Mario Kart 8
⚡ GAME DATA
- 🎮 Platform : Wii U
- 🏢 Publisher : Nintendo
- 🛠 Developer : Nintendo EAD
- 📅 Release Date : 2014-05-30
- 🎯 Genre : Racing
- 🔞 PEGI : 3
📝 Description
Mario Kart 8 is a kart racing video game and the eighth major installment in the Mario Kart series, developed and published by Nintendo for their Wii U home video game console. The game was first announced at E3 2013 and released worldwide in May 2014.
Like in other games in the series, in Mario Kart 8, players control characters from the Mario franchise and participate in kart racing on various race tracks, using a variety of items to hinder opponents or gain advantages in the race. While incorporating game mechanics originally featured in earlier Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 introduces anti-gravity sections that allow players to drive on walls or ceilings, in addition to allowing them to bump into one another for a short boost. The game features single-player and multiplayer gamemodes, including online via the Nintendo Network.
Mario Kart 8 was a critical and commercial success upon its release, and is the best-selling Wii U game, with over eight million copies sold worldwide. The game continued to receive post-release patches and downloadable content, including additional characters, vehicles and tracks, and support for Nintendo's Amiibo line of figurines. An enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch, titled Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, was released worldwide in April 2017. It was both a critical and commercial success, selling over ten million copies worldwide by June 2018, ranking it among the system's best-selling games.
The game continues the traditional gameplay of the Mario Kart series, in which characters from the Mario universe race against each other in go-karts, attempting to hinder their opponents or improve their racing performance using various tools found in item boxes. In addition, the game includes four different difficulties, which can be selected before beginning the race to challenge players. Returning features from previous installments include motorbikes, and twelve-player racing from Mario Kart Wii, as well as hang gliders, underwater racing and vehicle customization from Mario Kart 7.
Mario Kart 8's new features include anti-gravity racing, in which certain parts of a track can allow racers to drive on walls and ceilings. During these sections, players can bump into other racers or special bumpers to trigger a Spin Boost, which gives them an extra speed boost. New characters include the Koopalings, Baby Rosalina, and Pink Gold Peach. New items include the Boomerang Flower, which can be thrown to attack players, the Piranha Plant, which attacks nearby racers and obstacles, the Crazy Eight, which gives the user eight items, and the Super Horn, which can be used both to attack nearby opponents and defend against items, including the previously nearly unavoidable Spiny Shell. The game features 32 tracks in eight cups (Mushroom, Flower, Star, Special, Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning), with an additional 16 later released as downloadable content (DLC) in four additional cups: Egg, Triforce, Crossing, and Bell.
Along with local multiplayer, Mario Kart 8 supports online multiplayer with up to twelve players and voice chat outside of races. Prior to the cancellation of Nintendo's Miiverse social network on November 7, 2017, players could set up tournaments with customizable rules and schedules, share races automatically recorded in-game to the online video platform YouTube, and receive in-game stamps for use on Miiverse by beating staff times and completing Grand Prix races. Due to the cancellation of Miiverse, these features have been removed from the game, although downloading ghost data from friends or top players is still possible.
The Wii U version of the game is compatible with the Wii U GamePad, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Classic Controller and Wii Wheel,[4] while the Nintendo Switch version can be played with an individual Joy-Con turned on its side, the Joy-Con Grip controller shell, the console tablet with both Joy-Con attached, or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Players can also use Amiibo figures to unlock Nintendo-themed costumes that can be worn by Miis. A free software update to the Nintendo Switch version was made in June 2018 that allows players to use the Toy-Con Motorbike from the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit as a compatible motion controller.
Like in other games in the series, in Mario Kart 8, players control characters from the Mario franchise and participate in kart racing on various race tracks, using a variety of items to hinder opponents or gain advantages in the race. While incorporating game mechanics originally featured in earlier Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 introduces anti-gravity sections that allow players to drive on walls or ceilings, in addition to allowing them to bump into one another for a short boost. The game features single-player and multiplayer gamemodes, including online via the Nintendo Network.
Mario Kart 8 was a critical and commercial success upon its release, and is the best-selling Wii U game, with over eight million copies sold worldwide. The game continued to receive post-release patches and downloadable content, including additional characters, vehicles and tracks, and support for Nintendo's Amiibo line of figurines. An enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch, titled Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, was released worldwide in April 2017. It was both a critical and commercial success, selling over ten million copies worldwide by June 2018, ranking it among the system's best-selling games.
The game continues the traditional gameplay of the Mario Kart series, in which characters from the Mario universe race against each other in go-karts, attempting to hinder their opponents or improve their racing performance using various tools found in item boxes. In addition, the game includes four different difficulties, which can be selected before beginning the race to challenge players. Returning features from previous installments include motorbikes, and twelve-player racing from Mario Kart Wii, as well as hang gliders, underwater racing and vehicle customization from Mario Kart 7.
Mario Kart 8's new features include anti-gravity racing, in which certain parts of a track can allow racers to drive on walls and ceilings. During these sections, players can bump into other racers or special bumpers to trigger a Spin Boost, which gives them an extra speed boost. New characters include the Koopalings, Baby Rosalina, and Pink Gold Peach. New items include the Boomerang Flower, which can be thrown to attack players, the Piranha Plant, which attacks nearby racers and obstacles, the Crazy Eight, which gives the user eight items, and the Super Horn, which can be used both to attack nearby opponents and defend against items, including the previously nearly unavoidable Spiny Shell. The game features 32 tracks in eight cups (Mushroom, Flower, Star, Special, Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning), with an additional 16 later released as downloadable content (DLC) in four additional cups: Egg, Triforce, Crossing, and Bell.
Along with local multiplayer, Mario Kart 8 supports online multiplayer with up to twelve players and voice chat outside of races. Prior to the cancellation of Nintendo's Miiverse social network on November 7, 2017, players could set up tournaments with customizable rules and schedules, share races automatically recorded in-game to the online video platform YouTube, and receive in-game stamps for use on Miiverse by beating staff times and completing Grand Prix races. Due to the cancellation of Miiverse, these features have been removed from the game, although downloading ghost data from friends or top players is still possible.
The Wii U version of the game is compatible with the Wii U GamePad, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Classic Controller and Wii Wheel,[4] while the Nintendo Switch version can be played with an individual Joy-Con turned on its side, the Joy-Con Grip controller shell, the console tablet with both Joy-Con attached, or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Players can also use Amiibo figures to unlock Nintendo-themed costumes that can be worn by Miis. A free software update to the Nintendo Switch version was made in June 2018 that allows players to use the Toy-Con Motorbike from the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit as a compatible motion controller.