Features:

  • Race along walls and upside-down on twisting anti-gravity racetracks!
  • Share highlight videos of your greatest moments with friends via the Mario Kart TV feature and Miiverse.
  • Race and battle with friends locally or connect online to play with random players from around the world.
  • Fan favorite features from past Mario Kart games include gliders, underwater racing, motorbikes, mid-air tricks, and more.
  • Crisp HD graphics and fluid animation offers players the most visually stunning Mario Kart yet!
And suddenly I'm the best wife and mom ever!!

Unbeknownst to my husband and two daughters (8 and 5), I ordered this game. It arrived and suddenly I'm the best mom and wife in the history of ever! After playing it myself, I'm kind of partial to me, too. ;) We've purchased many "Mario Kart" games over the years and I was wondering if this one wouldn't just be a newer version, slightly different, but pretty much the same as the others. I was happily wrong. The principle is the same, but there are so many new features and options... and the courses are so fun!! My 8 yr old loves that you can customize your kart. If you enjoy previous versions of Mario Kart or if you're new to this type of game, I'd sure recommend getting it. You won't be disappointed. Also, because it's hard to find games that kiddos can play, I'll let you know that my barely 5 year old daughter can play this along with the family. Granted, she's not going to come in first place, but she's not in last either. (Though my 8yr old sweetly holds off the computer-players so her sister can win every now and then.) This is definitely one that your little kiddo can play.

Great game!

This game is really good, I would give it 5 stars but that implies to me that it is perfect. It is not perfect, so it gets 4 stars. To start off, right away, here's why it loses a star: -There's no minimap on the screen during races or battle mode. You apparently have to use the gamepad screen for the minimap, which is pointless if you're not playing using the gamepad or unfair in local multiplayer if only one person gets to use the gamepad. Also by removing your eyes from the road to look down at the gamepack can often result in disaster. So, what the heck, I want an onscreen minimap as is tradition. -The N64 Rainbow Road retro track has been ruined. I was so pumped up for the return of this epic track, only now it's not so epic. Somehow they turned it from being the longest track in the series to easily the shortest track in this entire game. The track has great music, and comes off looking epic with all the flashy stuff and fireworks, but it's really over in like a minute. Sucks if you got off to a rough start because there's not much time to make up for that. The reasoning for this track being ruined is that you only do one lap around now, one full lap, split into 3 sections. Seeing as to how it was so long on the N64 version that you only did 2 laps, you're still only doing half the race. The track is still shorter because you're now going through it faster. I now want them to fix this track to be how it should have been, one of my favorite tracks has been made to be a huge disappointment. -And to be nitpicky - would be nice to have the mii character not wearing the helmets. Also they removed characters from previous mario karts to make room for a slew of koopalings. Fortunately that's all I have to say about the bad stuff. The game itself is made to be appropriately challenging, all the new tracks have been very well designed and are fun. Basically if you've ever liked mario kart before, you'll continue to like it now. It's not much different. Blue shells appear to be more rare now, however there's also an item that can be used to prevent getting hit by a blue shell. The squid ink is possibly annoyingly more effective now. Battle mode probably should have had some traditional battle arenas put in, although I personally enjoy the regular tracks also. Particularly Yoshi's Valley, it's a really cool battleground. However the lack of on screen minimaps contributes to difficulties of tracking people down. Online mode is lots of fun, and considering they have since turned off online play for previous mario kart games, gotta upgrade to this game to continue enjoying online mode. There is also tournaments online now, and you can gather coins to unlock new karts and accessories while playing online. I've also noticed that the penalty of getting 12th place during online matches is much less severe than on the wii, where you could lose hours of progress for your online score from one botched race. It ultimately doesn't matter much in the end, but no one likes losing 100+ points. December 2014 Update : The first DLC pack was released. Eight additional courses that are all very well done. I have bumped my rating up to 5 stars, as this is truly the most addicting Mario Kart I have ever played. Been playing it regularly since it came out... Also the game was patched to display onscreen minimaps, fixing that issue. Yoshi gets multiple colors. Amiibo Mii racing suits are cute. Looking forward to the next 8 track DLC!

New Racing Season Opens with Mario Kart 8

Who says that sibling rivalry dies when you reach adulthood? For Christmas, my brother and his family got a Wii U. Guess who bought one before New Year’s. That’s right, it would be me. And this is despite not playing my Wii much at all during 2014. I also had to buy the latest version of my favorite Wii game – Mario Kart 8. Yes, it is just as awesome as I expected it to be. If you’ve played any of the previous seven versions of this game, you know the basics. You are racing against 11 other characters around fantastic courses trying to get first place in various cups. Depending on where you place in each of the four races, you earn points that determine your overall place in the cup. So what’s different this time around? There are new courses, for starters. About half of the courses are new or at least new variations on familiar themes. Of these, my favorites in the Twisted Mansion (a haunted house), Toad Harbor, and Sunshine Airport. Then there are 16 retro courses from the previous versions of the game. Since this is only the third Mario Kart I’ve bought, there are plenty on here I don’t recognize, but I do enjoy playing the familiar Moo Moo Meadow and Grumble Volcano from the Wii, the last version I bought. And a couple of the courses are one long race instead of going around the same course for three laps. For those, we get check points. If you are familiar with the Wii version, the controls will be familiar as well. Once again, you can use your Wiimote and tilt it to control your car. Or you can use your Nunchuck controller. And yes, the game pad controller that comes with the Wii U can also be used as a controller with either tilt or thumb stick control. There are a couple of changes to game play from the last version. They have brought the use of coins back to the game. They had used them in the very first Mario Kart, the one of the SNES. (And yes, that’s the other one I have.) Collecting coins will increase your speed. It’s a small amount, but I can see the boost at times. You start with somewhere between zero (1st place) and 5 (12th place) and can collect up to 10. They are scattered around the maps. Of course, you lose three each time you are hit by an object or drive off the edge of the map. (And if you do drive off the edge, they actually put you back on course faster than before, too.) In addition to being on the maps, coins might be hiding in the mystery boxes you can pick up along the way. If that is your prize, you’ll find two coins. Other new surprises are plants that will attack your fellow races and gobble up coins, a boomerang, and fire power. Of course, there are plenty of the old standbys like Bullet Bill, red and green shells, and invincibility. The final change to the game is the gravity defying part of the game. Parts of the courses allow you to race up walls and even upside down. There are clear indicators in the game when this is happening. It really doesn’t change how your car operates, but it is fun to think about. Oh, and if you crash into an opponent in this section of a course, you get a boost! Obviously, this is more prevalent on the new courses, but they’ve switched up a few of the old courses to let you do this as well. In addition to the traditional races, you can also do timed trials and fight battles to pop your opponent’s balloons. And you can race by yourself or with up to four people in the same room. Plus they’ve brought back the ability to play against people all over the world thanks to the internet. One or two people per machine can log in and race or battle to their hearts content. One change here I really like is that at the start of each new race, you are given a choice from three randomly selected courses. Everyone votes for one of those three and then the game randomly selects the course you actually race. If those three really don’t appeal to you, you do have a fourth choice – random, which will randomly pick any course in the system not necessarily one of those three courses. Overall, this cuts down significantly on those annoying people on line who always select the same course over and over again. There are a couple of things I don’t like about this game. First, the rankings and course map don’t appear in part of the TV screen but on the GamePad during the race. Any time I glance down to see those things, I lose track of where I am on the TV screen. Maybe I’ll get used to it as I go along. I’m also not happy that they have developed some extra content that is for sale separately. Oh, we get as many courses with this version as we did for the Wii, so they aren’t skimping on us, but after spending $60 for this game, it seems a shame that I have to pay extra for the final few characters and courses. I’ve resisted – so far, but I have a feeling I will wind up buying them. The game looks and sounds great. The picture is crisp and the sounds effects are fun. Both are definitely a step up from the last version, but what else would you expect from new video game system that uses an HDMI cable. Of course, it’s all still highly stylized cartoon action, but for what it is, it looks great. I’d been debating for a while about buying the new system, but I’m glad I did. So far, I’ve been concentrating on Mario Kart 8, just because it’s always been a favorite franchise. I’m sure I’ll be racing around these tracks for some time to come.

Super fun game!

This is a super fun game, it is enjoyable for all age and skill levels. If you have internet access, there is automatically some Free Downloadable content you can apply to the game (three Mercedes Benz cars/carts to race with). There are lots of characters to choose from and a good selection of carts to drive. You are able to customize your vehicle by picking which body, wheels, and parachute you want and each choice modifies the speed, acceleration, and handling of each cart. It has been quite fun to play and unlocking new characters, carts, and tracks has been fairly easy and fun. When playing circuit races you can win "stickers" to be used on Mii Verse if you so choose. Online play is fun and thus far has worked without any hiccups or lag. It is a game worth buying! ** two DLC packs are available at 7.99 each, or both for 11.99, One offers you Tanooki Mario, Cat Suit Peach, and Link , plus some new tracks and carts, and the other (available in May 2015) Offers you Village from Animal Crossing, Dry Bowser, and Isabelle From Animal Crossing, along with new carts, and tracks.**

Easily THE best game in the series!

As a Wii U owner, I have to say that this is THE GAME that will leave you entertained indefinitely. The combination of unlocking different vehicle components and accessories through playing the game provides incentive to learn the finer nuances of the controls. Regardless of which controller is used, the handling of each vehicle is spot-on. Although still motion screenshots will show some aliasing, it's not noticeable when things are in motion. The newest addition of the Super Horn adds an interesting strategic dynamic that previously didn't exist in earlier entries in the series. Knowing that there is a slight chance that the blue shell will not spell doom makes the collection of items during the race a mini game in and of itself. Where this game absolutely shines is in its multiplayer component. The FREE online service does well, and there were plenty of people to play with at any given point in time. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat is not too uncommon, as power ups and multiple people gunning for first place makes the fun factor unbeatable. The highlight clip upload to Youtube allows you to relive some of the best and most humorous moments of the race. If you do not have a broadband connection with a reasonable upload speed, you may be waiting a while for the posting on Youtube to complete. The beauty part of MK8 stems from the fact that you can play it casually, in bite-sized periods of time and still enjoy it just as much as someone who is playing it competitively. There are two additional aspects to consider: 1.) Between now and the end of July, purchasing the game entitles you to a download of select Nintendo titles at no additional cost. You're essentially getting this game AND another gem for one price. 2.) The amiibo capabilities announced during E3 2014 will bring some additional longevity to this title. While the specifics were not declared, it would not be unrealistic to assume that you can pair the figures with the game and level them accordingly. Without a doubt, this is the title that shows Nintendo has not lost its swagger and still knows its core audience very well! If you're suffering from a lack of "something truly next gen" on the more-expensive consoles, give the MK8 bundle a try! Most fun I've had in YEARS!

Fantastic Fun & Many Improvements

This is a breakthrough for the Mario Kart series. I am amazed with the enhancements in detail to the graphics such as with shading, textures for the grass, different lighting, and many other things. All courses have been completely revamped; so courses from previous games are not entirely the same, but are still quite familiar. In example, Yoshi Valley from the Nintendo 64's Mario Kart 64 was known to be a barren canyon and not entirely exciting. Mario Kart 8 has changed that to become much more vibrant, adding in a cave, a barrel cannon, and just made this track so much more vivid and appealing; this game is complete eye candy for all of its tracks. Cart customization has become a feature that was carried out from Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS; this is a great feature that allows for kart body, wheel, and glider customization to alter the statistics of each character's vehicle. Driving mechanics have been altered for hovering, gliding, and deep-sea diving; all incredible additions for the next main family console. The unlockable characters consist mainly of Bowser minions from the Mario cartoon series that started up in the late 80s. I think they add some nice character to part of the Mario history and I am glad they were added into the game. Online play works wonderfully and makes up for the inability to play online in Mario Kart Wii. I think this game is wonderful from all of the customization features and the stunning graphics provided by each track. Coins added from MK7 remain in this game and are similar to wumpa fruit from the Crash Team Racing for Playstation and the later Crash racing game for various consoles; it just enhances the maximum achievable speed during a race. This is a must for anyone who enjoyed the Mario Kart series previously, enjoys racing games, or a fun, interactive family or friend game.

Gotta have it

If you have a Nintendo system, you need Mario Kart. And with Wii U, it's now in beautiful HD! I'm not an avid gamer and my Wii U often goes weeks without being touched. But this is great to play when a friend comes over, whether that person is experienced or playing for the first time, because it's easy to pick up but takes time to master. A few changes that I'm not a fan of, however. First, the fact that you can no longer hold onto an item (such as a shell or banana) and still pick up a second one, which was doable at least in N64 and Wii. Second, the battles are no longer as fun as they're just courses instead of fields. Battles now feel much more random than they did in the past. Perhaps I just need to adjust to this. A third thing that I didn't like was the way "view highlights" was the default button if you hit A a bunch of times after a race to move past the results. Luckily, this has been fixed in a recent update. There's also additional downloadable content (DLC) available, including new tracks and characters, and more due out in the spring. Sure, you have to pay a few extra bucks for this but it's nice to be able to add to the game.

Wow...

Update: Yeeeeaaah!!! That is how you do DLC Nintendo!(other companies take note)6 new characters, 8 new vehicles and 16 new tracks(basically a brand new game) all for just 12 dollars. One of them is Link and his ePWNa bike as I like to call it. It gets 5 stars now! And Nintendo you get a big gold one! Orginal review: My eyes have seen true visual beauty now. This game looks stunning and runs flawlessly. I have played every single Mario Kart game now and this one is my favorite second only to double dash. Well why did you only give it 4 stars then? Unfortunately there were a few things I was disappointed about that left me with no choice but to remove one of those precious stars. Maybe I would give it another half a star if I could. Let me go into detail a little bit. Cons: *Worst roster ever. Too many babies and koopalings, not enough Boo, Dry Bones, Funky Kong, Diddy Kong, Dry Bowser, and other potentialy awesome characters. For being on the powerful Wii U the roster felt really small because of the characters all being so similar. Just not enough diversity. Maybe they will add some character dlc. *Can only have one item at a time! Well there goes my favorite strategy on the defensive. *What happened to battle maps? The wii battle maps were fantastic and I couldn't wait to see what they would create for the Wii U. Disappointment. They just use reuse the the same full courses. They were either lazy or rushed the game with these battle maps. Again, this can be remedied with some battle map dlc. Pros: *Graphics! Did I mention these already, well some may argue, but these visuals are next gen in my book. 1080p at 60fps, Mario's kart never looked so good. *Customization. If you enjoyed the customization and different kart choices of Mario Kart 7 then it even better in this game. *With the different stats of the charecters, vehicles, and customization options, you can really create the perfect racer for your playstyle. I'm all about top speed and acceleration and usually sacrifice everything else. *Items look fantastic and now with the horn you can stop a blue turtle shell. Yes I said stop it (not escape like a coward with a red mushroom, but actually pulverize that hellspawn shell to bits)! That's almost as insane as dividing by zero. *Sllllooooowwww Mooootttiiiooonnnn is soooo much fuuuuunn! There is nothing more entertaining then watching every single shot in which you crush your foes hopes and dreams of a first place medal in slow motion, even pausing and reversing to see the best of the destructive moments again and again. Maybe destroy a friendship or two in the process. * The tracks are wonderful. The new tracks are creative and gorgeous and the classic tracks look better than ever. On the fence about: *The anti-gravity was not as impressive as I thought it would be. It feels and drives the same as it does with the wheels so it seems kind of pointless if not just added in to say hey look something new. I looks good though. *As for the online, I haven't done much on there, but the few races I did do worked really well without any issues of lag. I don't usually play games online (if I want to play with friends I will get together and play with them). Overall why bother to get a Wii U if you aren't going to pick up Mario Kart I mean come on.

Mariokart 8: A throwback to when video games were fun. Endless entertainment.

Is anyone else sick of the trends in the video game industry? Remember when the point of video games was to simply have fun? I know I sound like the Pepperidge Farm guy, but seriously, video games are about fun. Most new games now are about drama, violence, and pwning people. Mariokart 8 is a big F U to those trends. Let me give you an example. Project C.A.R.S. is touted as the most realistic racing game of all time. You would have to spend hours of your time just to get good enough to race a single lap without crashing. That doesn't sound like fun. That sounds like trying to live inside a video game because your life sucks. I want my video games to be eye-candy that make me smile. Mariokart 8 is a beautiful, challenging, and fun game that makes me smile. It's not easy per se, but it's not trying to be real. It's trying to make you laugh and smile. The 200 cc mode is really tough, but only if you feel like playing that mode. You can definitely compete with your friends if you want to as well. This game has it all. Nintendo FTW.

So gosh darn good

I was completely addicted to the original Super Mario Kart on SNES and Mario Kart 64, but I never really got into any of them after that... probably because MK Super Circuit was so crummy, it broke the spell. I always buy whatever new MK that comes out, but I just dabble with them for a few days and then virtually forget about them. I kinda got into MK7 for a while, but only after Sugar Rush (Wreck-It Ralph) put me in the mood. It had been sitting and collecting dust for a couple of years prior to that. I didn't pay any attention when they announced MK8 last year. I knew I'd get it at some point, but there was no excitement. Then a few weeks ago I booted up my Wii U for the first time in months and was browsing the eStore. I watched the recent Nintendo Direct for MK8... after that it was all over, suddenly I was more hyped for new Mario Kart than I have been since 1997. I'm still not quite finished with Watch Dogs... partially because it's a long game with tons of content, partially because I keep taking breaks to play MK8. I can't wait to finally finish WD so I can give MK8 the undivided attention it deserves.

Full Reviews