Mario Kart 8

Announced as existing at a Nintendo Direct earlier this year, and to be revealed at E3 in June. Now it will apparently be out this year.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/04/rejoice_mario_kart_wii_u_is_coming_this_year


What do we want to see? What changes and improvements should be made?

Followed by the inevitable Smash Bros. speculation thread...

I have many things I want to see. Many, many things. For now, though, I'll stick to character-specific weapons, DD!! karts, and mission mode. Expect me to vomit more of my ideas up later.

(inb4 Funky Kong.)

Also, "Super Mario Bros. (Wii U)"? I'm hoping that this is just a placeholder name, and that we're not seeing "New Super Mario Bros. 3D" or something. Because that would be rubbish. (EDIT: It pretty obviously is, in retrospect.) Wahey for Zelda though.

Good stuff. Mario Kart 7 is a masterpiece.

~

Here's my response to the 'WHAT NEXT FOR MARIO KART' thread over on The Olde Original back in March 2011:

Quote :

Here's ten things I would add/reconsider to improve the next Mario Kart:

1. Multiplayer Options. Much like in Smash Bros, I'd like to be able to toggle items on and off, but for a new Mario Kart, I'd like to be able to do as many or as few laps as my mates and I want.

2. Old Items. Bring back the Feather! Good for shortcuts and avoiding a big bastarding red shell.

3. Create-Your-Own-Course. Micro Machines '96 had it. Why can't Mario Kart? Imagine having that feature and going online with it. Amazing!

4. Bring Back Bob-Omb Battle Mode. Shine Thief was cool, but my mates and I always played Bob-Omb battle in Double Dash!!. Utterly random at the best of times, but a good laugh too.

5. No More Baby Characters. Baby Mario? Baby Bowser? Baby Birdo? Baby Mii? b*****ks to that. A bit of creativity with the character design wouldn't go amiss.

6. Bring Back Shortcuts. The N64 version had a load of them, but they've just about gone absent since. Why is that?

7. Just Karts. No bikes, no skateboards, no quad bikes, none of that mince.

8. Just Karts. No Tractors, no eggs-on-wheels, no Blue Falcon, none of that mince.

9. Online Chat. The in-game chatter is what, to my mind, will always make the local multiplayer king. But I'd enjoy being able to hurl abuse at all the Sunday nighters. Particularly Dusty.

10. Bring Back Double Dash's Two-In-A-Kart Idea. Controversial! But don't base the entire game on it again - rather, have it as an option. Personally, I thought it was a belter of an idea. Truth be told, if Double Dash!! had the wee hop that you do to corner and start a powerslide, I'd say it wouldn have been the best Mario Kart ever. I mean that.

I stick by all of those, with the exception of shortcuts, as they'd wreck the online experience. Everybody who tried that shortcut on Wuhu Mountain should have their dick chopped off.

I think it should be called Mario and Allstars Racing Transformed. It should have all the best nintendo characters and have alternate modes of transport that actually make a difference unlike in Mario Kart 7. Also the tracks should be good and Blue Shells scrapped. Also a career mode like S&ART would be pretty sweet too, I like being able to play the whole game co-op.

Balladeer wrote:

Also, "Super Mario Bros. (Wii U)"? I'm hoping that this is just a placeholder name, and that we're not seeing "New Super Mario Bros. 3D" or something. Because that would be rubbish. (EDIT: It pretty obviously is, in retrospect.) Wahey for Zelda though.

That was the working title given to the new 3 d Mario a while ago, wasn't it?

As for MK U I'd also love to see more effort put into the single player, and for me it has to do a lot to beat Sonic all star racing transformed.

Inlcude Danica Patrick as a playable character.

I want a bit more good old fashioned stupidity thrown in. The bullet Bill is all well and good, but it was much more fun seeing baby Mario get dragged along by a chain chomp.

And I want tracks which feel like a Mario game. The DS one was good at that.

Funky's Speedway please. Course needs to be the shape of a pair of his funky shades. KOGNUT!

I'm hoping Mario Kart Wii U retains the careful balancing of the 3DS game, but also brings back the online fun. Why should I be punished for stopping my Kart in the middle of the track? Why can't I drive backwards anymore? I thought finishing in last place was enough punishment.

Sporkhead just wants to be a Mario Kart troll.

For friended communities, I'd like the ability to do a 40-lap marathon. I probably need some sort of help.

If it's on Double Dash!!'s Baby Park, I'm there!

PS, please let us have Baby Park as a classic track. PLEASE!

And DK mountain from DD!! As well again.. I'm sorry but I really do love that track

The_Jaster wrote:

As for MK U I'd also love to see more effort put into the single player

Balladeer wrote:

mission mode.

All that's required.

Personally just want to be excited by Mario Kart again. I don't really know what that would take but let me say this - bikes are not it.

Dusty Knackers wrote:

Sporkhead just wants to be a Mario Kart troll.

xD Nail on head.

I have the fondest memories of myself, you and The_Jaster driving backwards in Moo Moo Meadows matches with our follow NGamer (and ONM at the time) peers.

Also: the next 20 seconds of this recording from one of the games that happened in 2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPqnryJpa1Q&feature=player_detailpage#t=84s

Teehee!

That voice will haunt my dreams.

Farkin' 'ell I remember this.

DLC of all every previous track ever featured in the game.

sporkhead wrote:

Dusty Knackers wrote:

Sporkhead just wants to be a Mario Kart troll.

xD Nail on head.

I have the fondest memories of myself, you and The_Jaster driving backwards in Moo Moo Meadows matches with our follow NGamer (and ONM at the time) peers.

Also: the next 20 seconds of this recording from one of the games that happened in 2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPqnryJpa1Q&feature=player_detailpage#t=84s

Teehee!

The good old days! I did prefer the video when he was annoyed by my constant vote for moo moo meadows. Also check out Dusty's old mii, for a wee while I kind of thought he actually looked like that.

He doesn't look like that?

Hahaha, laughing out loud so much now, those really were good times (BIG GLASSES CLUB!). Hopefully Mario Kart U/Mario Kart 8 will bring back the silliness.

Do you have a link to the particular video, Jaster?

I really feel like I missed out here. Although I'd probably just have got fed up with the pack of you for all choosing Funky Kong for every race.

Phillips wrote:

Here's my response to the 'WHAT NEXT FOR MARIO KART' thread over on The Olde Original back in March 2011:

...

I stick by all of those, with the exception of shortcuts, as they'd wreck the online experience. Everybody who tried that shortcut on Wuhu Mountain should have their dick chopped off.

Any chance of a link, Phillips? I couldn't find it and I'm sure I said some really interesting things. Really.

Anyway, now that I've got a bit more time on my hands, let's make a list:

1. Mission Mode. Best part of the otherwise mediocre MKDS. Plonk in the Galaxy bosses as foes to beat and you've got a winner. Also, releasing more missions as DLC would be good for me and for Nintendo's coffers.
   
2. Double Dash karts. Always been my favourite: the two items, and two characters (with the ability to get different items I hope - see point 4), added an extra layer of fun, and throwing a shell backwards to block red shells is more tactical than simply having a banana hanging off your exhaust pipe. Keep the hop though.
   
3. I wouldn't mind the gliders from MK7 returning either, or at least some sort of vertical element to the courses. The submarines can get stuffed though.
   
4. Character-specific weapons! The enormous Bowser shell was the best power-up since the Thundercloud. If nothing else, it'll give me a reason to use characters I wouldn't normally.
   
5. As for other weapons, ditch the Blooper and the Pow Block, and reintroduce the Thundercloud. Keep the Blue Shell. Yes I'm serious. If you're good enough it shouldn't make a difference.
   
6. Speed up please. Remember when Banshee Boardwalk's little wiggly bit was hard to negotiate? Me too. I like to go fast!
   
7. Handling... I'd probably like to have the MK64 handling back. Somehow, they managed to get the proper wiggly powerslide working while making snaking difficult. More of that.
   
8. Having the MK64 battle mode back would be great too thanks. Happy if others are included as well, but I want to get to be a bomb again when I die.
   
9. Yes online multiplayer is great, but can we have the frame rate working in local multiplayer this time around please?
   
10. While we're on the subject of things that MKWii did wrong: no bikes, no stunts, and no wheelies.
    
11. For online multiplayer, if I'm playing with friends it'd be great if I could chat to them at the same time. If I've added them, presumably I can take their foul language!
    
12. Characters I'd like to see: Waluigi, Rosalina, Shy Guy, a Boo, King Bob-Omb, some RPG characters, and pretty much any of the characters from LM2. They're all great. Bonus points if it's the Polterpup!
    
13. Characters that can die in a fire: Daisy (fat chance ), any babies besides the brothers, Diddy, Funky, Dixie, Kiddie, Snow White.
    
14. Mii support. I have lots of Miis in my Mii maker that don't seem to do anything on this console. I'd like to see them used on the tracks, as well as having one as playable.
    
15. One more to round of the list nicely... Oh yes. NO CHEATING AI. It can't be that hard to have computer characters that actually avoid bananas, shells etc. This is the Wii U, damn it - there should be more than enough power to make the CPUs vaguely believable.

Here's that NGamer link: http://forums.computerandvideogames.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=123759&hilit=mario+kart

Cheers! I recovered most of my old points, unsurprisingly.

You used to use emoticons, Phillips. What happened?

sporkhead wrote:

Hahaha, laughing out loud so much now, those really were good times (BIG GLASSES CLUB!). Hopefully Mario Kart U/Mario Kart 8 will bring back the silliness.

Do you have a link to the particular video, Jaster?

here ya go (about 40 seconds in) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAKUR5laDME

I'm sure he got more annoyed later in the video though