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Mario Kart 8

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Template:Justreleased Template:Infobox

Mario Kart 8 is a Mario Kart game for the Wii U. It was released in Japan on May 29, North America and Europe on May 30, and in Australia on May 31, 2014. The game can be played both physically and digitally through the Nintendo eShop, with the digital version requiring 4949.8 MB (approx. 4.83 GB) of memory to be installed. Being the follow-up to Mario Kart 7, the game is the eighth installment in the mainstream series, and eleventh overall in the Mario Kart series.

A prominent new addition is anti-gravity, allowing players to drive on almost any surface. Bikes, gliders, and underwater driving also return. In addition, ATVs join the returning karts and bikes as a new class of vehicle.

Gameplay

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

The gameplay maintains the traditional elements of previous Mario Kart games, mostly from the two recent installments on the 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 ATVs, 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, with the player being able to collect up to ten in one race as in Mario Kart 7. Like Mario Kart Wii, twelve racers are present in normal races[2]. Tricks and the ability to look behind also return in this game.

The newest feature for the series is anti-gravitational segments that not only allow for more dynamic track design, but also for racers to drive across walls, ceilings, and other seemingly unusual places. When in anti-gravity, if a racer bumps into another racer, the kart spins rather than just bumping and both racers receive a speed boost. This technique is called "spin boosting".

The game also features Wii U GamePad integration. In addition to the standard Off-TV Play, players also have the option of displaying the course map, and when neither the Off-TV display nor the map are being displayed, the GamePad can be used as a horn button. Players have the option to toggle between these features at will.[3] The GamePad can also be used to toggle on and off the gyroscopic steering.

Additionally, if the player falls off the edge of the track, Lakitu will pick them up and drop them back on to the track. This makes glitches involving falling into areas impossible.

Point management works similar to Mario Kart Wii, except that every racer gets at least one point in Grand Prix mode. Below is a chart of the point spread comparison between these eight games:

Point Spread Comparisons (GP)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart: Super Circuit		 9 6 3 1 0 0 0 0 - - - -
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart DS		 10 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 - - - -
Mario Kart Wii 15 12 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Mario Kart 7 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 - - - -
Mario Kart 8 15 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music
Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)
Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available
In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Super Circuit, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly four times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Mario Kart 64, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race, but without the restrictions on how many times the player can retry a race. Starting with Mario Kart: Double Dash to recent installments including this one, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.

There is Miiverse integration, which allows 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 splits 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.

Controls

Action(s) Input(s)
Wii U GamePad
Wii U Pro Controller
Wii Classic Controller 		Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Wheel
Steer   /   / Tilt GamePad   Tilt Wii Remote
Accelerate / Rocket Start    
Brake/Reverse      
Hop/Drift   /    
Trick   / Flick Wii Remote.
Use Item / Stop Item Roulette   /      
Pause / Resume  
Display Home Menu  
Honk Horn  * /  * / Tap horn on GamePad.  *  *
Look Backwards      
* = Will not occur when an item is in possession.

Game modes

There are various game modes for Mario Kart 8. All modes available on singleplayer (some also on local and online multiplayer) are listed here.

 
The game's main menu.

Grand Prix

Mario Kart 8's Grand Prix works similar to past installments. Only the Mushroom and Shell cups are available at the start of the game, the others which can be unlocked by completing them. There is the usual four-race marathon. However, players now have the option to do a multiplayer Grand Prix.

Time Trials

Time Trial mode lets the player complete a selected course in the fastest time possible. Among the new features included, the user can upload ghosts onto Miiverse and other players can give their comments about it. Additionally the user gains a stamp once he or she has competed a race against a Nintendo Staff member ghost. Leaderboards as seen in Mario Kart Wii also return.

VS Race

VS mode can be played locally with up to 4 players. Players can set rules like which items appear, the difficulty level of the CPUs, and Team or Solo racing. Players can also set how the courses appear, choose a course after one is finished, or play all tracks randomly or in order.

Battle

Battle mode[5] now features race tracks remixed to fit battle mode rather than contain all-new separate arenas. Balloon Battle can be played in teams [6] or in free-for-all mode.[7] It combines survival battle mode from Mario Kart DS and earlier installments and the timed points battle mode introduced in Mario Kart Wii; all players start with 3 points and 3 balloons each. Successfully making an opponent lose a balloon awards the player a point, and losing a balloon through any method will cause the player to lose a point. Balloons can never be regained (unless one is stolen from another player with a Mushroom), and if all balloons are lost, points can no longer be lost or gained. Defeated players can still drive and attack players as a Ghost however, so a player with a high score and no balloons can still win. Players can also now adjust the time limit from one to five minutes. [8]

Mirror mode

Mirror mode returns in this game, as an unlockable mode.[9] It also can be used as a set rule for online tournaments. [10]

Online

Just like in some previous Mario Kart games, players can race matches online against each other. This time players can race with random people both Worldwide and Continental, they can play in a Friend lobby, and they can start and participate in Tournaments. Players can set their own rules for tournaments.

Characters

Drivers

There are 30 playable characters in Mario Kart 8, consisting of 16 default characters and 14 unlockable characters.[11] There are 9 characters that make their first appearance as playable characters in the series, including the Koopalings (indicated by an * in the gallery), and 2 of them making their overall debut in the Mario franchise: Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach (indicated by an **). There are 3 weight classes dependent on the size of the kart the characters ride on (with the exception of Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach): light, medium, and heavy, though a group of certain drivers in a class have differing stats to another group.[12]

Starting drivers

Unlockable drivers

1 Mii's weight is determined by the height and weight of the Mii.

Unlocking criteria

Characters are unlocked at random by completing cups, unlike previous Mario Kart games,[13] although the Mii option will always be unlocked after getting gold on all cups of any engine class, similar to Mario Kart 7. Additionally, unlockable characters appear as CPUs during races when they are not unlocked yet, making this game the first Mario Kart game to do so.[14]

Driver base stats

Just like in Mario Kart 7, characters in a specific group have their own stats.[12][15] The units are out of 6, displaying the different stats. Just like in Mario Kart Wii, Miis can be Light, Medium, or Heavy, depending on their height and weight.

Character Stats
Weight Class Group Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction
Light     
    		2.25 3.25 2.25 4.75 4.5
   
     		2.75 3 2.75 4.25 4.25
Medium     3.25 2.75 3.25 3.75 4
  
    		3.75 2.5 3.75 3.25 3.75
Heavy   
   		4.25 2.25 4.25 2.75 3.5
   4.25 2 4.75 2.75 3.25
  
   		4.75 2 4.75 2.25 3.25

Rival order

Rivals
Player Rival(s)
    
    
    
    
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Body frame sizes

Depending on the character, the size of the vehicle can change. The size can influence how big of a target the vehicle is. The body frame size that the Mii uses depends on its weight class.

Vehicle Body Frame Sizes
Size Characters
Small               
Medium           
Large         

Other

Vehicle parts

This is a list of the currently known available kart parts to customize a player's vehicle. Currently, there are 14 karts, 9 bikes, 3 ATVs (26 bodies in total), 18 tires, and 11 gliders known.[16][17] The parts are listed as they appear in-game, and the stat boost/drop values are out of 6 and are relative to the standard parts for each type. However, it is impossible for a vehicle to have any stat less than 1 or greater than 5.75.

  • Speed: The top speed of the vehicle. Does not affect off-road travel.
  • Acceleration: The rate of the vehicle it takes to reach its top speed from a standing position.
  • Weight: The weight of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher weight knock away vehicles with lower weight.
  • Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle. A higher stat means vehicles turn sharper.
  • Traction: The grasp of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher traction slip less on certain terrain and can stay stable on the road better. Not to be confused with handling.

Template:MarioKart8Parts

Unlocking criteria

Vehicle parts are unlocked by collecting coins from Grand Prix, VS Mode, Time Trials, and online races.[18] Players can unlock new parts for every 50 coins that they collect. However, once players have collected 1000 coins, the coin amount needed to unlock new parts increases to 100.

Special parts

The special parts must be unlocked with these criteria:

Courses

There are 32 tracks[22], consisting of 16 new tracks and 16 retro tracks, featuring one track each from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, four tracks from Mario Kart 64, two each from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii, and three each from Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7.[23] As with the retro tracks from the 3DS installment, the retro tracks in this game feature altered sections that incorporate the game's hang-glider, underwater, and anti-gravity features. The game will feature live-recorded music for all of the new tracks and most of the retro tracks. The tracks have been described as more narrow when compared to previous Mario Kart tracks, specifically those from Mario Kart Wii[24].

New courses

 
Mushroom Cup 		 
Flower Cup 		File:MK8 StarCuptv.svg
Star Cup 		File:MK8 SpecialCuptv.svg
Special Cup
File:MK8- Mario Kart Stadium.PNG File:MK8- Mario Circuit.PNG File:MK8- Sunshine Airport.PNG File:MK8- Cloudtop Cruise.PNG
File:MK8- Water Park.PNG File:MK8- Toad Harbor.PNG File:MK8- Dolphin Shoals.PNG File:MK8- Bone-Dry Dunes.PNG
File:MK8- Sweet Sweet Canyon.PNG File:MK8- Twisted Mansion.PNG File:MK8- Electrodrome.PNG File:MK8- Bowser's Castle.PNG
File:MK8- Thwomp Ruins.PNG File:MK8- Shy Guy Falls.PNG File:MK8- Mount Wario.PNG File:MK8- Rainbow Road.PNG

Retro courses

 
Shell Cup 		 
Banana Cup 		 
Leaf Cup 		 
Lightning Cup
File:MK8- Wii Moo Moo Meadows.PNG File:MK8- GCN Dry Dry Desert.PNG File:MK8- DS Wario Stadium.PNG File:MK8- DS Tick-Tock Clock.PNG
File:MK8- GBA Mario Circuit.PNG File:MK8- SNES Donut Plains 3.PNG File:MK8- GCN Sherbet Land.PNG File:MK8- 3DS Piranha Plant Slide.PNG
File:MK8- DS Cheep Cheep Beach.PNG File:MK8- N64 Royal Raceway.PNG File:MK8- 3DS Music Park.PNG File:MK8- Wii Grumble Volcano.PNG
File:MK8- N64 Toad's Turnpike.PNG File:MK8- 3DS DK Jungle.PNG File:MK8- N64 Yoshi Valley.PNG File:MK8- N64 Rainbow Road.PNG

Battle stages

Unlike previous installments of the series, there are no stages unique to Battle Mode; instead, a quarter of the tracks in standard race modes are modified and used as stages for battles and can all be played from the start of the game, including those that are originally in cups that need to first be unlocked in the race modes.[25] Tracks enabled for Battle mode are the following:

File:MK8- Wii Moo Moo Meadows.PNG File:MK8- GCN Dry Dry Desert.PNG File:MK8- SNES Donut Plains 3.PNG File:MK8- N64 Toad's Turnpike.PNG
File:MK8- Mario Circuit.PNG File:MK8- Toad Harbor.PNG File:MK8- GCN Sherbet Land.PNG File:MK8- N64 Yoshi Valley.PNG

Ghosts

Just like in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7, the player starts out with Normal Staff Ghosts for each course, and if he/she completes the time trial in a certain amount of time, the Expert Staff Ghost for that course will be unlocked.

Normal Staff Ghosts

Course Staff Name Country Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Mario Kart Stadium Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:59.781 Mario Sports Coupe Standard Super Glider
Water Park Nin★Massim Italy 2:02.954 Baby Luigi Mr. Scooty Roller Super Glider
Sweet Sweet Canyon Nin★Fausti France 2:12.107 Baby Peach Teddy Buggy Wood Peach Parasol
Thwomp Ruins Nin★Sophia Germany 2:11.157 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
Mario Circuit Nin★Sho Japan 2:07.436 Mario Standard Kart Standard Super Glider
Toad Harbor Nin★Alice United States 2:31.066 Toadette Cat Cruiser Retro Off-Road Plane Glider
Twisted Mansion Nin★Mark Netherlands 2:16.195 Luigi Mach 8 Slim Super Glider
Shy Guy Falls Nin★Frank United Kingdom 2:19.528 Shy Guy Flame Rider Retro Off-Road Super Glider
Sunshine Airport Nin★Leonel United States 2:24.429 Rosalina Circuit Special Standard Super Glider
Dolphin Shoals Nin★Skip United States 2:19.160 Wendy Landship Wood Bowser Kite
Electrodrome Nin★Yuya Japan 2:24.747 Larry Sport Bike Monster Super Glider
Mount Wario Nin★Elena Russia 2:06.283 Waluigi The Duke Monster Wario Wing
Cloudtop Cruise Nin★Maria Portugal 2:26.347 Baby Rosalina Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
Bone-Dry Dunes Nin★Elena Russia 2:13.391 Morton Tri-Speeder Monster Super Glider
Bowser's Castle Nin★Polly United Kingdom 2:23.872 Bowser Badwagon Standard Super Glider
Rainbow Road Nin★Mizuho Japan 2:23.967 Pink Gold Peach Comet Slim Super Glider
Wii Moo Moo Meadows Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:46.099 Daisy Varmint Hot Monster Super Glider
GBA Mario Circuit Nin★Rie Japan 1:49.158 Baby Mario Yoshi Bike Standard Super Glider
DS Cheep Cheep Beach Nin★Massim Italy 2:11.220 Koopa Troopa Steel Driver Metal Parachute
N64 Toad's Turnpike Nin★Alice United States 2:08.059 Toad Standard Bike Standard Parachute
GCN Dry Dry Desert Nin★Maria Portugal 2:29.678 Peach Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
SNES Donut Plains 3 Nin★Frank United Kingdom 1:39.148 Lakitu Pipe Frame Monster MKTV Parafoil
N64 Royal Raceway Nin★Skip United States 2:21.371 Peach Prancer Wood Peach Parasol
3DS DK Jungle Nin★Rie Japan 2:26.900 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
DS Wario Stadium Nin★Mizuho Japan 2:14.213 Wario Tri-Speeder Off-Road Wario Wing
GCN Sherbet Land Nin★Fausti France 2:21.192 Lemmy Sneeker Standard Super Glider
3DS Music Park Nin★Sho Japan 2:24.468 Baby Daisy Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
N64 Yoshi Valley Nin★Mark Netherlands 2:28.814 Yoshi Wild Wiggler Standard Flower Glider
DS Tick-Tock Clock Nin★Sophia Germany 2:13.712 Iggy Standard Bike Monster Super Glider
3DS Piranha Plant Slide Nin★Polly United Kingdom 2:23.991 Ludwig Jet Bike Slim Super Glider
Wii Grumble Volcano Nin★Yuya Japan 2:18.305 Roy Badwagon Off-Road Super Glider
N64 Rainbow Road Nin★Leonel United States 1:33.731 Metal Mario Standard ATV Monster Super Glider

Items

As in all Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 keeps the use of items during the races. Four new items have been added to the list, being the Boomerang Flower, the Piranha Plant, the Super Horn, and the Crazy Eight. The Coin makes also a return as an item since its first appearance in Super Mario Kart.

Mario Kart 8 also features changes to the items' mechanics. While past Mario Kart games allowed the users to gain a different item from the Item Boxes while dragging some other such as a Green Shell or a Banana, in Mario Kart 8, players are restricted to carry only the item they're currently holding or dragging. Releasing the item in use will allow the player to take another from the boxes. In order to keep gameplay balance, some items are much less frequent to appear, most notably the Thunderbolt and the Spiny Shell. Additionally, the Triple Bananas and the Triple Mushroom surround the vehicle in the same manner as triple shells do, and opponents receive their effects when touching them, giving some disadvantage, or advantage in the case of the triple mushrooms. Racers no longer lose the items they have when they go off road, and Lakitu comes to bring them back to the track.

Items found on the track

 
Item Box 		Gives the player a random item. Items given are based on the player's position.
 
Coin 		Gives the player a small boost and increase top speed when more are collected, up to a max of 10.

New items

 
Boomerang Flower 		Can be thrown up to three times, hitting racers forward and when it returns.
 
Potted Piranha Plant 		Automatically chomps on obstacles and other racers, giving a short speed boost for each bite.
 
Super Horn 		Emits a radial shockwave, destroying all obstacles and items including a Blue Shell, and hitting racers.
 
Crazy Eight 		Generates eight items (Coin, Bob-omb, Mushroom, Star, Blooper, Green Shell, Red Shell, and a Banana) that circle around the player for them to use.

Returning items

 
Coin 		Grants the player 2 extra coins.
 
Green Shell 		Travels in a straight line and knocks over a kart it hits.
 
Triple Green Shells 		Three green shells that orbit the player's kart, protecting them from incoming attacks.
 
Red Shell 		Homes in on the closest kart in front of the player and knocks it over.
 
Triple Red Shells 		Three red shells that orbit the player's kart, protecting them from incoming attacks.
 
Banana 		Protects the player from incoming items, and spins out other racers that hit it.
 
Triple Bananas 		Three bananas that orbit the player's kart, protecting them from incoming attacks.
 
Mushroom 		Provides the player's kart with a small speed boost.
 
Triple Mushrooms 		Orbits the player's kart, providing them with three separate speed boosts.
 
Golden Mushroom 		Provides the player's kart with continuous speed boosts for a short time.
 
Fire Flower 		Allows the player to throw fireballs for a short time that cause other karts to spin out on impact.
 
Star 		Provides the player invincibility from all terrain and items, and also giving a speed boost.
 
Blooper 		Sprays ink on all racers ahead and reduces their visibility.
 
Bob-omb 		Explodes after a short time when thrown or dropped, knocking over any kart in its blast radius.
 
Spiny Shell 		Targets the racer in first place, knocking over all other karts in its path.
 
Lightning 		Causes all opponents to drop their items, shrink, and drive slowly for a short time.
 
Bullet Bill 		Transforms the player into a Bullet Bill, rocketing through the track with auto-pilot, and providing invincibility from all terrain and items.

Stamps

Main article: Stamp (Mario Kart 8)

As in Super Mario 3D World and NES Remix, players can obtain stamps to use in Miiverse posts. There are 90 stamps in the game: 28 are available from the start, while the rest can be obtained by winning a Grand Prix with certain characters or defeating staff members ghost in Time Trial in all the stages.

Downloadable content

 
Mario driving a kart based on the Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Nintendo and Mercedes-Benz have collaborated to announce that Mario Kart 8 is set to recieve downloadable content in the form of a kart body and set of wheels based on the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The content is currently only confirmed for Japan, with a summer 2014 release, and will be available for download free of charge.[26]

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.[27] 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.[28]

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.[28]

Select tracks are orchestrated, making this game the first Mario Kart game to feature orchestrated tracks.[29][30][31]

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.[32] It includes the game as well as a Spiny Shell figurine. This limited edition is also confirmed for North American release, though it is exclusive to New York's Nintendo World Store. [33]

Collaboration with Pennzoil

Nintendo and Pennzoil teamed up to promote Mario Kart 8.[34] 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.[35]

Wii U Premium Pack

Nintendo is releasing a Premium Pack with Mario Kart 8. This pack is currently only available to Europe and Australia. The Nintendo UK Online store also offers two different bundles, being a Mario bundle and a Luigi bundle. Each will contain a Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack, along with a Wii Remote Plus, Wii U GamePad skin, and Wii Wheel in the corresponding brother's theme. It also contains a Mario or Luigi Hat and Mario Kart 8 guide book. Both packs will be released on May 30th, alongside the game itself, as well as Peach and Yoshi themed Wii Remote Pluses. Nintendo also revealed a Deluxe set for North American release; this one includes a black Wii U, a black GamePad, a Mario Wii Remote Plus, a red Wii Wheel, and the game. [36][37]

Bonus game promotion

Nintendo is giving another Wii U game for free to those in Europe, Australia, and North America who register Mario Kart 8 on Club Nintendo between May 30th and July 31st. Players can choose between a variety of different Nintendo titles, the choice depending on region. In Europe and Australia, players have the choice of: Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, Game & Wario, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Sonic Lost World, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Wii Party U, The Wonderful 101, and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate[38], while North American players are limited to only New Super Mario Bros. U, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Pikmin 3, and Wii Party U.[39]

Reception

As of May 19, 2014, Mario Kart 8 has received generally favorable reviews, scoring an 89 on Metacritic based on 46 critics[40] and an 88.37% based on 46 critics in GameRankings.[41] Jose Otero of IGN gave the game a 9.0, praising the great graphics and sound, race tracks, antigravity, and item balance while criticizing the lack of some online features, the overload of baby characters in the roster, and the battle mode.[42] He ended with "Mario Kart 8 is the best kart racing game Nintendo has made in a long time. It strikes a careful balance between refining old ideas while introducing fresh new ones." Tom Mc Shea of GameSpot praised the game, lauding the smooth gameplay, interesting tracks, and fair skill while criticizing the game's selection of characters and the battle mode.[43] Though he was initially bored when first playing Mario Kart 8, Mc Shea changed his opinion after appreciating the small details in the game; his verdict was an 8/10. Thomas Whitehead of Nintendo Life gave the game a 9/10.[44] He wrote, "The vehicles and racers have never handled better, the collection of courses is possibly the best yet, while replayability through Ghost Races or — primarily — online races and Tournaments is almost endless. A few design oddities aside, this joins the list of must-have Nintendo games on the Wii U; it’s an accomplished effort that pushes the franchise forward." Michael Damiani of GameTrailers gave the game an 8.6 out of 10. As other reviewers, he praised the stellar visuals, tight controls, and improved online experience but criticized the battle mode.[45] He ended with, "The overall high quality of the game is so impressive that it doesn’t really matter that much that the zero-gravity gimmick barely adds anything that’s truly new. Next time around, though, Nintendo might need to come up with new tricks if it hopes to keep us coming back for more." André from GameXplain gave the game a "Liked a lot" rating, praising the tracks, online mode, visuals and battle mode, stating "it can be fun under the right circumstances". However, he criticized some issues with the interface and the item management.

On the slightly more critical side, Neal Ronaghan of NintendoWorldReport gave the game a 7.5 out of 10.[46] He praised the graphics, soundtrack, and multiplayer but he criticized the stagnation of the franchise, saying, "Mario Kart 8 is just like any other Mario Kart game you’ve played in recent years, adding little to the franchise other than polish and some middling additions and tweaks." He also criticized Mario Kart TV and the battle mode. Andrew Fitch of EGM also gave the game a 7.5 out of 10.[47] He praised the anti-gravity elements and the visuals of the game, but harped on the game's AI, underwhelming new tracks, battle mode being a shell of its former self, and the roster. He noted, "Mario Kart 8 is a rarity for Nintendo in that regard—it looks better than it plays."

References to other games

Gallery

Main article: Gallery:Mario Kart 8
  • WiiU MarioKart8 scrn01 E3.png
  • MarioMK8.png

Media

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 media

Staff

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 staff

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development developed Mario Kart 8. The music composition is credited to Shiho Fujii, Atsuko Asahi, Ryo Nagamatsu, and Yasuaki Iwata, with longtime series composer Kenta Nagata serving as sound director.

Trivia

  • This is the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart: Super Circuit to feature no new Donkey Kong courses or retro Bowser's Castles. Since Super Mario Kart, it also features no Luigi-themed tracks.
  • This is the first Mario Kart game where each course features its own background music, with no tracks sharing music. All previous titles in the series included at least two tracks sharing the same music, most commonly the regular circuit music.
  • Unlike in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7, the results screen shows the name of the player's character, instead of the player's own name.
  • Unlike in Mario Kart 7, getting hit by an item after hitting a glider pad the racer will spin out with momentum instead of flipping over and coming to a halt.

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. ^ [1]
  4. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/06/mario_kart_tv_will_allow_you_to_share_your_racing_skills_on_miiverse
  5. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQS-cVohMRY&index=2&list=FLTaS1PSdZeVZPDoDnqZ3ddQ
  6. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5edQL6_RHFY
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YG7O8ts2c
  8. ^ http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii-U/Mario-Kart-8-765384.html
  9. ^ http://prntscr.com/3j8qyv
  10. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BNSMaOzPSM
  11. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fEa51c-wJ8c
  12. ^ a b http://mkboards.com/forums/threads/general-mk8-discussion.8/page-28#post-114226
  13. ^ http://prntscr.com/3j90ut
  14. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTKRtYK5cmo/
  15. ^ http://mkboards.com/forums/threads/general-mk8-discussion.8/page-31#post-114323
  16. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JIOu2EELJo
  17. ^ http://www.mariokartwii.com/6033753-post7.html
  18. ^ [2]
  19. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0aV9xhCH08
  20. ^ http://www.crashwiki.com/mario-kart-8-spoilers-found-leaked-guide-photos-shows-simplified-gameplay/
  21. ^ http://www.crashwiki.com/mario-kart-8-spoilers-found-leaked-guide-photos-shows-simplified-gameplay/
  22. ^ 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
  23. ^ Mario Kart 8 E3 trailer
  24. ^ Mario Kart 8 Team Talk GamePad Features, Track Design And F-Zero @ Nintendo Life
  25. ^ GameXplain - Mario Kart 8 Q&A: Online, Battle Mode, Rainbow Road, Secrets & more!
  26. ^ http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/29/5760538/drive-a-mercedes-in-mario-kart-8
  27. ^ Scrapped ideas led to the anti-gravity idea in Mario Kart 8 - Wii U Daily
  28. ^ a b E3 2013: Nintendo's Hideki Konno Pulls Back The Curtain On 'Mario Kart 8'
  29. ^ http://www.reinodocogumelo.com/2014/04/nintendo-revela-que-mario-kart-8-tera.html?m=1
  30. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvWfvVzIU6U
  31. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEqt-E6VTPE
  32. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/03/nintendo_of_europe_confirms_mario_kart_8_limited_edition_software_bundle
  33. ^ https://twitter.com/Nintendo_World/status/464443598503567362
  34. ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/pennzoil-and-nintendo-to-bring-mario-kart-to-life-at-sxsw/
  35. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/03/mario_kart_8_pre_orders_from_amazon_japan_get_sweet_mario_or_rosalina_playing_cards
  36. ^ http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/57679/mario-kart-8-wii-u-bundles-revealed/
  37. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/04/north_american_wii_u_mario_kart_8_deluxe_set_bundle_races_into_view
  38. ^ http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Campaigns/Mario-Kart-8-Bonus-Game-Promotion/Mario-Kart-8-Bonus-Game-Promotion-879238.html
  39. ^ http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/Mf9RJDcWmALXECxUdPB0Lf3N9Jb2VtRt
  40. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/mario-kart-8
  41. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/wii-u/700050-mario-kart-8/index.html
  42. ^ http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/15/mario-kart-8-review
  43. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-kart-8/1900-6415760/
  44. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu/mario_kart_8
  45. ^ http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/cojfj2/mario-kart-8-review
  46. ^ http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/37427/mario-kart-8-review
  47. ^ http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-mario-kart-8/
  48. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkslNWnOQ84

Template:BoxTop

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Drivers
Featherweight Baby Mario • Baby Luigi • Baby Peach • Baby Daisy • Baby Rosalina • Lemmy • Dry Bones 
Light Toad • Koopa Troopa • Shy Guy (Light-bluea · Blacka · Greena · Yellowa · Whitea · Bluea · Pinka · Orangea) • Lakitu • Toadette • Larry • Wendy • Cat Peacha • Villager (Female)a • Isabellea • Bowser Jr.  • Inkling Girl  • Diddy Kong c
Medium Peach • Daisy • Yoshi (Light-bluea · Blacka · Reda · Yellowa · Whitea · Bluea · Pinka · Orangea) • Mario • Luigi • Iggy • Ludwig • Tanooki Marioa • Villager (Male)a • Inkling Boy  • Birdo c (Light-blue  c · Black  c · Red  c · Yellow  c · White  c · Blue  c · Green  c · Orange  c) • Kamek c • Peachette c
Cruiser Rosalina • Donkey Kong • Waluigi • Roy • Linka • King Boo  • Wiggler c • Pauline c
Heavy Metal Mario (Gold ) • Pink Gold Peach • Bowser • Wario • Morton • Dry Bowsera • Petey Piranha c • Funky Kong c
Any Mii
Vehicle parts
Bodies Karts Standard Kart • Pipe Frame • Mach 8 • Steel Driver • Cat Cruiser • Circuit Special • Tri-Speeder • Badwagon • Prancer • Biddybuggy • Landship • Sneeker • Sports Coupe • Gold Standard • GLAa • W 25 Silver Arrowa • 300 SL Roadstera • Blue Falcona • Tanooki Karta • B Dashera • Streetlea • P-Winga • Koopa Clown 
Standard bikes Standard Bike • The Duke • Flame Rider • Varmint • Mr. Scooty • City Trippera • Master Cycle Zero b
Sport bikes Comet • Sport Bike • Jet Bike • Yoshi Bike • Master Cyclea
ATVs Standard ATV • Wild Wiggler • Teddy Buggy • Bone Rattlera • Splat Buggy  • Inkstriker 
Tires Standard • Monster • Roller • Slim • Slick • Metal • Button • Off-Road • Sponge • Wood • Cushion • Blue Standard • Hot Monster • Azure Roller • Crimson Slim • Cyber Slick • Retro Off-Road • Gold Tires • GLA Tiresa • Triforce Tiresa • Leaf Tiresa • Ancient Tires b
Gliders Super Glider • Cloud Glider • Wario Wing • Waddle Wing • Peach Parasol • Parachute • Parafoil • Flower Glider • Bowser Kite • Plane Glider • MKTV Parafoil • Gold Glider • Hylian Kitea • Paper Glidera • Paraglider b
Courses
New courses Mushroom Cup Mario Kart Stadium • Water Park • Sweet Sweet Canyon • Thwomp Ruins
Flower Cup Mario Circuit • Toad Harbor • Twisted Mansion • Shy Guy Falls
Star Cup Sunshine Airport • Dolphin Shoals • Electrodrome • Mount Wario
Special Cup Cloudtop Cruise • Bone-Dry Dunes • Bowser's Castle • Rainbow Road
Classic courses Shell Cup Wii Moo Moo Meadows • GBA Mario Circuit • DS Cheep Cheep Beach • N64 Toad's Turnpike
Banana Cup GCN Dry Dry Desert • SNES Donut Plains 3 • N64 Royal Raceway • 3DS DK Jungle
Leaf Cup DS Wario Stadium • GCN Sherbet Land • 3DS Music Park • N64 Yoshi Valley
Lightning Cup DS Tick-Tock Clock • 3DS Piranha Plant Slide • Wii Grumble Volcano • N64 Rainbow Road
DLC coursesa Egg Cup GCN Yoshi Circuit • Excitebike Arena • Dragon Driftway • Mute City
Triforce Cup Wii Wario's Gold Mine • SNES Rainbow Road • Ice Ice Outpost • Hyrule Circuit
Crossing Cup GCN Baby Park • GBA Cheese Land • Wild Woods • Animal Crossing
Bell Cup 3DS Neo Bowser City • GBA Ribbon Road • Super Bell Subway • Big Blue
Booster courses c Golden Dash Cup Tour Paris Promenade • 3DS Toad Circuit • N64 Choco Mountain • Wii Coconut Mall
Lucky Cat Cup Tour Tokyo Blur • DS Shroom Ridge • GBA Sky Garden • Ninja Hideaway
Turnip Cup Tour New York Minute • SNES Mario Circuit 3 • N64 Kalimari Desert • DS Waluigi Pinball
Propeller Cup Tour Sydney Sprint • GBA Snow Land • Wii Mushroom Gorge • Sky-High Sundae
Rock Cup Tour London Loop • GBA Boo Lake • 3DS Rock Rock Mountain • Wii Maple Treeway
Moon Cup Tour Berlin Byways • DS Peach Gardens • Merry Mountain • 3DS Rainbow Road
Fruit Cup Tour Amsterdam Drift • GBA Riverside Park • Wii DK Summit • Yoshi's Island
Boomerang Cup Tour Bangkok Rush • DS Mario Circuit • GCN Waluigi Stadium • Tour Singapore Speedway
Feather Cup Tour Athens Dash • GCN Daisy Cruiser • Wii Moonview Highway • Squeaky Clean Sprint
Cherry Cup Tour Los Angeles Laps • GBA Sunset Wilds • Wii Koopa Cape • Tour Vancouver Velocity
Acorn Cup Tour Rome Avanti • GCN DK Mountain • Wii Daisy Circuit • Piranha Plant Cove
Spiny Cup Tour Madrid Drive • 3DS Rosalina's Ice World • SNES Bowser Castle 3 • Wii Rainbow Road
Battle courses Wii U   Wii Moo Moo Meadows • GCN Dry Dry Desert • SNES Donut Plains 3 • N64 Toad's Turnpike • Mario Circuit • GCN Sherbet Land • N64 Yoshi Valley • Toad Harbor
Switch   3DS Wuhu Town • GCN Luigi's Mansion • SNES Battle Course 1 • Urchin Underpass • Dragon Palace • Battle Stadium • Sweet Sweet Kingdom • Lunar Colony
Other
Items Banana • Blooper • Boo  • Boomerang Flower • Bullet Bill • Coin • Crazy Eight • Feather  • Fire Flower • Golden Mushroom • Green Shell • Lightning • Mushroom • Piranha Plant • Red Shell • Spiny Shell • Super Horn • Triple Bananas • Triple Green Shells • Triple Mushrooms • Triple Red Shells
Course objects Antigravity Panel • Arrow field c • Barrel • Bath Bomb c • Beach Ball c • Bella • Board • Bob-omb Car c • Boulder • Bowser Statue • Bus • Bumper c • Cannon • Car • Cargo truck • Cash  • Ceiling Needle c • Coin • Crate • Current • Dash Panel • Dash panel ramp truck • Drain pipe • Falling Pillar • Fire Bar • Fire Chain • Flipper c • Glide Ramp • Goal Ring c • Hoop c • Hot-air balloon • Half-pipe c • Icicle c • Item Box • Lava Geyser • Leaf pilea • Master Sworda • Mecha Piranha Plant c • Metal ball c • Millstone • Mine Carta • Mushroom Platform c • Mushroom Trampoline c • Oil slick • Pickup truck • Pita • Ring • Rupeea • Snowboya • Snowman • Spin Boost Pillar • Spinner • Submarine • Table c • Tire • Toy Duck c • Toy Goomba c • Traffic cone • Traina • Volcanic debris • Water Geyser c • Winged Cloud c
Enemies and species Big Wiggler c • Bone Piranha Plant • Boo • Bouncing Note • Bowser Monument • Bulber c • Chain Chomp • Cheep Cheep • Clampy c • Deku Babaa • Dolphin • Dry Bones • Exploring Shy Guy c • Fire Piranha Plant c • Fire Snake • Fish Bone • Freezie • Frogoon • Fuzzy c • Goomba • Goomba Tower • Goonie c • Hammer Knight • Huffin Puffin c • Incoming Chomp c • Innertube Goomba c • Jellybeam • Keesea • Manta • Mecha Cheep • Mechakoopa • Mini Toada • Monty Mole • Moo Moo • Mr. Resettia • Nep-Enut c • Noki • Penguin c • Petal Guy c • Pianta • Piranha Plant • Pokey • Ptooie c • Raving Piranha Plant • Rocky Wrench c • Screaming Pillar • Shoe c • Sidestepper • Skating Shy Guy • Small bird • Snowboarding Shy Guy c • Star Thwompa • Stilt Guy c • Swoop • Thwomp • Tiki Goon • Toad • Unagi • Whomp c • Yoshi
Techniques Anti-gravity • Drift • Hop • Mini-Turbo • Rocket Start • Slipstream • Spin Boost • Spin Turn • Jump Boost • U-turn • Underwater driving
Notable areas, landmarks, and sightings Amsterdam (Canal) c • Athens (Hadrian's Arch · Parthenon)  c • Bangkok c • Berlin (Berlin Wall · Brandenburg Gate · Charlottenburg Palace)  c • Bowser's Castle • Daisy Cruisera • DK's Tree House • Hammer Bros. Sphinx • London (Big Ben · Tower Bridge · Tower of London)  c • Luigi's Mansion • Madrid (Prado Museum · Ventas Bullring)  c • New York (Empire State Building · Statue of Liberty · Rockefeller Center)  c • Paris (Arc de Triomphe · Cathedral of Notre Dame · Eiffel Tower · Louvre)  c • Rome (Colosseum · Spanish Steps · Trevi Fountain)  c • Peach's Castle • Sydney c • Tokyo c • Vancouver c
Official tournaments Mario Kart 8 Mario Kart 8 promotion tour • Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe North America NOA 150cc Tournament and NOA Battlethon • Mario Kart North American Open • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Holiday Fun Run • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship Cup 2022 • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe North American Qualifier 2022 • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe North American Qualifier 2023 • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship Cup 2023 • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship 2023 Qualifier • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship 2023
Australia and New Zealand Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Super Saturdays • Mario Kart AU/NZ My Nintendo Cup • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: AU/NZ Grand Prix
China Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Summit Invitational Tournament • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Tournaments (2021 Tencent series) • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe National Battle Team Open Tournament • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Open Team Championship
Europe Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Seasonal Circuit • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe European Championship 2023
Hong Kong Nintendo HK 2021 Cup
Japan Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Challenge • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Challenge Final Stage
Spain TorneoMK8D
UK and Ireland Nintendo UK VS Cup • Nintendo VS UK Cup
Miscellaneous Andrew Trego  • Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8a • "Blue Shell Blues"  • Cheesea • Emblem • Finish line • From the Pit  • Gallery (Deluxe) • Ghost • Glitches • Gravity • Heart c • Highlight Reel • Hyrule Castlea • In-game statistics (Deluxe) • Item probability distributions • Lakitu • The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8a • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass c • Mario Kart Band • Mario Kart TV • Mercedes-Benz × Mario Kart 8a • Miiverse  • Poochy c • Pre-release and unused content  • Soundtrack  • Sponsors • Staff (Mario Kart 8 · Mario Kart 8 Deluxe · Booster Course Pass) • Stamp (list)   • Update history 
  Indicates exclusivity to Mario Kart 8
a Indicates downloadable content in Mario Kart 8
  Indicates exclusivity to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
b Indicates content available in version 1.6.0 and later of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
c Indicates content available in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass
Related Play Nintendo activities:
Take a spin in one of these beauties!  • Racing through this poll  • One cup, four tracks…  • Leaf it to me  • Gaming gardens trivia quiz  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Memory Match-Up 

Template:MK Players Template:Mariogames

Wii U games
Super Mario franchise New Super Mario Bros. U (2012) • New Super Luigi U (2013) • Super Mario 3D World (2013) • Mario Kart 8 (2014) • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (2014) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (2015) • Mario Party 10 (2015) • Super Mario Maker (2015) • Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (2015) • Paper Mario: Color Splash (2016)
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014)
Yoshi franchise Yoshi's Woolly World (2015)
Wario franchise Game & Wario (2013)
Crossovers Nintendo Land (2012) • Sonic Lost World (2013) • Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (2013) • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014) • Skylanders: SuperChargers (2015) • Minecraft: Wii U Edition (2015) • Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016)
Compilations New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U (2013) • NES Remix Pack (2014)
Nintendo eShop NES Remix (2013) • Dr. Luigi (2013) • NES Remix 2 (2014) • amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits (2015) • Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge (2016) • Virtual Console games (2013-2016)

Navigation

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