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[ryūkotsusei]

.

Oh lawd. I want an F-Zero, but shit like this reminds me I'm better off.

 

[clav]

I've only played MK a few times before Mario Kart 8.

I was a little surprised at the lack of content. It's fun, but my wife was also telling me even the content that's there a lot of it is re-made versions of old tracks?

I "beat" the game on 50CC with 3 stars on 5 of the 8 circuits in a few hours. And it was my first Mario Kart experience in probably a decade.

Definitely plan on playing through it more on higher difficulty, getting as many 3 stars as I can, and I'm not PERSONALLY disappointed.. but it is interesting to me what Nintendo seems to "get away" with. I felt the same way about the 2D SMB game that came out at launch. A $60 short 2D side-scroller.

Some of us here only play 150cc and mirror from the beginning.

You will understand the complaints.

 

[The Lamp]

I have to play with a Wii remote nunchuk combo to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from the dumbass decision Nintendo made to force people to use A or Y on the game pad.

 

[reggieandTFE]

Stat tracking would really, really help prolong the my enjoyment of this game.

 

[Black Nectar]

The people complaining about the controls and think that L and R should be gas/break have never played this game.

Let me explain why, in Mario Kart the player is constantly drifting while either holding a defense item, or using an offense item. Lots of offense items need to be fired repeatedly. It is physically impossible for a single human thumb do this.

Try drifting zigzag turns where you turn left and right 4 times all while doing 1 drift while firing a bunch of fireballs, you cant.

Also you aren't suppose to brake in Mario Kart, just let off the gas if you need to slow down.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

The people complaining about the controls and think that L and R should be gas/break have never played this game.

I think the real issue is that every modern video game (this applies to every company) should have custom button layouts. Its incredibly simple to implement.

That said, I personally dunno why you would want gas and brake on L & R given that you're never going to beat anyone good at mario kart letting off the gas. (at least from my experience)

 

[Captain Europe]

I'd love to set up X as gas on the pro controller, that's more comfortable than A or Y.

 

[Hitokage]

Accelerate should be held always with rare exception.
Brake should never be pressed.
Item button should be pressed or held as necessary.
Drift button should be frequently pressed or held as necessary.
Look back button wouldn't be a big deal if the game had an onscreen map!

However, I am sympathetic to moving Accelerate elsewhere because the face buttons on the Pro controller can murder your thumb.

 

[Mysterious]

Why the fuck is there no on-screen map?

 

[-tetsuo-]

"Everything" to me in a kart racer would core handling/gameplay, the weapons and the tracks. SART doesn't even come close to MK8 in any of these aspects.

It most certainly does. The weapon balance/usage in SASRT is far better. There is no auto-blast on first place. The tracking shells can be dodged with boost. The ice can be charged for full freeze on an opponent or used for 3 different shots. Probably something else i am forgetting but unless you like random chance or luck factored into your racing then the items are a no contest in favor of Sonic.

The handling is different, but Sonic is no less tight and demands much more from the player. There are less tracks but a great more of them are for more intricate and challenging.

The only game that doesn't come close in anything is Mario Kart as it falls far far behind in features.

Isn't it a family game aimed at kids? Do kids care about that stuff?

I wasn't aware that 100% kids will be playing this game, and that 100% of them don't care about stats or options menus.

 

[Rabid Wolverine]

I'd love 3 retry options to be added.

Playing 150cc so many times coming close at the end with cheating in the home stretch. Only to start again from the beginning. Rainbow road in particular.

 

[Captain Europe]

It most certainly does. The weapon balance/usage in SASRT is far better. There is no auto-blast on first place. The tracking shells can be dodged with boost. The ice can be charged for full freeze on an opponent or used for 3 different shots. Probably something else i am forgetting but unless you like random chance or luck factored into your racing then the items are a no contest in favor of Sonic.

The handling is different, but Sonic is no less tight and demands much more from the player. There are less tracks but a great more of them are for more intricate and challenging.

The only game that doesn't come close in anything is Mario Kart as it falls far far behind in features.

Red shells can be dodged in MK as well though.

 

[GameGuru59]

- No awards ceremony after finishing a Grand Prix
- No "congratulations" screen after the credits
- No stat tracking page, even though it's been present in every game since Mario Kart DS
- No options menu of any kind (can't even adjust volume settings or change the controls)
- A weak selection of vehicle parts; nearly half are just model swaps, and there aren't that many to begin with
- Still no character costumes or ability to change the color of your vehicle
- An objectively bad character roster padded with babies and texture swaps
- A battle mode that is so bad that I forgot it even existed until right now
- Removal of basic features such as the on-screen minimap and race timer
- Splitscreen with more than two players is nearly unplayable due to the drop in framerate
- Anybody who doesn't use the GamePad is at an immediate disadvantage
- Wonky item distribution that punishes everybody who isn't in 1st place
- Upon further inspection, the "Frantic" alternative is even worse, making the game feel like one big 4TL hacking fest
- The warning sound for Red Shells, Bullet Bills, and Stars is literally broken; it's not unheard of to get hit by something you can't even see
- It's also worth nothing that you can no longer hear bananas being thrown until after they land
- Not enough tracks given the fact that even the DS was capable of having the same amount; more if you include the battle arenas and Mission Mode
- No reward for getting three stars on every cup; not even a bloody stamp
- MKTV is extremely underwhelming because you can't crop out specific clips from each race and piece them together
- The poorly implemented highlight reel makes it almost impossible to upload footage of yourself getting hit by multiple items in a row
- No friend leaderboards for Time Trials; even MK7 allowed you to compare your times with friends
- No sequential ghost races that actually made TTing in MKW somewhat enjoyable
- You can only download 16 ghosts in total, which isn't even enough for every track
- Inability to choose your Mii in-game and being forced to edit your personal Mii instead
- Worldwide online races are still broken because of how frequently communication errors occur
- RED.FUCKING.SHELLS.

What makes the absence of the stat tracking page even more baffling is that you actually need coins to unlock things, and yet you have no way of knowing how many coins you have. I'm sick to death of Nintendo adding in new features and taking them out of future games. Is this being done so they can disguise how derivative their sequels really are? Why can't they add a proper single player mode for once? Diddy Kong Racing had an excellent adventure mode, and that game came out almost 20 years ago. I hope people can see past the shiny new graphics and acknowledge just how disappointing MK8 is in retrospect. They could have done so much more with it, and yet some people are going to dismiss these complaints as "irrelevant" or "trivial" because the gameplay isn't directly affected. By no means am I a fan of Mario Kart Wii, but at least that game felt polished. If we want the status quo to change, then we have to let our voices be heard. #freemk8

I am in agreement with every word of this post... except I would nix the red shells part and insert lightning. Even though Mario Kart 8 is a great game, but Nintendo never seems to be capable of taking the series to the next level. I'm just convinced in part that they don't want to. Is it really that hard to add stat tracking? 99% of that is literally just code. And we can't even begin to compare Mario Kart's single player to what DKR did.

The balancing issues with the game (though certainly better than some previous Mario Karts) seems as though they didn't really sit down and play the game themselves before releasing it- at least not in the same way that the Smash Bros. team handles that game. I doubt the lightning would exist in its current form would exist if they played the game obsessively to balance it.

Moreover, why can't I have all the options I have in Smash Brothers in a Mario Kart game? Potential options could be: item selection for vs. matches, interesting challenge modes, alternative game changing options like variable cc levels and the ability to manually adjust the rate of item appearances. These things don't seem that hard to add in once you have a basic code base to build the game around (a code base, for which should have had Mario Kart since Double Dash).

Finally, as a total package, Diddy Kong Racing basically destroys every Mario Kart. Arguments can be made about each game's gameplay mechanics, they're very different. But in terms of what that game had packed inside of it, it was like three Mario Karts in one. I never really thought about it until now, but there's really no excuse for Nintendo not to take Mario Kart beyond what it's basically been since the SNES. By now (certainly post MK8) there should be a set codebase that is simply modified from game to game, if there isn't already. After that, just simply build shit ontop of that for each release. Seriously. We should be talking about a level editor in Mario Kart at this point.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Red shells can be dodged in MK as well though.

Please let me know

 

[StevieP]

Please let me know

They absolutely can.

 

[-tetsuo-]

I am asking how

 

[Pegasus Actual]

MKWii is the best Mario Kart. The only thing improved in 8 IMO is the graphics, and I suppose the fact that the online isn't full of hacks and cheats for now at least. I'll keep giving it reps to see if it grows on me... but it just doesn't feel as good. I hate that I can't hold a shell behind me for defense and pick up a second item. I miss the tight turn bikes and popping a wheelie as I exit my turn on the perfect angle for the next turn to grab every last bit of speed I could. And I really hate the way the trick mechanic off of jumps works on MK8.

As for the usefulness of this thread, I think it's a good thing to have. You can try to talk critically about MK8 in the OT, but it'll get drowned out by NeoGAF OT Tournament chatroom syndrome.

 

[Captain Europe]

Please let me know

Hold a banana/shell behind your kart, throw a boomerang behind you to destroy it, if you're close to a anti-grav section and you have a mushroom you can quickly boost into it so it stops following you.

I'm not completely sure if fireballs can destroy one.

Red shells wouldn't be as annoying if they couldn't fly.

 

[Shun]

Hold a banana/shell behind your kart, throw a boomerang behind you to destroy it, if you're close to a anti-grav section and you have a mushroom you can quickly boost into it so it stops following you.

I'm not completely sure if fireballs can destroy one.

Red shells wouldn't be as annoying if they couldn't fly.

You can also outdrift and out maneuver shells on sections that don't have wide, open spaces. Make the most of the course obstacles to block shells so you don't have to waste an item.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Hold a banana/shell behind your kart, throw a boomerang behind you to destroy it, if you're close to a anti-grav section and you have a mushroom you can quickly boost into it so it stops following you.

I'm not completely sure if fireballs can destroy one.

Red shells wouldn't be as annoying if they couldn't fly.

I'm talking about dodging the shell, not defending against it with another item which isn't even remotely close to the same thing. You can be in the open road with no item and still avoid the RC car.

 

[StevieP]

I'm talking about dodging the shell, not defending against it with another item which isn't even remotely close to the same thing.

You can dodge the shell with drifting in a correct direction based on the course, it's surroundings, and where it's coming from. Have you even played mk8 or are you too busy trying to compare it unfavourably it to sonic?

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

You can dodge the shell with drifting in a correct direction based on the course, it's surroundings, and where it's coming from. Have you even played mk8 or are you too busy trying to compare it unfavourably it to sonic?

Good luck doing that consistently, dodging through drifting that is. Having the environment intercept it is different and much easier to pull off, yes.

 

[Captain Europe]

I'm talking about dodging the shell, not defending against it with another item which isn't even remotely close to the same thing. You can be in the open road with no item and still avoid the RC car.

It's just another way of avoiding being hit, in SART you can't use items to defend yourself in the same way like in MK8, they don't have to do the same things.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

You Koopaling haters deserve the worst. The absolute WORST.
:,(

 

[Prototype]

Good luck doing that consistently, dodging through drifting that is. Having the environment intercept it is different and much easier to pull off, yes.

exactly. You will learn how to make it hit things on a track, but actually dodging one is something else entirely.

EDIT:
that said, MK8 being 60fps is really nice, and it's noticeable when you go back and play Sonic.

 

[Hitokage]

You can dodge the shell with drifting in a correct direction based on the course, it's surroundings, and where it's coming from. Have you even played mk8 or are you too busy trying to compare it unfavourably it to sonic?

I've had red shells hug a turn with me instead of hitting the wall. Sure, they tend to get lost but they are better at tracking in other cases.

 

[-tetsuo-]

It's just another way of avoiding being hit, in SART you can't use items to defend yourself in the same way like in MK8, they don't have to do the same things.

You can use items to defend yourself in Sonic.

You can dodge the shell with drifting in a correct direction based on the course, it's surroundings, and where it's coming from. Have you even played mk8 or are you too busy trying to compare it unfavourably it to sonic?

Once again, you don't need any special circumstances to dodge a tracking item in Sonic. Yes, I have played Mario Kart 8 quite a bit and continue to do so almost daily.

 

[Spinluck]

You're better off holding an item to defend against red shells, defense options in this game are sparse as fuck. I use the inward drifting bikes and still get hit by them most of the time. Getting the triple red shell in 2nd place is honestly bullshit, especially when you're in first place getting like 2-3 coins in a row. I can't stand the luck of the draw take on items sometimes, it really shows when you're trying to 3 star all the cups on 150cc and you have to hope the game favors you.

The experience becomes both tedious and masochistic when you have to restart because two blue shells hit you in one race, or a fucking lightning bolt destroys your horn and strikes you out of the air. Then when it comes time for you to rely on the rubberbanding you either get lucky or shit items, and that's the determining factor in your race. If there were a few more defense options it wouldn't be this way (at least not to this extent). Not sure if this is a glitch, but I was once holding an item to defend against red shells, and a red shell that was in pursuit of me seemingly missed. It passed me, and then it homed back onto me and hit me from the front. It was a huge wtf moment and cost me that race.

MKWii is the best Mario Kart.

Mario Kart Wii was average to me. This was a huge improvement, aside from a few things that still really bug me.

exactly. You will learn how to make it hit things on a track, but actually dodging one is something else entirely.

that said, MK8 being 60fps is really nice, and it's noticeable when you go back and play Sonic.

I've done this on stages like Toad's Turnpike, but not every stage is like that. I find that red shells are pretty good at bypassing a lot of obstacles. Even by mere inches. I did lead one into a banana once though. It's just so situational that I can't treat like a viable strategy in most scenarios.

SART is just as smooth- it can even run 60fps during 4-play splitscreen, of course this was on PC.

 

[Hitokage]

Mario Kart Wii was average to me. This was a huge improvement, aside from a few things that still really bug me.

At least MKWii didn't have the item distribution problems you're describing. It had its own, of course, like the inclusion of the thundercloud, but defense and comeback weren't inept in that game.

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

It's just another way of avoiding being hit, in SART you can't use items to defend yourself in the same way like in MK8, they don't have to do the same things.

Sure you can. Nearly everything can be hit with various items should you have the right timing or aim, in conjunction with the possibility of actively dodging the red and blue equivalents. Easier said than done, admittedly.

 

[Hitokage]

By the way, fireballs do kill shells on impact. Unfortunately, it's not a common item and it only causes a spinout on opponents. You know, the kind of effect banana peels SHOULD have.

 

[Spinluck]

At least MKWii didn't have the item distribution problems you're describing. It had its own, of course, like the inclusion of the thundercloud, but defense and comeback weren't inept in that game.

I was thinking that actually. I don't remember any game in the franchise having this problem with the items. Some of them range from too good, to absolutely useless.

By the way, fireballs do kill shells on impact.

This is one of the few items I do like. If you learn to get good with it you can wreck fools. Piranha plants sometimes eat the shells too.

 

[soxinthebox]

The battle mode is pure shit but even as a single player game I feel like there's enough content (while MK7 felt severely lacking).

The challenge for me comes from trying to 3 star each cup.

 

[K' Dash]

The game definetly has some balance issues, heavy chars are OP and very fast with the right customization, they can bully you off the track whenever they want, also, you can see a pattern now online with Rosalina, Wario, Waluigi, Ludwig, these are VERY fast chars.

Item distribution needs to be patched, the guy ahead of you can get a golden mushroom while you get a coin, Nintendo pls... also we NEED the HUD ON SCREEN, I don't want to look at the Gamepad to see the map or the items people are holding.

And for the people complaining about the controls, I found the Wiimote PEFECT for playing MK, holding the Wiimote and nunchuck with my arms extended on the couch is extremely comfy, as is the A button for gas, B to jump, Z on the nunchuck to activate items and C to look back, give it a try, personally I love it.

 

[Hitokage]

Nunchuk was actually the best control option on the Wii version because you could do tricks and wheelies without taking your thumb off the analog stick. However, I'd be one of the first people to tell you that I MUCH prefer being able to do it with a button now rather than dpad or motion control.

Also, it has a nice and big A button that won't murder your thumb after several hours of play. Instead, one bit of your palm gets savaged. Oh well!

 

[Ansatz]

The red shells are scary. I saw one in front of me that what heading towards a banana but it sort of drifted out of its trajectory the last second and passed it, lol. Would've been a perfect "nope" gif.

 

[prag16]

MKWii is the best Mario Kart.

Wow. Imo it's easily the worst console Mario Kart.

And you mention the overpowered inside drift wheelie bullshit as a chief reason? Damn.

They nerfed the shit out of the inside drift bikes this time, and that's a good thing. And improved balance in almost every area.

 

[espher]

Reading through the thread again I'm surprised at the item balance concerns. Obviously anecdotal but -- at least online -- I've only felt screwed by item RNG once or twice.

 

[masud]

Reading through the thread again I'm surprised at the item balance concerns. Obviously anecdotal but -- at least online -- I've only felt screwed by item RNG once or twice.

A lot of people just suck and need something to blame.

Idk I think it's the blend of skill and chance that makes Mario Kart so compelling. Kind of like poker.

 

[Polioliolio]

The people complaining about the controls and think that L and R should be gas/break have never played this game.

You don't need to defend the complete and utter lack of options.

Here's something. Hop/Drift with the Left Trigger, Accelerate with the right trigger, and use any face button for an item.

Also you aren't suppose to brake in Mario Kart, just let off the gas if you need to slow down.

And what if the kart is still having a hard time making a turn? What if I don't want to let go of my acceleration because it will kill my drift? A mere tap on the brake button is a life saver when trying to expertly drift around tight corners, particularly in certain vehicle combinations or ones you aren't used to. It's a nice save, and the fact that there is a brake button in some set ups but there isn't in others is atrocious, and doesn't need an excuse.

 

[Gsnap]

I think those of your complaining about item balance need to play on frantic mode. First place gets way more defensive options, and you're less likely to get coins. The blue shell isn't any more frequent. And I may be wrong, but I feel like lightning is less frequent because lower-mid places are getting more bullet bills and stars.

This is how my friends and I have been playing for a while and we have no complaints about item balance.

 

[MilkybKid]

The problems are well known lobbies will crash if someone quits without voting, or it people quit mid game people will freeze on your screen and you will get dropped. If you play in the GAF lobby you wont see it as much but in normal match making its non stop errors.

Ok while there are some errors every now and again (although only encountered one myself) I think saying its "non stop errors in normal match" is hyperbolic nonsense. Lots of people (myself included) can play match-made online without issues.

Not saying that issues don't happen, because they do and sometimes it may be due to a mix of server based and client/router based issues. But "non stop errors" is just rubbish.

One issue i suspect is currently happening as it seems to happen in the gaf games, if one person has an issue it can take down the whole group, but i'm going to hazard a guess Nintendo will be looking into these sort of issues.

Also related to the OP, I think the issues with the game are being discussed, just the majority of people don't see it as big of a problem as what is there is more than good enough. Yeah extra would be nice, but the game itself, as it is is great. This is why there is not much discussion, because people don't see it as an issue. its "it would be nice to have this", answer "yes it would but its fine without it", not much more can be said

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

IThis is one of the few items I do like. If you learn to get good with it you can wreck fools. Piranha plants sometimes eat the shells too.

Piranha plants eat everything.

 

[Blues1990]

Piranha plants eat everything.

You got to love how unimpressed the Mii's were with that clip.

Still, I didn't know that the Piranha Plant is capable of consuming items that are tossed to you, such as the Bom-omb.

 

[RiggyRob]

Although the Battle Mode has been nerfed pretty heavily, I do like the different take on the normal tracks - it turns Battle Mode into a psychotic jousting match where the first person to blink gets destroyed. I think it's pretty cool actually.

I still want them to add arenas for Battle Mode as DLC though.

 

[HypnoDarkrai]

Nerf the heavies/cruisers.
or
Buff the featherweights.

I really think Coins should give you 3 instead of 2 to get back all of the coins you lost from being hit by another item.

 

[Gestault]

Almost all the points in the Gonzo post are consistent with what I've seen. On the other hand, I either disagree with or think the phrasing is unintentionally reversed on the following points:

- Splitscreen with more than two players is nearly unplayable due to the drop in framerate [I can say this is categorically untrue]
- Anybody who doesn't use the GamePad is at an immediate disadvantage [opposite, possibly?]
- Wonky item distribution that punishes everybody who isn't in 1st place [opposite possibly?]
- Not enough tracks given the fact that even the DS was capable of having the same amount; more if you include the battle arenas and Mission Mode [No, there's no shortage of race stages, aside from the obvious issue of no battle arenas.]

 

[Chaos17]

No options menu of any kind (can't even adjust volume settings or change the controls)

Use your remote controller for the tv ?

 

[Gestault]

Use your remote controller for the tv ?

Being able to adjust music/sound effects separately is a pretty standard setting. It sure hasn't had any effect on my enjoyment, and I think the default mix is basically perfect for my setup, but I can understand it seeming like an oversight for some.

 

[Papissama]

For once, I wouldn't be against some DLC for a game like this.