Topic: Three Reasons Why I’m Not Excited for Mario Kart 8

[Webmalfunction]

After you take away the HD, what does this game actually have left?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/37209/three-reasons-why-im-not-excited-for-mario-kart-8

Mario Kart 8 is on its way to Wii U, and there is a lot of hope on this game turning the console around. While I absolutely disagree with that line of thinking, my focus today is much smaller in scale, discussing why I am personally less excited for this game than some of you might be.  Please understand that I’m writing this based on having just about the same access to the game as you; I haven’t played it since E3, so I absolutely leave open the possibility that the game proves me wrong when it hits shelves on May 30. Feel free to respond in the comments below as to why you agree or disagree with me.

3) They still haven’t fixed single-player.

“It follows the same structure of eight cups, with four featuring new tracks and four featuring retro tracks, making for 32 tracks in total,” said Neal in his latest Hands-on Preview for the game. There could be room to pull a last minute reveal that the game has a story mode as good as the recent Mortal Kombat or Injustice games, but let’s be real. Considering the game has only been in development for a little more than two years, which is Mario Kart standard at best, and considering it follows the same eight-cup format, the single-player is pretty much guaranteed to be exactly as awful, exactly as bland, and exactly as not fun as it has always been. You can go ahead and tell me that the multiplayer is the only mode that matters and that good online conquers all, but that doesn’t excuse the game from having a single-player mode that consists of “race on all of the tracks three times and then maybe make the courses mirrored.”

2) That character selection list is very troubling.

Of the 27 revealed characters, four are babies and seven are Koopalings. That accounts for eleven total, or 40% of the revealed list. There are at least three more characters to be revealed thanks to that demo image that got out, but even if there are more, there realistically will not be twenty or even ten more. You should also recognize that certain characters with good chances have not been revealed yet, like Dry Bones, Birdo, Mii, Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong, Dry Bowser, and King Boo. If there really are three slots left, there isn’t very much room for ingenuity, is there?

New characters with personality excite me, not seven Koopalings whose only personality traits really go as far as their attack patterns. I know this could lead into a discussion about a game called Nintendo Kart, but what if they included a couple of outside Nintendo characters to join the party? What if they dipped into RPG characters like Fawful? What if Wart made some kind of appearance? It sure would be better than re-using the same characters repeatedly while scraping the bottom of the platformer barrel.

1) It looks like one of the laziest sequels Nintendo has ever made.

It’s HD? It better be, it’s on an HD console. It has SOME orchestrated tracks? Congratulations on that massive gameplay achievement. You can use anti-gravity to make the game look slightly different? That totally isn’t an aesthetic change. The fully-utilized GamePad controller can display a horn, split-screen, AND a map? Glad to see this technology isn’t going to waste. I don’t mean to be so mean about this, but it looks like they’re taking Mario Kart 7/Wii and adding just enough content to get away with making Mario Kart 7/Wii again in HD. It’s not like Smash Bros. where it will be the first entry with acceptable online either – 7, Wii, and even DS had pretty good online modes. When the biggest thing people can talk about relating to this game is how you can only hold one item at a time, it tells me something. It tells me that Mario Kart 8 is likely going to be this generation’s Animal Crossing: City Folk, a game that added so little to the formula that one could justifiably consider it an expanded remake of Wild World.

These three reasons illustrate why I’m not excited for this game, why I don’t think it will be nearly as big as Mario Kart Wii, and why I might not even buy it if these three concerns are realized. Outside of being Mario Kart, and I still could be underestimating the value of that, there is nothing here to grab onto other than how it looks. For me, that just isn’t enough.

At least there’s Mario Kart TV.

[Davoid]

I really can't believe that opinion piece.... -_- Mario Kart has always been a party game. The single player has never been broken. People who think otherwise are looking for a racing game in a racing-themed party game. Of course you are bound to be disapointed. The Koopalings do not have personality... that's true, but neither does Birdo, Drybones, Daisy or Lakitu. If anything, Mario Kart fleshes-out those characters. Mario Kart has always been iterative in nature, with one title per generation. There is never any real revolution in the genre... that's the harsh truth. I'm still hyped for it, but I know what Mario Kart is... I believe you are disappointed because your are being delusional about the game's fundamental nature.

[Phil]

I know there's a belief that the staff loves to crap on Nintendo lately, and that might be true, it might not, but articles like this do little to argue against that idea.

I hate articles like this because it comes across as pure click-bait. The laziness point made me roll my eyes so freaking hard, as that seems to be reason for every game Nintendo makes nowadays. 

I'm understanding where the reputation the staff here have been getting lately comes from. Of course, all one needed to do was listen to a podcast or two.

[Phil]

Also, when I read the headline I simply went, "Okay? Random staffer on Nintendo news site doesn't like something. Cool."

Sorry to be so negative.

[Webmalfunction]

I really can't believe that opinion piece.... -_- Mario Kart has always been a party game. The single player has never been broken. People who think otherwise are looking for a racing game in a racing-themed party game. Of course you are bound to be disapointed. The Koopalings do not have personality... that's true, but neither does Birdo, Drybones, Daisy or Lakitu. If anything, Mario Kart fleshes-out those characters. Mario Kart has always been iterative in nature, with one title per generation. There is never any real revolution in the genre... that's the harsh truth. I'm still hyped for it, but I know what Mario Kart is... I believe you are disappointed because your are being delusional about the game's fundamental nature.

Being fundamental or traditional doesn't excuse a video game from criticism. If anything, it puts the game in more dire need of criticism and evolution. It's not that I don't know what Mario Kart is -- it's that I want more for it. The genre you describe it as (which disagrees with Nintendo's own labeling, I might add) is irrelevant. If something is poorly done, its (fan-provided) genre doesn't excuse it of being poor.

[Phil]

"When the biggest thing people can talk about relating to this game is how you can only hold one item at a time"

I thought the anti-gravity sections were what people were talking about the most. That and HD for the first time.

[Davoid]

Being fundamental or traditional doesn't excuse a video game from criticism. If anything, it puts the game in more dire need of criticism and evolution. It's not that I don't know what Mario Kart is -- it's that I want more for it. The genre you describe it as (which disagrees with Nintendo's own labeling, I might add) is irrelevant. If something is poorly done, its (fan-provided) genre doesn't excuse it of being poor.

True. And I guess most of your criticism might come from of being burned out on the Mario Kart formula. I did not play Mario Kart Wii, but I did play Mario Kart 7. That is my most recent experience with the franchise and it got me wanting more. It reminded me of my College years, playing Mario Kart 64 and then, Double Dash!!. The game is the recognizable Mario Kart fare and I'll admit I'm not looking for anything more. If you are getting tired of the series, those things that I personally consider nit-picking might be seriously abrasive to you. Mario Kart is still a thing that comes once a videogame generation... Younger gamers might enjoy the franchise for the very first time. I feel that you may have outgrown the genre & lost your Peter Pan suit in the process. It's alright... Play something else. Mouth wash & rinse. You'll be in the mood for it eventually. Mario Kart will still be a great game then.

[broodwars]

Good list. Those (and the presence of the blue shell) are pretty much the same 3 reasons why I couldn't care less about this game. The 3rd one ("it's Mario Kart!...IN HD!) is particularly hilarious, because it assumes that Nintendo being 9 years late to the party in making an HD Mario Kart means it's something special now. The 1st one ("SP isn't changed") is probably my biggest issue with the game. Mario Kart has a history of its competitors having infinitely better SP campaigns, the most notable examples being Diddy Kong Racing and Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed, yet Nintendo continues to churn out the same lame, regurgitated Mario Kart campaign modes year after year.

[Soren]

We differ on the definition of lazy. EAD Group 1 hasn't made a console game since Mario Kart Wii and shipped 7 on December 2011, which gave them just a bit over two years to develop their first HD entry in the series. It will run 1080p and a crisp 60fps(which considering the delays other Nintendo HD games have faced is an incredible feat). It actually has new features and characters added in. You might not like them (or you just glossed over them like that final throwaway comment about Mario Kart TV) but that's actual work that was put into the game. How the hell are you throwing around hyperbole like "one of the laziest sequels Nintendo has ever made"


Yeah, I'm still pissed with the amount of overall content Nintendo will give us with this game. But given a short two year turnaround, Nintendo could have done a lot worse than what they'll give us with Mario Kart 8.

[BlackNMild2k1]

*pre-order cancelled*

Thanks NWR.

[ShyGuy]

Take about your Web Malfunctions...

What about the vertical tracks? What about the touch screen horn? What about all the racing jokes on Miiverse?

Go back to your innovative Pokemon series!

[tanooki]

I have to agree with you, but I'd also throw in that they really must add in the OPTIONAL removal of the blue shell both in single player and multiplayer as well.  It really has been a curse since they put it in back in the early 3D era.  It took a game which was frantic and fun which needed some good strategy into a game where someone who sucks can just punish the dude 3sec from the finish so they don't win making it just demoralizing.I actually just sold my MK7 game as I played it once on 50cc and it didn't seem all that fun and not at all fresh to me so I didn't play it again, and with all the cheats and sneaks on the online aspect I didn't play it either.  The Wii game the forced bikes weren't fun and the courses were the most boring of any, and the online was cheater wrecked, just as was the DS.  The DS game was awful too because the AI on 150cc would only put you in 2nd place, keep the AI in first like 2sec ahead, and instead of attacking 1st place, all AI would attack YOU which is terrible.MK8 looks like MK7 and Wii again to me, just with the anti gravity thing, HD visuals, and little else going on so I'm not planning to buy it.  If I ever find it used for like 1/2 price down the line I'll try it out but not for full price.  I'm in the same boat with Smash Bros as that Wii game was balls, and this go around I'm not wasting $60 when I can get a great version earlier for $40 on 3DS I'd use more.

[NWR_insanolord]

They should do what Smash Bros. is doing and include two modes: "For Fun," with blue shells turned off, and "For Frustration," which has them turned on.

[pokepal148]

...and this go around I'm not wasting $60 when I can get a great version earlier for $40 on 3DS I'd use more.

Hate to burst your bubble but mario kart 7 is the second worst game in the series (super circut is at rovk bottom.

[Heckenritter]

While I am hyped for Mario Kart 8, I do agree that the single player campaign in most Mario Kart games is really bad. And I say most because there was one exception. Remember the missions from Mario Kart DS? Some of it was just drive through rings, but there were some unique challenges and even Bossfights! It was a lot of fun to get 3 Stars on every Mission. Why can´t they do something like this again?
Also I hope that the ranking system in MK8 will be like Wii and not like MK7. In MK7 you always get points when you do a race online. So your points don´t show how good you are, just how many races you did. The ranking in Wii was great because you could actually lose points for a low place, depending on the points of the players who beat you. It made online a lot more fun, because it was a challenge to get 9000+ points.

[Evan_B]

Listen, I'm not the shining beacon of positivity when it comes to Nintendo's recent business decisions, myself. But I think Anti-grav and the continuation of the sub and glider gameplay is a pretty good reason to warrant an HD Mario. Also, Nintendo has obviously been trying to hit all of the Wii best sellers.

But I'm not sure what you mean by the single player being bad. If you want optional modes, the only thing I can think of is a challenge feature. There's little you can do in a kart-racer aside from special cups or challenges, so I don't really think Nintendo is dropping the ball in that regard. I mean, Sonic Racing Transformed's challenges were ball-busting-ly annoying, and it didn't make me want to play the single player more- it was just aggravating and over-precise for a game with awful water physics.

And as for characters, there's not really much you can put in Mario Kart that offers "more personality" than the current cast. Considering it is MARIO Kart, a game franchise known for having a lot of recurring elements, I don't really know what you're looking for here.

And whoever says Mario Kart 7 is one of the worst in the series is downright silly.

[Wah]

Wait, dafaq? Mariokart horrible? but waluigi!
FFFOOOCCCUUUSSS BBBLLLAAASSSTTT!!!

[Phil]

Listen, I'm not the shining beacon of positivity when it comes to Nintendo's recent business decisions, myself. But I think Anti-grav and the continuation of the sub and glider gameplay is a pretty good reason to warrant an HD Mario. Also, Nintendo has obviously been trying to hit all of the Wii best sellers.

But I'm not sure what you mean by the single player being bad. If you want optional modes, the only thing I can think of is a challenge feature. There's little you can do in a kart-racer aside from special cups or challenges, so I don't really think Nintendo is dropping the ball in that regard. I mean, Sonic Racing Transformed's challenges were ball-busting-ly annoying, and it didn't make me want to play the single player more- it was just aggravating and over-precise for a game with awful water physics.

And as for characters, there's not really much you can put in Mario Kart that offers "more personality" than the current cast. Considering it is MARIO Kart, a game franchise known for having a lot of recurring elements, I don't really know what you're looking for here.

And whoever says Mario Kart 7 is one of the worst in the series is downright silly.

I think the return of a Mission Mode a la Mario Kart DS would be awesome.

[StrawHousePig]

Gonna have to rate this list Bullcrap™.

Still haven't fixed single player? It ain't broke, so what gives? Oh I see, you're incredibly biased! :p A racing game story mode? You may be on to something, but unless the racing was like Cannonball Run I can't imagine giving a crap about what leads me to race at one track after the next. Challenge modes sound more better (even a Build-a-Cup mode), although I find that sort of filler tedious, that could even flesh out multiplayer quite a bit. *meh* Going for the gold is enough for me.

Do the characters really have that much in the way of different abilities? I've never noticed anything other than the obvious. Are they doing special items now? Collect coins to fill up your racers special power meter? This list item seems pretty silly to me.

That last item... oy. It's fun to rant, I know. But after reading this I've concluded that I'm gonna get this game and have a blast.

[ClexYoshi]

Listen, I'm not the shining beacon of positivity when it comes to Nintendo's recent business decisions, myself. But I think Anti-grav and the continuation of the sub and glider gameplay is a pretty good reason to warrant an HD Mario. Also, Nintendo has obviously been trying to hit all of the Wii best sellers.

But I'm not sure what you mean by the single player being bad. If you want optional modes, the only thing I can think of is a challenge feature. There's little you can do in a kart-racer aside from special cups or challenges, so I don't really think Nintendo is dropping the ball in that regard. I mean, Sonic Racing Transformed's challenges were ball-busting-ly annoying, and it didn't make me want to play the single player more- it was just aggravating and over-precise for a game with awful water physics.

And as for characters, there's not really much you can put in Mario Kart that offers "more personality" than the current cast. Considering it is MARIO Kart, a game franchise known for having a lot of recurring elements, I don't really know what you're looking for here.

And whoever says Mario Kart 7 is one of the worst in the series is downright silly.

How's about a Super Mario Galaxy/Diddy Kong Racing inspired Hub World with the tracks having  various optional objectives for getting Green stars/Comet Coins/Mario Kart MacGuffin?  That, or Alex could be referring to wanting the Legend of Mario mode where you have to drive a narrow version of Rainbow Road without going below a certain speed or hitting the walls at all? I dunno.

I don't want to own this game because I found Mario Kart Wii's track bloat to accommodate the extra racers as well as the constant item flood to feel more like I was playing Mario Party then I was playing Mario Kart.

 

[Adrock]

I can't say I agree with anything in this article. To each his own, I suppose.

I don't think the single player mode needs "fixing" though additions are welcome. The characters' personality is neither the point of the game nor the reason I play Mario Kart. The game itself has plenty of charm. It just kind of silly to hold the racers' personality, of all things, against a Mario Kart title. Soren basically covered why I don't think this game is lazy at all.

Still, I'm not in a rush to buy Mario Kart 8. Besides not knowing when I'll have my new TV, I'm fairly confident that I won't play the game enough to justify not waiting for a sale or bundle. In the past few years, I've mostly been playing through games very slowly. I didn't unlock Mirror Mode in Mario Kart 7 until like, late last year and I bought the game when it released. To my advantage, a friend is buying Mario Kart 8 day one and I see him once or twice a week anyway.

[Oblivion]

Down with Nintendo!

[Ian Sane]

I'm not interested entirely because I've lost interest in the Mario Kart series as a whole, but I don't have any beef with Mario Kart 8 specifically.

You know when you're a kid and you play games like Snakes and Ladders?  They're fun when you're a kid but when you get older you realize they require zero skill and it's entirely the luck of the dice that determines who wins.  You might as well just flip a coin to see who wins and save yourself 10 minutes.  That's Mario Kart.  Mario Kart is pretty much an elaborate slot machine or roulette wheel.  Mario Kart Wii was really when it got bad.  Play that game, nothing felt earned.  If I lost it was because I got fucked and if I won it was because I was lucky.  Well I'm not three years old so I don't find that fun.  I'll probably never buy another Mario Kart again.

But even if Mario Kart didn't turn into Snakes & Ladders it would be harder and harder for me to stay interested in it entirely because you can only do so much with the concept and multiplayer focused games can't rely on story-based single player modes to provide "newness" to the experience.  I tend to get bored of multiplayer series much quicker than single player ones.  They rely more on the novelty of the gameplay than the content.

[Webmalfunction]

Just for the record guys, the entire point of this article is how I personally feel, with a huge emphasis on the fact that I'm basing this on personal hype and the possibility that I end up being wrong by the end of this when it finally comes out. There's a HUGE difference between an article called "Why I'm not excited" and an article called "Why this sucks."

[ClexYoshi]

Just for the record guys, the entire point of this article is how I personally feel, with a huge emphasis on the fact that I'm basing this on personal hype and the possibility that I end up being wrong by the end of this when it finally comes out. There's a HUGE difference between an article called "Why I'm not excited" and an article called "Why this sucks."

I can at least speak for myself when I say that I'm well aware. a lot of the people in this Talkback thread mirror your sentiments, Mr. Culafi. even if they don't share your exact points, the thread seems to radiate with the same lack of enthusiasm.


Also, I just had another great mode idea as both an extra single player and multiplayer mode! Lakitu's Managerial Mayhem! as Lakitu, you are given on the gamepad a list of racers that Bowser or Don Pianta or somebody  had bet big bucks on winning, placing and showing, and it's up to Lakitu to use the gamepad to control stage hazards, control items specific racers get, interfere with other Lakitu trying to put racers back on the track, etc.it'd still allow for you to get intimate with the track design by learning how the track hazards work by screwing with them, and it'd be a nice way to screw around as that very RNG that often decides the winner or loser in a Mario Kart match.