It takes more thought to use now, since instantly activating it wont do much for you. This be a good thing!

I've found the weapon balance and vehicle balance thus far to be heaps better. It's harder to build a big lead but it really makes you feel you are still in a tussle, even in first place. Although it takes some adjustment I think the inability to hold a weapon in reserve (and the coin) makes you think more carefully about the weapon that you have and whether it's worth holding onto rather than simply spamming backwards.

The battle mode, while actually quite enjoyable, still needs arenas! Also I'm not quite sure why they limited the track selection in battle mode, some of them are quite suitable, a couple are rubbish, so why not just allow people select from the full range of tracks, people will quickly find out what works and what doesn't. Finally I have to agree that the lack of a map, especially in battle mode, gives the person with the Gamepad an very unfair advantage. Either get rid of it or have the option to toggle it onscreen for all players.

Nah, as no one actually uses the gamepad screen much. I've yet to see anyone try stopping and letting second place go ahead when a Blue Shell is on the way, not even myself! I was originally gonna set up this TV so I could see both the screen and the gamepad at the same time like with the 3DS, but I haven't felt the need to do so yet.

They need to patch in acceleration to work properly. I don't like how you have to fill-in an entire point for acceleration to take better effect.

I was speaking more specifically in the context of the battle mode where it is vital, but if you were going to do it for one mode then you might as well do it for all.

1. That's a server side issue to do with the amount of people wanting to play. Remember it's a new game and it still needs to stablize. better than the network crashing. 

2. There is 36 tracks on a random algorythm of 3. So there is 7140 combinations that can be seen. I have seen all the tracks online, it's just the algorythym at the time. 

3. There might be a free DLC kart, but tracks aren't confirmed yet for DLC

4. Not possible

5. Possible, or play time trial.  

It's very useful in races too, but to look at it means you take your eyes completely off the TV, so people rarely use it if at all.

- make "next race" the default option instead of "watch replay"
- DLC: battle mode maps (for those who care, not me)
- DLC: characters (for those who care & whine, not me)
- DLC: tracks! Amazing. I hope they do it.
- option to change volume of music and sound FX separately (in other games as well, Zelda and Mario!)

Regarding DLC, I always wonder how they're going to do it. What about online, when some people have the DLC tracks, others don't?

Agreed. I'm fine without the speed boost part, but it is frustrating that the star now seems to last about as long as invicibility did in classic Castlevania games lol.

It just kinda sucks when you get a star, are like "Oh good!", and then you're right there about to blast into somebody, and it runs out. Totally deflating lol.

That's actually how my Wii U has been set up for ages.  I turn the map on but I don't find myself using it very much.  Maybe if they gave an option to set it up as a permanent rear view mirror.