Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an expanded and continuation of the Wii U racing game that was released back in 2017. The game includes all of the original race tracks and characters with additions to make this game unique from the others in the series. There are 48 courses to ride and 42 vast characters ranging from Link from The Legend of Zelda series to the Inklings from Splatoon. The race tracks, characters, and game modes are unlocked from the start of the game in contrast to the past Mario Kart games that made the player unlock half of the courses and a majority of the avatars.
The opening title page.
The players have the option to play Grand Prix, Time Trials, VS Race, or Battles.
Grand Prix is a one-player and multiplayer game mode where the gamer races against the NPC's, non-player character, in four races in hopes to earn a Grand Prix Cup. Time Trials is a single-player mode where the player tries to finish a single race track as fast as possible. VS Race mode can be played in single-player or multiplayer mode. The players can choose if they have teams, what courses to race, how many tracks they race, and if they want to include NPCs.
The Battles are mini-games you can play by yourself or with your friends. Balloon Battle, Renegade Roundup, Shine Theif, Bob-omb Blast, and Coin Runners are the mini-games. Each game has two teams, Red and Blue, and to win the game one team has to score the most points or outlast their opponents.
Clip from Balloon Battle.
After choosing a game mode and character, the player will enter a new screen where they can customize their car. They can customize the body of the car, wheels, and paraglider.
When I play, I select either Link or Waluigi with the motorcycle and paraglider from The Legend of Zelda. Moo Moo Meadows is my favorite course to ride because of the visuals of the sun, cows, and the dirt track.
Image of Link and his motorcycle.
In efforts to help new and young players from falling off the roads or going out of boundaries, the game introduced a smart steering system that assists the player when steering near the side of the road. Whenever I play with friends, I always utilize the smart steering system as a safety feature because games get chaotic with red and green shells floating around with the possibility of pushing the player out of boundaries.
The graphics and audios are satisfying. Even though the game's characters are cartoons, the visuals come across appear realistic with real-life animations. There are sun rays whenever the sun sets, water droplets cover the screen as the player drives in a puddle, and the Link's hair and green hat sways in the wind. Every course has its own unique soundtrack. As the tempo slowly increases, my heart rate beats faster as I fight to stay in first place.
The game successfully includes features to make the game fun for everyone no matter what skill level they are because the settings allow you to adjust the computers if they are too easy or challenging to defeat. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is enjoyable for any audience and a great way to spend time alone or when hanging out with friends.