For all the talk about "59fps" and "720p with no AA", they also said:
"Tracks are alive and bursting with colour and animation backed by an overhauled lighting solution and a smattering of excellent texture-work."
"Thankfully, the lacklustre image quality does little to spoil an otherwise magnificent visual package."
"This is all enhanced by a convincing combination of real-time and pre-baked shadows that even take occluded edges into account. Complimenting this is a vast array of dynamic light sources, such as headlights, item boxes, and special effects, made possible by what we suspect is a shift to a deferred rendering solution. Even in four-player split-screen we see dynamic lighting play a large role in defining the visual design while simultaneously highlighting detail in the texture work. It's really quite a treat for the eyes."
"The world is further enhanced by the same atmospheric glow we loved in Super Mario 3D World, lending an almost hyper-realistic look to the surroundings alongside smaller details including a more robust particle system and plenty of decal textures. You'll notice plumes of smoke encircling the tyres as you jam on the accelerator, dust and debris kicking up when you drive through dirt, and rising bubbles when submerged in water. Skid-marks and other decals also help give persistence to each lap around the track."
"[in 3-4 player splitscreen] the game's core mechanics are processing identically to the 60Hz single-player game, so while there will be an increase in input lag, this doesn't quite feel like the muggy 30fps racing games you may be accustomed to"
"The frequency and pattern of [the 59fps] problem suggests an internal timing issue, potentially related to Mario Kart TV, rather than one of performance."
"Mario Kart 8 is a beautiful game with just a few small flaws that blemish an otherwise faultless presentation."
