It is without a doubt that Mario Kart 8 is looking better and better as time continues to pass by. I was really surprised when I found out that Nintendo made a Nintendo Direct focusing on Mario Kart 8. There was a lot covered in the Nintendo Direct and I would like to start some discussion using the information that we obtained in the latest Nintendo Direct.
Game Mechanics:
We all know that the anti-gravity mechanic was going to be the main mechanic used for this installment of Mario Kart, much like how going underwater and flying were the main mechanics used in Mario Kart 7. One mechanic that I enjoyed seeing go into further detail was the Spinboosting mechanic. It really is a unique thing not seen in any previous Mario Kart installment. As racers we usually tend to stay away or avoid any form of contact while we race around the track as we will lose speed and have to regain our momentum, so it really is a breath of fresh air because for the first time in Mairo Kart, we don't have to worry about bumping into obstacles and gain a boost out of it. It is wonderful that Nintendo did decide to go into further detail about how the mechanic works as not everyone is going to observing things at the technical level. Sure they could have seen a glimpse of what the game looks like, but not everyone has a technical mindset or observes every bit of news that we can get our hands on gaming sites such as GameXplain.
One thing that I am really excited about is the customizations that we will have to select from. Like Mario Kart 7, each player will able to customize our own kart to our liking. From what we were shown, there will be some Mario Kart 7 customizations returning, mainly the wheels, and the vast majority are brand new customizations that only are found in Mario Kart 8. In this iteration of Mario Kart, we get a new vehicle body, the ATV or All Terrain Vehicle. With body types, the combinations are phenomenal! I can't wait to customizing my kart/bike/ATV for each course in Time Trials for the fastest speed that I can possibly achieve.
New Characters:
We already knew that the Koopalings were going to be part of the Mario Kart 8 roster and I honestly believe that it is great to see these Koopalings enter the game without dropping a single one of them. I always wondered if it would be cool to see a Koopaling or two make it to a Mario Kart roster, but it always brought the question of which Koopalings would make it to the final list as having all seven of them sounded just too much for a roster. Now that all of them are playable for the first time, I am excited to play as my favorite Koopalings (especially Ludwig). Now onto the two newest characters that made it to the roster: Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach.
It seems Nintendo really love seeing baby versions of Mario characters racing around the tracks. Seeing Baby Rosalina now, I approve for Baby Rosalina despite being another baby character. I do have to admit that Baby Rosalina is now the first female baby that I like. Don't get me wrong, I'm ok with both Baby Peach and Baby Daisy, but they didn't really appealed to me as much as Baby Mario and Baby Luigi and before anyone says I'm sexist, I'm not as I like Peach and Daisy. It's just that something about those designs of the princess babies was either missing something or a certain feature of them that made me dislike them just a little, but something of Baby Rosalina makes feel so bubbly and warm inside. As for Pink Gold Peach, I am indifferent about it. Nintendo had the potential to bring back another Mario Kart, but instead we got another metallic character. If a character were to receive a metallic clone, I was hoping that it would be Luigi since he usually receives anything after Mario originally obtained. We could have received another Kong member, another Koopa member, Birdo, or King Boo, but we got Pink Gold Peach. Not a terrible character, but we could have got a better one in my opinion.
Items:
Like most Mario Kart installments, the core set of items of items are in tact. In addition, we got a look a several different items that brand new for Mario Kart 8. These items include: Boomerang Flower, Piranha Plant, Crazy 8, and the Super Horn. The Crazy 8 item is simply an upgrade to Mario Kart 7's Lucky 7 item and adds another potential item that the user can utilize. I love how Nintendo kept the theme of adding an adjective that fits with the number. Finally we have the Super Horn. This was the item that practically every didn't know how it functions. The Super Horn creates a bubble surrounding the player's kart/bike and anyone who is caught in that radius will be blasted away. What's so potent about this item is not only can this be used for offensive plays, a player can use the Super horn for defensive maneuvers. This is also the first item that is able to destroy the terrifying Blue Spiny Shell after it has been launched.
Online Racing:
We finally got a look on the online features that Mario Kart 8 will be offering. The first thing that we are given a better look is that online multiplayer is easier and simpler to enter a race online. Like Mario Kart Wii, Mari Kart 8 will allow up to 12 players to compete against each other. Unlike Mario Kart 7 it seems the ability to make communities will not appear in this iteration of Mario Kart, however, now we are given the ability to host tournaments and customized them with the rules that want to implement. I personally think this is a better way to play online as online communities gradually died out which was a sad thing to witness that event happening. On the plus side, I think these tournaments will be allow players to bring their competitive faces towards online play, which is always a plus in my opinion.
Soundtrack:
The music that the Nintendo Direct provided was outstanding. The music gives off a jazz-like vibe, which perfectly fits for Mario Kart 8. Coming from a guy that mainly listens to classical and jazz music, I am loving this soundtrack to the fullest. It always put in such a jolly mood and I can't wait to download the soundtrack once Nintendo releases it or any YouTuber is nice enough to release the soundtrack from their channel. Ever since the direct, I have always seen myself jamming out to the soundtrack of Mario Kart 8. You can just feel the vibe of each music composition and just hearing the soundtrack automatically gets me excited for Mario Kart 8 to finally be released.
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