Topic: The Wii U has finally done it!

No, I don't prefer party games. I prefer my games to be fun, and once the fun factor has been amplified, I don't expect it to be dialed back. You can still balance a game without doing that. For example, Smash 4 actually amplifies the intensity that Brawl had. The game moves faster, there are bigger animations, and attacks are more powerful. Even items do a lot more. But it's also more skill based than brawl was.

I fail to see what wasn't skill based about MKWii aside from the rubber band AI. Items themselves are a luck based mechanic, and MK8 makes luck take an even bigger role with the item mechanics, as you can only hold one item at a time. I guess the Boomerang flower and Superhorn are somewhat skill based, but thats two items, the latter of which, from what I hear, is incredibly rare. And items like the POW Block, Thunder Cloud, and Mega Mushroom DID have skill components too them. MK Wii's level design was terrific, with tons of splitting paths, different decisions to make, and tricky drift turns.

As for unique choices, I'm not talking about stats, I'm talking about gameplay. The altering of inside drift, removal of wheelies, and altered trick mechanics (I prefer activating your trick midair, it's a far more natural execution than pressing the jump button off of a ramp, which just feels a bit random and tacked on) really pissed me off.

And I don't dislike MK8, it's just too similar to MKWii such that the things it removed makes it feel more like a downgrade. If MK8 did something completely new and off the walsl

All Stars Racing Transform only runs at 60fps on PC if the hardware allows it... the WiiU/X360/PS3 are 30fps (and not even stable for all that matters) and in fact the WiiU has the LOWEST resolution of the 3 at only 1024x576.

Mario Kart 8 runs at 60fps (30fps in 4 player couch co-op) and native 720p

I dont care if you like which game, but get your facts right

All Mario Kart games are party games with the exception of the first one. (Never played the GBA one).

I don't see why anybody gets any enjoyment from being lucky. I certainly don't. If I was always in 12th playing against much better players I would have some incentive to care about practising. (Stuff like somebody in first throwing a banana skin backwards perfectly in my path - I get triple reds / triple mushrooms and win what is the point in that0.

So ? I play it on a PC. Don't see why anybody would want anything other the best version of any game I know I wouldn't.

@iKhan

If you really want to keep thinking MKW is better than MK8 go right ahead, I know no one will change your mind. You seem to think everything most people thought was broken about the game is great and everything people love in MK8 isn't as good as what Wii had. I don't care enough to keep this conversation going.

I don't understand everyones complaints on Mario Kart 8. I never get anywhere below fifth place online in full servers. You need to know the course and the best way to get around it. If i get into 7th, I can use shortcuts alot of people don't use, and i quickly catchup. Only rarely do i get caught up in shell spam territory

Then you are kinda missing the point as you are comparing how a console game looks compares to a PC, thats never a fair comparisson, and its never a comparison... and i know because i own quite a decent gaming PC, even the PS4 games lacks on resolution and frames compared to PC

That you are saying "it looks better on the same TV" is kinda pointless, Of course it will look better, its native 1080p and maxed out compared to Mario Kart 8 with its 720p, except the frame rates,those are 60 on the PC and on the WiiU, as compared to the PS3/360 version wich are pretty much the same, (except the PS3 which is native 720, except being upscalled like the WiiU and 360 versions)

Thats like saying that my version of Racing Transforms is better looking than yours because my monitor can do 1600p

But whatever thats besides the point of this topic

I agree in terms of the INCREDIBLY excellent track quality. I'm still astonished at how good and creative the tracks all are, it's crazy and it's at least technically the best looking Nintendo game ever made (in 20 years Yoshi's Island (let alone Wooly World) might look better because aesthetics, I dunno...) but I still maintain that without the awesome free game deal, people should kinda demand more content for 60 bucks. Some people will get enough but I think a lot won't. Maybe that's just me, I dunno...

Personally, I still think Rayman Legends is what convinced me that the Wii U was succeeding in terms of quality software and using it's gimmicks to achieve great gaming.

I will also say that Nintendo's own lineup for Wii U is fairly brilliant and the type of high quality and interesting variety I want. Lots of potential GOTY contenders coming and I'm glad Miyamoto's promise of post-Mario Kart Wii U being more interesting has turned out to be entirely true.

It works the other way as well - The Gamecube version of Sonic : Adventure 2 Battle is better than all other versions. The Saturn version of Chronicles of Mystara is still better in the ways that matter.

The only comparison that isn't fair is say a £20,0000 Arcade machine to a PC or Console.

(Or even stuff that needs a really high end PC but that is not the case here).

ITT: Guy who has neither a Wii U nor Mario Kart 8 types endless paragraphs about how MK8 is unspectacular. Other guy drones on about irrelevant PC gaming specs.

I think Nintendo already has some pretty darn good titles on on the Wii U, like Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, DKC Tropical Freeze and Hyrule Warriors. They have a chest of well-polished gems already. They just need to keep filling up said chest.

No. Mario Kart 8 is not that gem.

Good game, but not amazing.

And anybody who claims it to be is delusional.

I think it is good but only 1/3 of the time (The last lap) which is not enough.

Mount Wario is fun the whole time but it is the only track like that.

(N64 Rainbow Road is better than most because its different each lap but its not pure fun like Mount Wario).

Again, what was broken? I'm completely missing what people thought was broken outside of the AI.

The items were broken

I just thought the item balance in Mario Kart Wii (and to a slightly lesser extent DS and 7) was too predictable. You were guaranteed to get certain-quality items depending on your position. I like how it's more random in 8, but not to the extent of the old days where you're as likely as anyone else to get lightning even if you're in second place.

Really though this series hit its low at Mario Kart DS and has been recovering ever since.

Every Mario Kart game has broken items. The Bullet Bill, Lightning, Star, Red Shells, and Blue Shell are all broken items. The only staple items that aren't broken are green shells, mushrooms, item boxes, and bananas.

I guess MK Wii's original items were a bit more powerful than average, but they weren't completely un-skill based. You could avoid a POW Block by being in the air when it happened. You could avoid the Mega Mushroom just like you avoid a Star, and you have to have the skill to chase down and run right into an opponent to pass on the lightning cloud.

But I guess I can see why people would have problems with those. That said though, I don't think removing them completely is the correct solution. Instead, they could have adjusted the track design and average kart speeds so that they don't have as great an impact. They could have adjusted the mechanics of the items so that they conveyed the same sense of power without feeling broken. For example, the Mega Mushroom could increase your speed to a smaller degree, and it's duration could shrink. The POW Block could be avoided with an action command.

That's one of my problems with MK8. Nintendo seemed to confuse "balancing" with "removing all elements that convey great power or speed". Actually, it's something a lot of developers do. If anyone else is a fan of the NHL Hitz series, you'll notice that the games got progressively worse and worse, as they continuously reduced the degree to which everything was exaggerated. Instead of trying to balance the exaggerated mechanics (though TBH, they weren't broken in the first place), they removed or weakened them

EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not trolling, and I don't think MK8 is bad. In fact, when I first tried the game, I REALLY wanted to love it. But the reality was that I didn't it was just okay.. Same with Mario 3D World and Hyrule Warriors.

Which doesn't exactly defend the Wii game since it had all of these plus the aforementioned items.

I guess MK Wii's original items were a bit more powerful than average, but they weren't completely un-skill based. You could avoid a POW Block by being in the air when it happened. You could avoid the Mega Mushroom just like you avoid a Star, and you have to have the skill to chase down and run right into an opponent to pass on the lightning cloud.

POW block always made you lose your item regardless. The lightning cloud punishes you for being in a lower place. Sometimes you're not guaranteed to hit an opponent. These items are a hell lot more luck-based than skill-based.

But I guess I can see why people would have problems with those. That said though, I don't think removing them completely is the correct solution. Instead, they could have adjusted the track design and average kart speeds so that they don't have as great an impact. They could have adjusted the mechanics of the items so that they conveyed the same sense of power without feeling broken. For example, the Mega Mushroom could increase your speed to a smaller degree, and it's duration could shrink. The POW Block could be avoided with an action command.

If you can avoid the POW block, it has no purpose. Its design was flawed from the start and it cannot be both balanced and useful at the same time.

That's one of my problems with MK8. Nintendo seemed to confuse "balancing" with "removing all elements that convey great power or speed". Actually, it's something a lot of developers do. If anyone else is a fan of the NHL Hitz series, you'll notice that the games got progressively worse and worse, as they continuously reduced the degree to which everything was exaggerated. Instead of trying to balance the exaggerated mechanics (though TBH, they weren't broken in the first place), they removed or weakened them

They did balance them...by removing them completely. As the other user mentioned, Mario Kart Wii is incredibly party based rather than skill-based. Matter of fact, I think MK Wii has the least skill required out of all the games.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not trolling, and I don't think MK8 is bad. In fact, when I first tried the game, I REALLY wanted to love it. But the reality was that I didn't it was just okay.. Same with Mario 3D World and Hyrule Warriors.

I don't think you're a troll. No one has to like everything Nintendo-based. I don't like Metroid or Star Fox at all. That said, I don't agree with your opinion at all. Mario Kart Wii is one of the weakest entries in the series. I would rank the games as follows:

1. Mario Kart 8
2. Mario Kart 7
3. Mario Kart DS
4. Mario Kart Double Dash
5. Mario Kart Wii
6. Super Mario Kart
7. Mario Kart Super Circuit
8. Mario Kart 64

@iKahn
Mario Kart 8 being worse than Wii is your opinion. Lots of people think it's an improvement; myself included.

I like Mario Kart 7 more than 8
Far better weight balance makes it much more fun to try more different builds. While it horribly lacks single player VS, it does have classic Battle Mode

Mario Kart DS has some nice additions like Mission, but going back to it with its strange drift system and lack of tricks is very uncomfortable to me.

I like Mario Kart Wii for nostalgic reasons, but it just isn't as fun as 8, lacking cool features like antigravity and kart customisation.

I haven't/barely played the others.

Ultimately, 7 is still my favourite for its great balance. I'm not saying the others suck/I dislike them but since we were talking about the best Mario Kart games...