Topic: Mario Kart 8 Impressions

[Pandareus]

Mario Kart 8 does not exactly turn the series upside-down.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/34551

The Mario Kart 8 demo definitely has an air of familiarity to it. You can select one of  12 returning characters, choose a kart or a bike, and use the same control options as in Mario Kart Wii using a Wii Wheel or Wii Remote, or play with the GamePad using the control stick or motion controls. Returning from Mario Kart 7 are the glider and underwater racing.

The biggest change: a sort of hover-kart/bike transformation that allows you to cling to walls or ceiling. This transformation is triggered in specific sections of a track and the player has no control over it beyond the choice of taking the occasional alternate path.

The trailers for the game make racing on walls or ceiling look disorienting, but during actual play, the camera is tied to the kart in order to keep the controls consistent. But while this allows the game to remain playable and simple, it also means this new mechanic lacks "oomph". Since the track remains under you at the bottom of the screen at all times, racing feels the same on whatever surface you happen to be on. The main impact is having to look for shortcuts and alternate paths on the walls.

Beyond that, the tracks are wide to accommodate 12 players when racing online and the game looks very much like a high definition version of the Wii game. There are perhaps more details that are easy to miss while playing, but are nice touches when looking at someone else play. For instance, one of the tracks takes place in the streets of a town with a European air to it, and ads for Galaxy Airlines and shops such as "Mario's Workwear" help add some character to the place. The other tracks include a Ghost House with no real surprises to it, and what I can only describe as a generic Mushroom Kingdom circuit.

The lighting has gotten a nice upgrade and fireballs light up and explode beautifully, but that is about the most noticeable graphical improvement. The framerate is fast and steady (at least in split screen, two player mode), and the art style remains simple and familiar. There is no way for one player to use the full TV screen and the other to look at the GamePad in the demo.

With the most refreshing-looking addition to Mario Kart 8 being less of a game-changer than it appears, those looking for a fresher Mario Kart experience will be disappointed, while those who are just looking to do tricks and pop wheelies in HD are getting exactly what they want.

[shingi_70]

Hmm does this mean no off screen play?

[Razorkid]

Doubtful.  I suspect off-tv play/mutiplayer will make the final cut.  I'm disappointed by the lack of surprises, but I have no doubt this will be a solid game to play when it comes out.

[PogueSquadron]

Am I crazy or does this game look far and away better, graphically, than both 3D World and Smash Bros? It looks gorgeous.

[noname2200]

3D World, perhaps, although I suspect that has more to do with artstyle than anything. Smash? Eh, I'm less convinced.

[the asylum]

Still no substitute for F-Zero

[Pixelated Pixies]

Will 'Transformed' remain the best Kart racer on the system? This should be interesting.

[Adrock]

I'm surprised Nintendo didn't call the game Mario Kart Zero X just to **** with everyone.

[Mop it up]

Mario & All-Stars & More All-Stars Kart Racing Transmogrified Zero X

[Pixelated Pixies]

I never really get excited for these games, but I always get alot of mileage (see what I did there?) out of Mario Kart in terms of the amount of hours I play them online. I played Mario Kart Wii right up until the point that Mario Kart 7 came out, and I'm still playing that game today. I have to imagine that I will also enjoy 8 if I ever decide to pick up a Wii U. Those games are just simple fun that almost anyone can enjoy.

[Ian Sane]

I think it is very difficult to keep multiplayer focused games like this interesting with each sequel.  The "crutch" of the a single player game is the narrative.  You might not be able to do too much new with the gameplay but throw in new supporting characters, enemies, levels, worlds to explore and you can freshen it up.  There is no new world to explore or characters to meet in Mario Kart.  They create new tracks but tracks don't have the same feeling as a location in a narrative game world.  Games like this are pure gameplay and rely almost entirely on the thrill of playing them.  Well once you're bored of Mario Kart's gameplay how do you get interested in this?  It's a real challenge for the devs.

[Razorkid]

I think it is very difficult to keep multiplayer focused games like this interesting with each sequel.  The "crutch" of the a single player game is the narrative.  You might not be able to do too much new with the gameplay but throw in new supporting characters, enemies, levels, worlds to explore and you can freshen it up.  There is no new world to explore or characters to meet in Mario Kart.  They create new tracks but tracks don't have the same feeling as a location in a narrative game world.  Games like this are pure gameplay and rely almost entirely on the thrill of playing them.  Well once you're bored of Mario Kart's gameplay how do you get interested in this?  It's a real challenge for the devs.

I agree. Despite people's complaints about Nintendo bringing their franchises into "yet another sequel", they typically only do this once per generation.  Games like Mario kart that are literally all about the gameplay would lose a lot of it's charm if it was iterated on every 1-2 years like a lot of other games.


I appreciate Nintendo's philosophy of make it once, but make it great for games like Mario kart and SSB.  You ensure that people don't get franchise fatigue from releasing yearly-biyearly updates, you keep the community together instead of fragmenting them across games, and you keep costs down from not having to spend millions developing "yet another sequel".

[tendoboy1984]

"the game looks very much like a high definition version of the Wii game."
 
Yeah, no. The Wii can't do bump-mapping and lighting that good. Everything looks so smooth with hardly any aliasing (jaggies).

[tendoboy1984]

    Once you're bored of Mario Kart's gameplay how do you get interested in this?  It's a real challenge for the devs.

That's what level editors are for.  It worked for LittleBigPlanet.

[TJ Spyke]

    Once you're bored of Mario Kart's gameplay how do you get interested in this?  It's a real challenge for the devs.

That's what level editors are for.  It worked for LittleBigPlanet.

LBP was a mediocre game though, the level editor was the only good thing about it.

[Hail23]

I also  got to try mario Kart 8 at Best Buy, and they had the 3 lvels ready for play.The simple addition of anti-gravity adds  to the way the game is played, especially when it comes to a chaotic 12 players online (you know it will be chaotic). Afterplaying this game with this new feature, it again makes me wonder, just like I wonder in every new Mario Kart game... What is the next Rainbow road going to have in store for us!

[Stogi]

Has anyone noticed how fast it is now? Maybe I haven't played Mario Kart Wii enough, but it seemed like they were playing on the fastest mode already.