Customer Ratings & Reviews

Mario Kart 8 on Wii U is the definitive Mario Kart (and therefore karting) experience to be had in videogames. Multiple environments/driving styles, an excellent sense of speed, balanced power ups, lag free online play, and stunning graphics. The game features a strong multiplayer suite (inlcuding 4 player split screen), loads of unlockables, and imaginative course design, enhanced by the zero gravity segments. Where Mario Kart 8 has any blemish is in its disappointing battle mode. Instead of battle arenas, players utilize different tracks to battle on. The problem is that the tracks do not work well for battling, since they are designed for racing, creating minimal confrontation zones. Second, as great as the game is, it is admittedly familiar - 16 brand new tracks and 16 re-imagined classic tracks, as with the last several installments. The routine could use a shake up. I hope that Nintendo will utilize downloadable content to give us a better designed battle mode, but the bottom line is that this is a great game that capitalizes on the Wii U's strengths, reminding us of how talented a company like Nintendo is. If you own the console, Mario Kart 8 is a must purchase, and any complaints should be considered minor. The game excels in the gameplay department, features imaginative course design, and is consistently fun. And fun is what gaming is all about.

So much fun for all levels of players - young and old - its easy to pick up and learn and a blast with 4 players at once, definitely recommended!

It has 2 new rainbow roads :). Great game play, very smooth. We have spent hours unlocking all of the cool characters and vehicles . Great fun.

Classic gameplay, plenty of fun for all ages. Higher levels are more difficult than in previous iterations of the game, but overall a great experience.

great gameplay,characters and rides are outstanding. beautiful settings.just a great game for the family and a new excellence for the Mario Kart series

Kids can play for hours and I have to stop them. Cool graphics and it's not ovey complicated so my 6 year old plays fine along w my 10 year old!

Really fun! Smooth easy controls. Easy to learn, difficult to master. Feels less unfair than the last Mario kart on Wii. Great multiplayer game.

I was never really a gamer until I played Mario Kart 8 with my grandchildren. Now I love it. Its a great way to bring the family together for some good old family fun. It's challenging, fun, and you almost feel like you're really driving. The different cars and motorcycles also make each race seem new. I never thought I'd say this, but I find myself practicing after the grandchildren are in bed, so I can get better at each course, and hopefully beat them once in a while. LOL. Great Game!!!!! Everyone that has played it at our house, loves it.

This 22-year-old franchise just keeps getting better. For a console that desperately needs a shot in the arm, "Mario Kart 8" couldn't have arrived at a better time for the Wii U. Graphically, it's easily the best looking "Mario Kart" title yet. Partly because of the console's HD graphics horsepower, but also because the designers went above and beyond creating beautiful and challenging tracks for Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser and all the other racers in the Mushroom Kingdom. The game audio is also fantastic, featuring totally new tunes and remixed classics for the game's 32 tracks (16 new, 16 from previous releases). The gameplay hasn't changed that much, but it's the new mechanics that make "Mario Kart 8" stand out. The anti-gravity feature is like "Mario Kart 7's" underwater feature ... it engages and disengages automatically, and the driving technique changes appropriately in both cases. Item availability is still biased based on racer position, but the designers answered gamers who wanted to be able to counter the game's nastiest weapon, the Spiny/Blue shell, with the addition of the Super Horn and making it available to racers near the front of the pack. Online play continues with the same basics seen since "Mario Kart DS". Players can play against others from around the world in simple matches, or change up the rules (adding/removing items, for instance), when playing with friends. A fun new online feature is MKTV, Mario Kart TV, where users can choose pre-designed highlight reels from their races and post them directly to YouTube, allowing you to share your favorite moments. The only thing missing from the game, which has been a staple almost from the beginning, are dedicated arenas for the game's multiplayer Battle mode. In "Mario Kart 8", Battles take place on the standard courses, although users have more freedom than when racing in normal modes. So maybe it'll grow on us, but it would have been nice to make Battle arenas at least optional ... but that's what DLC is for, I'm guessing. As to that last point, I would hope Nintendo takes advantage of that and adds in new courses. If they're going to the effort to patch the game to use the upcoming "Amiibo" collectible figures, adding new or fan-requested tracks would keep the fun going well after everything's unlocked.

My family loves this game. It is something we can all do together and have a blast. The different tracks are so fun, we each have our favorite.

I personally haven't been able to play this game yet, since the kids (7 - 15, boys and girls) have taken over the Wii U. They have been having loads of fun. Up until I bought this game for them, they'd regularly play Mario Kart Wii, so this was a welcome addition. The only thing they complain about is that I've locked down Internet access on their profiles, so they can't race over the network, while they could with Mario Kart Wii. I may be able to change this, but haven't looked into it yet. They're having fun playing each other for now.

As expected, Mario Kart 8 is another great installment into the Mario Kart Series. there's nothing much that makes this a crazy addition, but there's enough to distinguish it from the other entries. the Zero Gravity sections dont do too much to the actual racing, simply giving you different pathways to go through, although the feat can be interesting for the first few races. The game looks gorgeous and runs smooth, with local and online play, you can play with people around the world or just around the neighborhood.

All new tracks, new special powers & additional characters. The kids love it! And so easy to get with Best Buy pre-order with store pick up.

The game is great as expected from the franchise. The boards are limited as usual but the expansion pack will add more at some point.

Very fun to play, and love the new changes on tracks and items. Also like how you go from driving to hoovering to flying and underwater.

This game is just pure fun. Being 31 I have found I've been gaming less and less and games or gaming series that I've had a blast playing in the past just haven't done it for me. I bought this for two reasons, one to let my 6 year old son experience Mario Kart and two the free game offer. I had no idea just how much fun I was going to have playing this. The first day alone, my son, myself, and several of our friends were over and we just kept playing and playing. I haven't had a gaming session like that since college.

OK, first, I'm a back seat gamer. I watch and aid my husband or brothers play. But I've been doing this for 30 years so I've gotten pretty good at it. ;) The graphics for this Mario Kart are amazing, and the camera controls for the 'highlights' are almost as fun as the game itself. We've had a very fun time going through new and old courses and figuring out the new things (Petey Piranha bonus? EPIC!). The only annoying thing is every time you finish a 'major achievement' you have to watch 5 minutes of credits. Bleah.

Best version of Mario Kart ever! The graphics are phenomenal. The gravity defying tracks add a new twist and 200cc is insane!

a great family time game. Fun, easy to learn, easy to play. It is a great game for multiple players, that way no one gets left out.

Our family loves this game. Kids from 4 up to 14 can all play together and enjoy competing against each other and opening up new levels. The graphics are fantastic and the new cart customization is brilliant. Having the ability to try so many different combinations really adds to the fun and keeps you from doing the same race over and over. Definitely worth purchasing and having for endless summer fun!!!