Mario Kart 8 review

[dataDave]

I'm eight hours ahead of the UK and seven ahead of most of Europe. I can get up super-duper early at the weekends but if everybody no-shows I'll be pissed off!

[wakka]

That's an arse Dave. Maybe a Sunday night game, GMT? Then it would be lunchtime-ish for you.

I would be more than up for racing with people off here but the BD group is dead unfortunately, seems like most have lost interest now

[Asura]

To be fair, I don't think it's an earth-shatteringly wrong opinion to express - the idea that at reasonable level of play, something like Mario Kart 7 is more about chance than skill. I honestly feel that way about it in max-cc against the AI.

It might not feel so random to newbies. It might not actually be quite random to those at pseudo-professional level; at some kind of Mario Kart equivalent of Evo-level Street Fighter.

However, most of us are somewhere in-between those extremes, and I personally feel the MK games have taken certain chance elements too far. Either that, or the strategies involve things I don't personally want to do in a racing game (intentionally avoid first place until making a move during the last lap).

[Nu-Eclipse]

You need to lighten up, man. So I trolled you a bit a long time ago. It happened, no need to go on about it.
I have been nothing but civil for ages, realising that you have plenty to offer and plenty of knowledge. I even PMed you in attempt to build a bridge for what was nothing more than childish behavior on both sides.
You ignored it and even blocked me on Twitter despite me not following you.

I don't get your attitude. I don't think anyone does. I can even work out if your whole Persona is one big joke behind the scenes.

LOL is truly all I have for such a response.

Was this "bridge-building" PM something that you sent by horseback messenger? I've never received such a message from you ever so I don't know what you're talking about and that's the truth.

Blocked you on Twitter? I think you're confused (and not for the first time) - I've never blocked you. You followed me and I simply didn't follow back - my prerogative. You then unfollowed as a result - your prerogative as well, so please don't try to make out that you've been victimised by me on social media in some way because you clearly haven't.

Just as you don't get my attitude, I don't get your penchant for snide remarks (such as that about my "attitude" and "persona" above and other comments made to me in the past on here) time and again. For what it's worth, I too often wonder if your persona is one big joke behind the scenes. The delusion displayed in posts such as that from you above seem to underline it.

[wakka]

To be fair, I don't think it's an earth-shatteringly wrong opinion to express - the idea that at reasonable level of play, something like Mario Kart 7 is more about chance than skill. I honestly feel that way about it in max-cc against the AI.

It might not feel so random to newbies. It might not actually be quite random to those at pseudo-professional level; at some kind of Mario Kart equivalent of Evo-level Street Fighter.

However, most of us are somewhere in-between those extremes, and I personally feel the MK games have taken certain chance elements too far. Either that, or the strategies involve things I don't personally want to do in a racing game (intentionally avoid first place until making a move during the last lap).

There is a degree of chance to the game but it's simply not true that it's more about chance than skill.

Otherwise it does tend to seem that the more I play, the luckier I get perhaps I should start gambling more.

If you intentionally avoid first place until the last lap you're not going to do very well. The best tactic, much like in any other racing game, is to build up a strong lead as quickly as possible.

I'd be more than happy to take part in some friendly races to see if it really is more about chance than skill

[Zaki]

I'd love to race some of you guys

[nakamura]

LOL is truly all I have for such a response.

Was this "bridge-building" PM something that you sent by horseback messenger? I've never received such a message from you ever so I don't know what you're talking about and that's the truth.

Blocked you on Twitter? I think you're confused (and not for the first time) - I've never blocked you. You followed me and I simply didn't follow back - my prerogative. You then unfollowed as a result - your prerogative as well, so please don't try to make out that you've been victimised by me on social media in some way because you clearly haven't.

Just as you don't get my attitude, I don't get your penchant for snide remarks (such as that about my "attitude" and "persona" above and other comments made to me in the past on here) time and again. For what it's worth, I too often wonder if your persona is one big joke behind the scenes. The delusion displayed in posts such as that from you above seem to underline it.

I believe you didn't get the message but I did send it a while back. I've no reason not to be truthful. These things happen.

You also have blocked me on Twitter, I've just screen grabbed it. Maybe it was an accident, entirely possible. Someone mentioned a tweet you about a game a while back so I checked and couldn't view it. No big deal of course.

I followed you a while back to see if we could get past forum issues. Didn't work so I unfollowed because twitter is personal and it's not my right to invade your space.

My comments were not meant to be snide regarding your attitude. All I meant is I tried to build a bridge and it seemed utterly futile and I don't understand why we couldn't move past needless hostility.

[Asura]

The best tactic, much like in any other racing game, is to build up a strong lead as quickly as possible.

8 must be quite different to 7, then, as in 7, someone at the back of the pack, and that person regularly gets blue shells. A single shell can wipe out pretty much any lead in my experience. If you get hit by a blue shell on the run to the finish line, I feel you're always coming in second. I don't think I've ever been so far ahead of the pack so as to prevent that.

There are other elements to it, too. For example, in 7 (and generally in new MK titles, not sure about 8), things like the lightning bolt take away your power-ups. This means you can't (for example) be in 5th, get a star, then fight your way to first/second place with awesome driving and use the star to get a big lead. You're too likely to get hit with something that takes it away, and then you're stuck with bananas.

That particular change (taking away power-ups) seems to me to be a concession to reducing the amount of control the player can exert on the game, and is an example that it has become a bit more random.

[nakamura]

Items are much more balanced than 7. Less blues and since the last update, more defensive items at the front.

['Press Start']

When in front I am getting hit by red shells from no where. Since when did red shells seek you around the corners? They seem to trace the racing line whereas the last time I played a Mario Kart game they went as the crow flies.

There is a cheapness with the AI that frustrates me. It does not stop you from winning but that makes it all the more pointless. It used to be rubber banding that was the issue, can't Nintendo just program some decent AI?

Still it looks and plays amazing (beside the AI). Me, my wife and son have great fun and this is where Nintendo are better then their rivals imo, with same room multi-player (families).

[Asura]

When in front I am getting hit by red shells from no where. Since when did red shells seek you around the corners? They seem to trace the racing line whereas the last time I played a Mario Kart game they went as the crow flies.

I liked what 64 did (though that applies to almost everything it did; I feel like a broken record sometimes).

The red shells went forward a short distance, THEN changed angle and charged forward as the crow flies. You could get more use of them going round corners by aiming to the outside of the corner and firing, allowing for better use of the angle.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Hell, in a strange way, I miss what MK: Super Circuit and (I think?) SMK did with red shells in that if you threw them from behind they would stay on the spot until somebody drove past them, at which point they effectively became heat-seeking missiles (albeit ones that you could outdrive/outrun).

Inspired, imo.

[fishbowlhead]

Hell, in a strange way, I miss what MK: Super Circuit and (I think?) SMK did with red shells in that if you threw them from behind they would stay on the spot until somebody drove past them, at which point they effectively became heat-seeking missiles (albeit ones that you could outdrive/outrun).

Inspired, imo.

Mk8 feels like an HD super circuit, probably why I like it so much, it's that instant pixel perfect power sliding that ninty just nailed in this and SC.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Mk8 feels like an HD super circuit, probably why I like it so much, it's that instant pixel perfect power sliding that ninty just nailed in this and SC.

Nah. MK8 feels nothing like Super Circuit.

MK8 is basically MK7 + a touch of MK Wii in HD. Super Circuit is more like a combination of the best of SMK & MK64.

[kryss]

Super Circuit shall never be bested.