Didn't see a thread about this, so I thought I'd get one going. Anybody excited for Mario Kart 8? After my disappointment with MKWii, I'm ready to fall in love with console MK again. Don't get me wrong, I played the hell out of MKWii. It just felt like it was being (excuse my language) whored out as a party game. Also for the record, my absolutely favorite MK game was MK: Double Dash!!, hands down. I will be picking up MK8 in a few hours after I get off work. I'd like to get people's NNIDs so we can maybe start tournaments & whatnot. I believe mine is MBMM387.
gotta agree on the double dash it was a great game not pre-ordered Mario Kart 8 as im skint but will pick it up at some point
Solid, Atomizer. I will add you when I get home. Just out of curiosity, what is your favorite MK game?
Mario Kart 64, without a doubt. But that's probably because it had 4 player, and was so fun to play with my mates at the time. Was about 13 then, I think. EDIT: I WAS gonna stream, but I'd be like a tiny little fish in a massive pond lol. There's almost no point in me streaming today haha. Maybe later on when the launch hype has died down a bit.
Got to play it quite a bit today, miles better than the absolute horseshit that was Mario Kart Wii, but still pretty average and not nearly as good as Sonic Transformed. Even though the items have been toned down big time, winning still seems - especially in 150cc Grand Prix - to be a matter of luck a little too often. The saddest thing is that it doesn't even use the gamepad in any meaningful way, unlike Sonic Transformed which has a 5-player mode with the fifth player using the pad. The new tracks are on average really good though, and the old tracks have been changed a lot, mostly for the better.
From what I've played so far (3 starred 50cc and half of 100cc) this appears to be the best MK yet. The anti-gravity stuff is very subtle but works extremely well, and the improvements from MK7 have carried over nicely. The main thing that has impressed me though is the weapon balancing. Finally... fucking finally... there is a counter to blue shells (which shouldn't exist in the first place, but still). Unfortunately that counter is more rare than blue shells seem to be... but at least it's something. Oh, and getting knocked off the map (i.e. hit by a blue shell while in the air) is no longer a death nail. Starting with MK7 they've been getting back on track in my mind. Though prior to MK7 my view was that the only worthwhile one was the original on SNES. It's also nice that the Koopa Kids have finally joined in the fun. Though Golden Pink Princess is bizarre.
I think Nintendo's idea was that they wanted to have a heavy class that isn't as heavy as say, Bowser, but heavier than say, Donkey Kong. So, they came up with "Metal" weight. Pink Gold Peach and Metal Mario fit into the Metal weight. The reason Peach is Pink Gold... I guess it's just a colour that suits her.
MKWii was pretty poor. It sold a bunch though, around 32 million IIRC. I thought MK was done after that, TBH. I assumed that if it sold that well Nintendo would stick with what made them money. Coming off MKD, it just felt REALLY dumbed down. The drifting was simplified, it was back to one racer, and besides Rainbow Road, all the courses felt too easy. MK8 is a major improvement, to the point where I also think this might be the best MK game. I obviously need to try Sonic Transformed. I've heard nothing but good things about that game. I'm just wary of any cart/combat racing game that's not MK or made by Naughty Dog (CTR, JakX.)
It makes every other kart racer ever made look bad, but it's not really a party game since winning is pretty much purely about skill. However, actually playing it is much more fun than MK8 since you'll never lose due to a bullshit unavoidable item.
Can you turn it off across all games, or just local/wifi multiplayer? I'll probably get MK8 when I get a WiiU, maybe in whatever Christmas bundle they come out with. If it's MK8/SSB I'll never need another WiiU game...
I hate the AI in Sonic All-Stars Transformed. With a passion. But more than that, I HATE how in MK8 on 150cc the AI is now a master sharp-shooter with green shells. It's fucking ridiculous.
I doubt any Mario Kart game will ever exceed Mario Kart 64 in terms of overall fun, playability, course design, etc. It sets a very high bar. I have Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed (long enough title?) and it's alright, but not great. It's fun and it has decent graphics, but it's not particularly challenging (against the AI at least) and it could be more fun. It's an okay game, but I think it's a little overrated.
Why are people always fixated on the blue shell like it's the only unavoidable item in MK? There's also the lighting bolt, which is much more annoying than the blue shell in MK8, since the blue shell appears much more infrequently than in MKW and doesn't affect anyone besides 1st place, unlike the lighting bolt. MKW also had POW blocks, which were thankfully removed from MK8 because even Mario Kart developers realized having three overpowered, unavoidable items that you don't even have to aim was too much.
I agree with the lightning bolt being more annoying. But it also has an item to avoid it, and that's the star. Also, the blue shell can hit you up the arse now, whether you're in first place or not.
