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Mario Kart 8

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Super Mario Wiki logo.png This article is a short summary of Mario Kart 8.
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Mario Kart 8
マリオカート8
Mario Kāto 8
MarioKart8.jpg
Cover artwork of Mario Kart 8
Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
Bandai Namco Games
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Platform: Wii U
Category: Racing
Players: Offline: 1-4
Online: 1-12
Predecessor: Mario Kart 7
Successor: N/A
Release dates
N. America: May 30, 2014
Japan: May 29, 2014
Europe: May 30, 2014
Australia: May 31, 2014
For additional release information, see below
Ratings
ESRB: E
CERO: A
PEGI: 3
USK: 0
ACB: G
Super Mario Wiki has more information on this game:
Read it now!
©2014 Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 is the Wii U installment in the Mario Kart series, and its eight main installment. The game was originally confirmed to be in development during the January 2013 Nintendo Direct before being officially revealed at E3 that year. Selling over 8 million copies, Mario Kart 8 is currently the best-selling Wii U game.

Blurb

Box (NA)

Defy the laws of gravity in the wildest Mario Kart game yet!

Optional motion steering
Share highlight reels
12-player online racing

Box (PAL)

Up walls!
Across ceilings!
Race without limits.

Steer using standard or motion controls!
Share your highlight videos
Online matches with up to 12 players!

Nintendo website

Feel the rush as your kart rockets across the ceiling!

Race upside-down and along walls on anti-gravity tracks in the most action-fueled Mario Kart™ game yet! Take on racers across the globe and share videos of your greatest moments via Mario Kart TV.

Driving up a waterfall or across the ceiling can provide an intense adrenaline rush, but that's not all anti-gravity is good for. It also provides a wild new gameplay mechanic: if you collide into other racers in zero-g, you’ll earn speed boosts worth bragging about. Luckily, you can upload and share your best moments and watch your friends’ using the all-new Mario Kart TV. Returning features include 12-player online play, gliders, underwater racing, motorbikes, and custom karts. You can even race as Bowser's seven minions, the Koopalings!

  • Race along walls and upside-down on twisting anti-gravity racetracks!
  • Share highlight videos of your greatest moments with friends via the Mario Kart TV feature and Miiverse™
  • Race and battle with friends locally* or connect online to play with random players from around the world
  • Fan favorite features from past Mario Kart™ games include gliders, underwater racing, motorbikes, mid-air tricks, and more
  • For the first time ever, play as all seven of Bowser's minions, the Koopalings!
  • Crisp HD graphics and fluid animation offers players the most visually stunning Mario Kart™ yet

Feel the rush as your kart rockets across the ceiling! Race upside-down and along walls on anti-gravity tracks in the most action-fueled Mario Kart™ game yet! Take on racers across the globe and share videos of your greatest moments via Mario Kart TV.

Driving up a waterfall or across the ceiling can provide an intense adrenaline rush, but that's not all anti-gravity is good for. It also provides a wild new gameplay mechanic: if you collide into other racers in zero-g, you’ll earn speed boosts worth bragging about. Luckily, you can upload and share your best moments and watch your friends’ using the all-new Mario Kart TV. Returning features include 12-player online play, gliders, underwater racing, motorbikes, and custom karts. You can even race as Bowser's seven minions, the Koopalings!

Gameplay

Basic gameplay is retained from the previous installments, in that players race across various tracks while using items spread across the track to gain an edge over opponents, though it is most similar to Mario Kart 7. Like Mario Kart Wii, twelve racers are able to race at once instead of eight, though like in Mario Kart 7 players are once again able to fly through the air with gliders and driver underwater, though new to this installment is anti-gravity, allowing players to drive across the walls and ceilings of a track at specified points. Kart customization also returns from Mario Kart 7, though this has been expanded upon to include bikes, returning from Mario Kart Wii, and a new kart type, ATVs. In addition to races, a battle mode is also available.

When playing online, players can race or battle against a group of random players online or with friends, or join tournaments, which are similar in setup to Mario Kart 7. Players are also able to save their replays and post them online via the "Mario Kart TV" feature.

Technical details

Technical Details
Media

Wii U Game Disc
Digital download

Download size

Game: 4949.8 MB
DLC: 2 GB

Supported features

Nintendo Network (online play, online sharing, Miiverse, game chat), local play (2-4 players), amiibo (read only), Off-TV Play

Input / compatible controllers

Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote (+ Nunchuk), Classic Controller

Additional content

Updates

Version no. Release date(s) Description
2.0 August 27, 2014 Adds a "Shop" menu to the main menu to download DLC, the option to display the course map on the TV screen with the Wii U GamePad, increases the maximum online VR rating to 99999, allows players the view their stats from the main menu, saves the last used vehicle combination (minus DLC parts), swaps the positions of the "Next Race" and "View Highlight Reel" buttons after a race.
3.0 November 13, 2014 Adds compatibility with the "The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8" DLC pack, adds amiibo compatibility, allows the game to save vehicle combinations using DLC parts, light karts pushed by heavier karts are not bumped as far, reduces the amount of VR lost when losing an online race, allows players to set course limitations when playing online or creating a tournament.
4.0 April 23, 2015 Adds compatibility with the "Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8" DLC pack, adds additional amiibo compatibility, adds the 200cc engine class, adds new Miiverse stamps, allows players to display the TV map while using any compatible controller, allows players to race with CPU opponents in online races, updates tournament settings according to the additional gameplay modes and courses.
4.1 May 1, 2015 Automatically unlocks the Mirror and 200cc engine classes in Grand Prix for players that have not unlocked them, gameplay adjustments.

Downloadable content

Three downloadable content packs have been released for Mario Kart 8. These packs can either be purchased on the Nintendo eShop, or through the in-game Shop menu accessible from the main menu:

The two paid downloadable content packs were made available to purchase starting on August 27, 2014, both individually and as a singular bundle for a lower price.[1] Purchasing both paid DLC packs additionally unlocks eight color swaps for both Yoshi and Shy Guy.

Other releases

Title Cover art Platform Release date(s) Notes
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Mario Kart 8 Deluxe NA box.jpg Nintendo Switch WW: April 28, 2017[2] A port of the game featuring all of the original release's downloadable content, as well as new items, tracks, playable characters, and gameplay modes.

External links

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Mario Kart 8 on other NIWA Wikis:
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StrategyWiki


References

  1. PR: Mario Kart 8 DLC to cost $7.99 per pack, $11.99 for both. Pure Nintendo. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Trailer. Nintendo (YouTube; January 12, 2017). Retrieved January 13, 2017.


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