Mario Kart 8

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Template:Infobox

Mario Kart 8 is a game for the Wii U, which was released in Japan on May 29, North America and Europe on May 30, and in Australia on May 31, 2014. The game can be played both physically and digitally through the Nintendo eShop, with the digital version requiring 4949.8 MB (approx. 4.83 GB) of memory to be installed. The game is the eighth installment in the mainstream series, and eleventh overall in the Mario Kart series.

A prominent new addition is anti-gravity, allowing players to drive on almost any surface. Bikes, gliders, and underwater driving also return. In addition, ATVs join the returning karts and bikes as a new class of vehicle.

Gameplay

File:WiiU MarioKart8 scrn01 E3.png
Mario demonstrating the anti-gravity mechanic in Mario Circuit.

The gameplay maintains the traditional elements of previous Mario Kart games, mostly from the two recent installments on the Wii and 3DS respectively. Karts, which feature similar designs from Mario Kart 7, can be customized once again, alongside the returning bikes, which handle similar to the karts now and can only perform a wheelie via a boost, and the newly introduced ATVs. The hang-glider and underwater mechanics also return, as well as Coins, with the player being able to collect up to ten in one race as in Mario Kart 7. Like Mario Kart Wii, twelve racers are present in normal races[1]. Tricks and the ability to look behind also return in this game.

The newest feature for the series is anti-gravitational segments that not only allow for more dynamic track design, but also for racers to drive across walls, ceilings, and other seemingly unusual places. When in anti-gravity, if a racer bumps into another racer, the kart spins rather than just bumping and both racers receive a speed boost. This is called "spin boosting".

The game also features Wii U GamePad integration. In addition to the standard Off-TV Play, players also have the option of displaying the course map, and when neither the Off-TV display nor the map are being displayed, the GamePad can be used as a horn button. Players have the option to toggle between these features at will.[2] The GamePad can also be used to toggle on and off the gyroscopic steering.

Additionally, if the player falls off the edge of the track, Lakitu will pick them up and drop them back on to the track. This makes glitches involving falling into areas impossible.

Point management works similar to Mario Kart Wii, except that every racer gets at least one point in Grand Prix mode. Below is a chart of the point spread comparison between these eight games:

Point Spread Comparisons (GP)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
9 6 3 1 0 0 0 0 - - - -
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart DS
10 8 6 4 3 2 1 0 - - - -
Mario Kart Wii 15 12 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Mario Kart 7 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 - - - -
Mario Kart 8 15 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Grove-green bg signifies victory results (great clapping, character(s) cheering), best after-race music
Yellow-limegreen bg signifies moderate results (mild clapping, moderate character reaction), same music in Wi-Fi as winner (different in MKDS GP)
Normal bg signifies losing results, losing music; - means not available
In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Super Circuit, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race. If the racer fares this badly four times, the Grand Prix must be started over. In Mario Kart 64, 5th or worse forces the player to retry the race, but without the restrictions on how many times the player can retry a race. Starting with Mario Kart: Double Dash to recent installments including this one, the Grand Prix normally goes forth.

There is Miiverse integration, which allows players to share their replay videos and comment on others' videos, in a feature called Mario Kart TV.[3] Another change is that in 2-player mode, the screen splits vertically instead of the horizontally in the other console Mario Kart games, a feature that was originally intended to be in Mario Kart 64 but was removed from the final game.

Controls

Action(s) Input(s)
Wii U GamePad
Wii U Pro Controller
Wii Classic Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Wheel
Navigating the Menu
Select Menu Item Classic Controller Left Stick / +Control Pad Nunchuk Control Stick +Control Pad
Confirm Selection Classic Controller a Button A Button Two Button
Cancel Classic Controller b Button B Button One Button
Gameplay
Accelerate / Rocket Start Classic Controller a Button / Classic Controller y Button A Button Two Button
Brake/Reverse Classic Controller b Button B Button One Button
Steer Classic Controller Left Stick / +Control Pad / Tilt GamePad Nunchuk Control Stick Tilt Wii Remote
Hop/Drift Classic Controller ZR Button / Classic Controller R Button B Button
Trick B Button / Flick Wii Remote.
Use Item / Stop Item Roulette Classic Controller ZL Button / Classic Controller L Button Nunchuk Z Button +Control Pad
Pause / Resume Plus Button
Display Home Menu HOME Button
Honk Horn Classic Controller ZL Button* / Classic Controller L Button* / Tap horn on GamePad. Nunchuk Z Button* +Control Pad*
Look Backwards Classic Controller x Button Nunchuk C Button A Button
* = Will not occur when an item is in possession.

Game modes

There are various game modes for Mario Kart 8. All modes available on singleplayer (some also on local and online multiplayer) are listed here.

The Main Menu of Mario Kart 8, as of version 3.0
The game's main menu.

Grand Prix

Mario Kart 8's Grand Prix works similar to past installments. Like past games the 50, 100, and 150cc engine classes are available by default, and completing 150cc unlocks Mirror; Grand Prix rankings, however, carry over to the lower engine classes after being completed on a higher engine class. Only the Mushroom and Shell Cups are available at the start of the game, with the others being unlocked after completing the cup before, and are available in every engine class after being unlocked. The player starts out with 5 coins on the first race of any cup. There is the usual four-race marathon. Players now have the option to do a multiplayer Grand Prix up to four players, unlike in most previous console Mario Karts, where only up to two players can race in Grand Prix.

Time Trials

Time Trial mode lets the player complete a selected course in the fastest time possible. Among the new features included, the user can upload Ghosts onto Miiverse and other players can give their comments about it. Additionally the user gains a stamp once he or she has competed a race against a Nintendo Staff member Ghost. Leaderboards as seen in Mario Kart Wii also return.

VS Race

VS mode can be played locally with up to 4 players. Players can set rules like which items appear, the difficulty level of the CPUs, and Team or Solo racing. Players can also set how the courses appear, choose a course after one is finished, or play all tracks randomly or in order.

Battle

Wario in Battle Mode of Mario Kart 8.
A team battle.

Battle mode now features race tracks remixed to fit battle mode rather than contain all-new separate arenas. Balloon Battle can be played in teams or in free-for-all mode.It combines survival battle mode from Mario Kart DS and earlier installments and the timed points battle mode introduced in Mario Kart Wii; all players start with 3 points and 3 balloons each. Successfully making an opponent lose a balloon awards the player a point, and losing a balloon through any method will cause the player to lose a point. Balloons can never be regained (unless one is stolen from another player with a Mushroom), and if all balloons are lost, points can no longer be lost or gained. Defeated players can still drive and attack players as a Ghost, although they cannot receive points. Players can also now adjust the time limit from one to five minutes, and they can set up to 32 rounds in set intervals.

Online

Just like in previous Mario Kart games, players can race matches online against each other. This time players can race with random people both Worldwide and Continental, they can play in a Friend lobby, and they can start and participate in Tournaments. Players can set their own rules for tournaments.

Characters

Drivers

There are 30 playable characters in Mario Kart 8, consisting of 16 default characters and 14 unlockable characters.[4] There are 9 characters that make their first appearance as playable characters in the series, including the Koopalings (indicated by an * in the gallery), and 2 of them making their overall debut in the Mario franchise: Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach (indicated by an **). There are 3 weight classes dependent on the size of the kart the characters ride on (with the exception of Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach): light, medium, and heavy, though a group of certain drivers in a class have differing stats to another group.[5]

Starting drivers

Unlockable drivers

1 Mii's weight is determined by the height and weight of the Mii.

Unlocking criteria

Characters, except for Mii, are unlocked at random by completing cups, unlike previous Mario Kart games (where, in many cases, fixed characters were unlocked by completing specific cups on specific engine classes); however, a new character cannot be obtained if the same cup is played in the same engine class again (eg. If the 50cc Mushroom Cup is played and a new character is unlocked, another character cannot be obtained from the 50cc Mushroom Cup.)[6]. Additionally, unlockable characters appear as CPUs during races when they are not unlocked yet, making this game the first Mario Kart game to do so.[7] Miis are the only character not randomly unlocked as they are always the 8th character unlocked.

Driver statistics

Just like in Mario Kart 7, drivers in a specific group have their own stats.[5][8] The units are out of 6, displaying the different stats. Just like in Mario Kart Wii, Miis can be Light, Medium, or Heavy, depending on their height and weight.

Driver Statistics
Weight Class Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction Mini-Turbo
Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity
Light Baby MarioBaby LuigiBaby PeachBaby Daisy
Baby RosalinaLemmy KoopaMii
2.25 2.75 2.25 2.5 3.25 2.25 4.75 4.75 4.5 5 4.5 3
ToadKoopa TroopaShy Guy
Lakitu (character)ToadetteLarry KoopaWendy O. Koopa
2.75 3.25 2.75 3 3 2.75 4.25 4.25 4 4.5 4.25 2.75
Medium Princess PeachPrincess DaisyYoshi 3.25 3.75 3.25 3.5 2.75 3.25 3.75 3.75 3.5 4 4 2.5
MarioLuigi
Iggy KoopaLudwig von KoopaMii
3.75 4.25 3.75 4 2.5 3.75 3.25 3.25 3 3.5 3.75 2.25
Heavy Donkey KongWaluigi
RosalinaRoy Koopa
4.25 4.75 4.25 4.5 2.25 4.25 2.75 2.75 2.5 3 3.5 2
Metal Mario (character)Pink Gold Peach 4.25 4.75 4.25 4.5 2 4.75 2.75 2.75 2.5 3 3.25 1.75
BowserWario
Morton Koopa Jr.Mii
4.75 5.25 4.75 5 2 4.75 2.25 2.25 2 2.5 3.25 1.75

Body frame sizes

Depending on the character, the size of the vehicle can change. The size can influence how big of a target the vehicle is. The body frame size that the Mii uses depends on its weight class.

Vehicle Body Frame Sizes
Size Characters
Small ToadKoopa TroopaShy GuyBaby MarioBaby LuigiBaby PeachBaby DaisyLakitu (character)ToadetteBaby RosalinaLemmy KoopaLarry KoopaWendy O. Koopa
Medium MarioLuigiPrincess PeachPrincess DaisyYoshiMetal Mario (character)Pink Gold PeachIggy KoopaLudwig von Koopa
Large BowserDonkey KongWarioWaluigiRosalinaRoy KoopaMorton Koopa Jr.

Other

Vehicle parts

This is a list of the available kart parts to customize a player's vehicle. There are 14 karts, 9 bikes, 3 ATVs (26 bodies in total), 18 tires, and 12 gliders.[9][10] The parts are listed as they appear in-game, and the stat boost/drop values are out of 6 and are relative to the standard parts for each type. However, it is impossible for a vehicle to have any stat less than 1 or greater than 5.75. All 8 logos on the parts are replaced with the character's symbol.

  • Speed: The top speed of the vehicle. Does not affect off-road travel.
    • Ground Speed: The top speed of the vehicle on land with normal gravity.
    • Water Speed: The top speed of the vehicle while driving underwater.
    • Air Speed: The top speed of the vehicle while gliding.
    • Anti-Gravity Speed: The top speed of the vehicle in anti-gravity mode.
  • Acceleration: The rate of the vehicle it takes to reach its top speed from a standing position.
  • Weight: The weight of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher weight knock away vehicles with lower weight.
  • Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle. A higher stat means vehicles turn sharper.
    • Ground Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle on land with normal gravity.
    • Water Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle while driving underwater.
    • Air Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle while gliding.
    • Anti-Gravity Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle in anti-gravity mode.
  • Traction: The grasp of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher traction slip less on certain terrain and can stay stable on the road better. Not to be confused with handling.
  • Mini-Turbo: The strength of the vehicle's mini-turbo speed boosts.

Only ground speed, acceleration, weight, ground handling, and traction are visible in-game. The other stats, known as hidden stats, exist, but are not visible in-game.

Template:MarioKart8Parts

Unlocking criteria

Vehicle parts are unlocked by collecting coins from Grand Prix, VS Mode, Time Trials, and online races.[11] Coins collected by additional players are counted. Coins will count towards the player's coin total only for completed races -- if the player collects coins then quits during a race, the coins from that race will not be added to their coin total. Players can unlock new parts for every 50 coins that they collect. However, once players have collected 1000 coins, the coin amount needed to unlock new parts increases to 100. Unlike in Mario Kart 7, it is impossible to check the exact amount of coins collected. There are a total of 38 unlockable parts, excluding golden parts, and the number of coins to unlock the parts are below:

  • 50
  • 100
  • 150
  • 200
  • 250
  • 300
  • 350
  • 400
  • 450
  • 500
  • 550
  • 600
  • 650
  • 700
  • 750
  • 800
  • 850
  • 900
  • 950
  • 1000
  • 1100
  • 1200
  • 1300
  • 1400
  • 1500
  • 1600
  • 1700
  • 1800
  • 1900
  • 2000
  • 2100
  • 2200
  • 2300
  • 2400
  • 2500
  • 2600
  • 2700
  • 2800

Special parts

The special parts must be unlocked with these criteria:

Courses

There are 32 tracks[15], consisting of 16 new tracks and 16 retro tracks, featuring one track each from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, four tracks from Mario Kart 64, two each from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii, and three each from Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7.[16] As with the retro tracks from the 3DS installment, the retro tracks in this game feature altered sections that incorporate the game's hang-glider, underwater, and anti-gravity features. The game features live-recorded music for all of the new tracks and most of the retro tracks. The tracks have been described as more narrow when compared to previous Mario Kart tracks, specifically those from Mario Kart Wii[17]. Names in italics are names used in the UK.

Nitro courses

Mushroom Cup icon
Mushroom Cup
Flower Cup icon
Flower Cup
File:MK8 StarCuptv.svg
Star Cup
File:MK8 SpecialCuptv.svg
Special Cup
File:MK8- Mario Kart Stadium.PNG
white
File:MK8- Mario Circuit.PNG
white
File:MK8- Sunshine Airport.PNG
white
File:MK8- Cloudtop Cruise.PNG
white
File:MK8- Water Park.PNG
white
File:MK8- Toad Harbor.PNG
Toad Harbour
File:MK8- Dolphin Shoals.PNG
white
File:MK8- Bone-Dry Dunes.PNG
Bone Dry Dunes
File:MK8- Sweet Sweet Canyon.PNG
white
File:MK8- Twisted Mansion.PNG
white
File:MK8- Electrodrome.PNG
white
File:MK8- Bowser's Castle.PNG
white
File:MK8- Thwomp Ruins.PNG
white
File:MK8- Shy Guy Falls.PNG
white
File:MK8- Mount Wario.PNG
white
File:MK8- Rainbow Road.PNG
white

Retro courses

Shell Cup icon
Shell Cup
Banana Cup icon
Banana Cup
Leaf Cup icon
Leaf Cup
Lightning Cup icon
Lightning Cup
File:MK8- Wii Moo Moo Meadows.PNG
white
File:MK8- GCN Dry Dry Desert.PNG
white
File:MK8- DS Wario Stadium.PNG
white
File:MK8- DS Tick-Tock Clock.PNG
white
File:MK8- GBA Mario Circuit.PNG
white
File:MK8- SNES Donut Plains 3.PNG
white
File:MK8- GCN Sherbet Land.PNG
white
File:MK8- 3DS Piranha Plant Slide.PNG
3DS Piranha Plant Pipeway
File:MK8- DS Cheep Cheep Beach.PNG
white
File:MK8- N64 Royal Raceway.PNG
white
File:MK8- 3DS Music Park.PNG
3DS Melody Motorway
File:MK8- Wii Grumble Volcano.PNG
white
File:MK8- N64 Toad's Turnpike.PNG
white
File:MK8- 3DS DK Jungle.PNG
white
File:MK8- N64 Yoshi Valley.PNG
white
File:MK8- N64 Rainbow Road.PNG
white

Battle stages

Unlike previous installments of the series, there are no stages unique to Battle Mode; instead, a quarter of the tracks in standard race modes are modified and used as stages for battles and can all be played from the start of the game, including those that are originally in cups that need to first be unlocked in the race modes.[18] Tracks enabled for Battle mode are the following:

File:MK8- Wii Moo Moo Meadows.PNG
white
File:MK8- GCN Dry Dry Desert.PNG
white
File:MK8- SNES Donut Plains 3.PNG
white
File:MK8- N64 Toad's Turnpike.PNG
white
File:MK8- Mario Circuit.PNG
white
File:MK8- Toad Harbor.PNG
white
File:MK8- GCN Sherbet Land.PNG
white
File:MK8- N64 Yoshi Valley.PNG
white

Ghosts

Just like in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7, the player starts out with Staff Ghosts for each course. However, unlike with the past Mario Kart installments, Expert Staff Ghosts do not appear in this game.

Staff Ghosts

Course Staff Name Country Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Mario Kart Stadium Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:59.781 Mario Sports Coupe Standard Super Glider
Water Park Nin★Massim Italy 2:02.954 Baby Luigi Mr. Scooty Roller Super Glider
Sweet Sweet Canyon Nin★Fausti France 2:12.107 Baby Peach Teddy Buggy Wood Peach Parasol
Thwomp Ruins Nin★Sophia Germany 2:11.157 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
Mario Circuit Nin★Sho Japan 2:07.436 Mario Standard Kart Standard Super Glider
Toad Harbor Nin★Alice United States 2:31.066 Toadette Cat Cruiser Retro Off-Road Plane Glider
Twisted Mansion Nin★Mark Netherlands 2:16.195 Luigi Mach 8 Slim Super Glider
Shy Guy Falls Nin★Frank United Kingdom 2:19.528 Shy Guy Flame Rider Retro Off-Road Super Glider
Sunshine Airport Nin★Leonel United States 2:24.429 Rosalina Circuit Special Standard Super Glider
Dolphin Shoals Nin★Skip United States 2:19.160 Wendy Landship Wood Bowser Kite
Electrodrome Nin★Yuya Japan 2:24.747 Larry Sport Bike Monster Super Glider
Mount Wario Nin★Elena Russia 2:06.283 Waluigi The Duke Monster Wario Wing
Cloudtop Cruise Nin★Maria Portugal 2:26.347 Baby Rosalina Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
Bone-Dry Dunes Nin★Elena Russia 2:13.391 Morton Tri-Speeder Monster Super Glider
Bowser's Castle Nin★Polly United Kingdom 2:23.872 Bowser Badwagon Standard Super Glider
Rainbow Road Nin★Mizuho Japan 2:23.967 Pink Gold Peach Comet Slim Super Glider
Wii Moo Moo Meadows Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:46.099 Daisy Varmint Hot Monster Super Glider
GBA Mario Circuit Nin★Rie Japan 1:49.158 Baby Mario Yoshi Bike Standard Super Glider
DS Cheep Cheep Beach Nin★Massim Italy 2:11.220 Koopa Troopa Steel Driver Metal Parachute
N64 Toad's Turnpike Nin★Alice United States 2:08.059 Toad Standard Bike Standard Parachute
GCN Dry Dry Desert Nin★Maria Portugal 2:29.678 Peach Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
SNES Donut Plains 3 Nin★Frank United Kingdom 1:39.148 Lakitu Pipe Frame Monster MKTV Parafoil
N64 Royal Raceway Nin★Skip United States 2:21.371 Peach Prancer Wood Peach Parasol
3DS DK Jungle Nin★Rie Japan 2:26.900 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
DS Wario Stadium Nin★Mizuho Japan 2:14.213 Wario Tri-Speeder Off-Road Wario Wing
GCN Sherbet Land Nin★Fausti France 2:21.192 Lemmy Sneeker Standard Super Glider
3DS Music Park Nin★Sho Japan 2:24.468 Baby Daisy Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
N64 Yoshi Valley Nin★Mark Netherlands 2:28.814 Yoshi Wild Wiggler Standard Flower Glider
DS Tick-Tock Clock Nin★Sophia Germany 2:13.712 Iggy Standard Bike Monster Super Glider
3DS Piranha Plant Slide Nin★Polly United Kingdom 2:23.991 Ludwig Jet Bike Slim Super Glider
Wii Grumble Volcano Nin★Yuya Japan 2:18.305 Roy Badwagon Off-Road Super Glider
N64 Rainbow Road Nin★Leonel United States 1:33.731 Metal Mario Standard ATV Monster Super Glider

Kart of Champions

These are Nintendo's best times for each course, as shown in the Prima Official Game Guide. Ghost data does not exist for the following times in-game.

Course Staff Name Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Mario Kart Stadium Addison K. 1:44.503 Bowser Sport Bike Slick Bowser Kite
Water Park Jeff C. M. 1:48.231 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Sweet Sweet Canyon Jeff C. M. 1:57.071 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
Thwomp Ruins Greg R. 1:57.193 Mii Gold Standard Slick Bowser Kite
Mario Circuit Addison K. 1:53.017 Bowser Sport Bike Slick Bowser Kite
Toad Harbor Jeff C. M. 2:11.578 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Twisted Mansion Jeff C. M. 2:01.605 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Shy Guy Falls Jeff C. M. 2:08.775 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Sunshine Airport Jeff C. M. 2:08.177 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Dolphin Shoals Jeff C. M. 2:09.590 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
Electrodrome Jeff C. M. 2:07.774 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Mount Wario Jeff C. M. 1:53.516 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Cloudtop Cruise Jeff C. M. 2:11.595 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
Bone-Dry Dunes Jeff C. M. 2:02.028 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
Bowser's Castle Jeff C. M. 2:15.686 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
Rainbow Road Jeff C. M. 2:15.895 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
Wii Moo Moo Meadows Jeff C. M. 1:31.643 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
GBA Mario Circuit Jeff C. M. 1:35.290 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
DS Cheep Cheep Beach Addison K. 1:57.169 Bowser Sport Bike Slick Bowser Kite
N64 Toad's Turnpike Addison K. 1:50.089 Bowser Sport Bike Slick Bowser Kite
GCN Dry Dry Desert Jeff C. M. 2:14.415 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
SNES Donut Plains 3 Jeff C. M. 1:24.754 Morton Gold Standard Cyber Slick Cloud Glider
N64 Royal Raceway Jeff C. M. 2:04.626 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
3DS DK Jungle Jeff C. M. 2:14.917 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
DS Wario Stadium Jeff C. M. 2:04.685 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
GCN Sherbet Land Jeff C. M. 2:02.291 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
3DS Music Park Jeff C. M. 2:06.354 Wario Sport Bike Cyber Slick Parafoil
N64 Yoshi Valley Jeff C. M. 2:08.495 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
DS Tick-Tock Clock Jeff C. M. 1:59.372 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
3DS Piranha Plant Slide Jeff C. M. 2:12.079 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
Wii Grumble Volcano Jeff C. M. 2:10.129 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil
N64 Rainbow Road Jeff C. M. 1:26.548 Wario Sport Bike Slick Parafoil

Items

As in all Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 keeps the use of items during the races. Four new items have been added to the list, being the Boomerang Flower, the Piranha Plant, the Super Horn, and the Crazy Eight. The Coin makes also a return as an item since its first appearance in Super Mario Kart.

Mario Kart 8 also features changes to the items' mechanics. While past Mario Kart games allowed the users to gain a different item from the Item Boxes while dragging some other such as a Green Shell or a Banana, in Mario Kart 8, players are restricted to carry only the item they're currently holding or dragging. Releasing the item in use will allow the player to take another from the boxes. In order to keep gameplay balance, some items are much less frequent to appear, most notably the Thunderbolt and the Spiny Shell. Additionally, the Triple Bananas and the Triple Mushroom surround the vehicle in the same manner as triple shells do, and opponents receive their effects when touching them, giving some disadvantage, or advantage in the case of the triple mushrooms. Racers, finally, do not lose the items if they fall from the track.

Items found on the track

Item Box in Mario Kart 8
Item Box
Gives the player a random item. Items given are based on the player's position.
Artwork of a Coin in Mario Kart 8
Coin
Gives the player a small boost and increase top speed when more are collected, up to a max of 10.

New items

Boomerang Flower in Mario Kart 8
Boomerang Flower
Can be thrown up to three times, hitting racers forward and when it returns.
Piranha Plant in Mario Kart 8
Piranha Plant
Automatically chomps on obstacles and other racers, giving a short speed boost for each bite.
Super Horn in Mario Kart 8
Super Horn
Emits a radial shockwave hitting racers, as well as destroying all obstacles and items.
Crazy Eight in Mario Kart 8
Crazy Eight
Generates eight items (Coin, Bob-omb, Mushroom, Star, Blooper, Green Shell, Red Shell, and a Banana) that circle around the player for them to use.

Returning items

Artwork of a Coin in Mario Kart 8
Coin
Grants the player 2 extra coins and a micro boost.
Green Shell in Mario Kart 8
Green Shell
Travels in a straight line and knocks over a kart it hits.
Triple Green Shells in Mario Kart 8
Triple Green Shells
Three green shells that orbit the player's kart, protecting them from incoming attacks.
Red Shell in Mario Kart 8
Red Shell
Homes in on the closest kart in front of the player and knocks it over.
Triple Red Shells in Mario Kart 8
Triple Red Shells
Three red shells that orbit the player's kart, protecting them from incoming attacks.
Banana
Banana
Protects the player from incoming items, and spins out other racers that hit it.
Triple Bananas in Mario Kart 8
Triple Bananas
Three bananas that orbit the player's kart, protecting them from incoming attacks.
Artwork of a Mushroom in Mario Kart 8 (also used in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)
Mushroom
Provides the player's kart with a small speed boost.
A Triple Mushroom in Mario Kart 8
Triple Mushrooms
Orbits the player's kart, providing them with three separate speed boosts.
Artwork of a Golden Mushroom in Mario Kart 8 (also used for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)
Golden Mushroom
Provides the player's kart with continuous speed boosts for a short time.
Fire Flower in Mario Kart 8
Fire Flower
Allows the player to throw fireballs for a short time that cause other karts to spin out on impact.
Star in Mario Kart 8
Star
Provides the player invincibility from all terrain and items, and also giving a speed boost.
Blooper in Mario Kart 8
Blooper
Sprays ink on all racers ahead and reduces their visibility. The racers hit also lose some of their traction while sprayed.
Bob-omb in Mario Kart 8
Bob-omb
Explodes after a short time when thrown or dropped, knocking over any kart in its blast radius.
Spiny Shell in Mario Kart 8
Spiny Shell
Targets the racer in first place, knocking over all other karts in its path.
Lightning in Mario Kart 8
Lightning
Causes all opponents to drop their items, shrink, and drive slowly for a short time.
Bullet Bill in Mario Kart 8
Bullet Bill
Transforms the player into a Bullet Bill, rocketing through the track with auto-pilot, and providing invincibility from all terrain and items.

Stamps

Main article: List of Stamps in Mario Kart 8

As in Super Mario 3D World, NES Remix, and NES Remix 2, players can obtain stamps to use in Miiverse posts. There are 90 stamps in the game: 28 are available from the start, while the rest can be obtained by winning a Grand Prix with certain characters or defeating a Staff Ghost in Time Trials in all the stages.

Downloadable content

Mercedes-Benz DLC
Mario driving a kart based on the Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Nintendo and Mercedes-Benz have collaborated to announce that Mario Kart 8 is set to receive downloadable content in the form of a kart body and set of wheels based on the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The content is confirmed for all regions, with a late 2014 release, and will be available for a free download.[19]

amiibo

This game has been confirmed to include functionality with amiibo, Nintendo's series of NFC enabled figurines[20]. However, the exact nature of this functionality has not yet been announced.

Development

Development for Mario Kart 8 started in 2012. Series producer Hideki Konno first revealed that he wanted to produce a Mario Kart game for the Wii U in late 2011.[21]. A Wii U Mario Kart game was later revealed to be in development in the January 2013 Nintendo Direct and confirmed to be shown off at E3 that year[22], with the game being officially revealed during the E3 2013 Nintendo Direct[23].

Some ideas that were scrapped in Mario Kart 8 included a drill that made drivers drive into subterranean depths. The idea was scrapped because the developers thought it was not as interesting as the anti-gravity idea.[24] The anti-gravity concept stemmed from the Wii U being a powerful console, and with the upgraded hardware, the developers wanted to make courses with a 3D plane in mind rather than the 2D plane as the other tracks in the Mario Kart series.[25] The title, Mario Kart 8, also stemmed from the anti-gravity mechanic as, in addition to being the eighth main installment in the series, the "8" used in the official logo was stylized to resemble a Möbius strip.[25]

Most of the game's musical tracks are orchestrated, making this game the first Mario Kart game to feature orchestrated tracks.[26][27][28]

Promotion and advertising

Limited edition

Mario Kart 8 limited edition. Comes with Spiny Shell. Europe and Australia exclusive.
The limited edition bundle in Europe featuring a Spiny Shell figurine.

A limited edition version of Mario Kart 8 is available to pre-orders in the European and Australian regions.[29] It includes the game as well as a Spiny Shell figurine. This limited edition is also confirmed for North American release, though it is exclusive to New York's Nintendo World Store. [30]

Collaboration with Pennzoil

Nintendo and Pennzoil teamed up to promote Mario Kart 8.[31] It features real-life go-karts on a specially modified track. Icons representing some of the items in the game are spread in the course as well.

Card game

Nintendo is also developing a Mario Kart-themed card game. The game features two types of cards: Mario cards (includes Peach and Luigi cards) and Rosalina Cards (includes Lakitu and Koopalings cards). These cards come with the Japanese version of the game.[32]

Wii U Premium Pack

Nintendo is releasing a Premium Pack with Mario Kart 8. This pack is currently only available to Europe and Australia. The Nintendo UK Online store also offers two different bundles, being a Mario bundle and a Luigi bundle. Each will contain a Mario Kart 8 Premium Pack, along with a Wii Remote Plus, Wii U GamePad skin, and Wii Wheel in the corresponding brother's theme. It also contains a Mario or Luigi Hat and Mario Kart 8 guide book. Both packs will be released on May 30th, alongside the game itself, as well as Peach and Yoshi themed Wii Remote Pluses. Nintendo also revealed a Deluxe set for North American release; this one includes a black Wii U, a black GamePad, a Mario Wii Remote Plus, a red Wii Wheel, and the game. [33][34]

Bonus/Free game promotion

Nintendo is giving another Wii U game for free to those in Europe, Australia, and North America who register Mario Kart 8 on Club Nintendo between May 30th and July 31st. Players can choose between a variety of different Nintendo titles, the choice depending on region. In Europe and Australia, players have the choice of: Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, Game & Wario, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Sonic Lost World, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Wii Party U, The Wonderful 101, and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate[35], while North American players are limited to only New Super Mario Bros. U, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Pikmin 3, and Wii Party U.[36]

Reception

As of May 19, 2014, Mario Kart 8 has received generally favorable reviews, scoring an 89 on Metacritic based on 46 critics[37] and an 88.37% based on 46 critics in GameRankings.[38] Jose Otero of IGN gave the game a 9.0, praising the great graphics and sound, race tracks, antigravity, and item balance while criticizing the lack of some online features, the overload of baby characters in the roster, and the battle mode.[39] He ended with "Mario Kart 8 is the best kart racing game Nintendo has made in a long time. It strikes a careful balance between refining old ideas while introducing fresh new ones." Tom Mc Shea of GameSpot praised the game, lauding the smooth gameplay, interesting tracks, and fair skill while criticizing the game's selection of characters and the battle mode.[40] Though he was initially bored when first playing Mario Kart 8, Mc Shea changed his opinion after appreciating the small details in the game; his verdict was an 8/10. Thomas Whitehead of Nintendo Life gave the game a 9/10.[41] He wrote, "The vehicles and racers have never handled better, the collection of courses is possibly the best yet, while replayability through Ghost Races or — primarily — online races and Tournaments is almost endless. A few design oddities aside, this joins the list of must-have Nintendo games on the Wii U; it’s an accomplished effort that pushes the franchise forward." Michael Damiani of GameTrailers gave the game an 8.6 out of 10. As other reviewers, he praised the stellar visuals, tight controls, and improved online experience but criticized the battle mode.[42] He ended with, "The overall high quality of the game is so impressive that it doesn’t really matter that much that the zero-gravity gimmick barely adds anything that’s truly new. Next time around, though, Nintendo might need to come up with new tricks if it hopes to keep us coming back for more." André from GameXplain gave the game a "Liked a lot" rating, praising the tracks, online mode, visuals, and battle mode, stating "it can be fun under the right circumstances". However, he criticized some issues with the interface and the item management. The game recieved a near perfect score of 96% by Joe Skrebels of Official Nintendo Magazine.[43]

On the slightly more critical side, Neal Ronaghan of NintendoWorldReport gave the game a 7.5 out of 10.[44] He praised the graphics, soundtrack, and multiplayer but he criticized the stagnation of the franchise, saying, "Mario Kart 8 is just like any other Mario Kart game you’ve played in recent years, adding little to the franchise other than polish and some middling additions and tweaks." He also criticized Mario Kart TV and the battle mode. Andrew Fitch of EGM also gave the game a 7.5 out of 10.[45] He praised the anti-gravity elements and the visuals of the game, but harped on the game's AI, underwhelming new tracks, battle mode being a shell of its former self, and the roster. He noted, "Mario Kart 8 is a rarity for Nintendo in that regard—it looks better than it plays."

Over the weekend of its launch, Mario Kart 8 sold 1.2 million units worldwide, making it the fastest-selling Wii U title so far and the 4th best selling title for the Wii U as well, selling approximately 2 million copies worldwide as of June 27, 2014.[46]

References to other games

Gallery

Main article: Gallery:Mario Kart 8

Beta elements

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 beta elements

Mario Kart 8 has featured several changes from earlier builds to the final build of the game. For example, Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 mechanics were used as placeholders in the E3 2013 build of the game. Several small changes, such as Twisted Mansion originally being called "Boo House" and Toad Harbor's racing banner originally having a Galaxy Airline logo were present in earlier trailers of the game. Several of the music music featured in earlier builds, such as Mario Circuit's music, was more synthesized than orchestrated in final build of the game.

Media

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 media

Glitches

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 glitches

Template:Conjecturaltext

This glitch is most common in N64 Yoshi Valley where there are numerous multiple paths, but it can happen under specific circumstances in other courses such as Bone-Dry Dunes. Occasionally when a Spiny Shell is deployed and the racers in at least first and second place are in a section where there road forks into two, the Spiny Shell may initially follow the racer in first place and then change its target to the one in second place or the highest place out of those in the other path. This is caused by some courses especially Yoshi Valley having the checkpoint markers that determine the place of the racers being inadequately calibrated with the other routes, as players can see by going down the old bridge path in while in first place, drop a few places while in the turn and then suddenly be back in first place once the paths join up again.[48]

Staff

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 staff

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development developed Mario Kart 8. The music composition is credited to Shiho Fujii, Atsuko Asahi, Ryo Nagamatsu, and Yasuaki Iwata, with longtime series composer Kenta Nagata serving as sound director.

Trivia

  • This is the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart: Super Circuit to feature no new Donkey Kong courses and the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to feature no retro Bowser's Castles, and the first to feature a retro Wario themed track. Since Super Mario Kart, it also features no Luigi-themed tracks.
  • This is the first Mario Kart game where each course features its own background music, with no tracks sharing music. All previous titles in the series included at least two tracks sharing the same music, most commonly the regular circuit music.
  • Unlike in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7;
    • The results screen shows the name of the player's character, instead of the player's own name.
    • Getting hit by an item while airborne with their glider opened will only cause the racer to spin out with forward momentum instead of flipping over and coming to a halt.
    • The retro courses use their respective "Mario Kart" logo; the tracks from SNES to GCN use an updated version of the classic style, while the tracks from DS to 3DS use the current style.

External links

References

  1. ^ Mario Kart 8 at E3 2013
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/06/mario_kart_tv_will_allow_you_to_share_your_racing_skills_on_miiverse
  4. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fEa51c-wJ8c
  5. ^ a b http://mkboards.com/forums/threads/general-mk8-discussion.8/page-28#post-114226
  6. ^ http://prntscr.com/3j90ut
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTKRtYK5cmo/
  8. ^ http://mkboards.com/forums/threads/general-mk8-discussion.8/page-31#post-114323
  9. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JIOu2EELJo
  10. ^ http://www.mariokartwii.com/6033753-post7.html
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0aV9xhCH08
  13. ^ http://www.crashwiki.com/mario-kart-8-spoilers-found-leaked-guide-photos-shows-simplified-gameplay/
  14. ^ http://www.crashwiki.com/mario-kart-8-spoilers-found-leaked-guide-photos-shows-simplified-gameplay/
  15. ^ http://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2014/April/New-items-characters-and-courses-make-for-gravity-defying-fun-in-Mario-Kart-8-launching-May-30th-on-Wii-U-870260.html
  16. ^ Mario Kart 8 E3 trailer
  17. ^ Mario Kart 8 Team Talk GamePad Features, Track Design And F-Zero @ Nintendo Life
  18. ^ GameXplain - Mario Kart 8 Q&A: Online, Battle Mode, Rainbow Road, Secrets & more!
  19. ^ http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/29/5760538/drive-a-mercedes-in-mario-kart-8
  20. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GisRY6h100U
  21. ^ [3]
  22. ^ [4]
  23. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA6CAgv6p6g
  24. ^ Scrapped ideas led to the anti-gravity idea in Mario Kart 8 - Wii U Daily
  25. ^ a b E3 2013: Nintendo's Hideki Konno Pulls Back The Curtain On 'Mario Kart 8'
  26. ^ http://www.reinodocogumelo.com/2014/04/nintendo-revela-que-mario-kart-8-tera.html?m=1
  27. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvWfvVzIU6U
  28. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEqt-E6VTPE
  29. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/03/nintendo_of_europe_confirms_mario_kart_8_limited_edition_software_bundle
  30. ^ https://twitter.com/Nintendo_World/status/464443598503567362
  31. ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/pennzoil-and-nintendo-to-bring-mario-kart-to-life-at-sxsw/
  32. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/03/mario_kart_8_pre_orders_from_amazon_japan_get_sweet_mario_or_rosalina_playing_cards
  33. ^ http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/57679/mario-kart-8-wii-u-bundles-revealed/
  34. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/04/north_american_wii_u_mario_kart_8_deluxe_set_bundle_races_into_view
  35. ^ http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Campaigns/Mario-Kart-8-Bonus-Game-Promotion/Mario-Kart-8-Bonus-Game-Promotion-879238.html
  36. ^ http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/Mf9RJDcWmALXECxUdPB0Lf3N9Jb2VtRt
  37. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/mario-kart-8
  38. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/wii-u/700050-mario-kart-8/index.html
  39. ^ http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/15/mario-kart-8-review
  40. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-kart-8/1900-6415760/
  41. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu/mario_kart_8
  42. ^ http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/cojfj2/mario-kart-8-review
  43. ^ http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/57852/reviews/mario-kart-8-review-review/?page=5
  44. ^ http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/37427/mario-kart-8-review
  45. ^ http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-mario-kart-8/
  46. ^ [5]
  47. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkslNWnOQ84
  48. ^ YouTube - Mario Kart 8 - (N64) Yoshi Valley - Spiny Shell's Bad Day

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