Mario Kart 8
View on AmazonAn engaging game that presses all the right buttons. It mixes old school gaming fundementals while providing modern day HD Graphics.
Nintendo’s smash hit game Mario Kart has been an iconic video game in all of our hearts for many years since its first release in 1992 on the SNES video game console. Nintendo recently released Mario Kart 8 which brings a new dimension to racing with your buddies on a Saturday night.
As with all previous Mario Kart games, the gameplay and control remain the same but there is no disputing that Mario Kart is arguably one of the most inventive games currently on the market.
What’s New in Mario Kart 8?
With Mario Kart Double Dash on the Nintendo Gamecube, they introduced a two-player co-op mode. While it was not the most engaging mechanic, it was an inventive step in the right direction towards a more social gaming lifestyle. With every new Mario Kart release, Nintendo introduces new paradigms in family gaming.
With Mario Kart 7 they introduced underwater sections and kart transformations swell as hand-gliding sections, Mario Kart 8 has taken the fun a whole step further with completely 3d immersive tracks and even anti-gravity.
Mario Kart Retro Maps
Nintendo has always inherently carried over maps from older Mario Kart titles, this comes as no surprise seeing as the Mario Kart franchise is now over 20 years old.
The developers at Nintendo have done a great job at remastering the now retro race maps introducing mind-bending 3d maps that leave you wondering where to turn next. The smoother graphics and a high-definition makeover is real smooth nice on the eyes.
Overall the maps are essentially the same as double dash with a few minor distinctions but somehow, The Mario Kart 8 developers have managed to make them feel like a whole new experience altogether despite my brain telling me I’m playing the same map I did 11 years ago.
Customisable Karts and Motorbikes
Motorbikes did make a brief appearance on the original Wii console but were removed due to dominating the game and creating a large divide between low and high skilled player. I can safely say they are back and seems like for now at least, they are here to stay with fairly balanced gameplay.
Mario Kart 8 comes with a plethora of unlockable cars, bikes, tires and hand gliders that are unlocked using coins that you collect via race events.
Coin work the same as they do in Mario Kart 7, When you have 10 coins (the max limit per player per race) you will get a slight speed increase, On the other hand, if you are hit by an in-game missile or even worse one of those pesky banana skins you will lose 3 coins.
Items are unlocked every 50 coins up to a total of 1000 coins, after that point you will unlock an item every 100 coins. So don’t stop racing as there is always another unlockable for your kart just round the corner.
Should you Buy Mario Kart 8?
I’ll own up now and say I have never been a huge Nintendo fanboy, however, there are a few titles that I will go out and buy and Mario Kart is one of the video games.
I didn’t expect much difference between Mario Kart 7 and 8 but was left surprised at how different it felt even thou its core gameplay and mechanics are exactly the same as older titles.
Nintendo really went crazy with creativity this time resulting in an outstanding title that demonstrates the spirit of Nintendo and might just be enough to save the Wii U console until other huge titles like Zelda and Super Smash Bros are released in the late quarter of 2014.
If you want my verdict you should buy Mario Kart 8, you will not be left disappointed and will supply endless hours of fun on a rainy day.
