Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite

I have about 6 games on Switch and in my opinion Super Mario Kart 8 is the best racing game Nintendo has made on the Switch! It is definitely better than Mario Kart 7 on 3DS XL and that was already awesome so imagine how much better this is with better graphics and playability! Even though this came out in 2017, 4 years later this still holds up pretty well, especially for those who were unable to get a Switch during the great Switch drought of 2020! There are 41 playable characters and 5 of them are exclusive to Switch. I believe Villager from Animal crossing is new as well as Bowser Jr. , Cat Peach, Dry Bones, Dry Bowser ,the Inklings from Splatoon and Tanooki Mario. Also players will have access to all 48 tracks from the starting line which is great. The one all new feature of the game is called Smart Steering, the Smart Steering is intended for inexperienced players. I don’t know how it works but you can go over a speed boost, bump into a wall but not lose any speed. It also allows you to boost on sharp turns on tracks like Rainbow Road. Really great racing experience. Smooth ,great music, fun effects, it takes you back to the good old Nintendo days except you now can play Mariokart on the move, win win!

Very fun game! A must have for any mario kart fans. I managed to get the $40 sale from Best Buy (totally worth it - brand new Mario Kart games almost never go on sale for less than 5 bucks, even if the release date is more than 2 years ago) . It’s a great game to pull out and bring over to your friend’s houses. So many of the tracks are beautiful, creative, amazing, and gorgeous to race on. Some of the cool tracks are actually one giant track with the laps acting as checkpoints. Really cool to see more of those in this game; this wasn’t a thing on DS or Double Dash. If you’re hesitant to buy because it was released a while back, don’t worry - this has everything you’d expect in a mario kart game. There is an expansion pack for $25 that I haven’t gotten yet, but it adds almost twice the amount of tracks in the base game. I am planning on buying it when I have finished all cups with 3 stars. I have two mirror cups left to do atm. The skill floor is very low with assisted steering and 50cc options, meaning it’s great for anyone that doesn’t really play video games or unfamiliar with mario kart, yet the skill ceiling can still be very high! In 200cc, you’ll find yourself needing to brake while drifting, especially on the harder tracks. On those, my girlfriend and I practice on the Time Trial runs to learn the tracks and practice drifts. I’ve still yet to beat the 200cc Rainbow Road Crown Cup Race without falling off while drifting, lol! But I’ll get it one day! I started on Mario Kart DS and am still really happy karting whenever I get that itch to race. If you’re ultra competitive with your friends, however, you have the options to play a VS. race, turn off all items, and race with on any track you want with your friends. You can set teams too if you’re into that. Also coming from playing Mario Kart Double Dash, it’s especially awesome on the Switch. In millennial terms, you are getting a TV console quality level of video game on a portable hand-held device that you can take anywhere… yet you can STILL hook it up to your TV and play there! I cannot understate how thrilling this is to have. But maybe I’m just getting old, lol. Lots of replay value if you’re into mastering the tracks and you play other racing games such as Forza Horizon or maybe the older NFS games like Underground 1-2, Most Wanted, Carbon, etc. if you can find someone else to kart with, I would totally give it a shot if you’ve got that same kind of drive for racing, drifting, and mastering the track. There is so many ways you can enjoy the game and it appeals to a wide range of people of all skill levels, especially because of the RNG factors. I know that some people are of the opinion that Mario Kart is an anti-competitive or anti-skill game because of the random items that have a huge impact on whether you get first place or not regardless of your skill level, but to me that’s the beauty of this game. Because you could do everything right or nothing wrong in real life, and things will still not go your way no matter how well you did something. It encourages and reminds me to keep challenging myself to have a mindset of healthy self-control, such as fully accepting stressful outcomes and freeing my mind from the frustrations of things i cannot control (like 3 blue shells in a row) and instead shifting my mental energy towards my strive for mastery, such as practicing chain drifting more comfortably in Cheese Land on 200cc, because there are turns that I only do well without going off the track 70% of the time. Because that’s life sometimes, and you gotta give yourself the love you need and not let your overwhelming challenges get the best of you. Being able to play this game and be reminded of my 12-year-old-self’s relentless mentality and drive to be the best driver I could be is therapeutic for me nowadays. Mario Kart is its own thing and I have always appreciated it and wanted to play it for what it is, and I am sure a lot of others feel the same way. I bought this game with the intention of keeping it for more than a decade if possible:) It’s been a great investment for me and I’m glad I bought it <3

I've been wanting to get Mario Kart 8 since the Wii U, but never had the chance to get it. I'm glad I waited and got the Deluxe version of Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Switch. It's so much fun playing Mario Kart 8 on the go! :) The graphics look beautiful in 1080p HD. The new racing tracks are really creative. There are some returning retro tracks that have been completely revamped for Mario Kart 8, such as Moo Moo Meadows (Wii), Yoshi's Circuit (GameCube), and Music Park (3DS). **DLC & MORE PLAYABLE CHARACTERS!** It adds all the DLC packs that were released on the Wii U. Plus, more characters have been added to Mario Kart 8. They added Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy with different color schemes to choose from, Bowser Jr., King Boo, Dry Bones, and an alternate costume for Link (Breath of the Wild tunic) - which was a free update that was added recently. **IMPROVED BATTLE MODES!!** The Battle modes on the Wii U were just reusing the racing tracks which made it too big to chase after other players. It seemed like battle mode was an afterthought and Nintendo realized they needed to add battle modes for when Mario Kart 8 was first released on the Wii U. In the Deluxe Edition, the battle modes are much better and they created some new battle modes. The arenas are smaller, like in previous Mario Kart games. One of the new battle maps has a Splatoon themed arena. Returning modes are Popping Balloons and Bob-omb Blast **CONTROLS** The controls feel great. There's even a new Smart Steering feature which makes driving and staying on the track easy for those who normally don't play video games that much. Nintendo even added more controller options such as Nintendo Labo Motorcycle and Vehicle. Overall, I had a lot of fun playing this game and I recommend this to anyone who likes racing games. Fun to play on your own or play with your friends and family!

Coming from the Nintendo Wii's Mario Kart 7, the game is graphically stunning, and there are a variety of new, exciting, and gorgeous tracks with plenty of shortcuts. There are some classic tracks as well as newer ones. There are many options to customize your vehicle (e.g., parachute, wheels). Vehicle customization affects the acceleration, weight, handling, traction, and speed of the vehicle. All of the characters come unlocked, but you can unlock vehicles, parachutes, and wheels by collecting coins throughout the game. Interestingly, there is 200cc, which speeds up the track, so breaking technique is involved. Gameplay: I immediately noticed that MK8D requires a lot of drifting, which is different from MK7 Wii, where drifting is optional. I found it to be more easy to get bumped off the track by heavier players. Unfortunately, some of the boost items (the golden mushroom and star) give you less speed than they used to. The benefit to the star in MK8D is its invincibility, which is a great advantage considering that players can hold up to two items. The green turtles are much more likely to hit you, are much faster, and can bounce off walls. Getting a coin in first place is often frustrating as it is not a defensive item; however, collecting coins increase your speed. Great game again from Nintendo.

Mario Kart 8 is nothing short of a masterpiece, providing an unparalleled gaming experience that deserves every bit of its five-star rating. Stunning graphics, seamless controls, and the infectious joy that this game brings. Visually, Mario Kart 8 is a feast for the eyes. The vibrant colors, detailed tracks, and smooth animations create a visually stunning world that is a sheer delight to race through. The attention to detail is impeccable, and every track feels like a work of art. Whether racing through the sun-soaked Sunshine Airport or drifting through the gravity-defying twists of Rainbow Road, the graphics are a testament to the technological prowess of the Nintendo Switch. The gameplay is where Mario Kart 8 truly shines. The controls are intuitive, responsive, and strike the perfect balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for seasoned players. The addition of the anti-gravity mechanic adds a new dimension to the races, as you defy gravity and navigate the upside-down sections of the tracks. The character roster is diverse and includes iconic favorites from the N64 days, along with new additions, each with their own unique abilities. The variety of vehicles and customization options add a layer of strategy, letting players tailor their karts to suit their playstyle. In conclusion, Mario Kart 8 is a tour de force in the world of gaming. With its breathtaking visuals, engaging gameplay, and robust multiplayer options, it stands as a crowd favorite. Whether you're a longtime fan of the franchise or a newcomer, Mario Kart 8 is an absolute must-play that deserves every bit of its five-star rating.