I'm talking (mostly) about the utter lack of single player content & features.
Before I begin I would like to say that the multiplayer and online is a blast (even tho comm errors are annoying) the game really shines here and is a ton of fun. The random nature of the game gives it that "just one more race" feel due to luck of the draw on items and the chaos that ensues from 12 players battling it out during a race. I absolutely LOVE it.
That said, MK8 feels like a bit of a rush job.
Modes:
Other then unlocked Mirror mode for the tracks there are no other modes to play like excellent Mission Mode in Mario Kart DS. Even Coin Runners from the 3DS would have been nice as an extra for something different to do. Or a whole new mode for the Wii U. Some extra event would have been really nice and made the game seem more full.
Visuals:
The award ceremony video after completing a GP look like is was recorded on a VHS tape and is quite jarring. Even the video clips that play for each mode on the main menu look really low res. I'm not the type to care about this stuff most of the time but it does make the game look cheap. Also throughout the game there are plenty of jaggies, everywhere.
Features:
The game doesn't track any of your stats. Nothing. Item use? % of times an item was picked up? How many 1st place finishes? Most used character? ect... Nothing at all. it's kind of a bummer and a missed opportunity. Which is strange coming off past titles.
Also for those who like time trials, there is no way to view all your times or compare times in an easy way. You have to manually choose each one. Pick time trial, pick your character, pick your kart and parts, then pick the stage you want to see. This makes it a real pain.
Additionally, there is no marker or sign of any type that you've beaten a dev ghost time on a specific track. you have to check them all 1 by 1. It's a pain and the design on display here is really arcahic. I've seen better student work in UI and interface building then what Nintendo has done here with the menus. I really like doing time trials in games but in MK8 it's mostly just a pain.
Personally I also find there to be a lack of items. Certain items seem to come up way too often like the Red Shell, and if more items would have been included the chance of landing on a specfic item would go down. I'd like to have seen more the past items come back, like Fake Item Boxes, POW block, and of course the character specific power ups, which made each character just that much more unique.
The End:
I feel like a lot of people (players and gaming outlets) are ignoring MK8 weaknesses. The core game itself is really really fun as it has been for years, it's the same formula, but there are short comings here too. Ones that I'd hope Nintendo addresses in the future.
EDIT:
2 points I didn't bring up, the first because it had been beaten to death, but i'll mention it here quickly anyway -->Battle mode is terrible with no Arenas. And being able to at least type in the lobby would be nice, the few canned expressions they let you pick are mostly worthless.
EDIT 2:
Great post by Gonzo: (added bold)
Before I begin I would like to say that the multiplayer and online is a blast (even tho comm errors are annoying) the game really shines here and is a ton of fun. The random nature of the game gives it that "just one more race" feel due to luck of the draw on items and the chaos that ensues from 12 players battling it out during a race. I absolutely LOVE it.
That said, MK8 feels like a bit of a rush job.
Modes:
Other then unlocked Mirror mode for the tracks there are no other modes to play like excellent Mission Mode in Mario Kart DS. Even Coin Runners from the 3DS would have been nice as an extra for something different to do. Or a whole new mode for the Wii U. Some extra event would have been really nice and made the game seem more full.
Visuals:
The award ceremony video after completing a GP look like is was recorded on a VHS tape and is quite jarring. Even the video clips that play for each mode on the main menu look really low res. I'm not the type to care about this stuff most of the time but it does make the game look cheap. Also throughout the game there are plenty of jaggies, everywhere.
Features:
The game doesn't track any of your stats. Nothing. Item use? % of times an item was picked up? How many 1st place finishes? Most used character? ect... Nothing at all. it's kind of a bummer and a missed opportunity. Which is strange coming off past titles.
Also for those who like time trials, there is no way to view all your times or compare times in an easy way. You have to manually choose each one. Pick time trial, pick your character, pick your kart and parts, then pick the stage you want to see. This makes it a real pain.
Additionally, there is no marker or sign of any type that you've beaten a dev ghost time on a specific track. you have to check them all 1 by 1. It's a pain and the design on display here is really arcahic. I've seen better student work in UI and interface building then what Nintendo has done here with the menus. I really like doing time trials in games but in MK8 it's mostly just a pain.
Personally I also find there to be a lack of items. Certain items seem to come up way too often like the Red Shell, and if more items would have been included the chance of landing on a specfic item would go down. I'd like to have seen more the past items come back, like Fake Item Boxes, POW block, and of course the character specific power ups, which made each character just that much more unique.
The End:
I feel like a lot of people (players and gaming outlets) are ignoring MK8 weaknesses. The core game itself is really really fun as it has been for years, it's the same formula, but there are short comings here too. Ones that I'd hope Nintendo addresses in the future.
EDIT:
2 points I didn't bring up, the first because it had been beaten to death, but i'll mention it here quickly anyway -->Battle mode is terrible with no Arenas. And being able to at least type in the lobby would be nice, the few canned expressions they let you pick are mostly worthless.
EDIT 2:
Great post by Gonzo: (added bold)
