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Template:Infobox Mario Kart 8 is an upcoming Mario Kart game for the Wii U, releasing in Japan on May 29, 2014, North America and Europe on May 30, 2014, and Australia on May 31, 2014. The game is the eighth installment in the mainstream series, and eleventh overall in the Mario Kart series. Anti-gravity, a new feature for the Mario Kart series, has been confirmed. Bikes, gliders, and underwater driving are also confirmed to return. Buggies have been confirmed to join traditional karts and bikes as a new class of vehicle.

Gameplay

The gameplay maintains the traditional elements of previous Mario Kart games, mostly from the two recent installments on Wii and 3DS respectively. Karts, which feature similar designs from Mario Kart 7, can be customized once again, alongside the returning bikes, which handle similar to the karts now and can only perform a wheelie via a boost, and the newly introduced buggies, as well as, according to an interview, more customization options that have yet to be revealed.[1]. The hang-glider and underwater mechanics also return, as well as Coins and as in Mario Kart 7 the player can collect up to ten coins at one race. Like in Mario Kart Wii, twelve racers are present in normal races[2].

File:WiiU MarioKart8 scrn01 E3.png
Mario demonstrating the anti-gravity mechanic in Mario Circuit.

The newest feature for the series is anti-gravitional segments, that not only allow for more dynamic track design, but allow racers to drive across the side of a track and upside-down as well. When in anti-gravity, if a racer bumps into another racer the kart spins rather than just bumping and the racers receive a speed boost. These tracks have been described as more narrow when compared to previous Mario Kart tracks, specifically those from Mario Kart Wii[3]. For the fourth time in the series, courses from previous Mario Kart games will be included, and both the game's anti-gravity mechanic, as well as Mario Kart 7 's "air, land, and sea" mechanic will be incorporated into these retro courses, much like the retro courses in Mario Kart 7.

It has been confirmed that there will be Miiverse integration, which will allow players to share their replay videos and comment on others' videos, in a feature called "Mario Kart TV".[4] Another change is that in 2-player mode, the screen will split vertically instead of the horizontally in the other console Mario Kart games, a feature that was originally intended to be in Mario Kart 64 but was removed from the final game.

Characters

Playable

So far, 27 playable characters have been confirmed for Mario Kart 8. 7 of these characters (the Koopalings) make their playable debut (and therefore, are playable for the first time in the Mario Kart series as well).

* - New characters

Other

Items

Unknown

These items appear in the item roulette, but their usage remains unknown.[9]

  • A megaphone block that resembles a Light Box[9]
  • Item that appears identical to the "8" from the game's logo[9]

Kart parts

Bodies

Karts

Bikes

  • Standard*
  • A bike body that resembles the Bolt Buggy
  • An orange body that slightly resembles the Mach Bike[6]
  • A yellow and blue scooter-like body[6]
  • A body that is similar to the Zip Zip[6]
  • A body similar in build to the Wario Bike[6]
  • A body shaped like a rocket[6]

Buggies

Buggy-type bodies are confirmed to be in the game.[5]

Tires

  • Tires similar to the Standard
  • Tires similar to the Monster
  • Skinny tires with a white and red stripe pattern, similar to the Slim tires
  • Skinny, red star tires
  • Wooden wagon tires[6]
  • Tires with green lines, similar to the Slick tires[6]
  • Small red tires[6]
  • Sponge-like Red Monster tires[6]

Gliders

* - Changes color depending on the character

Courses

So far, 26 tracks have been confirmed, consisting of 13 new tracks and 13 retro tracks, out of a total of 32[10], featuring one track from Super Mario Kart, three tracks from Mario Kart 64, one from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, one from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, two from Mario Kart DS, two from Mario Kart Wii, and three from Mario Kart 7.[11][6] As with the retro tracks from the 3DS installment, the retro tracks in this game will feature altered sections that incorporate the game's hang-glider, underwater, and anti-gravity features.

Nitro courses

File:MarioKart8AirportRunway.jpg
Sunshine Airport, a new course that takes place in an airport surrounded by islands.

Mushroom Cup

Flower Cup

Star Cup

  • Sunshine Airport, a course set on the runaways and terminals of an airport.
  • A city or nightclub course with neon lights and digital billboards.

TBA

Retro courses

 
Music Park returning from Mario Kart 7.

Shell Cup

Banana Cup

Lightning Cup

TBA

Development

Development for Mario Kart 8 started in 2012.[1] Some ideas that were scrapped in Mario Kart 8 included a drill that made drivers drive into subterranean depths. The idea was scrapped because the developers thought it was not as interesting as the anti-gravity idea.[17] The anti-gravity concept stemmed from the Wii U being a powerful console, and with the upgraded hardware, the developers wanted to make courses with a 3D plane in mind rather than the 2D plane as the other tracks in the Mario Kart series.[18]

The title, Mario Kart 8, is chosen to represent the anti-gravity mechanic as the "8" used in the official logo resembles the Möbius strip from Mario Circuit.[18]

Promotion and advertising

Limited Edition

 
The limited edition bundle in Europe featuring a Spiny Shell figurine.

A limited edition version of Mario Kart 8 is available to pre-orders in the European and Australian regions.[19] It includes the game as well as a Spiny Shell figurine.

Collaboration with Pennzoil

Nintendo and Pennzoil teamed up to promote Mario Kart 8[20]. It features real-life go-karts on a specially modified track. Icons representing some of the items in the game are spread in the course as well.

Card Game

Nintendo is also developing a Mario Kart-themed card game. The game features two types of cards: Mario cards (includes Peach and Luigi cards) and Rosalina Cards (includes Lakitu and Koopalings cards). These cards come with the Japanese version of the game.

References to other games

Gallery

Main article: Gallery:Mario Kart 8

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Mario Kart 8 - details on development time, GamePad ideas, hope for F-Zero - GoNintendo
  2. ^ Mario Kart 8 at E3 2013
  3. ^ Mario Kart 8 Team Talk GamePad Features, Track Design And F-Zero @ Nintendo Life
  4. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/06/mario_kart_tv_will_allow_you_to_share_your_racing_skills_on_miiverse
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Nintendo Direct – 12.18.2013
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Nintendo Direct – 2.13.2014
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n April 2014 Demo
  8. ^ a b Youtube - Mario Kart 8: Course 3 Ghost House Single-Player Gameplay Footage (E3 2013 Wii U)
  9. ^ a b c http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/03/mario-kart-8as-two-mysterious-unannounced-items
  10. ^ http://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2014/April/New-items-characters-and-courses-make-for-gravity-defying-fun-in-Mario-Kart-8-launching-May-30th-on-Wii-U-870260.html
  11. ^ Mario Kart 8 E3 trailer
  12. ^ https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/439807507947859968
  13. ^ https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.490080237763241.1073741827.125686527535949
  14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4wxCtCvXO4&list=UUfAPTv1LgeEWevG8X_6PUOQ
  15. ^ https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/441982678867648512
  16. ^ https://www.facebook.com/WiiU.co.uk/photos/a.596004050474333.1073741858.351440504930690/599017400172998/?type=1&stream_ref=10
  17. ^ Scrapped ideas led to the anti-gravity idea in Mario Kart 8 - Wii U Daily
  18. ^ a b E3 2013: Nintendo's Hideki Konno Pulls Back The Curtain On 'Mario Kart 8'
  19. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/03/nintendo_of_europe_confirms_mario_kart_8_limited_edition_software_bundle
  20. ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/pennzoil-and-nintendo-to-bring-mario-kart-to-life-at-sxsw/

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