28.4.2017

Mario Kart is probably my favourite pick-up-and-play game. It doesn’t require hours of grinding to become proficient at it, and you don’t need to refer to an online guide to remind you what to do if you’ve not played it for months/years – you can just play it. I do like to unlock everything though and I tend to spend hours unlocking tracks and characters, I have spent years becoming familiar with the tracks and perfecting my character and car choice (Daisy in the B-Dasher, in case you’re interested.) For those completely new to Mario Kart, it’s a racing game which is more about fun rather than realistic driving physics. You race around a range of tracks collecting items which can be thrown,dropped, etc and items are ‘weighted’ so that those at the back of the race tend to get items designed to assist them, this means that newbies can still involve themselves in the race rather than just straggling behind. The awesome racers aren’t guaranteed to win – there’s always a chance of a Blue Shell whacking them at the last corner! Some years ago I got a Wii U specifically for Mario Kart and was blown away by how great it looked, it didn’t take much for the Switch version to turn my head.My wife was sceptical about the deluxe version of the game – is it worth getting Mario Kart 8 *again* when I already have it for the Wii U? The answer in short is: yes.And here’s why…Nintendo probably realise that Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) owners are likely to own this version too, so all the previous additional Downloadable Content is included along with a sprinkle of new characters. So all the tracks are unlocked right-away, but those who put the hours in are rewarded with random ‘parts’ being unlocked (tyres, etc). The main difference in terms of content is the improved Battle Mode. The Wii U Battle-Mode was terrible. On the Switch it has been revamped and the Balloon Battle mode is more like the battle mode I loved so much on the Nintendo 64. This is one of five different battle modes:• Balloon Battle (pop opponent’s balloons)• Bob-omb Blast (lob bombs at each other to pop balloons)• Renegade Roundup (team battle with Piranha Plants)• Coin Runners (collect the most coins to win)• Shine Thief (keep hold of the Shine Sprite for an extended period of time)And these can be played across 8 different Battle Courses. (My favourite being “SNES Battle Course 1”. )Another new feature is Smart Steering. It’s a bit like when you go bowling with the kids and you can have the gutters blocked off, Smart Steering stops you from dropping off the sides of the track. This means that newbies and really casual gamers can join in and not be frustrated at not being able to manage half a lap on Rainbow Road. It’s a great feature which means that a completely mixed ability group can play together and still have fun. For those completely new to racing games and struggling with both using items and controlling the kart, "auto acceleration" can be used. This just keeps your car moving forwards, I doubt it will be used very often but it could be good for those with hand mobility issues who otherwise could find controlling numerous buttons prohibitive to play.Other content changes include some new items to collect and re-introduces the ability to hold 2 items at once – which I’m pleased to see (always good to have a spare banana tucked away).The biggest difference you’ll notice though, is how much better the game looks.This is essentially a port of the Wii U game, and graphically speaking there’s the odd bit of garnish added to the original graphics – but the increased resolution and frame rate makes a huge difference. The 60 Frames Per Second means that the game looks smoother than ever before. I was doubtful that it would make a significant difference, but it does. After playing this, you can’t go back to the Wii U version without it seeming jerky, the animations on the Wii U look staggered in comparison to the flawless Switch. There are numerous online videos showing side-by-side comparisons in which there’s an undeniable difference. However, it has to be experienced to be appreciated.Multiplayer is excellent, 2 player is split-screen on either the Switch or TV, any more is TV only (if you’re on the same Switch, but you can play full screen if it’s on-line play). Those with little hands will find the bundled controllers surprisingly fine for extended play, but for those with massive hands like me – the Pro-Controller is absolutely brilliant and you’ll not struggle to hold an item behind you while drifting around corners.In a nutshell: You can see why people are calling this the definitive version of Mario Kart. The Wii U version was excellent, and this improves on it by adding a few new features and fixes the battle mode. Those who criticise the Switch and say it’s under-powered have completely misunderstood what a games console is all about – playability is king and this title is probably one of the greatest games in video game history. If you aren't interested in battle mode, then the smoother graphics alone makes this a worthy purchase. This is great for die hard 'Karters and instantly playable by those who have never played Mario kart before.

30.4.2017

This is in my opinion a no brainer for one of your first Switch games (assuming you haven't already bought Zelda). I never played the WiiU version as I don't know anyone with it so for me this was a brand new game.Th graphics on this are smooth and silky on my TV and in handheld mode. When in 2 player split screen the game retains it 60fps seconds in both modes although it gets a little cramped in tabletop mode. The smaller screen size does take away a little when in split screen on the handheld but for me this is not a negative as unlike all other home consoles you can't do this away from your console with no internet (for Vita/PS4 users).I have yet to experience more than 2 player split screen although it is stated that there is a drop to 30fps but no dip in resolution. I can't imagine it being easy for 4 player on the handheld though but again it is possible.The game plays so smooth and there is a lot going on in the background so I'm impressed with the power. There are 4 different speed modes ranging from fairly easy 50cc all the way to super fast 200cc and a bonus mirror mode for 150cc only. The faster modes are really challenging but rewarding when you manage to get used to the courses and Karts enough to beat them. My personnel favourite feature is smart steering; although I don't use this myself I do Switch it on for my 6 year old and she can race with me and still perform quite well considering. There is also a auto accelerate mode as well but haven't used this. The more you play the game the more coins you earn which automatically unlock the vehicle parts, this is the only unlock in the game and also my only negative but I will mention this later.The battle mode has apparently been rebuilt entirely for the delux edition and offers a fair variety of modes to play. Bob-omb blast is all about blowing each other up and there is a coin collection mode also. There are other modes including a cops and robbers style game and a tag style game where you have to keep hold of an item for as long as possible but I haven't had a go yet on these.The online play seems ok so far. You can play in any of the above settings with upto 2 players split screen. I have tried this tethered to my phone and it seemed stable for a while but then failed. I think it is still a little early to judge the online but so far this is the only issue, when on my home network there have been no issues. I have joined a couple of tournaments set up by a youtuber I follow and they seem to work great. The tournaments have tons of options.There is a huge rosta of racers and tracks to race on and a huge amount of customisation with the Karts and other than the Karts it is all unlocked from the start of the game. This in my opinion is the only downside to the game although I'm sure some will disagree. I would have preffered to have an option from the beginning that locks off most of the racers and each but the initial 50cc mode and then you would work throuh the modes and unlock more as you go. This is only a slight issue as I have chosen to play it like this anyway and play one mode until completion before moving on.My final verdict is still a strong 5 star. The graphics, gameplay and accessability of the game are perfect and the fact I can play on almost equal terms with my kids is what really sets this appart from the other Switch racer, Fast RMX (although that is also a fantastic game). I'm not sure if Nintendo have any plans for any DLC for this game as it already contains all the previous DLC but if it is the quality of the current game then I would buy without thinking about it!

15.5.2017

This is a fantastic game, accessible to those who do not frequently play video games but challenging and fun enough to keep avid gamers playing for hours. As someone who has owned previous Mario Kart games on the Nintendo DS, 3DS and Wii I can honestly say this is the best one so far and absolutely worth the money. Furthermore this is a game that can be enjoyed by all ages, great for those of a younger age but also fun for those a little older. I currently live in a shared flat at university and everyone is genuinely enjoying the game, including a couple of people who do not typically enjoy 'gaming'.PROS:- Works perfectly with the Switch.The game is fantastic both in handheld mode and on the TV.Being able to play with different types of controllers really makes it a comfortable and enjoyable experience.- Great as a party game and a solo game.Although we have mostly been playing multiplayer locally with large groups of us, I have had several hours of playing against the computer and on online multiplayer. It's a lot of fun regardless of playing with or without friends.- Gorgeous and visually stunning.The game is so bright and vivid, the colours really pop and the graphics are a huge improvement on previous games. I have experienced no lag or framerate drop whatsoever playing both handheld and on TV.- All courses unlocked.One thing I loved about this Mario Kart was that all the characters and courses were available right off the bat. There is no 'unlocking' certain courses, you can just go ahead and play. This is great if you will mainly use the game as a party game and don't want to waste time unlocking content. HOWEVER, not all the karts have been unlocked. This provides a good balance between offering lots of content immediately and encouraging players to keep playing and offering rewards for doing well.CONS:- Controller LagAlthough there is no visual lag of the game, sometimes controller lag can be experienced with the joy cons. This is fairly infrequent however and happens mainly when the joy cons are running out of power or something has blocked their signal. But it is frustrating to have your kart refuse to turn or steer for a few seconds and could cost you a race.- Very little explanation or tutorialThe game throws you right into the deep end without any real tutorial or information on the different ways to play the game. If you've played a previous Mario Kart game it will feel very familiar and easy to navigate, however if you have never played before or are new to racing games in general their might be a bit of a learning curve. However it is easy to pick up.- Local Multiplayer in handheld modeAlthough it is possible to play the game split screen whilst in handheld mode, I would not recommend it. The screen is big enough for one person to use, but splitting it for two people or even more makes it very small and hard to see what's going on. It would be suitable to play between two people in the back of a car let's say, but I wouldn't recommend large groups trying to gather around the tiny screen to play.Overall this is a fantastic game and a must buy if you have a Switch! It's a great family-friendly party game but also makes for a fun game if you want to play by yourself. I can guarantee that whoever you are, whatever age, you will get a lot of enjoyment out of the game.

28.4.2017

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is simply put, the best Mario Kart game to date. While it doesn’t offer much more in the way of content, especially if you got the DLC for the WiiU version it is still a great game and worthy of a another look.The premise is simple. You choose a racer (Luigi or Link for me!) then choose a tournament from around a dozen, which then contains four tracks. Select you speed which is also the difficulty and away you go.I do think there a few too many classic tracks but they are given an update for this game. Mainly the floating platforms and raised tracks. To explain, this game has three types of play, karting along the ground, flying off ledges (more floating to be honest)and the third, hover karts. All three of these can take place on a single track and adds to some frantic and exciting races.One thing they have added which I didn’t know about is an automatic braking and steering mode. The will aid the player by slowing them down for corners or turning the kart automatically when this mode is switched on. At first, I didn’t like the idea as it felt like cheating and turned it off but when I gave the controller to my young nephew, he was able to enjoy the game without the frustration of not being very good at it. You can also detach the joy cons and have two player racing but I do find a single joy con to be too small for my hands.Graphicly the game is good but not great. Apart from a higher resolution and a smooth 60fps the game looks the same as the Wii U version. That’s not to say they aren’t impressive as they are done in the same cartoony style only found in the Mario universe. When playing the game on the pad, it looks a lot better due to it being less pixelated and still runs at a smooth 60fps.As for the sound, the music is great and some of the best in the series however the sound effects are hit and miss. The item sounds are prefect and the karts sound like karts but the voices can get extremely annoying after hearing “whoops” and “yeas!” For the thousandth time. However, that is something that has annoyed me since MarioKart 64 so it’s not a game spoiler in anyway.The new battlemode has been added which was missing from the WiiU version but I haven’t really played it that much so don’t have much of an opinion on that. There is also an online mode which works well and I was able to get a game pretty easily.So is this game worth it? Short answer is yes. If you missed MK8 on the WiiU then you will enjoy it more than someone like me who played the original will. If like me you played the WiiU version, it is still a worthwhile purchase and the extra non Mario characters seem to be a favourite for me and my family. A little pricey though for a port.Gameplay:-18/20Graphics:-16/20Sound:-17/20Value for Money:-14/20Replay Value:-20/20(86/100) A high quality port.

6.6.2017

As usual this is a great game. I haven't played a Mario Kart game in years, probably since the Game Cube, I loved them, but since I only ever really had access to my Playstations (could usually only afford 1 or the other and I never heard raving reviews about the later iterations of Nintendo's consoles) I never got my hands on the newer versions of the game. So though I heard that this was only an updated version of Mario Kart 8 it didn't particularly bother me as I never played the first one.This game really is the same as I remember, in a good way, except with more characters, more levels and better/smoother animation (along with a few tweaks here and there).The things that I know and love were there,high speed close quarters racing in small karts with your fave characters from Nintendo, drifting around corners to get a boost after you exit the corner, jumps while in the air to get a boost when you land and all the power items from boxes along the way, including the mushroom speed boost, green, red and blue shells and the immunity star.As it was a few years since I last played the game I can't remember if you went into hoverkart mode during levels, but I don't remember this being the case so I assumed this was new and was a nice addition. In Hover kart mode (as since on the front of the box art - you hover...) its like when the wheels are down except it feels a little lighter, more slipper, which makes sense, but adds a little change of pace from constantly being on wheels. Also it's not like a power that 1 or 2 people get now and then, it happens when you cross certain points on the track and everyone has a hoverkart. You also can just bump into each other which causes both of you to do a 360 spin and get a short burst of speed - you can also do this with random pylons.Another change which I quite liked was ability to retain 2 items at 1 time, annoyingly you cant's pick which you get 1st and 2nd or change them at any time, you get what you're given in that order. Also to go along with this you can get double boxes which means you get 2 items immediately.Along with the speed boosts after drifting you get an additional 3rd boost, so the longer you spend drifting the possibly longer speed boost you get, the additional 3rd turns purple.The games is fairly straight FWD, most tracks you do 3 laps (all but 1 I think) and doing the 50cc you can win fairly easily, 100cc bit more of a challenge, and now I'm a little stuck on 150cc and there is 2 additional levels! (150 cc reverse and 200cc which I believe is new) haha I'll never get it done.Recently had a couple friends round and was great fun racing them, just wish I had more joycons at the time to have us all going round at once.Overall a great game, must have from the switch!

31.5.2014

I don't normally do reviews but this game is so good, it really does deserve the time to type one up. The game itself plays as you would expect from a Mario kart game, there are minor differences to Mario Kart Wii in the controls but for the most part, they're quick and simple to pick up, the main differences from the last one being the drift and anti gravity features, which work extremely well in this instalment.The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, Nintendo has always done so well with introducing so many beautiful colours into their games, and this one is no exception. The water, the grass, the ice, the sand, the clouds,

6.5.2017

I've had it just over a week and it feels like this is going to be the best, most versatile, and most feature-packed Mario Kart yet. I've played every Mario Kart game since Double Dash and no game yet has felt so endlessly playable. I'm still working my way to getting gold in every cup, for the most part, but have also played a few games online and with my younger siblings, and the game just exudes fun in whatever format you choose to play. Though Zelda is undoubtedly the quintessential Switch game thus far (if you haven't already, go check it out), Mario Kart is probably the best showcase for the system and the variety of formats available. With the addition of more control options than ever before,

28.4.2017

I was initially very sceptical about buying this so-called deluxe version of Mario Kart 8 for the Switch. Like many, I had already owned (and greatly enjoyed) the Wii U version. Is there enough in this edition to justify the additional purchase? In my humble opinion, yes.So, what’s new? Well, to start with, all the original downloadable content for the Wii U version is now included as standard. In addition, there are new characters which include: Splatoon’s Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy, King Boo, Dry Bones and Bowser Jr. So that now takes the total to 42 possible racers.The biggest addition to the deluxe version is a vastly improved Battle Mode. The Wii U version simply allowed you to play Battle Mode on the regular racing tracks.

29.4.2017

While Switch may still be finding its feet, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is as good a reason as any to own this console. It's one of the rare video gaming franchises that anyone can enjoy; and now you can pick it up and play anywhere with anyone.It's hard to convey just how wonderful this feature is. You can be sat in bed while the TV is being used and continue to battle people around the world. You can compete in cups whilst waiting for someone in a car. You could race in time trials whilst on a bus. And this is all happening on a beautiful HD screen, 60FPS, with two controllers ready to go.There are dozens of improvements throughout the whole game, including some improved textures, animations,

29.7.2018

Where to start? This game is fantastic fun and truly is the easy to pick up hard to master game. I would say that any mario kart game is the best 'second game' to get on the console or handheld, because you sink so many hours into completing every grand price at 3 stars on every difficulty, but you should have a backup first game for when you are karted out, eg. Zelda or Super Mario Odyssey. This game is no exception, and keeps the pick up and put down gameplay style that the excellent Mario Kart 7 had perfected. However now we have it in handheld beautiful HD, 720p and 1080p in docked, leaps and bounds ahead of every Mario Kart game ever. And it's bigger too! Normally you have 8 grand prix's,

24.10.2017

The explosively eye popping Skittle coloured visuals accompanied by uplifting fast tempo music and gravity defying plunging track design shows that this Nintendo Switch conversion of a now 3 year Wii U Title hasn't aged a day. If your forking out again this version now comes complete with all of the DLC Tracks and Characters and an Updated Battle Mode. Considering that Mario Kart 8 sold quite well in the context of the doomed Wii U it seems a smart move to re-release this title with a few extra bells and whistles on the initially popular Switch as Nintendo knows everyone who purchased the Switch will buy this game.Supporting the Switch's main selling point of starting a game at home before pausing it and picking up where you left off on the train or bus,

29.4.2017

As a Wii-U owner - with MK8 I feel a bit hard done: the Wii-U plays Wii games so you can enjoy your older MK if you did not get (somehow) MK8. The Wii played older games too and so on.But the Switch does not play any older games, neither MK for Wii(U) nor MK for 2/3DS (if you say have MK7 for it) [the technical details are beside the point]. So you pretty much have to buy all your older games again - unless you want to wait for the next update - like say Splatoon 2. In which case perhaps wait for MK9.At least Nintendo have been somewhat honest not calling this MK9; it is really just MK8 + DLC + a bit more DLC and battle mode which should really should have been in MK8 (or at least + DLC) anyway.

28.8.2018

As a single player this game is absolutely amazing.All 48 tracks are open from the start an absolute bucket load of charcactors to play as.You unlock karts and parrts with gold coins you collect from the races.There is a feature where you can stay on the track and not come off it... i turned it off for 50cc 100cc 150cc and mirror mode.This game has 200cc and boy at that entry is the game rapid!!! I need to use the stay on track on this speed.I'm working on getting gold cups in the 200cc grand prixs and it's quite challenging and intense!!The game is pretty much arcade racer perfection at this point.It looks and plays wonderfully.It's currently my most played switch game and I have Mario Odyssey(finished it)

15.6.2018

Written by a 9 year old boy in Year 5.Again have not played it only watched videos on Youtube. This is a cool game (+Bowser.jr! yay!:D) everything is already unlocked so if you like unlocking things you should play Mario Odyssey. The "new" items are actually from past games: the feather from Super Mario Kart and the boo from Mario Kart DS (P.S the feather is ONLY in battles). Speaking of battles, battle modes are revamped including a new mode and 3 returning modes: Bob-oem Blast, Shine Thief, Coin Runners and (do not blame me if this is the wrong spelling) Renegade Round-Up. The new characters are: King Boo, Bowser.jr, Gold Mario (pallet swap for Metal Mario), Dry Bones, Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl.

22.7.2017

Honestly, this has to be the best Mario Kart game in the entire series! The sheer amount of content you get with this game is outstanding, the slight changes to the game mechanics, online play and items all make this game fresh, new and fun, even to those who have already sunk a ton of hours into the Wii U version. The Battle Mode, which was a shell of it's former self in MK8 Wii U, has been completely revamped and has quickly become my favourite version of Battle Mode due to it's great maps and entertaining battle modes choices. The graphics look spectacular, even on the 720p screen in console mode, and always runs at a clean 60 FPS.The only negative factor in this game is the issues that comes with it's online play (Eg.

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