Mario Kart 8 came out for Wii U today, and it has been my most anticipated game in years (so it was easily a day-one purchase for me). So far I’ve spent about an hour and a half with the game, completing the first four grand prix cups (all the new courses, not the retro tracks yet). I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Mario Kart Wii since 2008, so my comparisons will mainly be based on Mario Kart Wii–although I am familiar with all of the console Mario Kart games (just not the portable ones, except for Super Circuit on GBA). So here are my first impressions, and some things I’ve noticed in my first 90 minutes of the game.
Coins are back. The original Super Mario Kart had coins laid out around the tracks, and collecting them would increase your top speed (until you reached maximum speed with 10 coins). The coins returned in Mario Kart 7 on 3DS, and they’re back for this game as well. I don’t particularly care about them one way or the other, but it does add a small strategic element as you try to make sure you have the maximum number of coins at all times. Also note that you can’t collect more than ten coins–so you can’t stockpile reserves like you could in Super Mario Kart.
Also, there’s no longer a choice between automatic and manual for drifting. So now anyone can get the boost by drifting around corners, not just those who chose manual like in Mario Kart Wii. I think this is a good change.
Customization. Mario Kart 8 provides some options for customizing your ride. Choose your car or bike frame, tires, and glider. I started out as Koopa Troopa and I chose a sport bike, monster tires, and a super glider.
There’s no map on the main screen. I couldn’t help but notice there’s no mini-map on the main screen! You can see the map on the Wii U gamepad screen of course, but you can’t exactly take the time to look down at the gamepad when you’re in the middle of a fierce race where one tiny mistake could cost you a win! Every previous Mario Kart game has had this feature, at least as an option. So this is a big disappointment to me. On the bright side, this is my only significant negative thing about my first 90 minutes.
No wheelies. When using bikes, you can’t use a wheelie for a speed boost like you could in Mario Kart Wii. This is a bit of a disappointment, but not a major problem. At first, I also thought you couldn’t do mid-air tricks (stunts) either. But fortunately, you can…you just have to press the ZR button instead of using the control pad like you did on Wii.
I like the new courses. I’ve raced on all 16 of the new courses, and none of them seem to be stinkers. Some are better than others of course, but overall my first impressions of the new courses are positive. Some of them are also quite graphically impressive. The tracks that particularly come to mind are the haunted Twisted Mansion, the neon-filled disco themed Electrodome, and the new Bowser’s Castle. Of course, Rainbow Road is no slouch, either.
Anti-gravity mode is pretty cool. Some courses have anti-gravity segments, where your cars and bikes can defy gravity, and running into things gives you a speed boost. It might take a while to master the mechanics of running into things on purpose, but it’s a nice addition that brings something new and different to the series.
As for the new power-ups, well I haven’t really tried them yet! I only played the 50cc cups so far, and those don’t provide much of a challenge to Mario Kart veterans like me. So being in 1st place most of the time mainly just got me banana peels and green shells, along with an occasional red shell or mushroom. My opinions on the new power-ups will have to wait for another time. Ditto for the retro tracks, Mario Kart TV, and online play. I’m enjoying the game so far, but there will be much more to come. I’m sure I’ll be playing this game a lot this summer.
