Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: The perfect port?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on the 28th of April 2017 on Nintendo's hybrid handheld console. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a remaster of the Wii U title "Mario Kart 8" from 2014. While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a fantastic game I'm not sure if the game deserves its "Deluxe" title, here's why.
This is not me saying that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a by all means "bad" game, no this game is absolutely incredible and is up there with some of the all-time great racing games like Burnout 3: Takedown and Gran Turismo 5. It's just that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't have enough new inclusions to warrant its $60 ( Australian $89.99 ) price tag.
One of the few minor new inclusions in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the double-item box feature which was included in Mario Kart Double Dash!! ( yes the games title includes 2 exclamation marks ) but unlike Double Dash Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't need you to control 2 characters to use both item box slots, a minor problem I have with this though is that unlike in Mario Kart Double Dash, you can't choose what item box you want to use.
Nintendo's strategy during the Nintendo Switch generation appears to have been influenced by the Wii U's underwhelming performance. To rectify the Wii U's underappreciated game library, Nintendo made a conscious effort basically reuse these titles on the Nintendo Switch.
This can be seen as a positive or a negative but that's a conversation for another day.
Really that's my main problem with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It is called Deluxe which implies it is a wildly improved version which it just isn't. It runs as well as the Wii U version, It looks about as good as the Wii U version and it controls exactly like the Wii U version. It could be seen as a perfect port but it isn't marketed as a port.
Mario Kart 8 improves on every single Mario Kart title before it but unlike Mario Kart 7 for example, which did improve on every Mario Kart before it Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can't really be improved on. It's the essential Mario Kart, it takes all the best elements of the Mario Kart franchise and puts them together into one fantastic game.
A good "inclusion" to Deluxe is the E Shop DLC which gives the player double the maps of the original, it includes some absolutely incredible maps like coconut map. I don't include this as an inclusion to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe since you do have to purchase the DLC after purchasing the game but if you do have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the DLC is a must-have.
In conclusion Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is as close to perfect as a racing game can get, my only problem with the game is its lack of inclusions in the port but that doesn't have anything to do with the fundamentals of the game. Mario Kart 8 is just great and an essential purchase for all fans of racing games and Nintendo games in general.
Thank you for reading my nitpicky and poorly written review!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on the 28th of April 2017 on Nintendo's hybrid handheld console. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a remaster of the Wii U title "Mario Kart 8" from 2014. While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a fantastic game I'm not sure if the game deserves its "Deluxe" title, here's why.
This is not me saying that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a by all means "bad" game, no this game is absolutely incredible and is up there with some of the all-time great racing games like Burnout 3: Takedown and Gran Turismo 5. It's just that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't have enough new inclusions to warrant its $60 ( Australian $89.99 ) price tag.
One of the few minor new inclusions in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the double-item box feature which was included in Mario Kart Double Dash!! ( yes the games title includes 2 exclamation marks ) but unlike Double Dash Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't need you to control 2 characters to use both item box slots, a minor problem I have with this though is that unlike in Mario Kart Double Dash, you can't choose what item box you want to use.
Nintendo's strategy during the Nintendo Switch generation appears to have been influenced by the Wii U's underwhelming performance. To rectify the Wii U's underappreciated game library, Nintendo made a conscious effort basically reuse these titles on the Nintendo Switch.
This can be seen as a positive or a negative but that's a conversation for another day.
Really that's my main problem with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It is called Deluxe which implies it is a wildly improved version which it just isn't. It runs as well as the Wii U version, It looks about as good as the Wii U version and it controls exactly like the Wii U version. It could be seen as a perfect port but it isn't marketed as a port.
Mario Kart 8 improves on every single Mario Kart title before it but unlike Mario Kart 7 for example, which did improve on every Mario Kart before it Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can't really be improved on. It's the essential Mario Kart, it takes all the best elements of the Mario Kart franchise and puts them together into one fantastic game.
A good "inclusion" to Deluxe is the E Shop DLC which gives the player double the maps of the original, it includes some absolutely incredible maps like coconut map. I don't include this as an inclusion to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe since you do have to purchase the DLC after purchasing the game but if you do have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the DLC is a must-have.
In conclusion Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is as close to perfect as a racing game can get, my only problem with the game is its lack of inclusions in the port but that doesn't have anything to do with the fundamentals of the game. Mario Kart 8 is just great and an essential purchase for all fans of racing games and Nintendo games in general.
Thank you for reading my nitpicky and poorly written review!