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Mario Kart 8 Info Thread

I found MK7 Bowser's Castle underwhelming with the dumb wooden thing and the out-of-place underwater section, not to mention the lazy music where the only interesting part is a Double Dash copy-paste.
 
I didn't really care for the Wuhu races that much... Most of the courses were decent, but my favorite is definitely DK Jungle. The course is fairly simple itself, but there's just something really satisfying/fun about racing on it.
 
We know MK8 is gonna be an improved version of the already amazing MK7, so I thought it would be a interesting question to ask.

Sorry, I want to pick a bone with this, because I found MK7 severely disappointing :p

As for the best tracks, not counting Retro Tracks, I found Maka Wuhu, Music Park, Rainbow Road, Bowser's Castle, Rock Rock Mountain, and Neo Bowser City.
 
Sorry, I want to pick a bone with this, because I found MK7 severely disappointing :p

to each their own, but I find MK7 more enjoyable than the unbalanced mess that the wii version was... except for lucky 7... but oh well

if they announce a bundle for america I will get it, I wanted a Wii U for smash and X, but this game looks so damn pretty
 
Mario Kart Wii was definitely the most unbalanced game in the series, especially considering its online. But of course, you can still have fun with it. Some people enjoy (for whatever reason) its chaotic races.

Mario Kart 7 may have had a bit more boring race experience (I don't like MKW but I can agree that MK7's races weren't as fun to look at like MKW's) but at least it had much more balance, even if it had its chaotic moments.
 
to each their own, but I find MK7 more enjoyable than the unbalanced mess that the wii version was... except for lucky 7... but oh well

if they announce a bundle for america I will get it, I wanted a Wii U for smash and X, but this game looks so damn pretty

I guess it's better than Wii, but my point of comparison was Mario Kart DS, not 7 :P
Even Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 are a lot of fun, though! I think Mario Kart 7 is my most played 3DS game.
 
It felt like they removed several things from MK7. That's why I was initially disappointed with the game because it felt so barebones. I eventually grew to enjoy the racing, but I still wasn't happy, I guess.

You know, something else that was shit was the character selection. Such a step back from DS or Wii.
At least the impeccable track design or the mechanical perfection made up for it though :)
 
My biggest gripe is that they removed Single Player VS.

It felt like they removed several things from MK7. That's why I was initially disappointed with the game because it felt so barebones. I eventually grew to enjoy the racing, but I still wasn't happy, I guess.

MK7 was fairly blatantly rushed in places. The flagrantly unbalanced unlocking methods and multiple reskins of the same stat parts, lack of modes and the severe contraction in racers from Wii (and unlike the OG DS the 3DS has a much larger cartridge capacity, so no excuse there) all scream it, despite their assertions to the contrary.
 
MK7 was fairly blatantly rushed in places. The flagrantly unbalanced unlocking methods and multiple reskins of the same stat parts, lack of modes and the severe contraction in racers from Wii (and unlike the OG DS the 3DS has a much larger cartridge capacity, so no excuse there) all scream it, despite their assertions to the contrary.

The amazing thing is that putting a Single Player VS mode would have literally required three lines of code.
 
The only thing I didn't really care for in MK7 was the unlocking system. I can't believe they managed to put a CoD-like "grinding" unlock system into Mario Kart.

I'd love if MK8 just had everything unlocked from the start.
 
Only problems with 7 would be it's lack of vs race option due to being rushed and that acceleration glitch for me. That aside, I found it much more balanced and enjoyable online than Wii's chaotic items, funky biking madness, Freaking thunder clouds...which was still entertaining admittingly lol.
 
When do you guys think it's a good time to pre-order?

I'm waiting to see if Nintendo snipes us with news of the Blue Shell LE bundle in the US.

I was going to say to just put the credit into the eShop now and just download when it drops, but it seems you want a bundle.

Nintendo still has about 2 weeks to announce something like that and then it's pretty much too late.
 
My biggest gripe is them snatching all the best retro tracks.
Oh, and NO WALUIGI.

Also big problems.

The only thing I didn't really care for in MK7 was the unlocking system. I can't believe they managed to put a CoD-like "grinding" unlock system into Mario Kart.

I'd love if MK8 just had everything unlocked from the start.

I like unlocking shit, but there's no merit in forcing someone to play for dozens of hours, regardless of skill, for a part that may or may not be useful. That irritated me immensely, and MK7 remains the only Mario Kart I never finished because of it.
 
Yeah, I don't really liked the way you unlocked items/parts in MK7... Was there even a counter showing how many coins you had? I looked around but didn't see anything. I always got parts I wasn't wanting (I wanted Wood Wheels, but never got those by the time I got triple stars in every cup).
 
Yeah, I don't really liked the way you unlocked items/parts in MK7... Was there even a counter showing how many coins you had? I looked around but didn't see anything. I always got parts I wasn't wanting (I wanted Wood Wheels, but never got those by the time I got triple stars in every cup).

Yes there is a coin counter if you go to the “Mario Kart Channel” (bottom of the touchscreen on the main menu) and then select your Mii.
 
Yes there is a coin counter if you go to the “Mario Kart Channel” (bottom of the touchscreen on the main menu) and then select your Mii.

Ah that was the one place I didn't check, lol. I figured it was there somewhere. But even still, I don't like how the upgrading system worked in that game. Just wasn't fun/satisfying.
 
The only thing I didn't really care for in MK7 was the unlocking system. I can't believe they managed to put a CoD-like "grinding" unlock system into Mario Kart.

I'd love if MK8 just had everything unlocked from the start.
Honestly I feel like if everything was unlocked then it takes away some single player re-playability. (There's a word for this but it's completely escaping me.)
 
My favorite 7 courses are Neo Bowser City(drifting heaven) and Music Park. Least favorite are the Wuhu stuff as they just don't fit or have any character.

I like the one giant lap races in theory but I don't feel they're nearly as long as they should be. Kinda bummed to see the N64 Rainbow Road was changed to this style.
 
Honestly I feel like if everything was unlocked then it takes away some single player re-playability. (There's a word for this but it's completely escaping me.)

I want to unlock things by earning them through skill, not by grinding coins. It was bad enough that they made you have to do the lower engine classes to unlock things when beating the game at the highest difficulty should unlock everything in the lower difficulties.
 
I don't mind much unlocking via coins IF they have some sort of “store” where you can CHOOSE which parts to buy. The big problem with MK7 was that some people got the best parts (such as the infamous Red Monster tires) at the very last coin thresholds (4000, 4500 = a MINIMUM of 400/450 races) while others could get them at the very first coin thresholds (50, 100 coins = a minimum of just 5/10 races).

It was so ridiculous that people created coin grinding communities with mushroom-only races where they would repeat the shortest tracks in succession and people who collected 10 coins already were advised to avoid picking additional coins.
 
Have to agree with the Wuhu tracks. They were a cute gesture, but neither were executed or designed very well, IMO.

As for favorites, I really liked Music Park, Neo Bowser City, Shy Guy Bazaar and Rock Rock Mountain. If any of them return for 8, I'd be pretty happy.
 
Looking back the MK7 tracks now only reminds mow how much better MK8's look. I enjoyed the game, but man, I must have a really bad memory because I played the game in december (each track multiple times) yet I could barely remember any of them...Rainbow road and neo bowser city look cool though looking back at them now.
 
I hadn't played MKWii in years (I've played N64 version much more recently). I fired it up today to get ready for MK8 and DAMN are the controls floaty and ponderous. Driver/kart type doesn't matter. N64 controls are more responsive, and the biggest thing that takes getting used to is the drifting. On N64 you can start a tight turn pretty quickly; on Wii you slide way out in the opposite direction initially.

For those who have played it, does it feel closer to Wii or N64? (Assuming Wii..)
 
I hadn't played MKWii in years (I've played N64 version much more recently). I fired it up today to get ready for MK8 and DAMN are the controls floaty and ponderous. Driver/kart type doesn't matter. N64 controls are more responsive, and the biggest thing that takes getting used to is the drifting. On N64 you can start a tight turn pretty quickly; on Wii you slide way out in the opposite direction initially.

For those who have played it, does it feel closer to Wii or N64? (Assuming Wii..)

MKWii has the tightest drifting vehicles in the whole series, called inside-drifting bikes, which incidentally made them overpowered in the game. They don't slide in the opposite direction. …Did you try them at least once? Mach Bike, Bullet Bike, Bowser Bike…
 
MKWii has the tightest drifting vehicles in the whole series, called inside-drifting bikes, which incidentally made them overpowered in the game. They don't slide in the opposite direction. …Did you try them at least once? Mach Bike, Bullet Bike, Bowser Bike…

Ah, that's right. As I said I haven't played the game in years; I'd forgotten the bike mechanics were different in that sense. Today I only messed around with a few drivers and kart (not bike) types. Hmm. Hopefully in MK8 they balance things.
 
I hadn't played MKWii in years (I've played N64 version much more recently). I fired it up today to get ready for MK8 and DAMN are the controls floaty and ponderous. Driver/kart type doesn't matter. N64 controls are more responsive, and the biggest thing that takes getting used to is the drifting. On N64 you can start a tight turn pretty quickly; on Wii you slide way out in the opposite direction initially.

For those who have played it, does it feel closer to Wii or N64? (Assuming Wii..)

There was a user on GAF (his name escapes me) who played the MK8 demo and said it felt closer to MK7 than MK Wii.
 
GameXplain did a prediction on the last retro track to be revealed.

For some reason, I was SO bad at that track on MK7... like, it was one of the reasons why it took me so long to 3-star that cup on 150cc and Mirror mode, lol. Just something about it... Didn't care for it. Kind of hope he's wrong.

(Bowser's Castle in Mario Kart 7)

It'd be a good choice, though it does violate another potential rule being one generation per cup since we know the Shell cup doesn't have a 3DS rep.

But when it comes to MK, I feel like they probably don't have a strict rule-set they follow anyway.
 
GameXplain did a prediction on the last retro track to be revealed.

For some reason, I was SO bad at that track on MK7... like, it was one of the reasons why it took me so long to 3-star that cup on 150cc and Mirror mode, lol. Just something about it... Didn't care for it. Kind of hope he's wrong.

(Bowser's Castle in Mario Kart 7)
It's the worst Bowser's Castle in the series. Just terrible, confusing design choices with the most baffling thing being that rotating thing which is a "shortcut".

I hope it isn't that. I'm hoping for a GBA/SNES Bowser's Castle. Those are always fun to race on.
 
GameXplain did a prediction on the last retro track to be revealed.

For some reason, I was SO bad at that track on MK7... like, it was one of the reasons why it took me so long to 3-star that cup on 150cc and Mirror mode, lol. Just something about it... Didn't care for it. Kind of hope he's wrong.

(Bowser's Castle in Mario Kart 7)

MK7's Bowser's Castle is by far the weakeast of the bunch, even compared to those from SMK and MKSC.
Hopefully they're wrong.
If they bring a Bowser's Castle, it better be the Wii version or GCN for that matter.

Plus, they picked one track from each cup from MK7, if there's a 4th track from that game, It'll be from the Mushroom Cup.
 
But when it comes to MK, I feel like they probably don't have a strict rule-set they follow anyway.

Yeah, I don't really think they follow any certain rules on what tracks to bring into the next game.

It's the worst Bowser's Castle in the series. Just terrible, confusing design choices with the most baffling thing being that rotating thing which is a "shortcut".

I hope it isn't that. I'm hoping for a GBA/SNES Bowser's Castle. Those are always fun to race on.

Definitely agree about the "shortcut." I feel like that's one of the most awkward shortcuts I've ever seen, and I'm not entirely sure it is shorter with how I drive on it, lol. I usually end up hitting the stupid spinning things on top slowing me down. D: I really hate that entire section of the level actually (the "shortcut" followed by the underwater section).


MK7's Bowser's Castle is by far the weakeast of the bunch, even compared to those from SMK and MKSC.
Hopefully they're wrong.
If they bring a Bowser's Castle, it better be the Wii version or GCN for that matter.

Plus, they picked one track from each cup from MK7, if there's a 4th track from that game, It'll be from the Mushroom Cup.

I'd love to see the Gamecube version return personally.
 
That one was great. Though I'm biased toward all GCN tracks ;)

Oh me too. I know Double Dash is pretty divisive sometimes, but I loved the tracks (and game). :) I'm actually kind of disappointed they decided to bring back the desert track from DD, though... It's an alright track, but there's so many better ones in that game.
 
Oh me too. I know Double Dash is pretty divisive sometimes, but I loved the tracks (and game). :) I'm actually kind of disappointed they decided to bring back the desert track from DD, though... It's an alright track, but there's so many better ones in that game.

And they dropped the tornado!! And the plant monster! I love the oasis, but they removed two very memorable things
 
And they dropped the tornado!! And the plant monster! I love the oasis, but they removed two very memorable things

Yep, I was really confused when I first saw it. I also love the Oasis (it's gorgeous), but I don't get why they removed the other two memorable elements to the track. :/ Don't get me wrong, the track still looks very nice (visually), but DD has so many better tracks to choose from.

Double Dash's tracks were fantastic. DK Mountain, Waluigi Stadium and Daisy Cruiser? GOAT.

I like you. <3
 
Well, they'll be breaking with some sort of tradition either way. I don't think they hold themselves to any particular set of rules, but it's fun to think they might

I thought they made it clear when they didn't bring back the SNES Mario Circuit track and Bowser's Castle from GBA just like the previous installments.
 
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