Mario Kart 8

[Randoman]

I thought I'd post the 32 tracks in image form, courtesy of GoNintendo.

Yeah, I don't think anyone knew about the Direct until after it showed. Either way, I'm glad they had it.

I realized I forgot King Boo in my "list of cut reoccurring characters" list. So the list of reoccurring veteran characters that got cut is as follows:

-Bowser Jr.

-Diddy Kong

-Dry Bones

-Birdo

-King Boo

I really have to wonder why those five got cut, yet they kept the babies, Metal Mario, and even made another baby and Metal character. Well, it could be a lot worse with them cutting staple characters like Luigi or Toad. And personally, the 7 koopalings making it in is a dream come true for me (especially as someone who grew up with Super Mario World). I even remember making up "Koopa Kid Racing" as a kid since I knew all 7 koopa kids being in a Mario Kart game would be unlikely and unfeasible.

It would've been interesting to see have Bowser Jr. and Diddy Kong return and see if they'd be middleweights or lightweights (it'd probably be the former since they kept Waluigi as a heavyweight like in Mario Kart Wii instead of a middleweight like in Double Dash). I also wonder if Honey Queen would've gotten a biker outfit if she stayed (I kid of course).

On that note, what Mario Kart newcomers were you guys personally hoping for? I was personally rooting for E. Gadd, Kamek, Wart, Toadsworth, and Pauline.

[Sasori]

I have a feeling some of the cut characters will return as dlc. Normally I would't say so, but characters like Bowser jr and Diddy are pretty much always in spin offs and they did do some dlc for the golf game.

I was personally hoping for Kamek, E.Gadd and Toadsworth as well. Mostly Kamek though.

[solrocknroll]

My first thought was that Birdo, Bowser Jr., Diddy, Dry Bones, and King Boo would be DLC. It's too obvious to not happen, especially with Mario Golf's DLC.

I am sort of sad about Wiggler and Honey Queen, but honestly, I could not possibly imagine them on bikes. It would be rather awkward.

Honestly, I'm not "upset" about Baby Rosalina or PGP, but I do think that Kamek and Nabbit would be much more obvious choices, what with Kamek a beta character in Mario Kart 64 and being playable in Mario Party 9 and Nabbit being in Mario Golf.

[Robert Stewart]

I have a feeling some of the cut characters will return as dlc. Normally I would't say so, but characters like Bowser jr and Diddy are pretty much always in spin offs and they did do some dlc for the golf game.

I really hope this isn't the case, because if so it's a scummy move on Nintendo's part. Cutting fan favourite characters who have made consistent appearances in previous entries in the franchise is just.....gah.

Oh yeah, and blegh at PG Peach and Baby Rosalina. I find it disgusting that there's an entire row of the MK8 roster dedicated to those f***ing babies.

Edited May 1, 2014 by shinpichu

[Crimson Red]

I personally don't think the character roster is a huge deal (or rather, I hardly care at all), but I have a different perception of MK games and such, so yeah

It'd be nice if they included other characters as DLC but don't get your hopes up... I can see there being problems with this approach anyhow

...

Yeah I just don't get why people are getting soooo mad just because there are a few extra characters and some obscure characters that hardly have a role in Mario aren't in it. It's just one of those things I have to accept even if I don't understand, I guess

all that being said

I'm not usually hyped for Mario Kart games in the least, but after the Nintendo Direct and other stuff, I actually *am* looking forward to this a bit. I mean, I already had it pre-ordered but now it's actually a date to look forward to.

Kinda unfortunate that I have all 4 freebie games they're offering, but I'll figure out something. I do like the deal though, it's seriously nice and it's going to be a great time to pick up a Wii U--people will be able to pick up deluxe systems with an awesome game, awesome accessories, and get a free game along with it (all of which are solid titles in their own way: NSMBU isn't very original/plays like other Mario platformers but is still very fun, Pikmin 3 is awesome albeit doesn't appeal to as many people as some titles, LoZ WWHD is awesome albeit some people played it already for GC, and Wii Party U is super fun if you have people to play with, but... not everyone has people to play with, of course).

[Robert Stewart]

I personally don't think the character roster is a huge deal (or rather, I hardly care at all), but I have a different perception of MK games and such, so yeah

Yeah, the roster isn't really the main draw for Mario Kart. The game itself looks fun enough, but that roster is just blegh.

Yeah I just don't get why people are getting soooo mad just because there are a few extra characters and some obscure characters that hardly have a role in Mario aren't in it. It's just one of those things I have to accept even if I don't understand, I guess

It's less that these characters(like the babies and Pink Gold Peach) exist, and more that they were added while notable favourites like Bowser Jr. and Diddy Kong are missing from the roster.

[kingddd]

I personally don't think the character roster is a huge deal (or rather, I hardly care at all), but I have a different perception of MK games and such, so yeah

It'd be nice if they included other characters as DLC but don't get your hopes up... I can see there being problems with this approach anyhow

...

Yeah I just don't get why people are getting soooo mad just because there are a few extra characters and some obscure characters that hardly have a role in Mario aren't in it. It's just one of those things I have to accept even if I don't understand, I guess

I am in the same boat of I don't really care too much about the roster either. But I can see why people are angry about it.

Most people don't want variations of the same character. I understand they wanted to fill in the light weight characters but do we really need, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Baby Rosalina all at once? Not to mention the addition of Metal Mario didn't sit well with a lot of fans when he was first added in MK7 and now they added metal peach it just seems like they're being very lazy with creating new models, characters and animation. Their reasonings make sense if you think about it. They want a unique experience and not miniature or heavy versions of the same said character. So technically we have 3 peaches and 3 marios in the game already.

[Sasori]

I really hope this isn't the case, because if so it's a scummy move on Nintendo's part. Cutting fan favourite characters who have mad consistent appearances in previous entries in the franchise is just.....gah.

Oh yeah, and blegh at PG Peach and Baby Rosalina. I find it disgusting that there's an entire row of the MK8 roster dedicated to those f***ing babies.

Well I doubt many people would line up to buy a baby Rosalina DLC. To me it depends on how they're gonna do the DLC thing if they're going to go down that road. I doubt i'll be paying for just some characters, but I could be interested if they add something alongside it.

[Zera]

I think the roster is very important to any game, because playing as a character you like is part of the fun. There better not be any character DLC, because that alone would stop me from getting MK8. F-Zero GX had 41 unique characters, none of whom were "baby versions", "metallic re-skins", or "7 similar turtles" to inflate the roster, and all of them could be unlocked for free, even if some of them were ludicrously hard to get.

I saw footage of all the tracks and I must say, while they lack the mechanical diversity found in the tracks of F-Zero GX and Kirby Air Ride, they look very impressive. One thing that irks me, however, is that they're really not putting the anti-gravity to much effect. Considering that it's one of the main selling points, it isn't nearly as cleverly thought out as it could have been. Whereas in F-Zero GX every course was a 3D roller coaster that went all over the place, in MK8 most of the tracks are flat with certain parts tilted 45-90 degrees. Very disappointing.

[kingddd]

I saw footage of all the tracks and I must say, while they lack the mechanical diversity found in the tracks of F-Zero GX and Kirby Air Ride, they look very impressive. One thing that irks me, however, is that they're really not putting the anti-gravity to much effect. Considering that it's one of the main selling points, it isn't nearly as cleverly thought out as it could have been. Whereas in F-Zero GX every course was a 3D roller coaster that went all over the place, in MK8 most of the tracks are flat with certain parts tilted 45-90 degrees. Very disappointing.

Here is my guess why not all tracks have a lot of anti-gravity. One of the features in anti-gravity is that colliding with a racer gives both you and that racer a short boost of speed. Therefore if the entire race is all anti-gravity, then you're pretty much looking at bunch of guys colliding each other and constantly boosting leaving the entire pack behind. That isn't fun for the guys behind as they can no longer keep up with the racers ahead. Yes they have an item advantage but they can't collide with others if they are far behind.

[Zera]

Here is my guess why not all tracks have a lot of anti-gravity. One of the features in anti-gravity is that colliding with a racer gives both you and that racer a short boost of speed. Therefore if the entire race is all anti-gravity, then you're pretty much looking at bunch of guys colliding each other and constantly boosting leaving the entire pack behind. That isn't fun for the guys behind as they can no longer keep up with the racers ahead. Yes they have an item advantage but they can't collide with others if they are far behind.

The boost doesn't look that big. I understand what you're saying though. The MK8 Direct showed two racers clashing repeatedly so they would both go much faster. But if the mechanic is broken like that, then it would be the most fair to have no anti-gravity at all. The cruel irony.

I should clarify that my complaint isn't the fact that anti-gravity isn't always used, it's that it's used poorly. In MK8, driving on the wall or ceiling is exactly the same as driving on the ground. In F-Zero GX however, you get courses like this:

There's no way you'd find a track that topsy-turvy in MK8.

[Jave]

Maybe... MK8 isn't trying to be F-Zero?

Dunno, I'm just saying.

[Ema Skye]

Roster is pretty solid outside of Pink Gold Peach. I think it's the only blemish on an otherwise fantastic game. Battle Mode will take some getting used to, but I think the potential for it to be really interesting is there. I've toyed with cancelling my preorder... so I can download the virtual copy at midnight and pull an all-nighter playing it.

Track design is easily the best part of this game. Mario Circuit, 3DS Music Park, GCN Dry Dry Desert, DS Cheep Cheep Beach, GBA Mario Circuit and Water Park are probably the weakest of the 32, the quality of the other 26 tracks range from good (Wii Moo Moo Meadows, Wii Grumble Volcano, Sweet Sweet Canyon) to incredible (GCN Sherbet Land, DS Wario Stadium, Cloudtop Cruise, Dolphin Shoals) and beyond (Mount Wario is easily one of my favorite Mario Kart tracks in existence and I haven't even played it). Mario Kart has always been about providing a top notch gameplay experience, and Mario Kart 8 proves it.

I can guarantee reviewers are going to consider this a must have game in any Wii U owner's library, and I totally agree. If this game won't save the Wii U, nothing will.

BTW, the free game should be enough to convince anyone on the fence about getting this game to get it if you're at all interested in any of the games. I'll be getting Pikmin 3 with mine.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Harmonie

[Randoman]

Mario Kart 8 is doing really well on Amazon even now (one month before the release), so that's a good sign.

[Zera]

Maybe... MK8 isn't trying to be F-Zero?

Dunno, I'm just saying.

Since F-Zero is currently dead and a Kirby Air Ride sequel is unlikely, Mario Kart is the only Nintendo racing series left. As such, I have no choice but to hold it to the same standard that I hold to F-Zero GX. Which is a very high standard, by the way.

[solrocknroll]

I like Mario Kart a lot more than Air Ride because of Air Ride's touchy controls. I played it last week, and wow, it was all over the place.

^{of course i was playing checker knights but w/ever.}

[Zera]

I like Mario Kart a lot more than Air Ride because of Air Ride's touchy controls. I played it last week, and wow, it was all over the place.

^{of course i was playing checker knights but w/ever.}

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You must have a broken controller or something. Or you were riding the Slick Star.

[Emeraldfox]

Since F-Zero is currently dead and a Kirby Air Ride sequel is unlikely, Mario Kart is the only Nintendo racing series left. As such, I have no choice but to hold it to the same standard that I hold to F-Zero GX. Which is a very high standard, by the way.

That's like, very silly. Considering F-Zero and Mario Kart are very different.

Please stop.

Edited May 4, 2014 by EmeraldFox

[Randoman]

According to the Mario Wiki (and this one GoNintendo screenshot that I'm having trouble digging up), the default characters are as follows:

Mario

Luigi

Peach

Daisy

Yoshi

Toad

Koopa

Shy Guy

Baby Mario

Baby Luigi

Baby Peach

Baby Daisy

Bowser

Donkey Kong

Wario

Waluigi

The unlockable characters are as follows:

Ludwig
Iggy
Baby Rosalina
Toadette
Lakitu
Wendy
Larry
Lemmy
Rosalina
Metal Mario
Pink Gold Peach
Roy
Morton
Mii

It's strange how Rosalina is unlockable despite being on the box art. Not complaining, but it's still weird.

[Icon of Sin]

It's strange how Rosalina is unlockable despite being on the box art. Not complaining, but it's still weird.

Snake and Sonic are promoted at the back of the SSBB box.

[Randoman]

Snake and Sonic are promoted at the back of the SSBB box.

Well, that's understandable since they're 3rd party/guest characters and they're always heavily advertised in games to draw in fans of that guest character. Though I guess Rosalina does have quite a large and strong fanbase to follow that same reasoning in her promotion on the box art.

[solrocknroll]

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You must have a broken controller or something. Or you were riding the Slick Star.

It really probably was the controller in all actuality.

[Ema Skye]

Data miners have discovered that there aren't actually 3 weight classes but 7. The data comes from people with review copies as well as people who played the demo in Melbourne, Australia.

[Randoman]

Data miners have discovered that there aren't actually 3 weight classes but 7. The data comes from people with review copies as well as people who played the demo in Melbourne, Australia.

Always with the stats and nitty gritty Doofy. =P

I was really wanting to know how stats would work in Mario Kart 8 though, so thanks. It kind of baffles me that Ludwig is the same weight as Mario and Luigi (I know that was revealed a while ago, but I still think Ludwig is too big to be a middleweight) and that Wario is heavier than Donkey Kong yet again. I'd think that Donkey Kong's bigger size would make him weigh more than Wario.

This probably won't matter too much seeing how Bowser, Wario, and Morton will likely be the 3 world record Time Trial characters, but do Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach use Standard size or Large size vehicles? I found it slightly unfair that Metal Mario in Mario Kart 7 was the only character who's vehicle size defied his weight class, and how practically all World Record holders used him only as a result. Yeah, I know that there's Funky Kong in Mario Kart Wii and other Time Trial OP characters in the previous Mario Karts, but with Mario Kart 7 and 8 making all characters of the same weight class equal, it'll at least give more variety in the characters used in world records.

...okay, I guess maybe that doesn't make too much sense to others, but I personally like it better if more than one character is viable for making World Records.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Randoman

[PM ME MARIANNE ART]

Personally, the rosters for both this and Smash Bros are pretty disappointing to me.

But hey, I love both series and will be getting both games. When it comes to the rosters, I always have people who return like Yoshi, Wario, etc. to use instead of the new characters. The tracks are also fantastic looking, and I agree with Doofina that Mount Wario is pretty much going to be one of Mario Kart's greatest courses.

And yeah, please stop with the F-Zero stuff.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Ringabel