Mario Kart News
August2014
News Somebody At Ubisoft Really Doesn't Like Mario Kart 8's Mercedes-Benz DLC
"Kinda breaks the magic"
In these days of rapid fire communication via social media, it's not uncommon for somebody to hastily post something to the world and get themselves into trouble. More often than not these gaffs are made by individuals, not those working on social media teams for multinational video game publishers such as Ubisoft. At 12:17...
Play & Win Mario Kart 8 Championship - Heat 2 - Launches on Sunday 24th August
Another chance for glory
As we hope you're aware, we've teamed up with the Official Nintendo UK Store to run the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, looking for the country's fastest racer who'll receive some fantastic prizes. This Championship has multiple online Heats, with the top three in each of those Tournaments then progressing to the...
Video This Drake-Inspired Mario Kart Rap is For Champion Racers
"Got all these races looking like they're just time trials"
There are only a few Nintendo franchises that can bring on very real trash talk; no, that Nintendo E3 press conference attempt for Wii Sports Resort back in the day does not count. One of these franchises that'll have friends and family boasting red shell success is Mario Kart, to this day...
Play & Win Join the UK Mario Kart 8 Championship First Heat - Today!
Qualification for the grand final is up for grabs
The time has finally come for the first heat of the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, which we're running in association with the Nintendo Official UK Store. It's all in aid of a quest to find the country's fastest Mario Kart 8 racer, and to have some fun at the same time. This Championship...
Video Nintendo's "Mario Kart 8 From The Pit" Series Sure is Energetic
Tips for beginners, shared loudly
Over the past year, in particular, Nintendo of America has been pushing plenty of video and social media content to promote its systems and games; other regions have done the same, yet NoA has commissioned a lot of unique content. It produced the imaginative and fairly flashy 'real-life' Mario Kart 8 trailers before...
Play & Win The UK Mario Kart 8 Championship, Heat One, Is On Saturday 16th August
The first step to being National Champion
Recently we announced that, in partnership with the Official Nintendo UK Store, we'll be running the Mario Kart 8 Championship 2014 in the UK, looking for the country's fastest racer who'll receive some fantastic prizes. This Championship will kick off with four online Heats, with the top three in each of...
News Super Mario Kart SNES World Championships Race Onto The Grid on 12th August
Watch the event live on Twitch
The Mario Kart franchise continues to thrive since the release of Mario Kart 8, but now it is time again for its eldest brother, Super Mario Kart, to hold the annual World Championships this week between 12th – 17th August at La Suze-sur-Sarthe in France. The original game actually has this huge event held every year...
News Mario Kart 8 Update & DLC Scheduled for 27th August
Finally stop selecting "View Highlights" by mistake
Update 2: This update and DLC has now been confirmed in North America, with Super Mario Kart now also available on the Wii U eShop. Update: This update has now also been confirmed for 27th August in Europe. Original Story: Nintendo has updated its Japanese website with the following details...
Competition Nintendo Life Set To Host Mario Kart 8 Tournament at EGX London 2014
A year's worth of games and more up for grabs
As you may have noticed, in recent weeks we've run a couple of Mario Kart 8 tournaments for UK gamers, with eShop funds up for grabs. These have been in partnership with the Official Nintendo UK Online Store and have attracted hundreds of players. We're now stepping things up a notch with the Mario Kart...
Play & Win Here Are The Mario Kart 8 UK Tournament Rematch Results
Thanks for playing!
Thanks to our friends at the Official Nintendo UK Online Store we held another Mario Kart 8 tournament yesterday; we changed things slightly by increasing the number of races from 12 to 16 and reducing the number of hours from 6 to 4. There was a total of £120 eShop credit up for grabs to our top three racers — competition was...
July2014
Play & Win Join the UK Mario Kart 8 Tournament Rematch - Today!
More eShop funds up for grabs
Earlier this week we told you about the second Mario Kart 8 tournament we're running for UK racers. The rematch is all set for today, in which participants have four hours to complete 16 races in a battle for delicious eShop funds. Details are below, so good luck! What:: Once again, this is for UK readers. The top...
Video If You Like Mario Kart 8, Princess Peach and Alternative Rock Music, You'll Love This
Mario Kart TV, a saviour of YouTube
Mario Kart TV, a relatively simple idea of allowing stylish highlight reels with super slow-mo, has become a goldmine of memes and better advertising for Mario Kart 8 than money can buy. The Luigi death stare is so cool that Nintendo even adopted the viral hit for its own advertising in Japan. We had a go at...
News Mario Kart 8 Sold 2.82 Million Copies In A Single Month
And that doesn't include copies sold after June, either
Nintendo has revealed that its Wii U racer Mario Kart 8 sold 2.82 million copies worldwide during its first month of release. The title launched at the end of May, and by the close of June it had shifted almost three million units all over the globe — an impressive achievement when you...
Play & Win Join The Grid for The UK Mario Kart 8 Tournament Rematch on Thursday
Another £120 eShop credit up for grabs
Just this past weekend we hosted a special UK Mario Kart 8 tournament in which eShop funds were up for grabs over the course of a 6 hour competition. In the end our planned three prizes — totalling £120 of credit — were split between three racers that hit the maximum score; that's quite an achievement...
Live Nintendo Life Plays Mario Kart 8 on Twitch
Aiming for the podium
It's that time again, dear readers, for us to be humiliated by far faster racers by playing Mario Kart 8 live on Twitch. Anthony Dickens and Tom Whitehead will be joining in (12 races) for a tournament we're currently running — with prizes courtesy of Official Nintendo UK Online Store — in the UK. Once we've completed a run...
Play & Win UK Mario Kart 8 Tournament - Live!
eShop funds up for grabs
Earlier this week we told you about a special Mario Kart 8 tournament we're running for UK racers. The day is here, in which participants have six hours to complete 12 races in a battle for some lovely eShop funds. Details are below, so good luck! What:: Nintendo Life is holding a one-off regional Mario Kart 8 Online...
Play & Win UK Mario Kart 8 Tournament this Saturday
Points make prizes
We all like to think we’re pretty good at Mario Kart 8, but there is only one way to decide who deserves the top spot of the podium here in the UK – it’s time for a tournament! What:: Nintendo Life will be holding a one-off regional Mario Kart 8 Online Tournament for our UK readers. The top three qualifying players will...
Video This Cool Slow-Mo Mario Kart 8 Japanese TV Advert Even Features Luigi's Death Stare
Embracing the meme
Nintendo clearly knew it had produced a terrific feature — with Mario Kart TV in Mario Kart 8 — right from the off, strongly featuring slow-mo replays in its pre-release Nintendo Direct broadcast; to humorous effect. That said, Ninty may have been surprised when the Luigi 'Death Stare' went viral in a YouTube video, getting...
News Mario Kart 8 Secures Place as Top-Selling SKU in NPD June Sales, With Hardware Boost for Wii U
Tomodachi Life joins MK8 in overall Top 10
The latest NPD results — which provide data on physical retail sales in the US — have been released, and Nintendo has been confident enough about the outcome to break recent trends and provide a press release update on its position. There are strong numbers for both the Wii U and 3DS. To begin with...
News Mario Kart 8 Is £29.99 Again At GAME, Today Only in the UK
Don't stall
Not so long ago we pointed you to an enticing one day deal for UK gamers to grab Mario Kart 8 for just £29.99. That was through the GAME online store, and it seems the deal is back for another flash-sale today (16th July), again for one day only. Once again it's the disc version of Mario Kart 8 — which you can grab
Video Mario Kart 8 Final Reveals The Top UK Family Racer
Speed demons
After weeks of heats and numerous family competitors, Family Gamer TV whittled the field down to the final four racers in their Mario Kart 8 competition. In a head-to-head final race the families each cheered on their children to complete Toad Harbour ahead of the field. Ben (racing as Mario, top left), Jarvis (racing as Larry, bottom...
News Mercedes Reports a Boost in Interest Since Announcing Mario Kart 8 Ad and DLC Deal
Marketing Experts 1 - 0 Jaded Cynics
There were some raised eyebrows when free Mercedes DLC — along with a marketing campaign — was announced for Mario Kart 8 in Japan, and more excitable chatter when that same content was confirmed for the West. Some are indifferent to the whole thing, others are pleased, while there's certainly a contingent...
Video Mario Kart 8 Isn't The Only New Mario Kart Game You Can Play In 2014
You'll have to leave the house, though
There once was a time when the latest arcade hits were ported to home consoles with great fanfare, but these days most coin-ops are left in their natural habitat. That's been the case with the Mario Kart Arcade GP series, produced in collaboration between Nintendo and Bandai Namco Games. It's a shame, because...
News These Lucky Kids Got McDonald's Happy Meal Mario Kart Toys Direct From The Brothers Themselves
Envy is a terrible thing
McDonald's has a long tradition of hawking lumps of Nintendo-themed plastic with its Happy Meal range — we still have fond memories of the Super Mario Bros. 3 toys which launched more than twenty years ago. Similar playthings were recently given away in the UK, and in Sou
Play Time for Another Nintendo Life Community GP - 12th July
Get ready!
A while ago we had our first NLife Community GP, which allowed us to take each other on in the terrific Mario Kart 8. There's been a lot going on since that last tournament but now there's no excuse; it's time to do it again. So, let's do this. It's a code-based tournament — this is for the community after all — with all the details...
News Four Students Set New Mario Kart Marathon World Record
"As a matter of fact this was an incredibly difficult thing to achieve"
Many of us have had some excessively long gaming sessions, after which we may look back and think "what was I doing?!". They can be fun, though, and there are often teams of people that use gaming marathons to raise money for charity, among other things, taking what is an...
News GAME's One Day Mario Kart 8 Deal, for £29.99, is a Must Buy for UK Racers
Don't delay
Are you a Wii U owner in the UK that still hasn't picked up Mario Kart 8? Perhaps you've seen cheap Wii U system deals and aren't sure whether to take the plunge? This one day deal on the fantastic racer may push you over the edge in either direction. GAME has reduced the disc version of Mario Kart 8 to £29.99 — which you can grab on...
June2014
News Mario Kart 8 Speeds Past The Two Million Copies Sold Barrier In Less Than A Month
Wii U hardware sales are up, too
During Nintendo's 74th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders it has been revealed that Mario Kart 8 has shifted an impressive two million copies in the month it has been on sale. In addition to this welcome news, it has also been stated that Wii U hardware sales are on the rise too — although this presumably...
News Mercedes DLC Confirmed for Mario Kart 8 in the West
High-end wheels
In late May we brought you the surprise news that free Mercedes-themed DLC is coming to Mario Kart 8 in Japan, the latest title to follow that path through a licensing agreement — we saw Nintendo do this with the Callaway brand in Mario Golf: World Tour. At the time Nintendo wouldn't comment on a potential Western arrival, yet it's...
News Nintendo Needs To Cut Wii U Cost To Capitalise On Mario Kart 8 Success, Says Ubisoft CEO
"Nintendo has to perform this year, otherwise they will have less games"
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has passed judgement on the Wii U's future in an interview with CVG, stating that the Japanese firm needs to get more machines into homes if it wants to remain a key player in the market. Guillemot — whose company has supported the Wii U perhaps...
News Mario Kart 8 Speeds Into Second Place In NPD May Sales, Kirby Powers Up In Ninth
Impressive results in software, Wii U hardware sales improved over May 2013
We already know that Mario Kart 8 enjoyed a terrific launch, confirmed to have sold 1.2 million copies in its opening weekend and to have boosted hardware sales in UK. It's a vital first step in driving Wii U
E3 2014 Launch Sales of Mario Kart 8 Outperform Mario Kart 7 Figures in North America
An 18% attach rate in just three days
We already know that Mario Kart 8 enjoyed an exceptional launch, selling 1.2 million copies worldwide in its opening weekend. In an analyst meeting behind closed doors, it seems that the title has seized the honour of, initially at least, outperforming its 3DS predecessor. Senior Research Analyst David Gibson...
Poll Should Nintendo Patch The Controversial Fire Hopping Technique In Mario Kart 8?
New trick shaves seconds off lap times
Every new Mario Kart release comes with its own little tricks, but sometimes these speed-boosting techniques are seen as largely unintentional on Nintendo's part, leading fans to decry them as "exploits" rather than recognizing them as legitimate strategies. In Mario Kart 8's case, the "Fire Hop" is dividing...
Play The Nintendo Life Mario Kart 8 GP Is Now Open
Come join our rolling tournament
As we all know, Mario Kart 8 is now available worldwide, and many of you will already have spent countless hours navigating its various courses and taking out rivals with red shells. With the view of bringing the Nintendo Life karting community together, we've opened up a rolling tournament called Nintendo Life GP,...
Video Family Gamer TV's Mario Kart 8 Championship Plays The Motorsport Card
The search for the UK's best Mario Kart 8 family is under way
As we reported previously, the search for the UK’s top Mario Kart 8 family is now under way. The first two round results have just gone live today, with the top member of the Hunt and the Sharp family going forward to the finals. This is the first time these families have played the...
Weirdness Luigi's Mario Kart 8 'Death Stare' Is Deemed Noteworthy By Fox News
More exposure for Mario Kart 8, though
One of the more amusing memes to come out of Mario Kart 8 has to be Luigi's "Death Stare", which we're pretty sure you've seen several times in the game itself, as well as on various social networking sites. It would appear that this particular element of Nintendo's new Wii U racer has well and truly "gone...
News Mario Kart 8 Sells More Than 1.2 Million Units in Opening Weekend
Immediately becomes one of the Wii U's top sellers
This past weekend was all about Mario Kart 8 for plenty of Wii U gamers, and Nintendo has now released figures that show a particularly impressive performance for the title in its opening weekend — the hype and excitement seems to have paid off. Nintendo has confirmed that from 29th May (the...
Video Here's a Charming Mario Kart 8 Song to Start Your Week
Goodbye Blue Shell by Ryan Craddock
A good number among the Nintendo Life community have, we suspect, emerged blinking into the daylight after Mario Kart 8's arrival last week — a full weekend of racing can be a tiring endeavour. As such we may need a pick-me-up to get through the start of another week. This song from budding YouTube artist Ryan...
News Mario Kart 8 Drives Wii U Sales In The UK, Claims Second Place Behind Watch Dogs
Hardware sales up 666 percent
To the surprise of pretty much nobody, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has claimed the top spot in the UK multiformat chart — but Mario Kart 8 has sped into second place, causing a massive spike in Wii U console sales. According to Chart Track, the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Watch Dogs claimed the top two spots, with Mario...
May2014
Mario Kart Month Nintendo Life's Team Shares Its Early Thoughts on Mario Kart 8
Share your impressions, too
Mario Kart 8 is now well and truly settled in on plenty of Wii U systems around the world. It seems that Friend Lists have never been busier, too, as a quick glance at almost any time of the day shows most are actively blasting around tracks. If you're a Wii U owner, there are decent odds this applies to you. That's also...
What about those other items?
Whilst core items such as the banana, shell and mushroom have carried the traditions of the Mario Kart series over the past 22 years, there are many other forgotten, reinvented, and even untouched items that arguably contin
Mario Kart Month What Mario Kart Means To Me
Dave Letcavage shares his experiences with the series
In this personal reminiscence, Nintendo Life contributor Dave Letcavage explains how important the Mario Kart franchise — and gaming in a broader sense — are to him, recounting events of his life in which they've been invaluable sources of entertainment, fun and escape. You don’t need me...
News If You Like Rainbow Road Music, This Album Is For You
Shiryu brings us Rainbow Road Adventures
As you may have guessed from all the Mario Kart 8 articles, today is the Wii U title's launch day. A happy occasion for many Wii U owners, certainly, and one being celebrated in various ways. One such celebration that we think you'll enjoy is this album, Rainbow Road Adventures from musician and Nintendo...
Video Watch Us Unbox The Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition Bundle
Be careful someone doesn't run off with your copy
Happy Mario Kart 8 launch day, everybody! To celebrate this momentous event, we've decided to do an unboxing video for the Limited Edition version of the game, which features an accursed blue shell and — of course — a copy of the game itself. It's rather good, as you'll know if you've already...
Mario Kart Month The Developers Who Tried To Beat Nintendo At Its Own Game
Improving On Perfection
Veterans of the 16-bit era will vividly recall the first time they played Super Mario Kart. Nintendo's seminal racer was a genuine revolution; it took what had previously been quite a staid and serious genre and turned it into something light-hearted, yet immensely challenging and addictive. While Super Mario Kart had an...
Guide Getting Started in Mario Kart 8
Don't drive into the deep end
As some of the Nintendo Life team still like discs that come in boxes, our original plan was to release a getting started guide on 30th May; then we remembered some of you trendy types may download the title as soon as it pops up on the Wii U eShop, which may or may not be at midnight. You just can't wait, right? So...
Video Experience the Blue Shell Blues in Mario Kart 8 With The Brett Domino Trio
We've all been blue shelled at some point
Mario Kart 8 does a lot right, including the fact that the blue / spiny shell moves along the ground to take out others en-route to the race leader, but the mere presence of that item is enough to irritate some. It likely annoys stronger players the most, as their reward for being rather good at the game is...
News Mario Kart TV Web App Goes Live
It actually works
One of the new features of Mario Kart 8 is the ability to save, edit and share video highlights through Mario Kart TV. As we reported yesterday, those that have received copies early didn't take long to start uploading highlights to YouTube and Miiverse. The game is now out in Japan — in fact, Japanese gamers have had most of...
News Mario Kart 8 DLC Confirmed for Japan With Free Mercedes Car
Tournament also planned in commercial tie-in
Update: Nintendo UK has issued the following statement to Eurogamer regarding this news: The announcement this time was made by Mercedes-Benz Japan regarding their collaboration in Japan with NCL. As for the information relating to the distribution of the GLA kart for MK8 outside Japan, we will be able...
News Miiverse Tells the Tale of a Broken Mario Kart 8 Street Date
Oh, you naughty retailers...
There have been comments bouncing around online in the past day or so regarding Mario Kart 8 being sold early by some retailers. It brings to mind the early arrival of Pokémon X & Y in October 2013, though that was far more contentious due to the desire of Nintendo and Game Freak that some surprises would remain...
Mario Kart Month Expanding the Universe of Mario Kart
Nintendo Kart?
Back in December, Nintendo showed off a cleverly deceptive trailer for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS that briefly showed Kirby pulling off some audacious Warp Star moves in Mario Kart's Rainbow Road. Of course, that trailer turned out to be the reveal of Rosalina and Luma for Super Smash Bros., just another fun jok
Play Mario Kart 8 With Nintendo Life in our Launch Party
Watch our chums at Eurogamer play it live today, and us on launch day
Mario Kart 8 is extremely close now, and aside from some cheeky people that have found gullible retailers the vast majority are eagerly awaiting delivery or to hit up the eShop on launch day. We figured now would be a good time to let you know of some of our plans to enjoy the new...
Mario Kart Month A Brief History Of Mario Kart Item Evolution: Mighty Mushroom
There’s a shroom for every occasion
You wouldn’t normally associate a mushroom with speed, but just look at Toad with his white and red polka dot head – he’s always zipping about. Clearly he’s got a need for speed after excessive use of the mighty mushroom out on the track. Actually, it’s hard to imagine what’s even under that...
News Spiffy Mario Kart 8 T-Shirts Arriving 29th May on Club Nintendo Japan
Get ready to be jealous
A special edition Mario Kart 8 T-shirt will be making its way to Club Nintendo Japan alongside the game on 29th May. The shirts will cost 600 points and, as you can see, feature nifty silhouettes of twelve playable characters on the front and a small tire graphic on the back. They come in both medium and large sizes and are...
Video These Mario Kart 8 Players Are Getting Rather Immersed in the Experience
Two fresh commercials emerge
Nintendo has released quite a variety of commercials so far for Mario Kart 8, ranging from straight-up gameplay sequences to a quirky series that recreated items and features in a fictional real-world wacky lab. Two fresh commercials go for a mix of both ideas, while also showing off the game's local multiplayer selling...
Poll A Tale of Two Blockbusters as Mario Kart 8 and Watch Dogs Arrive This Week
How will you spend your cash?
A gaming year is often summed up by crowded, high-profile release windows, typically in November as Holiday shopping and Black Friday insanity sweep stores in multiple territories. While this week isn't quite on that scale, it does see the rather brilliant Mario Kart 8 on Wii U go up against Watch Dogs on, well,...
Interview Mario Kart 8 Director, Kosuke Yabuki, On Key Features of the Wii U's Blockbuster Release
"Not ruling out the possibility" of a Smash Bros. roster approach in future
For Wii U owners this week is about one game, Mario Kart 8. A new arrival in the franchise is always an exciting occasion, and in some respects this entry takes the series forward in more ways than its predecessors — it brings HD visuals to the franchise for the first...
News Handle Stand Adds Steering Wheelosity to Your Wii U GamePad
Hands at 10 and 2
When Mario Kart Wii introduced motion-controlled steering, an accessory in which to slap one's Wii Remote was a natural addition. Now that Mario Kart 8 allows the same type of control with the much bulkier, rectangular GamePad, at least one company has taken it upon themselves to reinvent the wheel. The Handle Stand for Wii U,...
Mario Kart Month Keeping the Mario Kart 8 Race Going With DLC
Are you thinking what we’re thinking?
As we’re all aware, Mario Kart 8 is just about to zoom around the corner and handbrake turn into our shiny Wii U consoles, which makes it pretty difficult to think about anything else at the moment. With the recently released Mario Golf: World Tour offering paid DLC packs – including additional courses,...
Mario Kart Month Mario Kart's Best Weapon Isn't What You Think
Green Shells For Pride and Honour
Games in the Mario Kart series — including the forthcoming Mario Kart 8 — are usually referred to as racing games, but we all know that's only half the story — the other half is gladiatorial combat on wheels, battles fought between competitors using whatever Super Mario-themed objects of destruction they can...
News Digital Foundry Pins Down Mario Kart 8's Resolution and Framerate
No, not actually native 1080p
After a lengthy build-up, Mario Kart 8 is almost here, the latest entry in the hugely popular franchise. It's been critically acclaimed on multiple fronts, with plenty also lavishing praise on the visuals and performance of the title; in our review we said that visually "MK8 is a stunner, and joins titles such as Super...
Video Nintendo Minute Unboxes The Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle
What's inside the box? Well, a Wii U...
We do rather like the regular Nintendo Minute videos here at Nintendo Life, and the latest is one for all you unboxing fans out there. Don't deny it, don't pretend you're too self aware and mature to enjoy watching someone open a box with a thing inside — we know you like unboxings. It's a secret shame for...
News Become The UK's Best Mario Kart Family, Win Real And Impressively Proportioned Trophies
Thanks to our friends at Family Gamer TV
There’s an argument in many households all around the world over who is really better at Mario Kart. With the upcoming release of Mario Kart 8, this domestic contest is only going to get hotter. To help settle the debate once and for all, Family Gamer TV has set-up its own Mario Kart 8 Family Championships...
Video How To Become A Mario Kart 8 Master In Eight Easy Steps
Our newcomer's guide to mastering the basics
Mario Kart 8 launches at the end of this month, and if you've already read our glowing review, then you'll be well aware that this is a game you need to experience for yourself. The Mario Kart series has gradually evolved and developed over two decades, and there will be many people preparing to play...
News Nintendo Teams Up With E4 For Mario Kart TV Promotion
Have your highlights shown on TV
With Mario Kart 8 now just a week away, Nintendo UK has announced an intriguing partnership with E4 — the UK TV channel — to show player's exploits in Mario Kart TV in the commercial break during peak time. Not only will it be an exciting opportunity for early adopters of the game, but this promotion seems like a...
News Mario Will Be Racing In Reality At This Weekend's History 300 At Charlotte Motor Speedway
Not upside down, sadly
Mario Kart 8 may not have much of a grounding in reality, but the game will be getting some welcome real-world exposure at this weekend's History 300 At Charlotte Motor Speedway event. US retailer GameStop has taken over the livery of double Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racer Matt Kenseth's Toyota Camry in...
Video The Latest Mario Kart 8 Commercial is Possibly the Strangest Yet
Weird is good, right?
It's the opinion of some, including this writer, that Nintendo's renewed focus on seizing attention in the face of tougher times has reminded the company of key parts of its identity. After bland lifestyle adverts in the Wii and DS era as Nintendo merely needed to release something to make big bucks, we're now seeing the...
News Nintendo Brand Manager Hopes Mario Kart 8 Will Serve as a "Catalyst" for Wii U
"Mario Kart is one of our killer titles"
Though no game ever achieves loving praise from 100% of those that play it, Mario Kart 8 has been the recipient of plenty of compliments in reviews to date. What truly matters for Nintendo, however, is that buzz about the release will not only make it a must-buy for Wii U owners, but also entice other gamers...
Video The Piranha Plant and a "Crazy Plunge" Tested in the Latest Mario Kart 8 Commercials
Advertising with some bite
Over the past week we've shared a few Mario Kart 8 30-second commercial that have been doing the rounds, incorporating some fun live-action sequences with game footage. Nintendo's now uploaded a couple more examples, covering the Piranha Plant — an excellent new item in this entry — and showing a "crazy plunge" that's...
Mario Kart Month A Brief History Of Mario Kart Item Evolution: The Shell
When spiny blue shells grow wings
If you thought Donkey Kong’s banana-throwing antics were foul play out on the circuit, Koopa Troopa is probably worthy of mention as well – no doubt coming under fire from various animal rights groups for the exploitation of his own species. Although shells have been one of the many foundations of Mario Kart...
Video DreamWorks Animator Transforms His Son Into A Shell-Throwing Mario Kart Hero
Shell shocked
DreamWorks Animator Daniel Hashimoto has created a series of videos which star his son in the role of Action Movie Kid, where movie-standard special effects are applied to make his life look a little more incredible. The latest episode couldn't be more timely with Mario Kart 8 around the corner, as Hashimoto places his son in a...
Reaction Mario Kart 8 Accused Of Poor Sales Potential, Ruining Battle Mode And Racism
Mario Kart Hate
Mario Kart 8 launches at the end of this month, and as you'll know if you've consulted our review, it's well worth looking forward to. It would seem that most of the gaming press agrees with us; the game has scored very highly across the board. However, opinions are like belly buttons — everybody has one — and unsurprisingly,...
Video Nintendo Minute Picks Some Favourite Mario Kart 8 Tracks
Cloudtop Cruise! Mount Wario! Sunshine Airport!
There's just a bit — alright, a lot — of buzz around Mario Kart 8 at the moment, with this week's reviews generally declaring it to offer a jolly good time. We were happy campers in our own review, awarding it 9/10 and using the rather cheery tagline of "8th Wonder of the World". In other words,...
Video Check Out This Mario Kart 8 And Mario Kart Wii Moo Moo Meadows Comparison
Ahead of the pack?
With Mario Kart 8 getting rave reviews all over the interwebs, Family Gamer TV has dialled in for some close up comparison of the Moo Moo Meadows level on both the Wii and Wii U. While it is of course expected that the Wii U version looks better, quite how much better is kind of mind-blowing. Certainly this night and day...
8th Wonder of the World
Since the Super NES every Nintendo system — apart from the Game Boy Color and the doomed Virtual Boy — has been boosted by an entry in the iconic Mario Kart series. Despite its drastic evolution throughout the generations of hardware it nevertheless feels familiar each time around, while other entries in the kart racing...
