Mario Kart 8 News
May2022
News Mario Kart Tour Is About To Get One Of The Franchise's Best Tracks
Yeah baby, yeah!
Mario Kart Tour is continuing to truck along nicely, adding new content and events at a pretty brisk pace. The latest update, due on May 31st at 11pm PT, will introduce the Cat Tour and will naturally feature the cat costumes from Super Mario 3D World. Better yet, the Cat Tour will bring one of Mario Kart's best tracks, one that...
August2021
Random Modder Adds Mario Kart 8 Tracks To Microsoft Flight Simulator
Taking the popular sim to new heights
Modders are taking Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC and Xbox Series X|S to new heights with some Nintendo-themed creations. Twitter user 'Illogicoma' decided to recreate tracks from Mario Kart 8 such as Mount Wario, Cloudtop Cruise, Moo Moo Meadows and even Rainbow Road. To get these tracks into Microsoft...
April2021
News Mario Kart 8 Becomes The "Best-Selling" Racing Game In US History
Combined sales overtake the Wii entry
The eighth entry in the Mario Kart series has finally surpassed the sales of Mario Kart Wii in the US to be crowned the "best-selling" racing game in this country. This information comes from NPD Group's Mat Piscatella. According to IGN, this includes the "combined" sales of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the original...
February2021
News Mario Kart 8 Overtakes Mario Kart Wii As Best-Selling Series Entry
Combining Wii U and Switch sales, that is
Having published its latest quarterly financial results, it appears Nintendo is doing all right — if you define selling software by the truckload as Switch outperforms 3DS lifetime sales less than four years into its lifespan 'all right'. One of the secrets to Nintendo's success is the evergreen appeal of...
June2019
News Mario Kart 8 Is Now Five Years Old
We're ready for a new entry
Sure, Mario Kart Tour is coming to mobile devices later this year, but right now, we're still technically playing the same Mario Kart game we were on the Wii U five years ago. Yep, on 30th May 2014, Mario Kart 8 was released in North America and Europe on a Nintendo system that was at the time struggling to appeal to the...
May2019
News Mario Kart Wii Sold Five Times As Many Copies As Mario Kart 8 Over The Last Financial Year
Despite being 11 years old
If you need any further proof that Nintendo's evergreen classics are of incredible importance to the company, this little statistic should do very nicely indeed. Towards the end of last month, Nintendo shared its latest financial report. Thanks to this, we were able to share lists of the all-time best-selling games across...
March2019
News Get Discounts On Zelda, Metroid, Splatoon And More With The Latest European My Nintendo Rewards
Some real greats included this time
The latest batch of My Nintendo game discounts for Europe has now gone live, giving players the usual chance to grab some 3DS and Wii U games at discounted prices. There are a grand total of eleven games up for grabs this time around, split into two groups. Nintendo describes the second group as a collection of...
March2018
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
This weekend, Team Nintendo Life are giving their respective Nintendo consoles a good workout with all manner of virtual gems. We've got plenty of Neo Geo action; some 'Nindies' for good measure; the occasional shooter; and lots and lots of a certain game involving Inklings (can you guess which one?). As...
May2017
Random Mario Kart 8 Mod Adds Everyone's Favourite Pink Blob To The Starting Grid
Kirby Air Ride 2?
Thanks to the modding community Kirby is the latest character to join the Mario Kart 8 ranks on Wii U. Previously we wrote about Sonic the Hedgehog and Captain Olimar from Pikmin joining the roster, now it's the pink puffball's turn to join the race - albeit unofficially, of course. This is not the first time Kirby has been...
Video The Complete History Of Mario Kart
From SNES to Switch in 25 years
In light of the recent launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, we at Nintendo Life have been reminiscing about the celebrated history of the Mario Kart series. From the SNES to the new Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart has provided players around the globe with countless hours of shell-tossing entertainment. In this...
Random Sonic Joins The Mario Kart 8 Roster In This Cheeky Mod
The Blue Blur gets in on the action
While Sonic may have had his own karting games in the shape of the rather lovely Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, that hasn't stopped lovers of the blue blur from wishing that he could be a playable character in Mario Kart 8 also. As you can see from the...
April2017
Video Let's See How Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch Compares to the Wii U Original
360 progressive difference
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe may not be a wholly new game, or really that much different from its original Wii U version at all, but nevertheless we were promised a solid 1080p 60fps experience from this souped-up version of Mario Kart 8, so we've pitted the two releases side-by-side in the video above. Naturally YouTube does an...
December2016
Video These Kids Might Be The Luckiest Mario Kart Fans In The World
Living the dream
Playing Mario Kart all day long is fun, but there's no substitute for having your very own circuit to race around in real life - and that's exactly what happened to two young fans of the series. Jack and Maddi Mello were given the treat of their lives when their parents Johnny and Krista created a track complete with working karts,...
November2016
Random Scarlett Johansson's Favourite Game Is Mario Kart, But She Didn't Say Which One
Toad in the Shell
When she's not busy taking down Hydra as Black Widow in the Avengers movies, it seems that talented actress Scarlett Johansson enjoys playing a bit of Mario Kart in her downtime. In a recent video chat with IGN, Johannson revealed her love of Mario Kart, though we don't know which one is her preferred version. Double Dash? Super...
Talking Point Ports vs. Sequels On The Nintendo Switch
A unique switchuation...
In this Talking Point, Arjun gives his perspective on the ports vs. sequels considerations for the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo NX - erm, Switch - has finally been unveiled, and it's arguably the lion's roar that the big N needed after troubles with its last home system. The Wii U has suffered a similar fate to that of the...
Weirdness Mario Kart 8 Contains Hidden Swearing
But you'll have to do a lot of digging to find it
Modern computers allow gamers to dig into video game data files to their heart's content, and this often throws up some interesting discoveries which perhaps should have remained hidden. That certainly seems to have been the case with this latest Mario Kart 8 find. YouTube user Harm - who perhaps...
October2016
News Mario Kart 8 Has Now Sold 8 Million Units Worldwide
On a system with just over 13 million owners
Nintendo's has confirmed that Mario Kart 8 has sold 8 million copies since launch. The popular racer launched in 2014 and has become the Wii U's biggest commercial hit. What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is that the Wii U has only sold 13.36 million units to date. Elsewhere, Super Smash...
August2016
Feature Ten Ideal Launch Year Nintendo NX Games
In one writer's humble opinion, at least
Just recently we ran a poll asking you which Nintendo games / franchises you'd like to see in the NX launch window, assuming that to be a period of around six months. Plenty of you pitched in, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a 3D Mario title being the leaders, with a new Metroid Prime title...
Hosted at The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge
We had such a blast meeting you lovely people at the inaugural Nintendo Life Gaming Night last year, that it was a no-brainer to team up again with our chums at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, England and do another event. Thanks to everyone who joined us on Saturday 30th July 2016...
July2016
Random Turns Out Mario Kart Might Make You A Better Driver In Real Life
Just don't thow any bananas skins, please!
Gamers rejoice - a recent study has revealed that playing action videogames can improve your real life driving skills. New York University Shanghai participants were trained by playing Mario Kart, using a steering-wheel controller to drive a go-kart on a track. The data showed that by playing Mario Kart the...
June2016
Say hello to the "Make Believe Digital Event"
Those of you with long memories will recall that we covered the first episode of The BitBlock's "Make Believe" series a while back. Focused on the idea of the Wii U Animal Crossing game we all really wanted (rather than the one we actually got), it boasted lavish production values rarely witnessed on...
Rumour Nintendo UK Hints at More Mario Kart 8 DLC
Hmm, Kalimari Desert wasn't in the game...
Mario Kart 8 was arguably one of the most polished entries in the series yet (barring the botched battle mode, argh) and featured a substantial DLC campaign that greatly expanded upon the existent content that came with the disc. Many thought that the DLC was "done right", as it offered an impressive amount...
March2016
News Mario Kart TV Website Confirmed for Closure on 5th April
In-game functionality remains, however
Mario Kart 8 has had a lot of excellent features that have earned it plaudits, such as anti-gravity mechanics, amiibo support and paid-DLC. A much trumpeted feature when it launched, also, was Mario Kart TV, which allows you to upload highlight reels directly to YouTube. Though you can access much of this...
February2016
News Nintendo Targets and Blocks Mario Kart Hack Videos From YouTube
MrBean35000vr just switches them to Twitch
In the past we shared some videos from the MrBean35000vr channel on YouTube, particularly in the case of intriguing mods and hacks to Mario Kart 8. The channel had found a way to mess around with the source code for the Wii U title - though had minimised public details of the hack - and created some fun...
News Mario Kart Flashmob Surprises And Potentially Terrifies UK Shoppers
The UK's own Coconut Mall
We love a good flashmob here at Nintendo Life Towers - unless it's threatening to make us late for our train ride home, of course. The crazy thrill seekers on YouTube channel Base37 certainly know how to do a flashmob in style, as they recently descended on London's Westfield Shopping Mall armed with motorised go-karts in a...
News Nine Nintendo Titles Pass One Million Sales For This Financial Year
The green and the evergreen
With Nintendo having shared its financial reports for Q3, therefore covering the first nine months of the financial year, we can get an idea of the year's notable successes, especially as these sales figures cover the all-important Holiday period. Overall Nintendo can point to nine of its games that have sold over one...
January2016
Video See How Much Mario Kart has Changed Since Mario Kart 64
56 degrees of separation
It's been over a year since Mario Kart 8 was released on the Wii U and nearly 20 since its N64 sibling Mario Kart 64 graced our systems. A lot's changed in that time, and in order to highlight all the refinements a company like Nintendo can make in such a span, we've cobbled together another cheeky little comparison of the...
December2015
Feature How Mario Kart Brought Two Soul Mates Together
The road to true love is littered with red shells
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with features they enjoyed...
Play Get on the Grid for Festive Mario Kart 8 Races With Nintendo Life
Aim for the podium
As announced earlier this week, we're having a couple of short community gaming sessions to warm us up for the Holiday season. It kicks off today (22nd December) with Mario Kart 8. You voted for the rules in our polls, though we're keeping it light-hearted and fun; as a result the Tournament we've set up is 150cc, with All Items...
Play Enjoy Some Festive Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. With Nintendo Life
Playing as a community
It's been too long since we last ran some community online gaming here on Nintendo Life, so with the festive season and some extra play time at our disposal we thought we'd bring it back for some Holiday fun. It's a slightly off-the-cuff and late decision, but the plan is to host events that you can join for both Mario Kart 8...
News Mercedes-Benz Representative Explains the Company's DLC Deals with Nintendo
Appealing to nostalgia
In a rather strange turn of events, the first DLC ever released for Mario Kart 8 was all themed around Mercedes-Benz cars. Understandably, this put many gamers on edge and many saw it as a sign that the company was 'selling out', though this was perhaps an unfairly harsh criticism. At any rate, Mercedes-Benz DLC struck again...
It deserved better
The UK chart results are out, with these being the penultimate listings issued before the final Christmas list is released next week. It continues the status quo, largely, with a disappointing but inevitable week two drop-off for one of the year's finest games. Xenoblade Chronicles X has unfortunately dropped out of the...
News Black Friday Sales Bring Little Joy for Nintendo in the UK
Three titles in the top 40, with PS4 and Xbox One dominant
The UK chart results have taken a little longer to come out this week as Black Friday numbers have been brought together, and the final results aren't brilliant for Nintendo. In a brief hardware mention Chart-Track states that hardware sales were up compared to the previous year, and that...
November2015
News Mario Kart 8 to Feature in Competitive TV Show on 5th December
Will be broadcast on the Disney big grin channel
Nintendo of America's marketing campaigns for the Holiday season take various forms, and one seems to be a partnership to promote one of the Wii U's biggest hits. This will be through "Clash of Karts: Mario Kart 8", a show that'll be broadcast on Disney XD this coming weekend. In essence it's going...
News Nintendo Badge Arcade Gets A Mario Kart 8 Turbo Injection
Vroom vroom
We had mixed feelings about Nintendo Badge Arcade when we took a look at it over the weekend, but those with collecting streaks will likely find the arcade too cute and compelling to put down. Today Nintendo of Europe revealed that new catchers containing badges from Mario Kart 8 have just been added to Nintendo Badge Arcade
Talking Point Super Mario Maker's Update Continues Nintendo's Focus on Major Games as Services
Going beyond day one
Super Mario Maker is on the cusp - at the time of writing - of receiving its first major update. It solves one of the most notable quibbles that fans have had by adding level checkpoints, in addition to features such as dedicated areas for official Nintendo courses and 'event' courses contributed by companies such as Facebook...
News Super Mario Maker Still Leads the Way for Nintendo in the UK as Tri Force Heroes Stumbles
Happy Home Designer leads for 3DS
The UK charts aren't always a happy home for Nintendo, though can give an indication of which titles have the strongest long-term momentum on Wii U and 3DS. This week's results, then, show which titles are finding an audience and others that are having a tougher time. The first Nintendo game in the all-format top...
October2015
News The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Misses Out on UK Top 10
Tri again next week
The latest UK chart results are out, with some new releases battling it out with long-established blockbusters. It's a mixed week from Nintendo's perspective, with some ever-green titles clinging on and a new release underperforming - arguably - a little. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has made its début in 11th place in...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Super Mario Maker Maintain Decent UK Sales
Mario Kart 8 sneaks back onto the grid
The latest UK chart results are in and they represent a couple of things from our perspective - there are various new releases on other systems that are only modest hits, and Nintendo's two standard bearers (one each for Wii U and 3DS) are showing reasonable momentum. First of all, Animal Crossing: Happy Home...
News New Euro Wii U Premium Bundle Contains Mario Kart 8 And Splatoon
Launches this month, costs £239.99
Nintendo has confirmed today that it is releasing a new Wii U premium bundle which contains two of the console's most critically-acclaimed titles, Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. The pack - which will be a limited-time offer - contains the standard black premium Wii U console with 32GB of storage and all the usual...
September2015
Weirdness Mario Kart 8's Yoshi Bike Found In Japan
Well, kind of...
Those familiar with the latest instalment in the Mario Kart series will know that one of the available vehicles is the 'Yoshi Bike' - a motorbike shaped as Mario's long-time dino companion, obviously. As cool as it looks in the game (if that's the kind of thing that floats your boat), it looks even better in real-life. Twitter user...
News Super Mario Maker Hangs Tough in UK Charts as Splatoon Finally Bows Out
Ink-splatting shooter squeezes into individual format top 40, though
Super Mario Maker had a strong start in its debut week in the UK charts, securing second place against some tough competition. It was a good early result for the Wii U exclusive, which is likely to remain a key title for the system in the remainder of 2015. Its second week has,...
Mario History Mario Kart 8 - 2014
Taking racing to a new level
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario games per day (apart from when we miss a day), each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Despite its ups and downs the Wii U has delivered a relatively small but distinguished library of excellent...
News Updated Mario Kart 8 Wii U Hardware Bundle in North America Includes Both DLC Packs
No plastic wheel though (sad face)
One of the most popular Wii U hardware bundles of last year was the Mario Kart 8 package, with the North American equivalent coming packaged with the game, a lovely Red Mario Wii Remote Plus and a red Wii Wheel; all in all it was a great deal. Nintendo of America has retooled its Mario Kart 8 bundle, with an...
Mario Memories Mario Kart 8 and Discovering the Joys of Online Multiplayer
6th Place Forever
In this series of articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have our delightful reviewer Narelle Ho Sang. Some of my favourite memories of Mario are the ones I'm still making...
Video See Mario Kart 8's Mute City in a Whole New Way
GBA Ribbon Road and 3DS Neo Bowser City also get the treatment
You may remember that in the past we shared some videos from the MrBean35000vr YouTube channel. The hackers often use their skills to show off cool areas of games we haven't seen much of before, and were among the first to break into the Wii U. Courtesy of Nintendo's efforts with...
August2015
News Awesome Mario Kart Trophies Are Now Up for Grabs on Club Nintendo in Europe and Australia
Star Power
Club Nintendo is all wrapped up in North America and it's heading towards its end date in PAL territories, too. Fans of the service in Europe and Australia can still grab some goodies with their remaining Stars, however, and some particularly awesome rewards have just been added. All of these Mario Kart trophies are up for grabs, and...
Pokémon being the notable exception
There may be a new Call of Duty, FIFA and Assassin's Creed on store shelves every single year, but Nintendo of America's Scott Moffitt stresses that Nintendo isn't looking to pull the same trick any time soon. Speaking to The Examiner, Moffitt addressed the issue of yearly updates, something which publishers...
Talking Point Nintendo's Game Updates and DLC Are Fantastic, Albeit Starved of Attention
Key Wii U titles have evolved a great deal
It's easy to be a little blasé and spoilt as gamers, but it's been striking once again that, with a combination of economic savvy and a clear love for its products, Nintendo is making the most of key releases on the Wii U. Three of the system's biggest games have transformed since launch with a mix of new...
July2015
News Mario Kart 8 Soundtrack CD Club Nintendo Reward Powerslides Into View
The perfect driving accompaniment
Club Nintendo might be about to close soon in Europe (it's already finished in North America), but in the meantime Nintendo is still being generous with the goodies on offer for dedicated Stars collectors in the region. For only 3000 Stars in Europe (2000 in Australia) you can now grab the Mario Kart 8 Original...
