Mario Kart 8 was a critical and commercial success. Critics praised its new additions, tracks, graphics, gameplay, and orchestrated soundtrack, but criticized its limited battle mode. It is the best-selling Wii U game, with more than eight million copies sold worldwide. Nintendo continued to release patches and downloadable content, including additional characters, vehicles, and tracks, and support for Nintendo's Amiibo figurines.
Like other Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 sees characters from the Mario universe race in go-karts, attempting to hinder their opponents or improve their performance using power-ups found in item boxes. It includes four different difficulties, each differing in speed, which can be selected before beginning the race to challenge players. 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.
New features include anti-gravity racing, in which certain parts of a track can allow racers to drive on walls and ceilings.[1] During these sections, players can bump into other racers or special bumpers to trigger a Spin Boost, which gives them an extra speed boost. New characters include the Koopalings and Pink Gold Peach. 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.[2][3] The game features 32 tracks spread across eight cups, with an additional 16 tracks later released as downloadable content (DLC) in four additional cups.
Along with local multiplayer, Mario Kart 8 supports online multiplayer with up to twelve players and voice chat outside of races; however, voice chat is only available with friends online. Before Nintendo's Miiverse social network was discontinued on November 7, 2017, players could set up tournaments with customizable rules and schedules, post race videos there, and earn art stamps for decorating Miiverse messages by beating staff times and completing Grand Prix races. Miiverse features have been removed from the game, although downloading ghost data from friends or top players is still possible.
Initially confirmed in a January 2013 Nintendo Direct presentation, Mario Kart 8 was unveiled at E3 2013. Some members of Bandai Namco Games received special thanks in the credits.[7] The "8" in the logo was designed to resemble a Möbius strip, as was Mario Circuit, one of the tracks.[4] 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.[8]
New features and enhancements were added via game updates. The first update, released in August 2014, included rearranged post-race options, an optional course map, a player statistics screen, and improved online stability.[9] The second update, released in November 2014, added support for Nintendo's Amiibo figures, allowing players to unlock Mii racing outfits based on other Nintendo characters.[10] The third update, released in April 2015, added a new extra-fast 200cc difficulty class, a first for the series, and additional racing suits unlockable via Amiibo.
Additional characters and tracks were released as downloadable content. The first was a free set of Mercedes-Benz-themed vehicles: the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA, 1957 SL 300 Roadster, and 1934 W25 Silver Arrow, which was released on August 27, 2014, as part of the Version 2.0 update.[9] On August 26, 2014, Nintendo announced two purchasable DLC packs, with each pack containing three additional characters, four additional vehicles, and eight additional tracks; some of which are based on other Nintendo franchises, including The Legend of Zelda (Hyrule Circuit), Animal Crossing (Animal Crossing), F-Zero (Mute City and Big Blue), and Excitebike (Excitebike Arena). The first DLC pack, released in November 2014, features Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, and Link as playable characters. The second pack, released in April 2015, features Dry Bowser, Villager, and Isabelle. Additional multi-colored Yoshis and Shy Guys are included with both DLC packs.[11][12]
Promotion
A replica of the standard kart seen in Mario Kart 8 at E3 2013
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.[13] 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.[14][15] 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.[9][16][17] In 2014, fast food company McDonald's released Happy Meal-branded toys based on the characters and karts.[18]
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.[19]
File:Mariokart8deluxe.jpgCover art of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[c] is an enhanced Nintendo Switch version, released worldwide on April 28, 2017.[20] It includes all previously released DLC, additional content, gameplay tweaks, 1080p graphics while docked,[21][22] and 720p in handheld mode.[22] Some features in Deluxe are reworked or restored from previous Mario Kart games. Battle Mode now has eight new arenas and several gameplay modes; replacing the original, which used the racing tracks as arenas. The Boo and Feather items were restored, and players can store two items at once, up from the initial one. Five additional playable characters were added to the roster, including Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, King Boo, the Inkling Boy and Girl from Splatoon, and an unlockable Gold Mario costume for Metal Mario. Deluxe also includes a new Splatoon racing suit for Mii characters unlocked via Amiibo, and additional kart parts for customization.[20] Nintendo's head of software development, Shinya Takahashi, confirmed in July 2018 that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would receive further updates,[23] with the first, a new vehicle and alternate costume for Link based on those seen in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, being released the same month.[24] A later update added support for Nintendo Labo peripherals as compatible controllers.[6]
In February 2022, Nintendo announced the "Booster Course Pass", a DLC season pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The pass adds 48 tracks, most from previous Mario Kart games,[25] doubling the numbers of courses in the game. These tracks are set to be released in six waves of eight tracks through the end of 2023.[26]
The first wave of tracks, which was released on March 18, 2022, also includes tracks ported from Mario Kart Tour;[27][28] as a result, critics and consumers had mixed opinions regarding the shift in art style and graphics compared to the tracks in the Deluxe base game.[29][30][31][32]
The second wave of tracks was released on August 4, 2022; it includes seven tracks remastered from previous games, plus the brand-new track Sky High Sundae.[33][34] The release also made an alteration to Coconut Mall from the first wave, where the cars in the parking lot now move and occasionally do donuts instead of remaining stationary; in time trials mode, they continue to remain stationary.[35]
The third wave of tracks is set to be released in late 2022.[36]
The Wii U version of Mario Kart 8 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[82][81] Described by Eurogamer as "the most vibrant home console racing game in years", it was praised for its "exquisite details", vast sense of scale, orchestrated soundtrack, and gameplay.[46] Digital Foundry deemed it "near perfection" with "phenomenal attention to detail", featuring a "magnificent visual package" and "magical playability". Their technical analysis attributes the smoothness of motion and overall gameplay to the typically high performance of 60 frames per second (FPS), with the split-screen mode's effective 30 FPS nonetheless comparing favorably with industry standard.[84]GameSpot praised the game, but criticized its battle mode for reusing the main race courses instead of bespoke battle arenas as prior Mario Kart games had done.[52]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received critical acclaim with many critics highlighting the revamped battle mode as a welcome improvement over the Wii U version.[81] It holds a score of 92/100 on Metacritic.[81]IGN gave it a score of 9.3/10, saying it was "just as amazing in 2017 as it was in 2014".[62]Eurogamer, referencing the revamped battle mode, said that Nintendo had fixed one of the only shortcomings in a "generous port of a modern masterpiece".[85]
Internet meme
"Luigi's death stare" is an Internet meme describing the automatic facial expression displayed by Luigi toward other characters upon attacking or passing them during a race, in which he gives them a disapproving glare in passing. It was featured in several viral YouTube videos and animated GIFs,[86][87][88][89] and the phenomenon was covered by WNYW in early June 2014.[90][91] The meme was acknowledged by Nintendo during their E3 2014 digital event.[92]Venture Beat praised Nintendo's handling of the meme, noting that it was a "slick way" of acknowledging fan culture.[93] The meme was nominated for the Best Gaming Moment at the 32nd Golden Joystick Awards.[94]
Sales
In its first four days on sale, Mario Kart 8 became the fastest-selling Wii U game, with more than 1.2 million copies sold worldwide.[95] Within a month, it increased to 2.82 million.[96] By the end of September 2021, more than 8.46 million copies were sold worldwide, making it the best-selling Wii U game.[97][98] Based on the sales data, more than half of Wii U owners own a copy.[99] In the United Kingdom, shortly after the release of Mario Kart 8, week-on-week Wii U console sales rose 662%, with Mario Kart 8 bundles accounting for 82% of consoles sold.[100]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was one of the best-selling games of 2017 on Amazon.[101] It was the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart Wii in 2008 and the first Nintendo game since Pokémon Black and White Version in 2011 to reach No. 1 on the charts in the United Kingdom.[102]Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the fastest-selling Mario Kart game, with more than 1.2 million copies sold worldwide within three days.[103] By March 2018, more than nine million copies had been sold worldwide, ranking it the second-best-selling Switch game after Super Mario Odyssey.[104] By August 2022, the game had sold 46 million copies, making it the best-selling Switch game.[105]
Awards
Readers and staff of Eurogamer voted Mario Kart 8 their game of the year,[106][107] and GameSpot gave it the award of "Best Wii U Game".[108] It was nominated for "Best Wii U Exclusive" in GameTrailers' 2014 Game of the Year Awards;[109] for "Best Game" in Giant Bomb's 2014 Game of the Year Awards;[110] and for "Overall Game of the Year" and "Wii U Retail Game of the Year" in Nintendo Life's Reader Awards 2014,[111] and it won both awards for both categories in their Staff Awards 2014.[112] It won "Game of the Year" by The Guardian.[113] In IGN's Best of 2014 Awards, it was nominated for "Best Multiplayer" and "Best Racing",[114][115] and won the award for "Best Wii U Game".[116] In IGN's Best of 2017 Awards, the Switch version was nominated for "Best Switch Game" and "Best Remake/Remaster".[117][118] It was nominated for "Best Switch Game" in Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards 2017,[119] and won the award for "Old Game of the Year" in Giant Bomb's 2017 Game of the Year Awards.[120]
^Schaefer, Emma (May 1, 2017). "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
^Fitch, Andrew (May 16, 2014). "Mario Kart 8 review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
^Vacheron, Griffin (April 20, 2017). "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
^Bischoff, Daniel (May 15, 2014). "Mario Kart 8 Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
^Towell on May 15, 2014, Justin (February 13, 2014). "Mario Kart 8 review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Mario Kart 8 Review". GameTrailers. April 30, 2014. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
^Skrebels, Joe (May 15, 2014). "Mario Kart 8 review". Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
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