I’m a huge fan of the Mario Kart series and I’m super pumped for MK8. In my preparation for the newest MK, I’ve been replaying all of the previous games in the series. Playing all seven games in the span of a couple weeks has been really fun. Each game has its own approach, yet each game is familiar. Here are some thoughts after playing through the series.
Tracks:
Obviously each new iteration of the series brings more dynamic tracks. While it’s fun to sometimes play the flat tracks of Super Mario Kart or MK: Super Circuit, I really like the jumps, gaps, and elevation changes current tracks bring. I also like the tricking and glider elements added in MK Wii and MK7. The underwater sections of MK7 don’t do much for me. I love the point A to point B tracks added in MK7 (Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, Rainbow Road), and I’m glad to see MK8 has a few of these kinds of tracks. I also love tracks that have multiple routes or shortcuts and it looks like there’s plenty of this in MK8!
Controls:
I like the current, “tighter” controls much more than I like the “loose” controls of SMK and MKSC. I also like the current drifting mechanics of MK Wii and MK7. I usually go off the track when I try to drift in SMK, MKSC, and MK64. I know people were sad to see snaking removed after being in MKDD and DS, but I didn’t like having to rock stick/D-Pad back and forth in every turn. I also loved the Side-Attack item steal seen in MKDD
Items:
Playing through the series reminded me of just how unique MKDD is. One of the things I love about DD is the character unique items. I absolutely loved choosing different character pairs to see the best item tandem. I grew fond of the Koopa Troopa/Diddy Kong pair (Shells for offense, bananas for defense). I’m also excited to see the Super Horn in MK8; finally an item that can counter the evil Blue Shell!
While I don’t have any favorite items, I have some that I really don’t like. Let’s get the obvious one out there. I don’t mind the Blue Shell, I just don’t like its frequency in MKDS and Wii. I’m glad they got rid of the Boo (half the time in MKDS it wouldn’t give me anything) and the Fake Item Box (did that ever fool anyone?). I also dislike Bullet Bill. It punishes those in the back of the pack by running them over, rather than slowing down the front runners like the Lightning Bolt and Blue Shell. Finally, I don’t really like the Lucky 7 from MK7. For some reason I can’t time the right item to use as they circle around me.
Other Thoughts:
I mentioned it earlier and its worth mentioning again: I love the unique ideas they brought to MK Double Dash. Two characters on the same kart, co-op play on the same kart, and character specific items are all awesome features. DD would easily be my favorite MK if it wasn’t for the tracks; there are several tracks that I really don’t like.
I was also reminded of how mindblowing MK64 was compared to SMK. To go from the flat tracks of SMK to the hilly, jumpy, dynamic courses of MK64 was a huge jump, and is why MK64 is one of my favorites of the series. I’m also so excited to see three of my favorite tracks from MK64 (Royal Raceway, Yoshi Valley, and Toad’s Turnpike) are all making their way to MK8!
While MKDS had online play, I never played it (my college had crappy internet). MKWii showed just how awesome MK online can be, and MK7 made even more improvements. I love MK online and how many hours of playtime it adds. I also love how easy online is to use. To race online in Gran Turismo 6 it takes at least 5 minutes of menus and waiting. This a different kind of racing game I know, but I love that MK online is easy to jump into and seamlessly takes you from race to race.
Two things I haven’t mentioned yet: Battle mode and MK Arcade. I didn’t mention MK Arcade because I’ve only played a few races on GP2. I played a whole lot of Battle Mode on MK64, but I’ve lost interest since. I guess I just like racing more. Maybe I’ll give Battle Mode a retry on MK8
Wow that’s a lot. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this great series!
Gaming since 1990
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