As supplies of its new gaming console continue to be tight, Nintendo brought a new title with a familiar character for the Nintendo Switch. Mario has arrived and brought his friends in “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.”
The new title is the most comprehensive “Mario Kart” game ever, containing all the previous downloadable content that was available for “Mario Kart 8” for the Wii U console. Forty-two drivers, 12 cups with four tracks for each Grand Prix circuit, and five battle modes that can be played in team or solo action are included in the new release
The roster of drivers includes Mario, Luigi, and many other fan favorites. There are new drivers from the “Splatoon” franchise, Inking Girl and Inkling Boy, plus returning favorites King Boo, Bowser Jr., and Dry Bones can also be played.
Some of the courses are also new and feature some classic game layouts from “The Legend of Zelda” and “Excitebike.” The circuits also highlight some Nintendo games with the Triforce Cup and Crossing Cup as new challenges.
Grand Prix races start at 50cc, the slowest, but a new 200cc race will test braking and sliding abilities as the powerful carts race through the challenging courses.
The power-up are ramped up as racers can carry two at a time, providing the chance for a powerful combo. Throw down a banana peel and follow it up with a Bob-omb for a devastating punch.
There are a couple new power-up to help drivers get to victory. Boo the ghost temporarily makes a driver intangible while also stealing an item from an opponent. The feather power-up helps drivers avoid obstacles by briefly making them airborne.
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A Smart Steering features helps novices on the track, even in the more powerful races. But it won't get drivers to the front of the pack easier.
If players are looking for a change of pace from racing, five different battle modes on eight courses offer a different challenge in team or solo action.
Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast pit characters against each other to try and pop their opponents’ balloons and knock them temporarily out of action. Renegade Roundup is a cops and robbers-style game as one team tries to lock up the other team as fast as possible while the “bad guys” work to free their teammates from jail.
Shine Thief is a capture the flag-style competition, as drivers try to grab the Shine Sprite and hold onto to it while dodging attempts from other players to steal it. Coin Runners is a money-grabbing race to collect as many coins as possible while trying to knock away coins from other players.
The online component will get players into competition quickly with other racers around the world. There is still no chat component to the race, which means no trash talking or praising other racers. Nintendo is still planning to release an online subscription based service this fall, so enjoy these races for free while you still can.
The addition of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” to the Nintendo Switch lineup is likely to attract those people who weren’t interested in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” or were waiting to see how well the new console performed. Many retailers are still selling out just as quickly as they get them in, but Nintendo has said they are ramping up production to get the Switch into as many hands as possible.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now for the Nintendo Switch. It is rated E for Everyone due to comic mischief. This post was done with a provided digital code for the Nintendo Switch.
