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Second Opinion: Mario Kart 8 Review

by Daan Koopman - May 15, 2014, 12:43 am EDT
Total comments: 40

7.5

Not the best karting game out there, but quite enjoyable nonetheless!

I feel somewhat uneasy in talking about a Mario Kart game in a post-Mario Kart 7 era. While it wasn't a bad game, I didn’t play much of MK7. I enjoyed the last three games more. My preference for the previous games and their gameplay certainly reflects on my opinion of Mario Kart 8. I’m not saying that MK8 is worse than MK7, or even that either are bad games. It’s just that MK8 retains elements that already felt redundant in MK7.

For example, the Grand Prix mode has changed very little from previous titles—it feels very routine. It’s still the main mode for unlocking content, but even then there’s very little to break the monotony. Characters unlock one right after another, and after unlocking them all, you’re only rewarded with new car parts for every 50 coins you earn. All CCs are available right from the start, so nothing is stopping you from going straight to 150cc and unlocking Mirror Mode from the very beginning. Finishing all the cups with star ranks provide a small reward, though not one that’s worth the effort required. This makes the entire scheme seem redundant. However, you can now play the cups with up to four people, which somewhat lessens the irritation involved.

The irritation is also lessened by the tracks, which might be the liveliest selection as of late. The new designs are great and offer plenty of variation. Sunshine Airport is a quick, rapid track with tons of entertaining obstacles, and Electrodome is a techno lover’s dream with Toads and other characters in full rave mode. Of course, there are also retro tracks to enjoy. The Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64 is an amazing addition and is beautiful to look at. Sherbet Land from Mario Kart: Double Dash has also changed for the better with added underwater sections and lots of shiny ice. Overall, I am pleased with the choices the team made. The tracks are fun to play, even over and over again Time Trial mode.

Nevertheless, Mario Kart is always at its best in multiplayer. Along with Grand Prix mode, you can also choose your own tracks and rules with up to four players in local multiplayer. You can play conservatively, choosing every track in order, or you can throw frantic items into the mix to make everything insane. My only issue with the multiplayer lies with the two-player option, as the screen is now split vertically instead of horizontally. There are no options to change it, and you can't opt to use the Wii U GamePad instead. Instead, the only off-TV Play option is to mirror what is on the television. If you are playing alone, it’s a worthwhile option, but they could have done so much more with the controller. Beyond that, the GamePad features a gigantic honk button and a map that you won't use while actually driving.

The heart of the multiplayer is the Battle Mode, where you duke it out both locally and online. Sadly, Mario Kart 8 only features the Balloon Battle mode. But instead of the previous titles’ arenas, you now play the mode on eight existing tracks, six retro and two modern courses. That said, I had fun with the mode, discovering the tracks in new ways was kind of interesting. The routes in Toad Harbor, in particular, are great for a good game of balloon tag. It remains a step backwards, however, as there are less options and not as many new things to uncover.

Of course, most of my time was spent with the online multiplayer. While it’s mostly the same as Mario Kart 7, there are some variables in place that slightly change the experience. For example, Communities are now a thing of the past. Instead, we now have tournaments that use the same rule sets as VS mode. When your set amount of races concludes, you are thrown out of the tournament community and your final score is tallied. You can also return for endless amounts of practice rounds, and there’s even a special Miiverse spot for you and your tournament mates to post to.

Mario Kart TV is the freshest addition to Mario Kart 8. After every race, battle or Grand Prix, you can go into a menu and view the best moments of that race. Players can cut it down from 30 to 60 seconds, and have the clips focus on specific elements like action, items, and drifting. You can also watch the full race if desired, but the highlight clips are fun and a joy to behold. What is also fresh is that Mario Kart 8 is a beautiful looking game, with gorgeous environments and vibrant colors. The series has never looked better than on the Wii U, and the soundtrack is pretty great too as most of the music was recorded with an orchestra. This gives tracks like Moo Moo Meadows and Rainbow Road N64 an extra strong touch.

Mario Kart 8 is a fun game, but not one without flaws. The game looks and plays beautifully, but it still holds tight to many aspects of previous titles that held them back. Likewise, the GamePad’s implementation is less than stellar. Regardless, Mario Kart 8 is still a good game and sometimes that is all that matters.

Summary

Pros
  • Brilliant track design
  • Excellent presentation
  • Mario Kart TV is dumb but cool
  • Neat online features
  • Solid gameplay mechanics
Cons
  • GamePad doesn't do much interesting
  • Two-player multiplayer vertically split
  • Unlocks in GP mode not spread out much
  • Weird decisions with Battle Mode

Talkback

DjaMay 15, 2014

Dissapointed in NWR for stating pretty dumb reasons to put the score down in comparison to none nintendo outlets. You should be better than this.

I've played the demo at a shop and I  think the usage of gamepad is brilliantly done. When you look down on your gamepad you have a little screen on the top right I think that shows whats on your tv. Seriously this may seem minor, almost useless, but this is the first game on the wii u that does this and it is BRILLIANT. It makes looking down on the gamepad when you have to much less risky. I wish all the wii u games that dont use the gamepad in an inovative way do this. Monster hunter should have had this as well

Shame on you NWR.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, May 15, 2014

Really, it shouldn't matter what score is given when the body does a more than adequate job of explaining things. I think too many gamers rely too heavily on scores instead of looking at what's actually important, the review itself.


There's really no need for some to get upset over a number.

EnnerMay 15, 2014

Feelings! Criticism! That's how they work. It's better to have a wide range of scores as having one consensus on a creative work would be boring.


Nice review. I appreciate the disappointment over the tired single-player offerings. While I enjoyed the sensation of racing in Mario Kart 7 enough to have happily played all the grand prix cups, it is weak on Nintendo to be not have interesting and different single-player challenges such as those in Sonce & All-Stars Racing Transformed.



I was never extremely fond of the battle mode in Mario Kart games so I don't truly empathize with those bemoaning its decline since Mario Kart 64. Still, I'm not happy that people are unhappy with regards to Mario Kart 8's battle mode. I hope some update in the future at least adds proper arenas for free.

DaanDaan Koopman, Associate Editor (Europe)May 15, 2014

Quote from: Dja

Dissapointed in NWR for stating pretty dumb reasons to put the score down in comparison to none nintendo outlets. You should be better than this.

I base my score on my experience and not just on the things that I have played. What you consider you dumb reasons, matters to me a lot. Have been playing Mario Kart games since I was four years and I will continue to do until the end of my time. That does not stop me from being sad at some things though!

DjaMay 15, 2014

Quote from: Daan

I base my score on my experience and not just on the things that I have played. What you consider you dumb reasons, matters to me a lot. Have been playing Mario Kart games since I was four years and I will continue to do until the end of my time. That does not stop me from being sad at some things though!

Yo I appreciate that. But putting down the score for them not using the gamepad well is just, I don't know. It seems like a shallow outlet would saying, not a nintendo centric one. I really think the way they've added a small screen that shows whats going on on the gamepad itself next to the map and whatever is incredibly smart. This is what I considered a huge flaw with the 2 screen gaming on television compared to the DS/3ds. I never thought of it myself and I think this should be appreciated as a pretty good subtle usage of the gamepad. Hope they keep doing that going forward

UrkelMay 15, 2014


No unlockable kart skins
No online
No gay marriage


7.9

broodwarsMay 15, 2014

Well, I'm glad to see that I'm making the right choice in not picking it up, if the SP mode is still incredibly lame and they somehow managed to make Battle Mode even worse than Mario Kart Wii's (which I didn't think was possible).  Battle Mode was THE thing I played the crap out of in the SNES & N64 versions! How do you **** that up? Well, Nintendo (like Nature) found a way.

On the plus side, it's cool that there's an actual counter to the Blue Shell now, and the game does look gorgeous. Pity HD visuals stopped being a key selling feature 7 years ago.

xcwarriorMay 15, 2014

Sounds like the game isn't finished based on the review. Well that's a depressing thought.

Already have it preordered, but sounds like most people will stop playing this within a month of launch.

This is not the system seller we are looking for.

Sounds like the game will need updates from Nintendo, but we know that isn't happening.

xcwarriorMay 15, 2014

Quote from: xcwarrior

Sounds like the game isn't finished based on the review. Well that's a depressing thought.

Already have it preordered, but sounds like most people will stop playing this within a month of launch.

This is not the system seller we are looking for.

Sounds like the game will need updates from Nintendo, but we know that isn't happening.

Editing myself since I can't find the button:

Just read the Nintendo Life review. Almost sounds like you guys played two different games. Weird.

bustin98May 15, 2014

Seems like English is not your first language. You need an editor to correct some errors. The review gives the impression that it was rushed.

ymeegodMay 15, 2014

Hopefully Nintendo can patch/update a few of these issues.  Really would love to have a party chat during the race and a few more battle mode too.  I mostly played races but every once in awhile I played "coins" mode on the Mario Kart WII.

Should a game lose points for not taking advantage of the Hardware (in this case the Gamepad) or have features (party chat) like other games in the genre?

latterdayrastaMay 15, 2014

Neal and Daan's review scores were determined before they ever played the game.  Based on comments from Connectivity, it's clear that Neal and Daan are tired of the core gameplay of Mario Kart.  I respect that that is their honest opinion of the game and the series, but maybe take that into account when reviews are assigned.  This is a Nintendo enthusiast site, so I assume that there is someone on staff who is still excited about Mario Kart.  Let that person review the game.  Personally, I still really love the core Mario Kart gameplay elements, and I'm okay that it has become a bit iterative.  I spent hours playing MKWii and MK7, and I can't wait to spend hours playing MK8!


I love the content you guys make, but if you find yourself thinking "this is more of the same," realize that this game series doesn't match your personal tastes anymore and find someone who can look at the game from a less jaded perspective.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterMay 15, 2014

Quote from: bustin98

Seems like English is not your first language. You need an editor to correct some errors. The review gives the impression that it was rushed.

In fairness it's not as bad as Mario Kart 7

Quote from: latterdayrasta

Neal and Daan's review scores were determined before they ever played the game.  Based on comments from Connectivity, it's clear that Neal and Daan are tired of the core gameplay of Mario Kart.  I respect that that is their honest opinion of the game and the series, but maybe take that into account when reviews are assigned.  This is a Nintendo enthusiast site, so I assume that there is someone on staff who is still excited about Mario Kart.  Let that person review the game.  Personally, I still really love the core Mario Kart gameplay elements, and I'm okay that it has become a bit iterative.  I spent hours playing MKWii and MK7, and I can't wait to spend hours playing MK8!


I love the content you guys make, but if you find yourself thinking "this is more of the same," realize that this game series doesn't match your personal tastes anymore and find someone who can look at the game from a less jaded perspective.

IMO, both reviews seem completely reasonable, if not differing about one point from the average. I'm personally glad Neal got the NA review copy because he was right in the middle of the hype. He wasn't so excited that he would be guaranteed to give the game yet another 9, but he wasn't so down on the game that he would be guaranteed to give it a 5 either.

I won't speak for the site specifically when I say this, but I think the best reviewer for a game is one who understands what a game is supposed to be while not holding a severe bias for or against it.

WiiUIVLifeMay 15, 2014

This game deserves a 9 out of 10.  I'm disappointed at this review... severely.

I'd really be interested in how all these people got advance copies of the game that allow them to know what score it deserves.

latterdayrastaMay 15, 2014

Quote from: Webmalfunction

IMO, both reviews seem completely reasonable, if not differing about one point from the average. I'm personally glad Neal got the NA review copy because he was right in the middle of the hype. He wasn't so excited that he would be guaranteed to give the game yet another 9, but he wasn't so down on the game that he would be guaranteed to give it a 5 either.

I won't speak for the site specifically when I say this, but I think the best reviewer for a game is one who understands what a game is supposed to be while not holding a severe bias for or against it.

I can agree with your point.  If someone enters a review with an unreasonable bias toward a game the review can be much less meaningful.  I just have a problem when Daan begins his review by admitting that his viewpoint is tainted by a previous entry in the series.  There are types of games that I do not enjoy, and it would be unfair to ask me to give a fair opinion on the quality of those games.

latterdayrastaMay 15, 2014

Quote from: NWR_insanolord

I'd really be interested in how all these people got advance copies of the game that allow them to know what score it deserves.

While it is ridiculous for someone to claim that a game they have never played deserves a better score, it is not ridiculous to question whether a reviewer approached the game with a certain bias for or against it based on the text of the review.

TrueNerdMay 15, 2014

I haven't bought a Mario Kart since Mario Kart DS 8.5 years ago and the only reason I'm buying this one is to get my free Wind Waker.

broodwarsMay 15, 2014

Quote from: latterdayrasta

Quote from: NWR_insanolord

I'd really be interested in how all these people got advance copies of the game that allow them to know what score it deserves.

While it is ridiculous for someone to claim that a game they have never played deserves a better score, it is not ridiculous to question whether a reviewer approached the game with a certain bias for or against it based on the text of the review.

No more than to question whether a reader approached a game review with a certain bias for or against it based on their history with a company.

ResettisCousinMay 15, 2014

The changes to battle mode and not allowing a second player to have an exclusive view on the gamepad (ala Sonic Transformed) do sound poor and worth a score penalty. I also highly question the wisdom of a review from someone (the other reviewer) that wrote an op ed mere weeks ago about all the ways the game will ultimately disappoint.

latterdayrastaMay 15, 2014

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: latterdayrasta

Quote from: NWR_insanolord

I'd really be interested in how all these people got advance copies of the game that allow them to know what score it deserves.

While it is ridiculous for someone to claim that a game they have never played deserves a better score, it is not ridiculous to question whether a reviewer approached the game with a certain bias for or against it based on the text of the review.

No more than to question whether a reader approached a game review with a certain bias for or against it based on their history with a company.

My criticism is not based on my history with Nintendo.  It is based on the words in the first two paragraphs of this review.

Alex wrote that editorial, and I don't think we would allow the same person to write such a thing and later review the game.

Quote from: Jonnyboy117

Alex wrote that editorial, and I don't think we would allow the same person to write such a thing and later review the game.

This is correct. I wouldn't have wanted the review to begin with.

chilenozoMay 15, 2014

I understand opinions may be different to mine, but that's why, being a numbers guy myself, I wait till a number of reviews are around and use statistics to base my opinion before buying a game (yeah, I'm one of those who decide to purchase based on scores cause I have little time and patience to try the game at a store or borrow it, or to watch endless youtube videos).

I thank Daan to score this game the exact same way as Neal so I can discard both scores as outliers.

As many of you know, in most judged sports, the highest and lowers scores are discarded, and the final score is an average or the idea, the truncated mean, of what the real score may be.

So, since most of reviews around the world have been in the top 80s and 90s, this game is totally good and worth buying at launch. Having said so, a game in the 70s to me is not worth buying at launch, although they are definitely worth playing, so I take that, for Neal and Daan this game would be good to rent, borrow, or get on a sale?...I wish they can answer that. Does a score reflect if one should invest time playing/buying a game?...to me it should...even if I've never heard of game, a score should get me closer to how much I will enjoy the game.

p.s.: For those who would argue that, one should read every review...pfff...almost every jorunalist out there think that is some kind of Ernest Heminway or something....they write pages and pages of analysis and blabla. Everyone takes their job "seriously" so to me Neal, Dan, and the rest of the dozens of journalists out there are no better/worst than anyone else. I respect them...but give me my damn score fast so I can run stats on them as quick as possible!

It's hard for me to totally judge how I'd treat this game if I didn't review it, but I have a feeling this is how it would go down:

I would get MK8 day one, play it furiously for a weekend. I likely wouldn't play it much after that outside of multiplayer. I don't think I would regret the purchase at all.

Disco StuMay 15, 2014

For real, 7.5 means the game is GOOD!  When did the scale for video game reviews become "anything below an 8.5 means it's a shitty game"?

lukas85May 15, 2014

ok, really im done with nintendaan and neal, pretty dumb review and totally misleading, you are telling legions of nintendo fans that this is a mediocre game? what the fuck is wrong with you? the game is great and no i havent played but when every one on the net says the contrary is hard to believe this f%&$& review.

broodwarsMay 15, 2014

Quote from: lukas85

ok, really im done with nintendaan and neal, pretty dumb review and totally misleading, you are telling legions of nintendo fans that this is a mediocre game? what the **** is wrong with you? the game is great and no i havent played but when every one on the net says the contrary is hard to believe this f%&$& review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0nYKgkFvMM

::)

latterdayrastaMay 15, 2014

Quote from: NWR_Neal

It's hard for me to totally judge how I'd treat this game if I didn't review it, but I have a feeling this is how it would go down:

I would get MK8 day one, play it furiously for a weekend. I likely wouldn't play it much after that outside of multiplayer. I don't think I would regret the purchase at all.

Thanks!  This mini review is actually more helpful than the paragraphs of texts we get with traditional reviews.  Not that I dislike long-form reviews, but these few sentences packed in a lot of meaning.  Maybe including something like this in each talkback thread would be something reviewers can consider.

chilenozoMay 15, 2014

Quote from: Disco

For real, 7.5 means the game is GOOD!  When did the scale for video game reviews become "anything below an 8.5 means it's a shitty game"?

You're kidding right?...the grade inflation is a pandemic that starts in academia but spreads to almost every other field, including reviews. In fact it is hard to discard outliers when so many people give hundreds or tens to a game.

I think that, by now, a game in the 70s is great as you said, a different issue is of the game is worth buying, e.g., gamers telling the developers that they did a good job and should keep up the good work. In fact from reading Daan and Neal reviews I can notice their disappointment on the series, and I would feel compelled to ask them not to buy the game, so if many more follow, the developers will be forced to learn from the mistakes and hopefully change for good.

But hey, I'm buying given the overwhelmed good reviews that are telling me to buy, so in a way Nintendo will keep doing the same if many people buy the game. And my guess is that given the popularity of the franchise and the free game coming with the purchase before the end of July this game will sell lots no matter what...what a cheap way to bump your sales Nintendo! sigh.

SorenMay 15, 2014

Quote from: Disco

For real, 7.5 means the game is GOOD!  When did the scale for video game reviews become "anything below an 8.5 means it's a shitty game"?

A 7.5 can be both good or bad, depending on the tone of the review. If a review spends more time talking about what the game did wrong or what it did to disappoint you a 7.5 hardly seems like a ringing endorsement.

Ian SaneMay 15, 2014

I would typically consider a 7.5 game to be a decent but unexceptional game.  So it isn't bad but it isn't anything that the world wouldn't miss if it never existed.

Games that get below 5 are pretty rare because we can all conceptualize how bad a game can get and because of the high cost and effort involved in making a videogame, few titles make it out the door that would be that terrible.  A truly wretched game with no merit whatsoever would also be a glitchy mess.  They wouldn't just be boring games but also poorly made ones.  Sony, MS and Nintendo all have policies to prevent an outright unfinished or broken game from getting released on their systems.  Publishers are also going to insist on a certain level of quality so that the game stands a chance of making a profit and doesn't damage their brand.

If I made a game and got 7.5 I would be upset because to me that means I made merely a perfectly acceptable game.  Being unexceptionally competent is even worse than being infamously terrible.  Anyone with pride in their work wants to make something amazing.  A 7.5 ain't amazing.  Is it "good"?  I guess but "just there" is probably a better description.

At NWR, we use the full scale. Anything above a 5 is worth playing, at least under certain conditions. A 7.5 is a good score.

Quote from: TrueNerd

I haven't bought a Mario Kart since Mario Kart DS 8.5 years ago and the only reason I'm buying this one is to get my free Wind Waker.

I hate to admit it, but that's why I'm getting it.  I'm willing to take a chance on Mariokart if it's basically halving the price between that and Pikmin 3, a game I've had a lot of curiosity about.


Or maybe Wii Party U….anyone able to provide input on if that game's any good?

Mop it upMay 17, 2014

I don't have an issue with the criticisms raised in both reviews, they seem fair to me. My only thing is, I feel that both of them have similar talking points. It would have been more interesting if the views of the second review were from a more differing perspective that could have brought some different talking points.

Quote from: Mop

I don't have an issue with the criticisms raised in both reviews, they seem fair to me. My only thing is, I feel that both of them have similar talking points. It would have been more interesting if the views of the second review were from a more differing perspective that could have brought some different talking points.

Fair point.

If you've noticed, we've had a lot of dual reviews for Nintendo games lately. That's mostly because we're getting both NA and European codes for coverage. If Daan and I knew ahead of time our opinions were going to be so similar, we might have tried to switch up who was reviewing it. However, when we realized we had this weird groupthink about it, it was like two days before embargo. I've said it before and I'll say it again: we both came up with our scores/reviews independently. We briefly talked about the game when I started it and that was kind of it until our reviews were written.

We're continually evaluating how we handle our coverage, and this Second Opinion phrasing is our latest attempt. It may or may not stick. We'll see how reviews go over the next few months.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, May 18, 2014

Quote from: lolmonade

Quote from: TrueNerd

I haven't bought a Mario Kart since Mario Kart DS 8.5 years ago and the only reason I'm buying this one is to get my free Wind Waker.

I hate to admit it, but that's why I'm getting it.  I'm willing to take a chance on Mariokart if it's basically halving the price between that and Pikmin 3, a game I've had a lot of curiosity about.

Or maybe Wii Party U….anyone able to provide input on if that game's any good?

Fantastic party game that uses the GamePad in fantastic ways (some of the best on the system), but it's very much not a great solo game.

Personally, I'd get the physical version of that because of the Wii Remote Plus that comes with it, all for $50. The other games, I think, are worth more anyway.

I do have a question about the bundle deal, I know it is if you register Mario Kart 8 you get one of a few select games you get a free download, coupled with the New Super Mario U bundle which gives two games included if you buy a Wii U when the game launches you can effectively get four games for the price of one is that how it works? Because a deal like that is tempting.

RarityGamerJuly 08, 2014

Having now played the game a fair bit, I don't think it's that good. The tracks are fun and the controls are fine, but that's about it. The transformations seem pretty pointless and badly implemented, while the weapons are still unbalanced to the point of breaking the flow of the game. I've lost count how many times I've ended up losing a race due to constantly getting attacked resulting in me unable to build any real competitive pace before crossing the finish line. I'm finding I'm having (and had) more fun playing Sega all stars racing transformed personally.

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WiiU

Game Profile

Mario Kart 8 Box Art

Genre Racing
Developer Nintendo
Players1 - 4
Online1 - 12
Controllers & Accessories Wii Remote
Wii Nunchuk
Wii U GamePad
Wii U Pro Controller
Amiibo

Worldwide Releases

na: Mario Kart 8
Release May 30, 2014
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone
jpn: Mario Kart 8
Release May 29, 2014
PublisherNintendo
RatingAll Ages
eu: Mario Kart 8
Release May 30, 2014
PublisherNintendo
Rating3+
aus: Mario Kart 8
Release May 31, 2014
PublisherNintendo
RatingGeneral

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