Mario Kart 8 director on choices behind the Nintendo DLC tracks, small tweak to improve lightweight racers
Another interview with Mario Kart 8 director Kosuke Yabuki has popped up online – this time from GameSpot. Yabuki was asked about how the team decided on the Nintendo franchises for DLC tracks, revealed a small tweak made to improve the lightweight racers for collisions, and more.
Read on below for some excerpts from GameSpot’s interview. You can find the full thing here.
On how the classic Nintendo franchises were chosen for the DLC tracks..
“We wanted people to keep playing Mario Kart 8 for a long time, and releasing DLC is a very effective way of achieving this. If we’re going to make DLC, we wanted it to be something fresh and special. That’s what brought us to the idea to borrow characters, vehicles, and courses from sources outside of the Mario universe.
We needed to choose themes that, when rearranged for Mario Kart, would allow us to retain the game’s balance. F-Zero, Excitebike, and The Legend of Zelda all lived up to that standard, and more than that, I figured they would lead to courses with really unique characteristics.”
On the little touches and references in the DLC tracks…
“My favorite reference is the Master Sword inside Hyrule Castle. There are three switches, and activating all of them opens a path to the Master Sword, giving you access to a shortcut. It’s tough for a single racer to open this road up, but when multiple players are in the area, it’s a snap to get it open. I think that stretch provides a nice strategic element during online play.
Also, pay attention to the sound in this course. The Hyrule Circuit tune features an assortment of Legend of Zelda themes folded into each other. We also focused on the smaller details, like the Zelda sound effect that plays when you obtain an item.”
On the possibility of a Mario Kart game with all of the Nintendo mascots…
“For now, this DLC is unique and special in the way it transcends the boundaries of the Mario Kart franchise. I hope that people around the world enjoy it.”
On tweaks/balances to Mario Kart 8…
“For this update, we made just a minor tweak to the way two players deflect when they collide with each other. Up until now, when two players collided, the more lightweight racers would get knocked too far away. That, combined with other overall elements we considered, made us conclude that the lighter racers were at a bit of a disadvantage. If you like Toad or Shy Guy and feel like you can’t win at all, go ahead and give them another try after applying the update. Also note that this tweak doesn’t have any effect on Time Trials when playing solo.”
