We have a new analysis of Mario Kart 8 after the Direct, and there’s a lot to get through. Most glaring of all is the lack of announcements about Battle Mode, but we’ll get into that below.
So, to be clear, the Direct itself did share some new info, but is mostly a rundown of many details we have already seen. We’ve been made so intimately familiar with the game details, to a degree that we’re not used to from Nintendo. Since then, we now know every track in the game, thanks to the site. Let’s run down some of those now.
Mount Wario stands out the most. This is a single lap course where you start off jumping off a helicopter and continuously make your way down. It’s a truly awe-inspiring track visually and conceptually.
In a similar vein, Wario Stadium looks like an exciting course. They took the course from Mario Kart DS and changed it up so much that it’s near unrecognizable. An sideways antigravity section has been added midway to the track, that leads to a new underwater section.
Sherbet Land, originally from the Gamecube, was updated in the ways that you would have hoped. The overall layout is the same, but they added a new track to it by changing the lake, previously a hazard, into a raceable underwater track. And then, they added another new underwater section to the second half of the track. This track may be the closest to its original incarnation, but it still feels completely new.
Yoshi Valley from N64 also has returned. Mountains and waterfalls were added in, making it more visually impressive. The alternate paths were also changed up, adding a bridge, a new tunnel, and a barrel cannon that fires you across half the course. Oddly enough, this course has no antigravity section.
Bowser’s Castle was revealed in the new trailer. While it looks amazing, the track design seems suspect. The Bowser statue in the main hallway is going to change up things for sure. He punches either left or right, and depending on your position, you can either get a Spin Boost from it, or get smacked. It is reminiscent of Bowser’s neon castle in Super Mario 3D World.
There is also a brand new, not N64-inspired Rainbow Road. The course is essentially a space station, and in different parts of the course you can see Earth looming below. It appears to be a three lap course, compared to RR64, but the design again is also suspect. It should be noted that these two course are newly unveiled, and no one has actually gotten a chance to race on it and share impressions yet.
Now, let’s talk about Battle Mode. It’s not clear why the Direct did not cover this mode. It is a return to form for the series, but the maps may be a problem. If this mode is using the same maps the rest of the game has, the tracks will essentially be loops, and that will hurt the replayability of the courses.
For those who were unaware, the new Crazy Eight power-up is essentially a ramping up of MK7’s Lucky 7 power-up, with one item added in for good measure. The Super Horn may be an extremely rare item, considering how powerful it is. It is also the 1st defensive item for the Blue Shell, so getting your hands on it will create the dilemma of whether you want to use it now or save it for later.
The new online features show how much Nintendo is embracing connectivity. In particular, the edit options for the highlight reels, allowing you to pick out racers or particular events happening, will give fans an easy and fun way to show off their racing skills. The different tournament options also adds to the fun.
Nintendo has made Mario Kart 8 very enticing, and one wonder if the success or failure of their current offers (buy one take one offer, new Wii U bundle) will convince them to repeat the idea for the Super Smash Bros release or not.
Lastly, let’s address one possible concern. Are we getting too much information about Mario Kart 8 all at once, and have they run out of things to share? Our analysts it may not be that big an issue. It does take away a big deal of the sense of discovery, but what they have revealed seems to only increase the hype. There is also the possibility that Nintendo may not be afraid about oversharing because they have some definite surprises planned for the game, in the form of DLC.
Will Mario Kart 8 have DLC? Does it have more secrets to unpack? We’ll keep you up to date on it as news comes out. In the meantime, check out our source video below. Mario Kart 8 will be available May 30 on Wii U.
