pro and Classic Controller. The Wii Remote’s motion controls can occasionally leave you feeling like you have lost complete control of your character. Using the GamePad offered very stable controls allowing for the option to turn on and off the tilt control aspect. The lack of a map on the TV made exploring new tracks a bit confusing. The map is viewable on the GamePad but if you are using that as your screen there is no way to view the map without minimizing the frame with your racer. Without a map on screen it takes great care to decide which way the track bends up ahead and it also adds an element of surprise to the exact location of fellow competitors as an indicator at the bottom of your screen will only notify you of incoming attacks such as a Red Shell or Bullet Bill. The console version brings back that spirit of community gaming where you can play with people in the same room cursing or cheering at the TV. The pangs of nostalgia for this game hit hard when you are able to recreate that party atmosphere that was so popular with the Nintendo 64.
Mario Kart 8 expands the roster of characters, available items and course selection while providing innovative gameplay with the anti-gravity feature. It is a solid entry in the franchise and it’s almost frustrating how close this game is to being perfect. Some aspects felt rushed, such as the Battle mode but where the game really counts these are only minor critiques, it is extremely entertaining game. Mario Kart 8 has set a good pace for follow Wii U titles to match. Focusing on making a game just as much fun in single player as multiplayer mode, both online and off gives the game a long life as it is possible to clock in many hours. Through clever integration of the Miiverse community and progressive gameplay, Mario Kart 8 has driven the series into exciting new territory and hopefully this means we can look forward to more high caliber Wii U titles in the near future.
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