Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8, despite the number in the title, is the eleventh game in the Nintendo’s Mario Kart series, the beginnings of which reach the time of SNES console. It is also the first title in this franchise to be released on Wii U. Once again we are presented with enjoyable arcade racing, with the cast of most famous Nintendo characters taking the wheels of their vehicles – beginning with karts – to compete with each other on fantastic, colorful tracks filled with power-ups.

Gameplay

Many elements present in the previous installments make a return. Among the available vehicles appear motorcycles, introduced in Mario Kart Wii, and gliders, known from the Mario Kart 7. From both of these games originate – respectively – airborne stunts (providing bonuses to speed) and underwater races. Aside from well known boxes with various power-ups, tracks are filled with coins known from Super Mario Kart. Collecting the coins gives us a boost to speed, which becomes progressively bigger as we collect more and more of them. As for new things, Mario Kart 8 introduces anti-gravity races, allowing players to drive on walls or even ceilings, as well as leading to creation of extremely twisted tracks.

Technicalities

The game's 3D graphic, while similar to what we are used to, employs the full potential of the Wii U console. This allowed developers to concentrate on details, such as headlights turning in while we drive through dark places. It is worth to mention that the game runs on 60 fps.

Game modes

An important feature is the multiplayer mode. There can be up to 12 online players on one track, while the local web and split-screen modes can support up to 4 players. Furthermore, the title offers the Mario Kart TV service, thanks to which players can use social network Miiverse to share game records and publish comments under the videos sent by other users.

Last updated on November 27, 2015