Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo Switch [Digital]

This is the definitive edition version of Mario Kart 8, and a must buy for those who never owned the Wii U version. For those who already own the Wii U version, the changes may or not be worth it depending on what you're looking for. Without further ado here are the list of changes compared to the Wii U version: 1. 1080p with higher frame rate* when docked (TV mode) instead of 720p (on Wii U). Tabletop mode it's still 720p. Frame rate TV mode is 60fps, off TV mode is 59fps. Yes, one frame makes a difference when comparing side-by-side and/or when you have been playing dozens of hours of the original 2. 5 new characters: King Boo, Bowser Jr, Dry Bones, & Inklings (Boy and Girl) 3. Characters can now carry up to two items at once, even if they don't drag the first item 4. Double Item Box. Get two items when you run through a double item box or two singles. Note that you cannot swap items back and forth 5. "Smart Steering" A mode that prevents you from running off course or into a puddle of water. Good for toddlers or young children getting into the game (especially on the rainbow road courses). If the Smart Steering mode is on, the player's vehicle will have an antenna sticking out its rear end. The antenna blinks when Smart Steering is active. 6. "Auto-accelerate" for beginners. Can be used in conjunction with Smart Steering, essentially you don't have to hold down the accelerate button. Again, good for young children who just want to drive through the track without any stop-gaps. Works well when using the wheel peripheral 7. All DLC (from Wii U) included. Everything is unlocked from beginning except kart parts and Gold Mario. Kart Parts are unlocked by playing through the game and collecting coins. Gold Mario unlocked by winning all of the 200cc grand prix cup 8. Time Trials in the 200cc engine class have been added. Also added are new ghosts of Nintendo employees to race against 9. Ultra Mini-Turbo, denoted by pink/purple sparks that appear after the orange sparks which makes you boost significantly faster. Cannot be used with smart steering on 10. Online Play. -Option to change character and vehicle combinations during an online lobby without having to leave/exit out; this is done by pressing the "Y" button during the course selection screen of an online lobby. - You can see what lap everyone is in, in spectator mode if you finish early -When you win a match you get to wear a crown in the main online menu screen for everyone in the lobby to see. Hat also present when you're in the lead during a match - More icon packs for tournament mode 11. Faster loading times. Just a few seconds, but it adds up overtime. If you purchase Mario Kart Deluxe digital over the physical you get 1-2 secs off each track loading screen 12. New amiibo compatibility. You now get racing suits when scanning in specific amiibo 13. Boo and feather (battle mode only) item return to the game 14. You get the same 48 courses racing courses. But you get 5 additional new battle stages in battle mode + 3 retro stages 15. The Villager in now split between male and female selectable characters with different stats bringing the roster to the total of 42 characters (excluding character variants. Example: different color yoshis/shy guys, create your own mii, etc) 16. Graphical change: Motion Blur, High Quality Shadows, Confetti now drop to the ground showing animation at start of match 17. Battle mode: Biggest change in terms of gameplay. There are 4 battle mode game types: -Balloon Battle. Traditional Arena Style (no more battling in a circle) Mario Kart Battle mode where you use items to pop your opponent's balloons or steal them via feather item in order to score points. -Renegade Round Up. Cops and Robbers style setup. One team with the potted piranha plants try to capture all the other team before time runs out. Once captured your teammate can also free you from your jail cell -Bob-omb Blast. Same as balloon battle, but you only carry bombs -Coin Runner. Collect as many coins in the stage as you can before time runs out -Shine Thief. A keepway style game where you have to hold the Shrine Sprite the longest before time runs out. The driver holding the shrine sprite will have their speed lower the longer they hold it ==Additional notes: - There's 4 player split screen in docked (TV mode) and handheld/table top mode. Note that the screen for table top mode is really small and may be a problem for those who are far-sighted. When playing 2 player it's 60fps, 3 or more on the same screen it'll drops down 30fps -There's no Download Play, so you have to play split screen or have another copy of the game if you don't want to share the same screen or play more than 4 players -Stamps do not make a return since the Switch doesn't have miiverse -No more gamepad/duel screen when playing TV mode, so this time around you cannot see what items everyone is holding by glancing down -No voice chat (as of this review) unfortunately. Was present in the Wii U version with mic hardware (which no one bought). There's supposed to be a smart phone app that takes advantage of voice chat, but no word yet from Nintendo -Statistics of the vehicle parts and drivers have also been changed to make game more balanced -Other balance changes: Fire Hopping have been removed: An exploit in the Wii U version where you can repeatedly hop from left to right to get extra speed from turboboost. Blue shell dodge exploit still present. It's when you fall off the cliff the last second the blue shell is about to hit you, it'll save a lot of time recovering from the hit. Note this cannot be done when smart steering mode is on If a Blooper is about to ink the player as they cross the finish line, the player will still get inked. Red Shell Nerfed: If you're holding an item behind you while in the air, you can block a red shell Easier to break while drifting (advanced tactic) -Luigi still has his signature death stare If there's anything I missed please put it in the comments. Overall, i personally think the best additions are the enhanced battle mode and the portability aspect as I can now play during my break period and commute to work. I already sunk in over 300+ hours on the Wii U version and the upgrade is totally worth it for me as I got more than my money's worth in the original game on Wii U and plan to sync 300+ on the Switch version especially with the ease of use due to it's portability, and 100+ more hours of play in battle mode play with housemates. Well that is my personal perspective, so if you are in a similar situation it's a very good buy. If not, I hope the list of changes helped you in your purchasing decision

I've been playing Mario Kart since its inception on the SNES back in 1992. Perhaps that dates me a little bit, but don't be fooled: this old dog is a gamer and can still hang with the best of them. I've played almost every iteration of Kart pretty obsessively with the exception of just a few, so my experience with this franchise is quite extensive. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was simply great, right out of the starting gate. Our family purchased a Wii U a little bit late in its production cycle, and as such we started playing Mario Kart 8 only very recently. We went through most challenges of the game and unlocked just about everything that is unlockable. Shortly after that, we purchased our Switch. The first game we bought was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, many of the unlockable rewards from Mario Kart 8 are already unlocked. Some may find this to be a treat, especially if coming from Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U where they don't want to be bothered to go through those challenges again. For others, particularly those who are new to Mario Kart 8 in general, that might leave the game a little bit unfulfilling. I'm somewhere in the middle of these two camps, as I feel that while even though the game is "largely similar" it does have enough differences that -- to me -- constitute the need for starting the game at the same baseline as the Mario Kart 8 edition from Wii U and then being required to unlock everything again. You do still need to unlock many of the vehicle customizations, though. All that said, the characters, available bikes and karts, and all of the attributes of the various vehicles really showcase the depth and thought process that went into the driving aspects of Mario Kart 8. It's really quite unlike any Mario Kart game before it. I find it intriguing to see how people use the different combinations of characters, bikes/karts, tires, and gliders to create their ultimate racer. Back in the days of the original Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64, you simply didn't have anything like that available. Interesting tidbit about the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe vehicles: changing your Mii in the Nintendo Switch console changes the available attributes of the vehicle that you can use when you choose your Mii character as a racer when you're in the vehicle selection screen. I'm a tall and thinner build in "real life" but my Mii character on the Nintendo Switch console has a different body type because I want my Mario Kart vehicle to drive a certain way. Through a bit of trial and error, with which I am still experimenting, I have been able to create the ideal vehicle for me. Give it a shot! The online racing feature is greatly improved since the original Wii days. That is great to see. Nintendo has done a really nice job of making the online racing accessible, and I would venture a guess that more people are trying online racing (and online gaming in general) for the first time with this version of the game than in any Mario Kart titles prior to this one. The new tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are absolutely TONS of fun. There is a nice range of very simple to very challenging. I don't know how the developers continue to reinvent the wheel regarding the multitude of great new tracks over the years, but they somehow do every time. The retro tracks are pretty cool to see, too. The one thing with the retro tracks is that they aren't particularly "true" to the originals. While there might be many similarities, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe takes those tracks and adds many new spins on them. For those of us who remember those original tracks, that can be seen as a little bit of a surprise, as the tracks simply do not drive the same with all the new features. Still, though, it's pretty awesome that they recognized some of the classics and brought them into the mix with this newest version of Mario Kart. The Excitebike homage track was pretty darn cool, too. Considering that there have been so many releases of this game, it's amazing to see that the developers have been able to keep it fresh and innovative after 20-plus years. This game delivers on all of that and then some. I highly recommend this game for anyone who loves fun racing games, and/or is a Mario Kart aficionado. You simply will not be disappointed.

Some of you may be familiar with MARIOKART 8 as it existed in the Wii U for almost 3 years now. If you are new to the game then I have to tell you that you are in for a treat. Welcome to Mario Kart 8 deluxe edition! What makes it deluxe? There were 2 packs of DLC (downloadable content) that added more tracks(48 total!), more racers(42 total!), more carts(40 total!), and added replayability to an already excellent game. Other than the aforementioned new carts and tracks, there are a few differences to note in this new version. There is a mode called auto steering that is default set on when you first start playing. This mode is akin to the bumpers that protect you from the gutter in bumper bowling, as it stops you from falling off the track and falling waay behind in the race. The sacrifice of having this mode on is that it will slow your cart down and/or redirect you to keep you on track. One of the biggest complaints is why this mode is auto set to be on? The answer however is simple, it's for kids and/or casual gamers so they jump in and not be overwhelmed right away by the complexity of some of the more difficult tracks. It's worth noting that this mode can be turned off before the race on the cart select screen. Hit ± or - and a small 3 option sub menu comes up below the carts stats. Hit L to deactivate auto steering, Y to activate physical driving (using the joy cons as a steering wheel), and R to activate auto accelerate, which I haven't used yet but I hear is pretty good. I feel this needs addressing most as this is the number 1 complaint I see online when it comes to the negatives of this game. It's relatively easy to shut off. Now back to the pros, which is basically the entire rest of the game, gain coins through racing or in the newly revamped battlemode to unlock new carts and custom parts for all of the carts. The battle mode has been redone as well, and makes the game that much more worth it. You can play multi player too, 4 players on one screen(which is tough in portable mode), or up to 8 if you and 7 friends all have a switch and mk8d... Online functionality is good but not great because Nintendo makes you jump through hoops to chat while you play. It doesn't bother me as I'm not one to chat with strangers online, bit I feel as though I'm in the minority on that line of thinking... It's yet to be said if there is to be any new DLC for this version but as it stands it's well worth your money and oh yeah... ITS PORTABLE!!! 3...2....1....GO! (get it)

Mario Kart 8 was such a good Mario Kart game I still considered it my favorite despite its lack of a proper battle mode and certain fan favorite characters. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe fixes some top complaints with Mario Kart 8 and adds new features on top of that. The new battle modes are a lot of fun. Balloon Battle and Coin Runners play like they did in Mario Kart Wii, and Shine Thief plays like it did in Double Dash. I did not find the new version of Bob-omb Blast to be *quite* as fun as the Double Dash version, but I was glad to see it return. The new Renegade Roundup mode plays like cops and robbers, and while it seems like the easiest to unbalance, it is still a lot of fun, and it feels fresh and different. While none of the race tracks are new, it is nice that Deluxe comes with all the tracks and CC levels unlocked (including the DLC tracks and 200cc). You do not get rewards for completing individual cups anymore, but as someone who already unlocked everything in MK8, it is nice to not have to unlock all the tracks and characters again. If you are someone who enjoys unlocking things, there ARE still locked vehicle parts—including new Splatoon ones—that are unlocked by collecting coins. Even though the courses are the same, some of the new mechanics do make a difference. The most visible is the ability to carry two items at once. It allows some Double Dash strategies to return, but the inability to swap the item slots makes it feel more like dragging one item while having another in your item slot in other Mario Kart games. The item changes (and the introduction of the new Boo item) help give the first place player less of an advantage than in MK8 without feeling too unfair. Another new feature is the third level of mini turbo—it is difficult to drift that long on most courses, but the speed boost you get from it feels very satisfying. For advanced players, it sounds like a small change, but the ability to brake while drifting can actually really change how you play some tracks—especially in 200cc. For new players, auto steering and auto acceleration make learning the game much easier (though I wish the switches to turn them on and off were not hidden in the +/− menus). Overall, if you never played MK8, picking up Deluxe is a no-brainer. If you played MK8 and loved it, Deluxe is probably worth it for the new battle modes and the ability to play those courses on-the-go (spontaneous split-screen races in portable mode with Joy-Cons are still a lot of fun). If you hated the core gameplay of MK8, Deluxe does little to fundamentally change the formula, so you might want to try a friend's copy before deciding to buy. For me, this is probably my new favorite Mario Kart game.

Mario Kart 8 was such a good Mario Kart game I still considered it my favorite despite its lack of a proper battle mode and certain fan favorite characters. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe fixes some top complaints with Mario Kart 8 and adds new features on top of that. The new battle modes are a lot of fun. Balloon Battle and Coin Runners play like they did in Mario Kart Wii, and Shine Thief plays like it did in Double Dash. I did not find the new version of Bob-omb Blast to be *quite* as fun as the Double Dash version, but I was glad to see it return. The new Renegade Roundup mode plays like cops and robbers, and while it seems like the easiest to unbalance, it is still a lot of fun, and it feels fresh and different. While none of the race tracks are new, it is nice that Deluxe comes with all the tracks and CC levels unlocked (including the DLC tracks and 200cc). You do not get rewards for completing individual cups anymore, but as someone who already unlocked everything in MK8, it is nice to not have to unlock all the tracks and characters again. If you are someone who enjoys unlocking things, there ARE still locked vehicle parts—including new Splatoon ones—that are unlocked by collecting coins. Even though the courses are the same, some of the new mechanics do make a difference. The most visible is the ability to carry two items at once. It allows some Double Dash strategies to return, but the inability to swap the item slots makes it feel more like dragging one item while having another in your item slot in other Mario Kart games. The item changes (and the introduction of the new Boo item) help give the first place player less of an advantage than in MK8 without feeling too unfair. Another new feature is the third level of mini turbo—it is difficult to drift that long on most courses, but the speed boost you get from it feels very satisfying. For advanced players, it sounds like a small change, but the ability to brake while drifting can actually really change how you play some tracks—especially in 200cc. For new players, auto steering and auto acceleration make learning the game much easier (though I wish the switches to turn them on and off were not hidden in the +/− menus). Overall, if you never played MK8, picking up Deluxe is a no-brainer. If you played MK8 and loved it, Deluxe is probably worth it for the new battle modes and the ability to play those courses on-the-go (spontaneous split-screen races in portable mode with Joy-Cons are still a lot of fun). If you hated the core gameplay of MK8, Deluxe does little to fundamentally change the formula, so you might want to try a friend's copy before deciding to buy. For me, this is probably my new favorite Mario Kart game.

TL;DR: This game is literally an enhanced port of the original Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U - with additional features and improved frame rate. Pros: Improved frame rate - especially in split-screen multiplayer, portable local multiplayer with multiple controller options, Battle Mode revamp, 8 player local co-op is possible, stat tiers have been fixed and stat points are no longer lost, Mario Kart is fun, very good purchase for those who never purchased the original. Cons: While 8 player co-op is possible, the game is a bit unclear at conveying that you require 4 Switch consoles to do so. Single joycon controls are the most economical choice to play with a lot of people, but they're fairly uncomfortable to play Mario Kart with. For veteran MK8 players, this is only an enhanced port - the only thing new is the battle mode and 1 new unlockable. Farming coins again can be a chore. Unlockables: most characters/stages/cc modes are unlocked at the start of the game to appeal to the market of players who originally purchased MK8 for the Wii U. There is 1 unlockable character (beat 200cc) and all karts/bikes/wheels/gliders must be unlocked by farming coins once again. Beating 150cc unlocks the gold cups/stars for 50cc and 100cc as well without having to play them. Additional features: DLC only characters and stages from the Wii U version are included. New and improved battle mode included, 8 player local co-op possible (requires 4 Switch consoles - can only do 2 player split-screen per console). Standard 4 player split-screen local co-op is possible on one console. New karts and stat overhaul. Personal review: As a veteran of MK8 Wii U, I purchased this strictly for the ability to play this portable with friends. As I had already unlocked everything and played the original MK8 to death, I found myself not being as immersed in playing single player since I had already 3 starred every track in all modes including 200cc in original MK8 and I got bored quickly and lost interest playing by myself. Online matchmaking is still fun and the new battle modes did warrant a good purchase in my book. The biggest draw was the ability to bring my Switch anywhere and able to set up Mario Kart at parties and game nights for casual and competitive play with friends, only to lose those friendships shortly after over a horribly timed blue shell. I would 110% recommend this to someone who has never played MK8 before, but I would only recommend this to a MK8 veteran only if the things I wrote in the above "Pros" section appeal to them - otherwise, just stick with the Wii U version.

I fell in love with Mario Kart on the N64. I put countless hours into mastering every track, on every difficulty level, and loved few things more than Mario Kart tournaments with my friends and siblings. Even to this day I break out that old game console and challenge my nephews to a race. When I finally decided to get myself a Nintendo Switch, my first new gaming console since my N64, I knew right away that this was going to be my first game purchase, just like it was back in 1997. I have not been disappointed. The first notable difference from my Mario Kart of old is the sheer scale of this game. It is simply so much bigger. More racers on the track at a time, more characters to choose from, more kart options (and upgrades!), and way, way, WAY more tracks to compete on. I've been playing this game for a few weeks now and still have really only raced on about 2/3rds of the tracks so far. And as a bonus for us old-time Mario Kart drivers, many of the tracks are throwbacks to those on earlier systems. Only now apparently now you can race on the walls and ceilings too, which is still a little mind-boggling to me, and an interesting twist visually. But where this game really shines is in when you get a few friends together and face off against them. The multi-player options are pretty expansive too, with several multi-player game modes to choose from. Battle mode is a heck of a lot more chaotic with 12 characters in the arena as compared to the 4 I was used to, but I haven't decided yet if that's a downside or not. But my personal favorite way to play, just as it was before, is a good old-fashioned race with a four-player split screen. Even my non-gaming mother-in-law is having a good time watching this one! Definitely pick up this title... and don't forget to grab a second set of joy-cons. You're going to be glad you had them for this title!

I have been playing Mario Kart since the SNES days. Mario Kart 64 was the first of the series I purchased with my hard earned money from my first job that I played for months on end. I admit that having previously purchased Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U there was some hesitation in buying the new "remastered" game. But in all Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's seemingly small feature upgrades add a lot to the game. In my case the updates were well worth the double dip. If you've been away from the series and or missed it entirely on Wii U there should be no question on whether to buy (so long as you enjoy the racing, kart genre). But if you are on the fence consider the following: -Eight battle stages with four modes. This was the greatest omission from the Wii U version that is rightly fixed now. The modes are great, with Renegade Roundup being the new addition and my personal favorite. -Full 1080p 60fps on TV and 720p 60fps on the go. It ran at 720p 59fps on Wii U. So the game is sharper and very smooth running on the Switch. Multiplayer dips to 30fps with three or four players, but no different than Wii U. -Best handheld iteration of a Mario Kart ever made. -Double item blocks return, you can now get a defensive item and a coin or two defensive items. This really does make the game much better. -New characters and karts: Dry Bones, Bowser Jr. Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl. There is one additional character that is unlocked by getting a gold cup on every cup available, I won't spoil it here. A quick Google search will tell you who it is. -All DLC characters and levels included and unlocked from the start including 200cc mode. There is still a progression through racing and getting coins to earn kart parts. -Local wireless, LAN (with adapter), and online play are all available.