[E3 Impressions] Mario Kart 8

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Right where it needs to be.

System: Nintendo Wii U
Release Date: 2014
Developer: Nintendo EAD Group No. 1
Publisher: Nintendo

Author: Austin

The differences between titles in the Mario Kart series are perhaps only noticeable to those with a lengthy history with the franchise. The subtle focus of Mario Kart 7, for instance, feels much different than the marshmallow-y approach taken by Mario Kart Wii, and the slippery controls in Mario Kart 64 mean you need more focus to pull off power-slides than the game’s DS counterpart. It’s a series long-accepted for its rigidity, and the recently announced Mario Kart 8 does not appear to do anything to change up that formula.

The core gameplay of Wii U’s Mario Kart 8 falls, quite comfortably, somewhere between the Wii and 3DS versions of the game. Immediately it’s clear that this one is much more focused and competitive than its console predecessor (featuring course designs that are simple in concept, and items that– at least for now– feel very fair and balanced) but it still lacks that drive and solidity present in Mario Kart 7. This balance isn’t inherently positive or negative, but it’s helpful to know where on the series line 8 falls so you’ll know whether or not it’s up your alley.

The new “zero-g” ability that karts have (which isn’t really zero-g, but whatever) certainly promises to add a feeling of freshness to the course design, but whether the final game will take full advantage of that is yet to be seen. In the demo, my opinion of the mechanic was split 50/50 between interested/uninterested, depending on the situation in which it was used. Sometimes, the zero-g activates without warning as the course gradually twists or turns, flipping you upside down slowly and methodically. In these instances, because the camera follows right with you, the effect is lost and it doesn’t feel like you’re upside-down or on-the-walls any more than when you go through loops or up steep hills in prior entries in the series.

Where the mechanic actually adds something new to the game is when it’s a stark and quick change from floor to wall (or floor to ceiling I suppose, but that wasn’t seen in the demo), especially if the player gets to choose whether or not to use it. In one level there was a section where you could choose to either stay on the flat ground or swing yourself up onto the wall at will. The consciousness of this decision worked in the game’s favor as it forces you to pay intended attention to the shift, meaning it’s not something that can just happen in the background to be ignored.

Interestingly, Gamepad functionality was distinctly lacking from the game in any above-and-beyond sort of way, but ultimately I think that works in MK8’s favor. There’s a map you can switch on, there’s a tile you can press to switch from analog to gyroscope controls, there’s a list of racers’ positions, and there’s a horn to honk. It’s essentially the core-essence functionality of the touch screen on the DS or 3DS, and I truly believe the game would be worse off if it tried anything more.

What’s worrisome is that the representative at E3 couldn’t confirm that the game will support two-player (or five-player, as it were) local multiplayer using the Gamepad as one of the screens. Such a feature would be sorely missed, as Mario Kart is arguably the best instance in which such a thing would increase the usability of local multiplayer. I have full confidence that we’ll see it upon release, but if it is somehow absent, I will be certifiably disappointed.

A few other quick tidbits about the game that are of note:

1) Power-slides are still very easy to pull of, as in the Wii and 3DS Mario Karts, which probably isn’t a great thing but will ultimately end up being inconsequential.

2) When you fall off of a course, Lakitu rescues you much faster than ever before. The game also neglects to do the traditional fade-to-black screen before putting you back on the track.

3) The visuals do look much better in person than in the Nintendo Direct footage. It’s still not the most astonishingly imaginative Mario Kart visually, but it’ll do.

And that’s it for what I thought! When it comes down to it, as we all predicted, if you like Mario Kart this one will be worth picking up without a doubt, and the added benefit of even more proper online play will certainly make Game Nights more entertaining! If you’ve grown bored of the series and don’t feel the need for some new courses or slight gameplay modifications, you’ll want to stray from this one.