Real Talk By: KJ

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) has been held in high regard at Play Legit for quite some time. Many here believe it to be the franchise’s best entry.  Be sure to check out Ms. Throwback’s review of MK8 OG Edition.  Where could Nintendo take The Game next?  The answer is on the go.

The user interface looks nearly identical, but I enjoyed it the first time around.  Another addition is the slight upscaling.  On TV sets, MK’s resolution pumps up to 1080p (720p Undocked).  Mario Kart 8 was already a great looking game.  A graphical overhaul of-course would have been great, but The Selling point of Deluxe is in its features.  Is there enough on-cart to justify the $59.99 price tag?

A few new tweaks include the option of holding two items again.  The Feather leaps players out of bad situations, while Boo can help or hurt you (insert sneaky smirk here). With these fresh items, and more slots, the raceway is even more chaotic than ever.  Expect to get blasted with a barrage of colorful throwables.  Deluxe has All 48 Race Tracks ever released.  Those of you who missed any of that stuff, now is your time.

Mario Kart is famous for bringing people together and being accessible.  You’ll notice some racers will have a flashing antenna.  This notifies players of a new control type. Introducing “Smart Steering”.  The feature doesn’t bother me since it can be easily disabled.  Also, this is great for entry-level fans.  It won’t lead vehicles to short cuts either.  Veterans should have no issues competing against racers with it on.  Several articles have come-up praising it.  Smart Steering has allowed Gamers with disabilities to get in on the fun as well.  That’s Legit!

Along with all the DLC ever released, the traditional Battle Mode has been retooled.  Five Extra characters including Boy and Girl Inklings Join the cast.  There’s even a fun Splatoon versus stage with the theme playing in the background.  All the music and sound effects are still outstanding.  In-fact, we nominated it for best soundtrack back in 2014.

Old School Balloon Battling is just one part of the action.  Shine Thief is a free-for-all where a single person must hold-onto the shine sprite till the time runs out, with others trying to do the same.  A Cops and Robbers mode (Renegade Roundup) sees the Police Team chasing the Bad Guys down.  When a robber is grabbed, they’re sent to prison. Players will sit in there until teammates free them. If all renegades are caught then it’s game over.  Other than classic battle, that was the standout mode in my eyes.  Coin Runners is a collectathon.  Whoever’s holding the most bling-bling when time runs out will be victorious.  Bomb-omb Blast is a death match type with bombs being the only item in-play.  8 Versus stages in total to conduct business.

Taking one of the best Nintendo games with you anywhere is simply appealing. Multiple players on one system.  Others bring their switch consoles to link-up as well.  Everything is faster.  Loading out of sleep mode, loading levels, it’s impressive.  Get in a few races on a lunch break. It’s crazy to get that same feeling the 3DS Kart game provided, now on a higher level.  Then there was Wifi.  Did The Online Play improve?

Once getting into a game the racing experience has been smooth thus far.  However, be aware of communication errors popping up before games.  Happens far too often as of this writing.  The network options remain mostly unchanged as well.  Selective text chat choices, with no voice options.  The Nintendo App is supposed to solve that issue.  Time will tell.  We use our Play Legit discord line to communicate.  One oddity present, is that players are currently unable to choose specifically what Battle Mode they want.  There simply hasn’t been enough strides made to give the Online mode a complete thumbs up.  Too bare of a feature.  For free, not bad.  If this is indicative of what to expect from a paid Nintendo Service, then work definitely needs to be done.

Deluxe is a bonus to the game we loved back in 2014.  The added Battle Modes and Stages are thrilling to play in, and certainly deliver.  There’s a reason you made Mario Kart 8 Play Legit’s Best Family Game of 2014.  Deluxe makes it even more friendly in that aspect, while giving Hardcore gamers their own lane with the addictive New Battle Features.  Did you own all the DLC prior? Is battle mode even your thing? Definitely consider a price drop.  Still, this was a smart move by Nintendo.  Give the people an already polished experience while the Switch Lineup grows.  The option to take a certified classic wherever, not a bad idea.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Gets

4.5 Out of 5

What’s Legit?

+Fresh Content Delivers.

+Every Piece of Past DLC Included.

+Superb Party Game.

What’s Perpetrating?

-Basic Online Options.

-If you bought all the past DLC, wait a bit.

#MK8D @PlayLegit