Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo Wii U)

Its Mario Kart need i say more although the bunny hopping to keep your boost going is annoying online .

Amazing game - thats all I have to say about that.

I bought this game for my son, as he has played all of the other Mario Kart games and absolutely loves them. Mario Kart 8 definitely does not disappoint! Old and new race tracks and characters, there is something for everyone. Would highly recommend for anyone of any age!

it was in excellent condition and a perfect gift

Fun, fun, fun. Addictive, innovative, challenging and lots of laughs for the whole family.

Fantastic

Perfect game. Not crashing. No scratching. Even though when I opened the case the disc was out and sliding around Im guessing that was the packaging and not you but in the end the game still works and is worth every penny.

yet another brilliant karting game starring mario

Another Mario Kart game, one that represents a key reason to own a Wii U; this MK entry is beautiful, packed with content and above all, is an absolute blast to play, on your own or with friends/family. If youve played MK before, youll know what to expect; a wide range of Mario characters with crazy karts/bikes, colourful and imaginative courses and outrageous items to add surprise to the sublime driving mechanics. Drifting, tricking and using items is as satisfying as ever. The main new feature of this game is the anti-gravity sections, that allow you take alternative routes along walls, ceilings and up/down sheer drops. Whilst this gimmick adds little to the core gameplay (aside from allowing you to bump into other racers/spinning bumpers on the anti-grav track sections to get slight speed boosts) its very cool to see other racers ahead/behind you driving above you or along walls, adding variety and scale to the tracks. Gliding and underwater sections from Mario Kart 7 return, further spicing up the gameplay and requiring different skills to maneuver, and new items (the boomerang, boom box and piranha plant) add more mayhem to the already chaotic races. In total, there are 32 courses; 16 retro courses from the 7 previous MK games and 16 brand new ones created for this game. The new courses use the power of the Wii U to provide impressive scale and colour. Each course shines with colour, detail and life, and the anti-grav sections can result in impressive displays of imagination. The retro courses also benefit from the HD graphics and higher processing power, as theyve been rebuilt with more detail and vibrancy with ever. Additionally, for the first time in MK history, each track has its own music, meaning youll never get sick of the same song being used for multiple tracks. As well as the 32 Grand Prix cups to win and achieve star rankings in (there are eight lots of four race Cups in each of the four engine classes) there are numerous other things to do. Time trials allow you to race on each track for a time, and you can aim to beat Nintendo staff times or ones taken from Miiverse. VS Race mode allows you to set your own cup, with chosen tracks, difficulty, rules etc., to play on your own or with others. Battle Mode, unfortunately, is a huge letdown; Coin and Balloon battles return from games past, but instead of taking place in focused arenas created for the mode, these battles take place on tracks intended for racing. This means the battles are not as concentrated and lose coherance. It wouldve been nice to see new battle arenas created for the more powerful Wii U, instead of taking the lazy route and using race courses as a stage for battles. Many fans of the Battle mode may be put off by this neutering of this mode. Though there are 30 characters in total to collect, unlock and play as (including your Mii), the roster isnt as unique or diverse as past games. You have your staple characters, like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, etc., and some returning characters (like Lakitu and Rosalina) but the new additions are MASSIVE disappointments. One sixth of the roster consists of baby variations of characters, including Baby ROSALINA, which doesnt even exist in any other Mario game! Pink Gold Peach is just a heavier reskin of Peach, and whilst its nice to play as all seven Koopa Kids, they occupy many roster spaces. Bowser Jr. doesnt even return, which is very odd. Theres a character for everyone and for all weight classes, but more imaginative characters, like Birdo, Petey Piranha, etc., could have been used. By collecting coins in races/time trials, you can unlike new karts/bikes, wheels and gliders to customise your ride. There are a ton of parts to make your dream machine, and each part affects how the car handles in terms of speed, drifiting, weight and the like. Its fun to watch your collection of car parts grow as you play through the game. Online multiplayer is a hoot, and I havent noticed any technical problems at all. You can (on your own or in a pair) race against others/battle others over the internet, and switch between public games/private ones with your friends. Miiverse can be used to post screenshots and best times, and by winning Grand Prixs/beating time trial records, you can unlock new stamps to use on Miiverse posts. Mario Kart TV allows you to save replays of races that you can edit and upload straight to YouTube, as well as view other replays uploaded by other people. In summary, if you have a Wii U, buy this game. Simple as. Thought the character roster is lackluster and the battle mode is disappointing, theres so much content to discover and the game has fantastic longevity. It runs like a dream (consistent 1080p 60fps, except for one you have lots of local players) and looks astounding. The gameplay has been perfected over so many years and never grows old, and sitting round the TV and playing with others guarantees a good time for people of all skill levels. Buy it, play it, enjoy it; this is a reason in itself to own a Wii U. PS If you cant get enough of the game, buy the DLC. By the time its all released in May 2015, therell be six new characters, 16 new tracks and eight new karts/bikes. Plus, for £11, its a steal!

Fab gamr for a mario fanatic