Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for SWITCH is an enhanced port of Mario Kart 8, released for Wii U in 2014. The game offers all of the content present in the original game (including released add-ons) as well as new courses and characters, including Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, King Boo, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr. A special variation of split-screen mode was also included, allowing two players to use a single Joy-Con (each player receives one part of the controller)

Mechanics

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for SWITCH reprises most of elements that we’ve could see in previous installments of the series. We’ve received access to motorcycles, which debuted in Mario Kart Wii, and gliders, known from Mario Kart 7. Both these games also donated the ability to perform somersaults (rewarded with speed bonuses) and underwater racing. On the other hand, aside from power-up chests that help us with slowing down or overtaking our opponents, the drivers gather coins (introduced in Super Mario Kart) which gradually accelerate their vehicles – a serious amount can help our effort immensely. Mario Kart 8 also introduces a complete novelty – antigravity races. The vehicles taking part in such race can stick to walls or even the ceiling, which allowed the developers to design completely new, abstract race tracks.

Game Modes

The game contains multiple gameplay modes, however without a story campaign – we are left with 48 race tracks, available for both singleplayer, and multiplayer modes. The multiplayer mode offers online, as well as local game modes, including split-screen and a wireless mode for up to eight players.

Technical Aspects

The graphics of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe maintain a light-hearted feel, known from other games with Mario as a main character. Compared to Mario Kart 8 for Wii U, the visuals haven’t undergone major changes. Some differences can be noticed in the TV mode (if Switch is connected to a TV) when the game runs in 1080p.

Last updated on January 27, 2017