Author Topic: Mario Kart 8 Review  (Read 95632 times)

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Offline latterdayrasta

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #25 on: May 15, 2014, 02:22:03 PM »
Every single person who owns a Wii U has played at least one previous Mario Kart game. Everyone has different opinions if this series coming into the newest game, and those are going to color (not pre-determine) your reaction to what the new one brings or doesn't bring. That is inevitable when you're dealing with such a long-running franchise.


Exactly!  Shouldn't the overall opinion of the reviewer be taken into account when the review is assigned?  Neal has stated that he was not tired of Mario Kart games when he approached this review, and I trust that he is being honest.  I wouldn't want to read a review by someone who dislikes or is tired of the game's genre or series.  Perfect example: as a Metroid fan I would get no benefit from reading a review of a Metroid game written by James Jones.

Offline Evan_B

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #26 on: May 15, 2014, 02:41:57 PM »
Thanks for the clarification, Neal. However, I still don't think Mario Kart is the sort of franchise that needs assymetrical multiplayer, but I understand your grading system. However, I think the rest of the industry would use an 8.8-9.5 for the same reasons.
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Offline Soren

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #27 on: May 15, 2014, 02:49:49 PM »
However, I think the rest of the industry would use an 8.8-9.5 for the same reasons.


They have. NWR's review scores are the lowest of 42 critic reviews currently on Metacritic.
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Offline Khushrenada

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #28 on: May 15, 2014, 03:02:59 PM »
Here's a quick question to all the people criticising the score for this Mario Kart game.

What order would you rank the Mario Kart games that have come out before it?

And be honest. If you haven't actually played a certain Mario Kart game, then don't list it or slot it in based on what you've heard about. This should be a list of your actual impressions from actually playing the games.
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Offline Phil

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #29 on: May 15, 2014, 03:07:48 PM »
Don't understand why you are trying to talk everybody out of getting this game. Maybe you should be writing for gamespot.


I think Neal is just explaining himself, which he doesn't even have to do.
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Offline Phil

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #30 on: May 15, 2014, 03:08:40 PM »
Also, who cares about a number? Seriously! Read the body, and when the game comes out for you to play it, see if you agree with the review BODY or not. Don't let some arbitrary number antagonize you.
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Offline lukas85

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #31 on: May 15, 2014, 03:42:23 PM »
wow this is fucked up, is the worst review on the net, taking points off metacricit and is totally wrong, you fucked up neal, you really did, you are the new gamespot.

Offline Disco Stu

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #32 on: May 15, 2014, 03:45:27 PM »
I hope this game gets really robust DLC.  New sets of tracks would be so great.
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Offline ResettisCousin

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #33 on: May 15, 2014, 03:45:40 PM »
I just watched the Youtube review. I have RARELY seen a video on Youtube with so many thumbs down. More than 20% of the viewers have rated the video, and it's currently at 85% down vote. And the analogy at the end about a woman in makeup was nothing short of embarrassing.

Offline syn4aptik

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #34 on: May 15, 2014, 03:53:29 PM »
I see no point in either defending or attacking the score. It's the man's opinion. Nobody is going to score special Nintendo points for defending the game, and there are no real stakes. I mean, even if Nintendo were to never again make another MK game because of Neal's score, they'll be happy to sell you the ones they already made in perpetuity.
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Offline NWR_insanolord

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #35 on: May 15, 2014, 03:59:11 PM »
wow this is fucked up, is the worst review on the net, taking points off metacricit and is totally wrong, you fucked up neal, you really did, you are the new gamespot.

I don't want to speak for Neal, but I'm pretty sure "taking points off Metacritic" is something our reviewers don't consider at all when writing a review, not even a little bit.
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Offline LudicrousDa3ve

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #36 on: May 15, 2014, 04:25:30 PM »
Wow. I was a little surprised to find a 7.5 score anywhere, but it's still just a dude's opinion. Is this really a reason for a backlash; just because a reviewer didn't think the game was "all that"?


Besides all of that, I personally look at MK as a competitive game- which means the metagame is king, and we won't figure that out for a while. Until then, it's pretty, it's fun, and it's the only Mario Kart out there on a console*.
 *current machine, with online play

Offline Caterkiller

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #37 on: May 15, 2014, 04:32:57 PM »
The review sounds fair to me. I played Mario Kart Wii about 1 or two days before I loaned it to a buddy and he lost it. The graphics put me off so much along with the thought of rampant blue shells I just didn't care since Double Dash disappointed me so much.


I'm really looking forward to this simply because of the graphics and aesthetics of the tracks themselves. I know exactly what I'm getting and after avoiding the home console Mario Kart for so long I think I will really enjoy this. Battle Mode is somewhat disappointing as well but I rarely ever play it so it's no biggie for me. I still expect DLC with classic style arenas though.


And yeah single player needs to get good. Mario Kart DS was pretty cool with all those random challenges. And like Broodwars said, something like Diddy Kong Racing's single player would be so nice for Mario Kart. Just something more.


I'm getting it and I'm sure I'll love online though.
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Offline Adrock

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #38 on: May 15, 2014, 04:35:06 PM »
People are complaining about a 7.5? Calm your tits.

Offline Ian Sane

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #39 on: May 15, 2014, 04:35:24 PM »
So NWR gives the lowest review scores for this game.  So?  Why does that matter?  What, you were all planning on buying and enjoying this game and almost every other reviewer is saying "go for it!" but one site is not quite as enthusiastic and that screws it all up for you?  The reason a site like Metacritic even gets any views is because it's hard to go by just one review and having an average of all the reviews makes it easier to determine what games are worth your time.  The general opinion of most reviewers is that this is a game worth getting.  That should be all you need to help make your decision to buy it.

The only reason to really be upset is if any opinion contrary to your own, even if it is just one outlier, is a threat to your ego.  Either that or, like every notable Wii U release thus far, Mario Kart 8 has been put into the position as the "saviour" of the Wii U and any suggestion that it will not be is discouraging.  Mario Kart 8 is the game it is and no review will make it a better or worse game than it actually is.  Some negative reviews from major sites could hurt its sales but those big sites all seem to like it and NWR is not a big enough wheel that it will impact sales.

You want a reviewer to give his own opinion or you won't get an honest review.  There is no value in someone making assumptions on what a certain audience will like.  All he can accurately determine is if he likes it.

Offline Luigi Dude

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #40 on: May 15, 2014, 04:35:40 PM »
From reading many of the different reviews on the internet it goes like this.


The high reviews in the 9-10 range come down to people who play Mario Kart mostly for multiplayer racing and don't care that much for the single player or Battle modes.  So if you're someone who plays Mario Kart for the racing multiplayer, you'll probably really love the game and feel it deserves that score.

The lower reviews like the two here on NWR, come down to people who want a better single player and are really disappointed by what they did with Battle mode.  So if you're someone who cares more for the single player modes and really liked the older Battle modes, then you'll probably feel closer to the way they did.


So for people who are interested in the game, these are the things to think about.  The racing multiplayer aspect of the game is considered great, but the other parts of the game can be considered lacking.  Depending on how important these other parts are to you, it'll have a bigger effect on your enjoyment then others.
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Offline Adrock

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #41 on: May 15, 2014, 05:30:06 PM »
I get the analogy at the end, but it isn't one I would use. I suppose a more apt analogy is hanging a painting over a cracked or damaged yet still structurally sound wall. The wall is solid, it will hold, but you're not addressing the problem; you're just making it look better.

All in all, the review is pretty fair. Points were docked for lacking originality. It comes down to what you're looking for. If you're expecting a Mario Kart game to be revolutionary and super-innovative, you're barking up the wrong tree. Neal mentioned something about Mario Kart 8 being Mario Kart 7 except on Wii U. If that's the case, sold. That's really what I want because I merely tolerate handheld games. The changes to battle mode are a bummer, but I rarely play it anyway. Ultimately, it seems like the game gets the racing part right and that's fine by me. Still, very few games are worth full price to me these days and Mario Kart 8 is no exception.

Offline rlse9

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #42 on: May 15, 2014, 05:50:11 PM »
Wow, people sure get excited when the review of a game they haven't even played yet is "wrong"...

I'm guessing the review is fairly accurate based on what Nintendo seems to do with their games for the most part now, make the graphics prettier, add in a couple new features, and not really make any drastic changes.  I'm sure I'll have a blast with the game regardless.  I skipped Mario Kart 7 so I'm ready for a new Mario Kart game but I can see how especially people who play all of the console and handheld games could get a little burnt out on the series since it doesn't change that much from game to game.

The one thing about the review that does seem a little off to me is that everything within the review about Mario Kart TV was positive, other than that it was resources that could have been used elsewhere, but then under cons it lists "Mario Kart TV is lame."

Offline Luigi Dude

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #43 on: May 15, 2014, 06:30:22 PM »
I get the analogy at the end, but it isn't one I would use. I suppose a more apt analogy is hanging a painting over a cracked or damaged yet still structurally sound wall. The wall is solid, it will hold, but you're not addressing the problem; you're just making it look better.

Well for those that care mostly about the multiplayer racing, I wouldn't exactly say Nintendo hasn't addressed the problems with the series.  A lot of reviews have mentioned things like items and the different karts being better balanced then previous Mario Karts as well as overall track designs being stronger as well.  For people who play it primarily for the multiplayer races, just these things alone would be enough to consider an improvement to the structure of Mario Kart since they're making what's most important to many even better.


Like with Pokemon, not everyone feels the series needs to revolutionize itself to fix the problems.  To many, just providing better balance to it's core gameplay between installments is enough to justify a purchase because they're making what they already like even better.  Your analogy works perfectly for people like Neal and Daan, who wish Mario Kart 8 did more to revolutionize the franchise, but as we see with many other reviews, not everyone feels a lack of originality is a problem with this series since what they care most about in the multiplayer racing is even better then ever.
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Offline ResettisCousin

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #44 on: May 15, 2014, 06:34:30 PM »
And the video has been removed. Or as Neal would say, it has been colored over like the gray hair of a 30 year old woman.

Offline Doctor_Pancakes

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #45 on: May 15, 2014, 06:46:18 PM »
This is by far the most unprofessional review of any type of media I have ever had the displeasure to read/watch. Not only does the reviewer drone on about how he hates how much a Mario Kart game feels like a Mario Kart game he goes out of his way to insult women and with that ruined all respectability this site has gained over the years since it was Planet Gamecube in the days of old. Never have I been so disgusted by an opinion... is this what modern journalism has come to? Comparing a fantastic game to to some poor woman this shallow journalist dated once in College? I'm done here. It was a great site while you hired respectable staff but this level of insult is only expected of foul mouthed teenage rage gamers that set up channels on Youtube.

Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #46 on: May 15, 2014, 07:05:01 PM »
My favorite part of Mario Kart was the battle mode. I like the racing but I also liked the battle modes the games that have a battle mode tend to be the ones I like the ones that don't are the ones I don't like as much. I think it is perfectly fair for a man to write a review based solely on his own opinion. That is not journalism, reviews are NOT journalism they are opinions, that is how it is supposed to be. A review is not supposed to be a free ad for the game it is supposed to be an honest impression of the game. I don't care for the game because it was never going to be the game that sold me on a Wii U, it was just another game to sell to the existing audience which were already hyped. I find it stupid that anyone would attack a reviewer who has PLAYED the game when they have not done so just yet.

Also if you base your decision to buy a game or not based on a review site then your dumb, reviews are just other peoples opinions period, get over it.
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Offline Khushrenada

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #47 on: May 15, 2014, 07:42:49 PM »
From the song "Show Me" by ABC:

"9 out of 10 in every case
She might look pretty but there's make-up on her face"


The Lexicon of Love is a great album and one of the 80's top works. With the way things are hilariously going in this thread, I can't help but think of that lyric.
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Offline Khushrenada

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #48 on: May 15, 2014, 07:44:12 PM »
This is by far the most unprofessional review of any type of media I have ever had the displeasure to read/watch.

Looks like it's somebody's first day reading/watching.
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Offline NWR_insanolord

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Re: Mario Kart 8 Review
« Reply #49 on: May 15, 2014, 08:02:19 PM »
There are lots of terrible reviews on the internet, there's no way this is anywhere near the worst. Go read some of mine, you probably won't be criticizing this one anymore.
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