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Second Opinion: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)

by Daan Koopman - April 25, 2017, 2:56 am EDT
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8.5

Why yes, this is the Battle Mode I've always wanted. What took you so long?

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is what it says on the tin. It is a version with enhancements that won't set the world on fire, but they are certainly nice to have. We are finally getting the Battle Mode we wanted, the graphics have been slightly improved and it’s adapted to a new platform. Does all of that justify a brand new purchase? That really depends on who you ask. For my money, a technical marvel of a game that can be taken anywhere seems appealing. After spending about 13 hours with it, this resolve has strengthened due to a highly entertaining slew of matches. If variety is the spice of life, 8 Deluxe has a lot of extra kick to it.

My biggest complaint of my Mario Kart 8 review is still here, and perhaps made worse. Previous Mario Kart entries offered single player options such as Mission Mode to try and bring variety to the solo experience. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't have this, and there’s even less reason to play solo than on Wii U. All of the tracks are unlocked right from the start. This leaves you with unlocking kart parts as well as Gold Mario, which you get by finishing first on every 200cc Grand Prix. Once the car parts and shiny Mario are unlocked, it’s all about the multiplayer.

You can play locally with up to four players, connect eight Switch consoles for wireless multiplayer or go online for full twelve player bouts. No matter how or where you play, you are getting a fantastic experience out of it. With 48 tracks including the previously DLC courses, you won't get tired anytime soon. The same goes for the massive amount of racers, kart parts and difficulty settings. Every experience can build and flourish on a system as diverse as the Nintendo Switch. Although I prefer playing online, I had a lot of fun grabbing family and giving them a Joy-Con for an impromptu multiplayer throwdown.

The single Joy-Con controls work well, but I’ll be picking up a set of wheel attachments as I was quite comfortable with the motion controls from the Wii and Wii U versions. The Switch version, without the shell, didn’t have the same feel. The Pro Controller was a solid control method, but the surprise was playing with the separated Joy-Cons. After a while, the freedom it offered became essential for me, and the button layout it uses is quite suited for the experience.

The biggest change in the package is the revived Battle Mode. At first, I didn't think that I wouldn't be that impressed by it but it quickly became chaos incarnate. The five different modes each create their own brand of insanity. Shine Thief was my absolute favorite as eleven players will go all after the one person holding the prize. The eleven tumble over each other and turn it into a giant tug-of-war. There was just a gigantic grin on my face while it was unfolding and I couldn't be happier. I can't think of any recent Mario Kart experiences that made me as happy as the last couple of days.

Next to four returning modes from previous Mario Kart games, Renegade Roundup makes its debut here. The game can be seen as a gloried version of cops and robbers, where a bunch of players with Piranha Plants chase the Renegades across the stage. The key to winning is that the chasers not only capture the opponents, but also protect the cells that hold the opposition captive. It creates some intense matches that frequently come down to the final seconds. This is mostly due to the stages, which offer a wide variety of terrain to cover. There are classics like the SNES Battle Course 1 as well as newcomers like the Sweet Sweet Kingdom. My favorite is without a doubt Urchin Underpass from Splatoon. With varying heights of terrain, you will need to stay on your toes and use the opponent's judgement calls to your advantage.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks even sharper than its Wii U counterpart. With a crisp 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second on the television, this version is the ultimate way to play. The game is so incredibly vibrant and colorful that you just simply gush at your screen. Just like the race tracks, the battle maps from the older maps have been updated in a striking fashion. When you switch to the handheld screen, you aren't really losing much in the process. Outside of a lower resolution, I was really impressed with how the look stays on the smaller screen. This will surely make those rounds in tabletop mode very inviting!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a decent upgrade for anyone in the need of one. It has a very solid Battle Mode that made me more happy than I thought. Next to that, it has all of the content you adored from the original plus the downloadable content baked into it. Sadly, I can't shake off the feeling that the single player is becoming less and less of a priority. That isn't exactly the end of the world, but when Mario Kart 9 comes out, I do hope that they will think it through. The game's new bells and whistles may not blow you away, but this will be one of the easiest games to get going in multiplayer for a long time. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the first to deliver on this promise and we hope that many more will follow.

Summary

Pros
  • All tracks and racers in one place
  • Fantastic Battle Mode
  • Grand multiplayer game
  • Looks even sharper on Switch
Cons
  • Single Player doesn't seem to matter

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Game Profile

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Box Art

Genre Racing
Developer Nintendo
Players1 - 8
Online1 - 12

Worldwide Releases

na: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Release Apr 28, 2017
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone
jpn: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Release Apr 28, 2017
PublisherNintendo
RatingAll Ages
eu: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Release Apr 28, 2017
PublisherNintendo
Rating3+
aus: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Release Apr 28, 2017
PublisherNintendo
RatingGeneral
kor: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Release Dec 15, 2017
PublisherNintendo
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