Developer/Publisher: Nintendo EAD Group No. 1/Nintendo
Release Date(s): May 29, 2014 (Japan), May 30, 2015 (North America, Europe), May 31, 2015 (Australia)
Genre(s): Racing
Platform(s): Wii U
Language(s): English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Russian
Pricing: $59.99 / £39.99 / €47.99
Rating: E (ESRB), 3 (PEGI)
Mario Kart is back! The classic racing racing series, and of course, social game par exellence, is back on track with its eighth installment. Mario Kart 8 adds several new features to this old standby, and we're going to take a closer look at them in the review below.
A classic worthy of the name Mario Kart is a name everyone shoud recognize – if you don't, then stop reading and go check out any game in the series! It's been one of the best multiplayer titles around since its debut on the Super Nintendo, and remains so to this day. This review is going to focus exclsuively on the new features and changes made in the current installment. If you're familiar with Mario Kart at all, the rest needs no explanation.
Let's start with the playabe characters. When you first put in the disc or download the game, there are a total of 16 characters at your disposal. Like in every Mario Kart title, these include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser. There are also 14 other characters to unlock, and the latest DLC raises the total number from 30 to 36, though you should be aware that you'll have to purchase the DLC separately.
Nintendo and DLC Content
There are two DLC packs so far, each of which gives you eight new tracks, four new karts, and three new drivers, not to mention additional alternate colors for Yoshi and Shy Guy. Each one costs 8 bucks, or you can but them together for 12. The first one has been around since last year, and the second will be coming out this May. In my opinion, it's worth buying both of them, as you'll get some really good tracks out of the deal, as well as the chance to drive a kart as Link (The Legend of Zelda) and Villager (Animal Crossing).As far as customizing your kart goes, not much has changed. You're able to choose from various bodies (karts, bikes, or ATVs), then choose the wheels you want to mount on the body, and the last piece is a glider, of course.
Anti-gravity
When you get out on the tracks, however, you'll notice that some things have in fact changed. It's now possible to drive upside down, up walls, and on all kinds of other surfaces. Driving across an anti-gravity strip will cause your wheels to fold under your kart, essentially converting it into a hover-kart.
The tracks themselves have a whole lot more going on, too. Lots more colors, lots more curves, and just more design in general. The graphics are way better than in previous Mario Kart games, and you can really see how much love and attention to detail Nintendo put into this one. There are also new boosters, which you might at first mistake for "traffic obstructions".
In Mario Kart 7 and others before it, the blue Spiny Shell would always cause you to lose an item when it hit you. That's no longer the case, and it doesn't fly anymore, either, but rather glides along the ground like a regular red or green Shell, taking out everything in its path. You'll probably remember the "Lucky Seven" from Mario Kart 7, which gave you seven standard items at once. The "Crazy Eight" increases this number to eight standard items, excluding Triple Bananas and Triple Shells.
Amiibos and free DLC
They didn't really advertise it, but the latest software update upgraded the Amiibo feature for Mario Kart 8, allowing you to import special racing suits for Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Captain Falcon, Kirby, Samus, and Fox.Last but not least, I should mention that a free DLC pack has been available since August 2014 that gives you three Mercedes-Benz karts: the W 25 Silver Arrow from the 1930s, the 300 SL Roadster from the 1950s, and the current-model GLA.
