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As if appearing in an episode of Top Gear, Mario arrives at Nintendo HQ and is handed the keys to a go-kart and an envelope containing details of the challenges to be faced.
Challenge 1
Sales of the Wii U haven’t been too great to put it politely and Mario’s first challenge is to ‘drive’ the sales of the Wii U back towards an acceptable level. In many ways, Mario Kart 8 is probably one of the most important games Nintendo has ever released.
Challenge 2
Mario has to convince me that I did the right thing in blowing all the funds I had set aside for PS4 games on a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle. You see, I’ve never been the biggest Mario Kart fan. The games are okay but karting games in general have always left me a little underwhelmed. I dislike the luck aspect; it doesn’t matter how well you drive, a direct hit from a weapon can destroy your entire race. It was possibly an interesting choice of bundle to go for but that’s the decision that was made.
2 big challenges ahead, no pressure then.
The Results
I think I see a smug smile forming under that moustache, Mario must have done well. Sales of Wii U consoles rocketed by 666% following the release of Mario Kart 8. Challenge 1 has been passed with ease but what about challenge 2? I’m sure the review will reveal all.
Since Mario Kart is widely believed to be the best karting game series, Nintendo has wisely not tinkered much with the formula. Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS introduced under water sections and gliding and both feature in Mario Kart 8 along with the all new anti-gravity sections. Tracks twist and turn in such a way that you’ll be karting upside down, racing along walls or climbing large inclines. The impact of the anti-gravity sections is however somewhat watered down by the camera sticking firmly behind the kart. You won’t always appreciate the height you have climbed or even realise you are upside down unless you take your eyes off the action and look at the background.
The control scheme remains as it has always been and perfectly accessible for racers of all ages and experience. There is a level of depth to it though and simply keeping your foot to the floor (or finger on the button) and steering isn’t going to bag many 1st place finishes. Gliding round corners leads to a boost with holding the power slide longer giving a bigger boost. Veer off the track and the boost that you have been building up is lost and you’ll also dramatically slow down as the area off track seem to be covered in a transparent layer of sticky stuff judging by the instant decelaration. There are some tight bends out there and your driving skills will be tested at times. There are still a couple of bends I’m not too comfortable with.
There are 32 tracks in total which is a generous offering. 16 of the tracks are retro tracks, if you will, coming from previous Mario Kart games. The retro tracks have been spruced up to match the new tracks and a new comer will not tell them apart. The sprucing isn’t just a cosmetic touch up, anti-gravity sections have been applied to great effect. Graphically the game is highly impressive. The tracks are rather stunning with some great Nintendo themed scenery and bursting with colour.
There are numerous short cuts to exploit throughout the tracks. Not all of them are obvious and you may only become aware of some by watching others or the AI. The shortcuts aren’t always easy to exploit though, mess it up and you can end up off track or colliding with the wall and ultimately taking longer than you would have. Master the short cuts and they can offer a huge advantage and some of them are going to take a bit of mastering.
There are coins on track which give you a marginal increase in speed so they can be well worth picking up but get hit by a weapon and you lose those coins and the associated extra speed. In the long run it can be worth taking the bend wider than you would if sliding. You can also cash in other the misfortune of others as their lost coins are there to be collected.
The single player mode is broken down into the 50CC, 100CC and 150CC categories. 50CC is the nice introduction level but 150CC will present a challenge. There are 8 tournaments per category and 4 races per tournament. The finishing position determines the points awarded; the racer with the most points wins the tournament. But you really want to finish first in all of the races to get the gold trophy and the 3 stars. And that is where the challenge lies for the single player; there are few things in gaming as frustrating as losing your imminent 3 star award on the last bend of the last track.
Vehicle choices are between karts and motor bikes. There are a variety of models and a wide selection of tyres to choose from. And you’ll want to pick your glider apparatus. The unobservant among us, like me, will think this is all cosmetic but no, each part has a performance effect. Even the choice of character affects performance. Speed, acceleration, handling, grip and weight all come into play and there is plenty of opportunity to fine tune your vehicle to your play style. There can be quite a difference in the setups so it is worth experimenting. New vehicles, parts and characters are unlocked via the number of coins you collect as your progress.
The usual selection of weapons is back and as always, a quick hit from a weapon can change a 1st place finish into last place in the blink of an eye and turn even the more pure Nintendo fan into a foul mouthed rage machine. Or perhaps that is just me. The dreaded blue shell is back but there is some good news; it can be countered now with the horn weapon. The horn sends out a blast destroying any weapon headed your way, including the blue shell. The boomerang is a useful new weapon which essentially gives you 2 chances to take down a racer; once as you release the boomerang and again as it heads back. The bob-omb is a powerful weapon which needs to be used carefully. You can take down all racers in the blast radius but it is easy to be caught up in that radius yourself, especially if you score a direct hit and the explosion happens quicker than you’d expect. Every now and then you will get 8 weapons at once rotating round your kart. It seems like a gift from the gods but it sends me into a panic every time as I take my focus from the race and start concentrating on the getting the timing right for launching my chosen weapon. It never ends well.
The single player mode is really just a practice session for the main event, the 12 player online mode but nothing can really prepare you for the carnage. There isn’t a great deal to the online racing, you pick you character and vehicle setup and then join a lobby. Some polite chat from the set of statements available can take place between races. A choice of track is presented and a random choice is made from the selections made by the competitors. And then the fun really begins. A 12 player race is nothing short of eventful, you are barged about, whacked left right and centre, your position in the race fluctuates wildly and it is darned good fun. Of course getting whacked by a combo of attacks from various people is highly frustrating but you can do the same back. Points are awarded based on your position but finish towards the bottom and you will lose some points. The points don’t mean a great deal and at times I do feel there could be something to aim for but then another race starts and I get caught up in all the antics. The lobbies do tend to be very busy but I even found a lot of enjoyment racing against a friend with just the 2 of us. It was a lot quieter and you could concentrate more on the racing rather than weapons but it was still more enjoyable than it sounds.
Joining friends online could be done better though. As things stand, you have to wait for a slot in their lobby to join. This means sitting at the friends page patiently waiting and not actually player.
Apparently there is a battle mode but it isn’t as good as it has been before. I wouldn’t know as I’ve not been able to drag myself away from the online racing.
A nice feature is the MK8 TV. This allows you to view highlights of your races and helps you appreciate how good looking this game is as well as illustrating what sections of the track have you racing upside down, it can be quite an eye opener. The best part is you can upload the highlights of a fine performance to YouTube and post the video in Miiverse. Posting my 1st 12 player online race victory was too much to resist for me.
A generous selection of great tracks.
A fine looking game.
Chaotic, eventful, highly frustrating, highly enjoyable online racing.
Challenge 2 passed with flying colours. I’m now officially a Mario Kart fan.
9
Challenge 1
Sales of the Wii U haven’t been too great to put it politely and Mario’s first challenge is to ‘drive’ the sales of the Wii U back towards an acceptable level. In many ways, Mario Kart 8 is probably one of the most important games Nintendo has ever released.
Challenge 2
Mario has to convince me that I did the right thing in blowing all the funds I had set aside for PS4 games on a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle. You see, I’ve never been the biggest Mario Kart fan. The games are okay but karting games in general have always left me a little underwhelmed. I dislike the luck aspect; it doesn’t matter how well you drive, a direct hit from a weapon can destroy your entire race. It was possibly an interesting choice of bundle to go for but that’s the decision that was made.
2 big challenges ahead, no pressure then.
The Results
I think I see a smug smile forming under that moustache, Mario must have done well. Sales of Wii U consoles rocketed by 666% following the release of Mario Kart 8. Challenge 1 has been passed with ease but what about challenge 2? I’m sure the review will reveal all.
Since Mario Kart is widely believed to be the best karting game series, Nintendo has wisely not tinkered much with the formula. Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS introduced under water sections and gliding and both feature in Mario Kart 8 along with the all new anti-gravity sections. Tracks twist and turn in such a way that you’ll be karting upside down, racing along walls or climbing large inclines. The impact of the anti-gravity sections is however somewhat watered down by the camera sticking firmly behind the kart. You won’t always appreciate the height you have climbed or even realise you are upside down unless you take your eyes off the action and look at the background.
The control scheme remains as it has always been and perfectly accessible for racers of all ages and experience. There is a level of depth to it though and simply keeping your foot to the floor (or finger on the button) and steering isn’t going to bag many 1st place finishes. Gliding round corners leads to a boost with holding the power slide longer giving a bigger boost. Veer off the track and the boost that you have been building up is lost and you’ll also dramatically slow down as the area off track seem to be covered in a transparent layer of sticky stuff judging by the instant decelaration. There are some tight bends out there and your driving skills will be tested at times. There are still a couple of bends I’m not too comfortable with.
There are 32 tracks in total which is a generous offering. 16 of the tracks are retro tracks, if you will, coming from previous Mario Kart games. The retro tracks have been spruced up to match the new tracks and a new comer will not tell them apart. The sprucing isn’t just a cosmetic touch up, anti-gravity sections have been applied to great effect. Graphically the game is highly impressive. The tracks are rather stunning with some great Nintendo themed scenery and bursting with colour.
There are numerous short cuts to exploit throughout the tracks. Not all of them are obvious and you may only become aware of some by watching others or the AI. The shortcuts aren’t always easy to exploit though, mess it up and you can end up off track or colliding with the wall and ultimately taking longer than you would have. Master the short cuts and they can offer a huge advantage and some of them are going to take a bit of mastering.
There are coins on track which give you a marginal increase in speed so they can be well worth picking up but get hit by a weapon and you lose those coins and the associated extra speed. In the long run it can be worth taking the bend wider than you would if sliding. You can also cash in other the misfortune of others as their lost coins are there to be collected.
The single player mode is broken down into the 50CC, 100CC and 150CC categories. 50CC is the nice introduction level but 150CC will present a challenge. There are 8 tournaments per category and 4 races per tournament. The finishing position determines the points awarded; the racer with the most points wins the tournament. But you really want to finish first in all of the races to get the gold trophy and the 3 stars. And that is where the challenge lies for the single player; there are few things in gaming as frustrating as losing your imminent 3 star award on the last bend of the last track.
Vehicle choices are between karts and motor bikes. There are a variety of models and a wide selection of tyres to choose from. And you’ll want to pick your glider apparatus. The unobservant among us, like me, will think this is all cosmetic but no, each part has a performance effect. Even the choice of character affects performance. Speed, acceleration, handling, grip and weight all come into play and there is plenty of opportunity to fine tune your vehicle to your play style. There can be quite a difference in the setups so it is worth experimenting. New vehicles, parts and characters are unlocked via the number of coins you collect as your progress.
The usual selection of weapons is back and as always, a quick hit from a weapon can change a 1st place finish into last place in the blink of an eye and turn even the more pure Nintendo fan into a foul mouthed rage machine. Or perhaps that is just me. The dreaded blue shell is back but there is some good news; it can be countered now with the horn weapon. The horn sends out a blast destroying any weapon headed your way, including the blue shell. The boomerang is a useful new weapon which essentially gives you 2 chances to take down a racer; once as you release the boomerang and again as it heads back. The bob-omb is a powerful weapon which needs to be used carefully. You can take down all racers in the blast radius but it is easy to be caught up in that radius yourself, especially if you score a direct hit and the explosion happens quicker than you’d expect. Every now and then you will get 8 weapons at once rotating round your kart. It seems like a gift from the gods but it sends me into a panic every time as I take my focus from the race and start concentrating on the getting the timing right for launching my chosen weapon. It never ends well.
The single player mode is really just a practice session for the main event, the 12 player online mode but nothing can really prepare you for the carnage. There isn’t a great deal to the online racing, you pick you character and vehicle setup and then join a lobby. Some polite chat from the set of statements available can take place between races. A choice of track is presented and a random choice is made from the selections made by the competitors. And then the fun really begins. A 12 player race is nothing short of eventful, you are barged about, whacked left right and centre, your position in the race fluctuates wildly and it is darned good fun. Of course getting whacked by a combo of attacks from various people is highly frustrating but you can do the same back. Points are awarded based on your position but finish towards the bottom and you will lose some points. The points don’t mean a great deal and at times I do feel there could be something to aim for but then another race starts and I get caught up in all the antics. The lobbies do tend to be very busy but I even found a lot of enjoyment racing against a friend with just the 2 of us. It was a lot quieter and you could concentrate more on the racing rather than weapons but it was still more enjoyable than it sounds.
Joining friends online could be done better though. As things stand, you have to wait for a slot in their lobby to join. This means sitting at the friends page patiently waiting and not actually player.
Apparently there is a battle mode but it isn’t as good as it has been before. I wouldn’t know as I’ve not been able to drag myself away from the online racing.
A nice feature is the MK8 TV. This allows you to view highlights of your races and helps you appreciate how good looking this game is as well as illustrating what sections of the track have you racing upside down, it can be quite an eye opener. The best part is you can upload the highlights of a fine performance to YouTube and post the video in Miiverse. Posting my 1st 12 player online race victory was too much to resist for me.
A generous selection of great tracks.
A fine looking game.
Chaotic, eventful, highly frustrating, highly enjoyable online racing.
Challenge 2 passed with flying colours. I’m now officially a Mario Kart fan.
9
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As if appearing in an episode of Top Gear, Mario arrives at Nintendo HQ and is handed the keys to a go-kart and an envelope containing details of the challenges to be faced.
Challenge 1
Sales of the Wii U haven’t been too great to put it politely and Mario’s first challenge is to ‘drive’ the sales of the Wii U back towards an acceptable level. In many ways, Mario Kart 8 is probably one of the most important games Nintendo has ever released.
Challenge 2
Mario has to convince me that I did the right thing in blowing all the funds I had set aside for PS4 games on a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle. You see, I’ve never been the biggest Mario Kart fan. The games are okay but karting games in general have always left me a little underwhelmed. I dislike the luck aspect; it doesn’t matter how well you drive, a direct hit from a weapon can destroy your entire race. It was possibly an interesting choice of bundle to go for but that’s the decision that was made.
2 big challenges ahead, no pressure then.
The Results
I think I see a smug smile forming under that moustache, Mario must have done well. Sales of Wii U consoles rocketed by 666% following the release of Mario Kart 8. Challenge 1 has been passed with ease but what about challenge 2? I’m sure the review will reveal all.
Since Mario Kart is widely believed to be the best karting game series, Nintendo has wisely not tinkered much with the formula. Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS introduced under water sections and gliding and both feature in Mario Kart 8 along with the all new anti-gravity sections. Tracks twist and turn in such a way that you’ll be karting upside down, racing along walls or climbing large inclines. The impact of the anti-gravity sections is however somewhat watered down by the camera sticking firmly behind the kart. You won’t always appreciate the height you have climbed or even realise you are upside down unless you take your eyes off the action and look at the background.
The control scheme remains as it has always been and perfectly accessible for racers of all ages and experience. There is a level of depth to it though and simply keeping your foot to the floor (or finger on the button) and steering isn’t going to bag many 1st place finishes. Gliding round corners leads to a boost with holding the power slide longer giving a bigger boost. Veer off the track and the boost that you have been building up is lost and you’ll also dramatically slow down as the area off track seem to be covered in a transparent layer of sticky stuff judging by the instant decelaration. There are some tight bends out there and your driving skills will be tested at times. There are still a couple of bends I’m not too comfortable with.
There are 32 tracks in total which is a generous offering. 16 of the tracks are retro tracks, if you will, coming from previous Mario Kart games. The retro tracks have been spruced up to match the new tracks and a new comer will not tell them apart. The sprucing isn’t just a cosmetic touch up, anti-gravity sections have been applied to great effect. Graphically the game is highly impressive. The tracks are rather stunning with some great Nintendo themed scenery and bursting with colour.
There are numerous short cuts to exploit throughout the tracks. Not all of them are obvious and you may only become aware of some by watching others or the AI. The shortcuts aren’t always easy to exploit though, mess it up and you can end up off track or colliding with the wall and ultimately taking longer than you would have. Master the short cuts and they can offer a huge advantage and some of them are going to take a bit of mastering.
There are coins on track which give you a marginal increase in speed so they can be well worth picking up but get hit by a weapon and you lose those coins and the associated extra speed. In the long run it can be worth taking the bend wider than you would if sliding. You can also cash in other the misfortune of others as their lost coins are there to be collected.
The single player mode is broken down into the 50CC, 100CC and 150CC categories. 50CC is the nice introduction level but 150CC will present a challenge. There are 8 tournaments per category and 4 races per tournament. The finishing position determines the points awarded; the racer with the most points wins the tournament. But you really want to finish first in all of the races to get the gold trophy and the 3 stars. And that is where the challenge lies for the single player; there are few things in gaming as frustrating as losing your imminent 3 star award on the last bend of the last track.
Vehicle choices are between karts and motor bikes. There are a variety of models and a wide selection of tyres to choose from. And you’ll want to pick your glider apparatus. The unobservant among us, like me, will think this is all cosmetic but no, each part has a performance effect. Even the choice of character affects performance. Speed, acceleration, handling, grip and weight all come into play and there is plenty of opportunity to fine tune your vehicle to your play style. There can be quite a difference in the setups so it is worth experimenting. New vehicles, parts and characters are unlocked via the number of coins you collect as your progress.
The usual selection of weapons is back and as always, a quick hit from a weapon can change a 1st place finish into last place in the blink of an eye and turn even the more pure Nintendo fan into a foul mouthed rage machine. Or perhaps that is just me. The dreaded blue shell is back but there is some good news; it can be countered now with the horn weapon. The horn sends out a blast destroying any weapon headed your way, including the blue shell. The boomerang is a useful new weapon which essentially gives you 2 chances to take down a racer; once as you release the boomerang and again as it heads back. The bob-omb is a powerful weapon which needs to be used carefully. You can take down all racers in the blast radius but it is easy to be caught up in that radius yourself, especially if you score a direct hit and the explosion happens quicker than you’d expect. Every now and then you will get 8 weapons at once rotating round your kart. It seems like a gift from the gods but it sends me into a panic every time as I take my focus from the race and start concentrating on the getting the timing right for launching my chosen weapon. It never ends well.
The single player mode is really just a practice session for the main event, the 12 player online mode but nothing can really prepare you for the carnage. There isn’t a great deal to the online racing, you pick you character and vehicle setup and then join a lobby. Some polite chat from the set of statements available can take place between races. A choice of track is presented and a random choice is made from the selections made by the competitors. And then the fun really begins. A 12 player race is nothing short of eventful, you are barged about, whacked left right and centre, your position in the race fluctuates wildly and it is darned good fun. Of course getting whacked by a combo of attacks from various people is highly frustrating but you can do the same back. Points are awarded based on your position but finish towards the bottom and you will lose some points. The points don’t mean a great deal and at times I do feel there could be something to aim for but then another race starts and I get caught up in all the antics. The lobbies do tend to be very busy but I even found a lot of enjoyment racing against a friend with just the 2 of us. It was a lot quieter and you could concentrate more on the racing rather than weapons but it was still more enjoyable than it sounds.
Joining friends online could be done better though. As things stand, you have to wait for a slot in their lobby to join. This means sitting at the friends page patiently waiting and not actually player.
Apparently there is a battle mode but it isn’t as good as it has been before. I wouldn’t know as I’ve not been able to drag myself away from the online racing.
A nice feature is the MK8 TV. This allows you to view highlights of your races and helps you appreciate how good looking this game is as well as illustrating what sections of the track have you racing upside down, it can be quite an eye opener. The best part is you can upload the highlights of a fine performance to YouTube and post the video in Miiverse. Posting my 1st 12 player online race victory was too much to resist for me.
A generous selection of great tracks.
A fine looking game.
Chaotic, eventful, highly frustrating, highly enjoyable online racing.
Challenge 2 passed with flying colours. I’m now officially a Mario Kart fan.
9
Challenge 1
Sales of the Wii U haven’t been too great to put it politely and Mario’s first challenge is to ‘drive’ the sales of the Wii U back towards an acceptable level. In many ways, Mario Kart 8 is probably one of the most important games Nintendo has ever released.
Challenge 2
Mario has to convince me that I did the right thing in blowing all the funds I had set aside for PS4 games on a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle. You see, I’ve never been the biggest Mario Kart fan. The games are okay but karting games in general have always left me a little underwhelmed. I dislike the luck aspect; it doesn’t matter how well you drive, a direct hit from a weapon can destroy your entire race. It was possibly an interesting choice of bundle to go for but that’s the decision that was made.
2 big challenges ahead, no pressure then.
The Results
I think I see a smug smile forming under that moustache, Mario must have done well. Sales of Wii U consoles rocketed by 666% following the release of Mario Kart 8. Challenge 1 has been passed with ease but what about challenge 2? I’m sure the review will reveal all.
Since Mario Kart is widely believed to be the best karting game series, Nintendo has wisely not tinkered much with the formula. Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS introduced under water sections and gliding and both feature in Mario Kart 8 along with the all new anti-gravity sections. Tracks twist and turn in such a way that you’ll be karting upside down, racing along walls or climbing large inclines. The impact of the anti-gravity sections is however somewhat watered down by the camera sticking firmly behind the kart. You won’t always appreciate the height you have climbed or even realise you are upside down unless you take your eyes off the action and look at the background.
The control scheme remains as it has always been and perfectly accessible for racers of all ages and experience. There is a level of depth to it though and simply keeping your foot to the floor (or finger on the button) and steering isn’t going to bag many 1st place finishes. Gliding round corners leads to a boost with holding the power slide longer giving a bigger boost. Veer off the track and the boost that you have been building up is lost and you’ll also dramatically slow down as the area off track seem to be covered in a transparent layer of sticky stuff judging by the instant decelaration. There are some tight bends out there and your driving skills will be tested at times. There are still a couple of bends I’m not too comfortable with.
There are 32 tracks in total which is a generous offering. 16 of the tracks are retro tracks, if you will, coming from previous Mario Kart games. The retro tracks have been spruced up to match the new tracks and a new comer will not tell them apart. The sprucing isn’t just a cosmetic touch up, anti-gravity sections have been applied to great effect. Graphically the game is highly impressive. The tracks are rather stunning with some great Nintendo themed scenery and bursting with colour.
There are numerous short cuts to exploit throughout the tracks. Not all of them are obvious and you may only become aware of some by watching others or the AI. The shortcuts aren’t always easy to exploit though, mess it up and you can end up off track or colliding with the wall and ultimately taking longer than you would have. Master the short cuts and they can offer a huge advantage and some of them are going to take a bit of mastering.
There are coins on track which give you a marginal increase in speed so they can be well worth picking up but get hit by a weapon and you lose those coins and the associated extra speed. In the long run it can be worth taking the bend wider than you would if sliding. You can also cash in other the misfortune of others as their lost coins are there to be collected.
The single player mode is broken down into the 50CC, 100CC and 150CC categories. 50CC is the nice introduction level but 150CC will present a challenge. There are 8 tournaments per category and 4 races per tournament. The finishing position determines the points awarded; the racer with the most points wins the tournament. But you really want to finish first in all of the races to get the gold trophy and the 3 stars. And that is where the challenge lies for the single player; there are few things in gaming as frustrating as losing your imminent 3 star award on the last bend of the last track.
Vehicle choices are between karts and motor bikes. There are a variety of models and a wide selection of tyres to choose from. And you’ll want to pick your glider apparatus. The unobservant among us, like me, will think this is all cosmetic but no, each part has a performance effect. Even the choice of character affects performance. Speed, acceleration, handling, grip and weight all come into play and there is plenty of opportunity to fine tune your vehicle to your play style. There can be quite a difference in the setups so it is worth experimenting. New vehicles, parts and characters are unlocked via the number of coins you collect as your progress.
The usual selection of weapons is back and as always, a quick hit from a weapon can change a 1st place finish into last place in the blink of an eye and turn even the more pure Nintendo fan into a foul mouthed rage machine. Or perhaps that is just me. The dreaded blue shell is back but there is some good news; it can be countered now with the horn weapon. The horn sends out a blast destroying any weapon headed your way, including the blue shell. The boomerang is a useful new weapon which essentially gives you 2 chances to take down a racer; once as you release the boomerang and again as it heads back. The bob-omb is a powerful weapon which needs to be used carefully. You can take down all racers in the blast radius but it is easy to be caught up in that radius yourself, especially if you score a direct hit and the explosion happens quicker than you’d expect. Every now and then you will get 8 weapons at once rotating round your kart. It seems like a gift from the gods but it sends me into a panic every time as I take my focus from the race and start concentrating on the getting the timing right for launching my chosen weapon. It never ends well.
The single player mode is really just a practice session for the main event, the 12 player online mode but nothing can really prepare you for the carnage. There isn’t a great deal to the online racing, you pick you character and vehicle setup and then join a lobby. Some polite chat from the set of statements available can take place between races. A choice of track is presented and a random choice is made from the selections made by the competitors. And then the fun really begins. A 12 player race is nothing short of eventful, you are barged about, whacked left right and centre, your position in the race fluctuates wildly and it is darned good fun. Of course getting whacked by a combo of attacks from various people is highly frustrating but you can do the same back. Points are awarded based on your position but finish towards the bottom and you will lose some points. The points don’t mean a great deal and at times I do feel there could be something to aim for but then another race starts and I get caught up in all the antics. The lobbies do tend to be very busy but I even found a lot of enjoyment racing against a friend with just the 2 of us. It was a lot quieter and you could concentrate more on the racing rather than weapons but it was still more enjoyable than it sounds.
Joining friends online could be done better though. As things stand, you have to wait for a slot in their lobby to join. This means sitting at the friends page patiently waiting and not actually player.
Apparently there is a battle mode but it isn’t as good as it has been before. I wouldn’t know as I’ve not been able to drag myself away from the online racing.
A nice feature is the MK8 TV. This allows you to view highlights of your races and helps you appreciate how good looking this game is as well as illustrating what sections of the track have you racing upside down, it can be quite an eye opener. The best part is you can upload the highlights of a fine performance to YouTube and post the video in Miiverse. Posting my 1st 12 player online race victory was too much to resist for me.
A generous selection of great tracks.
A fine looking game.
Chaotic, eventful, highly frustrating, highly enjoyable online racing.
Challenge 2 passed with flying colours. I’m now officially a Mario Kart fan.
9