Mariokart is a thoroughly enjoyable experience regardless of how much precision you can manage. The game is designed to even the playing field by giving players in the back more valuable items and punishing the players in front. You can definitely apply a lot of precision turning and drifting to this game, but you can also just go along and let auto steering take over. Your time will suffer a bit, but you still have a good chance of winning, and you will definitely still be able to enjoy it.
Christy Smith is a visually impaired gamer whose main goal in life is to snag a seat on the metro instead of having to stand so that she can play Switch on her commute. She/her/hers or They/them/theirs
Mario Kart 8[c] is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It retains the gameplay of previous games in the Mario Kart series, with players controlling a Mario franchise character in races around tracks. Tracks are themed around locales from the Super Mario platform series and are populated with power-ups that help players gain advantages in races. Different difficulties are selectable prior to a race; harder difficulties make gameplay faster. In the new anti-gravity sequences, players drive on walls and ceilings. Mario Kart 8 contains a variety of single-player and local and online multiplayer games modes, including Grand Prix racing and arena-based battle modes.
Nintendo revealed Mario Kart 8 in 2013, and released it in May 2014. Both paid and free downloadable content (DLC) were released after its launch, including a further difficulty setting and additional tracks. It was rereleased on the Nintendo Switch in April 2017 as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[d]. Deluxe includes all the original DLC, as well as a revamped battle mode and other gameplay alterations. In February 2022, a new DLC, the Booster Course Pass, was announced, in which 48 new circuits and 8 characters were added progressively.
Mario Kart 8 was a critical success; reviewers praised its gameplay and presentation, but the battle mode was criticized. Critics praised Deluxe as the definitive version of Mario Kart 8 for its improved battle modes and presentation. Both releases have been named by critics as among the best Mario Kart games, have won and been nominated for several awards, and have been cited in following years as being among the greatest video games ever made. Mario Kart 8 is one of the best-selling video games of all time, at over 70.43 million sold. It is also the best-selling Wii U game at 8.46 million sold and the best-selling Nintendo Switch game at 61.97 million.
Mario Kart 8 is a kart racing game; players control characters from the Mario universe to race in go-karts around a course. They may hinder their opponents or improve their performance using power-ups found in item boxes throughout the course.[3] It includes four different difficulties, each differing in speed, which may be selected before the race.[4][5] "Mirror Mode" horizontally inverts all courses.[6] Returning features from previous installments include motorbikes and 12-player racing from Mario Kart Wii, as well as hang gliders, underwater racing and vehicle customization from Mario Kart 7.[7][8] Up to four players can play together on a single system, up to eight can play together through a local wireless connection (Nintendo Switch only), and up to twelve can play together via online multiplayer.[5][9] As of April 2024, online multiplayer is no longer available on the Wii U version of Mario Kart 8 due to the discontinuation of online services for the Wii U.[10]
The signature new feature of Mario Kart 8 is anti-gravity racing, in which certain parts of a course allow racers to drive on walls and ceilings.[11] In these sections, players who collide with other racers or special bumpers will trigger a speed boost. New characters include the Koopalings and Pink Gold Peach. In addition to karts and motorbikes, the game also includes all-terrain vehicles. There are four new items: the Boomerang Flower, which can be thrown to attack players; the Piranha Plant, which attacks nearby racers and obstacles and provides a speed boost; the Crazy Eight, which gives the user eight different items; and the Super Horn, which can be used both to attack nearby opponents and defend against items, including the previously nearly unavoidable Spiny Shell.[12][13][14] The game features 32 courses spread across eight cups, with an additional 16 courses later released as downloadable content (DLC) in four additional cups.[15]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe includes all downloadable content (DLC) for Mario Kart 8, including characters, courses, and vehicle components, into a single product for Nintendo Switch, as well as being the first Mario game for the console.[16][6] These features are accessible upon first starting the game, without the need to be unlocked.[17] In addition to previous DLC, several new characters were introduced in Deluxe, including the Inklings from Splatoon, Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, and King Boo.[18][19] Other notable changes to the gameplay include the ability to hold two items at once,[20][21] and accessibility features to assist newer players, such as auto-acceleration or smart steering, which prevents players from veering off course.[18][6] Deluxe also reintroduces the Boo item, which allows the player to steal another opponent's item and then temporarily become invisible.[22][5] In Deluxe's "Booster Course Pass", several courses have differing layouts in every lap, condensing multiple variations of a course into one.[23]
The largest addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the updated battle mode. Deluxe includes five new battle mode-exclusive courses and three battle courses adapted from previous entries in the Mario Kart series. These battle courses are designed specifically for the mode, featuring layouts that allow for easier item play, rather than repurposing standard race courses like Mario Kart 8.[24] The Feather item, reintroduced from previous entries in the series, is exclusive to this mode and allows the player to get a small boost in height when it is activated.[21][22] There are five rulesets in battle mode.[16] In Balloon Battle, players use items to destroy each other's balloons.[16] Unlike in previous incarnations, the mode is point-based rather than last-man-standing, meaning that the winner is whoever destroys the most balloons before the match ends.[24][25][4] Bob-omb Blast is a variation of Balloon Battle with all the items replaced with bombs.[24][26][6] In Shine Thief, players must maintain control of the Shine Sprite for as long as possible;[20] the player or team who possesses it for the longest wins.[6][26][27] In Coin Runners, players scavenge coins from around the course and steal them from other players, aiming to have the biggest hoard.[16][4][26] The final mode is Renegade Roundup, which involves a team of "renegades" trying to avoid the "authorities" armed with Piranha Plants, which takes inspiration from the children's game "cops and robbers".[20][26] Renegades may free their captured teammates by driving over switches under the cages controlled by the authorities.[26][16][7][4]
Initially confirmed in a January 2013 Nintendo Direct presentation, Mario Kart 8 was fully unveiled at E3 2013. Some members of Bandai Namco Games received special thanks in the credits.[28] The "8" in the logo was designed to resemble a Mbius strip, as was Mario Circuit, one of the courses.[29] Early in development, the idea of using a drill to penetrate the ground was considered but was quickly discarded for not being as interesting as anti-gravity.[30] Courses were designed with anti-gravity in mind, including tracks from older games which were redesigned to take advantage of the new mechanic. Other courses had gliding and underwater sections added as well.[31]
Nintendo's launch promotions of Mario Kart 8 include a Limited Edition with a Spiny Shell figurine; and special Mario and Luigi themed console bundles, with a hat, strategy guide, Wii Remote Plus controller, Wii Wheel, and GamePad protector.[32] In North America, Europe, and Australia, players who purchased and registered Mario Kart 8 on Club Nintendo before July 31, 2014, received a free download code for a selected Wii U game.[33][34] As part of a promotional campaign with Mercedes-Benz, Mario, Luigi, and Peach were featured in a series of Japanese commercials for the Mercedes-Benz GLA, and three karts based on past and present Mercedes-Benz vehicles were added as part of a downloadable update on August 27, 2014.[35][36][37] In 2014, fast food company McDonald's released Happy Meal-branded toys based on the characters and karts.[38] A soundtrack album containing 68 tracks from the game was made available as an exclusive reward available to Club Nintendo members shortly preceding the service's discontinuation in 2015.[39]
Game updates added new features and user experience improvements, such as support for Amiibo figurines, a 200cc difficulty setting, player statistics, and additional Mii outfits.[40][41][35] Two paid DLC packs added characters, vehicles, and courses to the game. Some characters and courses are based on other Nintendo franchises, including Link (The Legend of Zelda), Isabelle and Villager (Animal Crossing), Mute City and Big Blue (F-Zero), and Excitebike Arena (Excitebike).[42][43][44] Downloadable content for Mario Kart 8 is no longer available to purchase due to the discontinuation of the Nintendo eShop for Wii U.[45]
In March 2023, Nintendo halted online play for Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon due to a security vulnerability.[46] The issue was fixed with an update, and online play resumed on August 3, 2023. Nintendo further stated that if further issues occurred, online play may be discontinued for the games.[47] On October 4, 2023, Nintendo announced that online services for most Wii U and Nintendo 3DS software, including Mario Kart 8, would end by April 2024. Online services for Mario Kart 8 were terminated on April 9, 2024.[10]
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