Date played: May 30th
Platform: Wii U
Session fun rating: 10/10
It's finally here! I am a HUGE Mario Kart fan. I still play the older ones occasionally, like Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 even. I was very disappointed in Mario Kart Wii but loved 7, so I was hoping the first HD game in the series would be closer to the latter.
I am thoroughly impressed so far. The graphics are the first thing that I noticed as they are super sharp, colorful and really add a lot of details to the game. It really looks amazing. People underestimate the Wii U all the time and this is one of those games that prove them wrong, once again. The framerate is also butter smooth, which is essential in any self-respecting racing game.
I played the first cup at 100cc on my own, just to get a feel for the game. I used Peach at my daughter's request and won the cup without many issues. The game controls very well and is simply fun to play. I was drifting around corners, boosting and jumping my way to victory like I had been playing this game for months. The anti-gravity stuff took me by surprise though and required a bit of adjustment. Many of the tracks have sections where the racers get turned upside down or on the sides of the tracks as the vehicle's wheels turn into hovering devices. It looks amazing, but also introduces a few new mechanics. For example, bumping into other players grants both a little speed boost, which is nice.
Then I connected my pro controller and invited my girlfriend to join me. We had a blast playing through most of the cups together. While she isn't the best driver, she seemed to have a good time, even managing to beat me once on Moo Moo Meadows, a remake from the Wii. The tracks steal the show in Mario Kart 8 as they are truly beautiful, extremely varied and have tons of interactive elements. Thwomps, planes, musical keys, wind and even a giant snake litter the various courses and make them all unique. In addition to the crazy anti-gravity sections, there are also underwater and gliding sections, adding more fun to the mix. There are new items too like a piranha plant pot and a boomerang that spice things up.
I played online a bit too and was not disappointed. Races were completely lag free and the connection was flawless. I picked DK, my favorite character in the last few iterations of the series, and a standard kart to tear it up with others. I played about five races and I was pretty damn successful, placing in the top three in all but one race, where I placed 8th. I even won one race! As usual, people tend to focus on items and battling more than their racing line, so when I hug the corners and focus on speed, I tend to do well. There was one person that was clearly using the same tactics as me so we ended up fighting for the top spots every time. I cannot wait to play more Mario Kart 8!
Platform: Wii U
Session fun rating: 10/10
It's finally here! I am a HUGE Mario Kart fan. I still play the older ones occasionally, like Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 even. I was very disappointed in Mario Kart Wii but loved 7, so I was hoping the first HD game in the series would be closer to the latter.
I am thoroughly impressed so far. The graphics are the first thing that I noticed as they are super sharp, colorful and really add a lot of details to the game. It really looks amazing. People underestimate the Wii U all the time and this is one of those games that prove them wrong, once again. The framerate is also butter smooth, which is essential in any self-respecting racing game.
I played the first cup at 100cc on my own, just to get a feel for the game. I used Peach at my daughter's request and won the cup without many issues. The game controls very well and is simply fun to play. I was drifting around corners, boosting and jumping my way to victory like I had been playing this game for months. The anti-gravity stuff took me by surprise though and required a bit of adjustment. Many of the tracks have sections where the racers get turned upside down or on the sides of the tracks as the vehicle's wheels turn into hovering devices. It looks amazing, but also introduces a few new mechanics. For example, bumping into other players grants both a little speed boost, which is nice.
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| Daisy on Mario Kart Stadium |
I played online a bit too and was not disappointed. Races were completely lag free and the connection was flawless. I picked DK, my favorite character in the last few iterations of the series, and a standard kart to tear it up with others. I played about five races and I was pretty damn successful, placing in the top three in all but one race, where I placed 8th. I even won one race! As usual, people tend to focus on items and battling more than their racing line, so when I hug the corners and focus on speed, I tend to do well. There was one person that was clearly using the same tactics as me so we ended up fighting for the top spots every time. I cannot wait to play more Mario Kart 8!
