The Switch is not another Wii U!

[ps4tw]

Alkibiádēs said:

ps4tw said:

Gran Turismo has completely changed it's single player setup, changed its game engine several times, introduced damage and other features. Mario Kart instalments always do as little work as possible for each release, confusing "gimmick" with "unique selling point" e.g. Double-Dash, anti-grav etc If these features were something more than a gimmick, surely they would have been carried over to future games?

No, I'm neither deflecting or taking what you said out of context; you clearly just aren't aware of how your point isn't relevant. It doesn't matter that they sold a combined total of 80 million hardware units. What matters is that this generation has been the absolute worst for them, with their slowest selling handheld and the slowest ever selling home console. If you think those points can be ignored, you don't understand how businesses are valued as it shows their business plan and concept clearly have been complete failures. 

People like Mario Kart a lot more than Gran Turismo, so clearly those unique selling points aren't confusing. 

I only started playing the franchise since Double Dash, so I can't give my opinion on the older games, but the games change up enough to still be fresh:

- Double Dash introduced many new characters and character specific items and 2 players per kart. It also had a fun new battle mode with bob-omb blast.

- Mario Kart DS introduced remade retro courses alongside the new tracks, online, side missions and boss fights. 

- Mario Kart Wii introduced online splitscreen (loved this), motor bikes, wheelies, trick system for boosts and an extra drift boost for karts only. To me this game felt a bit too generic compared to the other Mario Kart games though. 

- Mario Kart 7 introduced coins, different kart parts to make your own unique vehicle and underwater and gliding sections. 

- Mario Kart 8 introduced anti-gravity, which allowed for some great course designs. It's also the first Mario Kart game to allow non-Mario characters like Link and the Inklings. There are also courses based on other Nintendo franchises like F-zero. They completely changed how battle mode works, but that change was terrible and they're fixing it now with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This Deluxe edition will also feature a completely new battle mode that involves the piranha plant. No further details are known though. There is also a new 200 CC mode in this game, it really does make the game harder but also more interesting at the same time. 

Oh and the 3DS isn't their slowest selling handheld, the gameboy lasted for two generations and it sold around the same pace as the 3DS, even slower before Pokémon got released on it. 

While Mario Kart always sells a lot, the issue is that none of the existing Nintendo IPs appear to be attracting new fans, as evident by the almost contradictory low sales of the Wii U, but the high sales of Nintendo IPs. Games like Gran Turismo and Call of Duty are great entry games into those genres and appeals to modern gamers. Mario Kart evidently does not.

Mario Kart has barely innovated over the last 25 years, and the changes made most certainly could have been implemented sooner. With regards to the track design in Mario Kart 8, this is nothing that wasn't seen in Wipeout Fusion, a game from 2002. So while Mario Karts has had slight changes made, it certainly has not changed nearly enough to be considered either innovative or arguably even acceptable - ultimately the gameplay is virtually identical throughout the entire series.

I've gone back and corrected the comment on the 3DS. As you say, it wasn't the slowest selling handheld, but it is indeed the lowest selling handheld.