Mario Kart 8 Critic Reviews

Bold, accessible, deep and rich, Mario Kart 8 is premium video game development. It feels expensive. But this isn't the vacuous lavishness of the Hollywood blockbuster; its excesses and indulgences work towards a common goal - or rather, finish line.

The best version of the venerable kart-racer since the Nintendo 64 era.

What Nintendo's designers do with this new spatial freedom ranges from amazing to even more amazing.

I probably don’t need to say this but Nintendo knows what it’s doing when it comes to the Mario Kart franchise. Time after time, they come back with exceptional racing games and Mario Kart 8 might be the best we’ve ever seen.

Mario Kart 8 embodies what Nintendo does so well. They take something that works well and they eventually make it smooth and great and absolutely irresistible.

Mario Kart 8 is a return of one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, and is just as chaotic as ever.

Mario Kart 8 is everything I could have hoped it would be. After feeling a bit jaded by Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7, it's great to see that Mario Kart 8 is quite simply the most fun I've had with a game in quite a long time.

Extremely different from Super Mario Kart, this is the first episode that truly rivals it in terms of quality. It has a brilliant track design, amazing graphics and a surprising game balance. Mario Kart 8 is the Super Mario Galaxy of the series: a demonstration that Nintendo can still produce magic.

It's that confidence that encompasses everything here - Mario Kart 8 steps boldly out of the shadows of its predecessors, using their systems, ideas, even tracks, but adapting them to fit its own vision of a truly skilful game that people will obsess over, learning lines, kart set-ups and tricks, but never abandoning what it is people loved about the series.

Mario Kart 8 is a beast: with great track design, plenty of characters, karts, bikes and power ups is the best Mario Kart of all time. Also thanks to revamped online modes and some gorgeous graphics, is the single reason you need to own a Wii U.

A beautiful and fun racing game, which uses the possibilities offered by its host platform to emphasize and renew the truly universal appeal of the series.

Fast, stimulating and vibrant, Mario Kart 8 improves almost every aspect of the franchise. It's a shame that the Battle mode is now a watered down version of a normal race. The low frame rate during local 4 player competitions also affects an otherwise pristine experience.

This is Nintendo serving up unprecedented helpings of joy as only it can.

Mario Kart 8 should certainly be added to the list of top-tier entries, and none of the previous titles can boast the rock-solid total package that this one offers. Say what you will about Nintendo sticking with the tried and true, but I have no problem with that as long as it stays this fun.

Mario Kart 8 is probably the best game in the franchise. Great and balanced gameplay, full of options and modes, brilliant online multiplayer and good visuals. It's another must-have for Wii U users.

The amount of options and modes is not as large as we were expecting, but when it comes to the game itself, Nintendo proves that they know how to make great games. A must-have for Wii U users.

Mario Kart 8 is a phenomenal game. The game looks great, plays like a dream and is simply a whole lot of fun. No blue shield can interfere with that fact.

MK8 is easily a top three contender for best Wii U game. Outside of a few niggling oddities and small blemishes, the pure bliss of soaring across MK8‘s wonderful courses is as close to gaming perfection as it gets.

Even if you’re not a Mario Kart fanatic, I think you’ll still have a ton of fun with this entry. This is a Mario Kart that will be well-remember for years to come.

Nintendo promised and delivered. Mario Kart 8 is the shiniest star in one of the shiniest series in the world of videogames. Perfectly fine-tuned gameplay, a leap in the right direction for the online component, a magnificent audio-visual pillar worthy of the Wii U and an immensely fun and absorbing experience, whether solo or multiplayer, making Mario Kart 8 an instant and timeless classic.