Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Thanks to the Booster Course Pass, I’ve been playing a lot of Mario Kart 8 lately but Mario’s latest entry in the long-running series first came into my life during the Wii U era, the glorious time when a grand total of 24 people played some of Nintendo’s best games. Since I was busy playing games, and not writing about them, I thought it was high time to fix this mistake and tell you why I think Mario Kart 8 Deluxe should be added to your Switch collection without delay.

When Mario Kart 7 first hit the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, I thought we had the perfect kart racer from Nintendo. The controls were out of this world, the then-new glide mechanic added an extra layer of fun to the proceedings, and it had a perfectly suitable online setup. Then Mario Kart 8 hit a few years later and Nintendo had somehow managed to improve on perfection… almost.

Since the days of the GameCube, each Mario Kart entry needed a gimmick. Double Dash has the buddy system, Mario Kart DS gave us a fully-fledged online mode, and Mario Kart Wii introduced motion controls. Mario Kart 8 brings with it anti-gravity; the ability for any kart or bike to defy the laws of physics by racing along a wall, or by going upside down completely. The addition of hover-karts is useful for a few reasons, chief of which are the unique track designs that have Mario and co racing along a stretch of track before it folds over on itself. On paper, seeing racers stuck to the ceiling above me seemed like a throwaway design that didn’t seem exciting, but in practice seeing other racers zip by below you is an exhilarating experience that hasn’t gotten old in over 200 hours of play.

Accompanying the new features is one of the largest rosters in the franchise, with 40+ characters to choose from, each of whom can be selected with a combination of karts, wheels and gliders to create a unique loadout to suit your playstyle. Having a large choice of Mario characters to choose from is all well and good, but I’m a creature of habit and chose to ignore the new additions of Link and Splatoon’s Inklings for my trusted Dry Bones.  

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At A Glance

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The Switch version of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe combines the Wii U release and its DLC, which brings a total of 48 tracks along with the super-fast 200cc mode, a kart class that forced me to use the break button for the first time, well, ever. For players who owned the Wii U version, there are a few reasons to double dip. The DLC is no longer available to buy on Nintendo’s previous console and the online functionality will be shuttered in 2024, but up until recently, the main reason was Battle Mode. The Battle Mode on Mario Kart 8 was lampooned on release for being an afterthought, so Nintendo has retooled it completely into something more palatable. It’s still not great, but at least attempts were made.

One area that Nintendo felt didn’t need any attention was the online modes. Players can once again enter random lobbies to race against people from all corners of the globe, but matchmaking is laughably slow and seemingly random, as I seemed to be matched with players of all skill levels. Not to mention how, every few races, the game would kick me out and I would have to find a new group of players to race against. It still frustrates me that Nintendo doesn’t have a robust system to play online, despite the Japanese giant offering some form of connectivity since the NES days.

The graphics are some of the most accomplished we’ve seen from Nintendo, with chunky characters that no longer have jagged edges, and track designs that can showcase vibrant colours, along with deep blacks that draw you in like a huggable black hole. If you want a showcase of what Mario Kart 8 can look like on a screen, look no further than Rainbow Road; the track springs to life no matter if I am playing on a 55-inch TV or the console’s in-built display. Quite how Nintendo manages to pack a stunning game into 11.3 GB when some Triple-A devs can’t do that with 10x the space is anyone’s guess, especially since the framerate is buttery smooth throughout every single mode. That’s even when you consider the amount of bombs, shells and banana peels that are flinging in every direction. Mario Kart 8 is one of the most visually stunning pieces of work on the Switch, and for a game that predates the system by 3 years, that’s one big compliment.

Much like the graphics side of things, the music in Mario Kart 8 is as bombastic as ever. Nintendo has chosen to record all the tracks with a big band feel that’s weighted heavily by the horn section. Pianos and trumpets blare out around every course and they all sound as unique as the stage I was racing along. Toad Harbour, with its San Francisco feel, was represented by an upbeat jazz arrangement, whereas Thowmp Ruins was given an exploratory ambiance thanks to the track running through mystical caves. Even the retro courses had been given an auditory glow-up, probably best represented in DK Jungle, a track from Mario Kart 7. The music is now complete with a funky piano that undercuts the reworked Donkey Kong Country theme and gives you a sense of urgency as you clatter around the hazard-laden course.

Mario Kart games have always been system sellers and for good reason. Mario Kart 8, with its antigravity mechanics, 200cc mode and expanded roster, is one of the most complete racers on any Nintendo platform. If the offering wasn’t tantalising enough, players are also able to get an additional Booster Pass DLC that doubles the tracks from 48 to 96 and can be picked up through the e-shop with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is not perfect by any stretch, the battle mode can get in the bin, and the rubber banding from last to first is a constant pain. Let’s not forget the staple online multiplayer that takes forever to load up, but we still have sublimely designed tracks with controls that are as on-point as you can get with a racer and is well worth picking up… if you haven’t already.

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