Genre: Racing / Party Game
Players: 1-12
Playtime: 15 hours (Includes getting 1st Place in most every grand prix in every speed class and some online racing / battle mode-- Note I've had experience playing most of this game on Wii-U)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an enhanced port of the extremely successful Mario Kart 8 from the Wii-U, now for the Nintendo Switch. Only this time, players only had to wait two months to get their hands on this game instead of two years like Wii-U owners did. For those who never experienced the Wii-U version, Mario Kart 8 was the latest entry in the series, offering race tracks that twist and turn quite literally bending the rules of gravity. Players race, glide, and dive like never before in beautiful HD graphics and with a live orchestrated soundtrack, a first for the series. And now with this Switch version, Battle Mode has been rebuilt from the ground up for chaotic party fun. So does this polished port offer enough incentive for newcomers to join the race, or similarly for veterans to take another lap? Let's take a closer look the positive and negative aspects, and we'll see if a photo finish is needed to answer this question.
Tons of Content
For newcomers, there's an overwhelming amount of content to be found in this game. Your typical Mario Kart games had around 20-32 racetracks and at most 24 characters. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe includes all DLC from the Wii-U version and includes new characters, making for a grand total of 48 race tracks and 42 characters to choose from! On top of that, there are four classes of speeds / difficulty, 8 unique Battle Mode stages, and 35+ karts / bikes with various bodies, wheels, and gliders to vastly customize. So this is at least a great value for what is assuredly one the most ambitious Mario Kart packages in the series, now playable on the TV or on the go.
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| Some characters like Yoshi here can also be selected in various color choices too! |
Racing / Double-Items
The racing in this entry remains as chaotic and as blissful as ever before. The twist and turns of zero gravity portions add a visual thrill and interesting shift in gameplay as player's wheels turn sideways to cling to the roads. While in this form, colliding into players and certain glowing bumpers offers small boosts, which only furthers mindful and chaotic racing. Each track has such variety with jumps and dips, obstacles, and colorful landscapes that every race is a fresh and fluid experience to groove through each and every time.
New to this port is also the implantation of double-items. As you may expect, this doubles the amount of chaos, but also doubles the amount of defensive plays and decisions to be made in a race. Races are now much more interesting affairs as players must now weigh the risks of using items and trying to obtain extra items, all while in high-speed pursuit. For a few tips and tricks on taking advantage of this new mechanic, check out my previous post here.
Music
There is nothing quite like racing at high speeds to a live orchestrated soundtrack. Even cooler is when the music very cleverly adapts to certain parts of race tracks making for naturally thrilling and aesthetic experience. And jazzy Mario is the best Mario. Take a look at a few of the below videos to see the musicians play in person; It really brings an extra awareness and appreciation to see the music performed with such fervent energy.
Art / Animation
HD graphics can do wonders for making this colorful cast of characters more vibrant and striking than ever before. But this visual appeal is carried even further with the game's stunning attention to detail. From the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom corporate graphics / logos to the variety of animations and reactions every racer performs, there is so much detail to take note of if you are willing to slow down a little. Fortunately, there is ability to watch replays so you can better appreciate Mario's glorious fluttering mustache or Luigi's dead cold stare as he passes the other racers.
Battle Mode
Probably one of the saddest modes in the Wii-U version, Battle Mode makes a dramatic return in spectacular new fashion. Not only are there 8 unique arenas designed for the purpose of this loose but chaotic fun, but there are also 5 modes in which to enjoy Battle Mode now. You have your classic Balloon Battle (though sadly no option for last man standing), an insane Bob-omb Blast mode, a frantic Coin Rush and Shine Thief mode, and an interesting team-based cops and robbers mode known as Renegade Roundup. Each mode offers an interesting variety and makes for perhaps the best party experience for casual and experienced players alike.
Single Player
Mario Kart has never really focused on single player content other than a mission mode in Mario Kart DS. But you always had to clear the Grand Prix's and such to unlock new tracks and characters. However, all of this is already unlocked in this Deluxe game. So all that is left to unlock is kart parts and a Gold Mario skin, most all of which can also be achieved from grabbing coins in multiplayer races as well. So there is less incentive for single player more than ever unless you're a completionist or want some practice before heading online. It certainly saves some time, but it also feels a little bit less fulfilling. Perhaps someday we'll see the return to awesome single player racing adventures like Diddy Kong Racing.
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| Having all the characters unlocked at start is nice, but it takes a bit of the reward out of unlocking them. |
Voice Chat
As of launch, there is no voice chat support to allow players aggressive banter between friends as they get pummeled by blue shells and the likes. As such, you'll have to use third-party voice chat applications or wait for Nintendo's similar approach (which remains to be seen if that will offer any difference / benefit compared to other options).
Lightning Bolts
With double-items comes twice as much chaos, which include many more lightning bolts than usual. From a gameplay standpoint, they're a fine item. But the frequency in which they strike and distort these tasty tunes does leave me a little annoyed. A minor gripe, but if they could patch this so they'd be rarer occurrences like they were originally, it would make this item feel more special rather than a constant bother.
At the end of the race track, it's clear that this is one of the biggest and most aspiring Mario Kart games ever compiled into one package. It sets out and exceeds in creating a compelling racer and engaging party game, all complete with dazzling art and an infectious soundtrack. So for newcomers, this is an amazing value and the perfect multiplayer game to have so early in the Switch's life cycle. For veterans, Battle Mode is the biggest new addition and it adds a surprising amount of life to what was already a very solid game. So if you're a fan of the Mario Kart series or some lighthearted multiplayer fun, get your foot on the gas pedal because this advanced port shows that this game still has a lot of life to it, and then some.
If you have any questions or thoughts about this game, please feel free to comment and discuss below. Thanks. And happy gaming!
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