Edit this page Colorful Yoshis race in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe / Seven differently-colored Yoshis race on motorcycles around a bend in a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe track. / Image credit: Nintendo
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe poster / Poster included in the Multiplayer Festival Poster Set offered as a My Nintendo platinum points reward by Nintendo UK. / Image credit: Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 is a Super Mario-themed kart racing game released in 2014 for Nintendo Wii U and expanded in a Deluxe version for Nintendo Switch in 2017. It was the first Mario Kart to feature characters from other Nintendo series. It also introduced zero-gravity racing and the 200cc racing class. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold over 60 million copies worldwide as of December 2023.

Screenshots and images

Company and staff credits

Publisher
Nintendo logo 1975 / Image credit: Nintendo
Developer (Switch)
Nintendo logo 1975 / Image credit: Nintendo EPD
Developer (Wii U)
Nintendo logo 1975 / Image credit: Nintendo EAD
Director (Switch)
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Yusuke Shiraiwa
Producer (Switch)
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Kosuke Yabuki
Director
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Kosuke Yabuki
Producer
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Hideki Konno
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Yasuyuki Oyagi
Sound Director
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Kenta Nagata

Platform comparison

Platform Released Local Link/LAN Online Interfaces Target FPS Video Sound
Wii U 29 May 2014
Japan
1—4 players
Single, vs., team-based
No
2—12 players
Vs., team-based
Motion control, standard 60 720p Surround 5.1
Switch 28 April 2017
Australia, Japan, North America, Europe
1—4 players
Single, vs., team-based
2—8 players
Vs., team-based
2—12 players
Vs., team-based
Motion control, standard 60 1080p Surround 5.1

Game details

Release dates
  • 29 May 2014:
    • Wii U (Japan)
  • 30 May 2014:
    • Wii U (Australia, North America, Europe)
  • 28 April 2017:
    • Switch (Australia, Japan, North America, Europe)
Also known as
  • Mario Kart 8 (official)
Genres

Gameplay and content

1

"Fire hopping" speed boosts

Mario Kart 8 features a technique known as fire hopping, which makes speed increases from drift boosts and mushroom items last longer. The technique involves jumping repeatedly after a boost, so that the vehicle travels further while making less contact with the track. The technique was considered unfair by some players when the game first launched, according to Eurogamer.

2

Item customization

Mario Kart 8 introduced item customization options that allow players to specify which items to include or exclude from races. Director Kosuke Yabuki told a Game Developers Conference roundtable: "I think we're going to be able to answer that feeling of, 'I don't want to race with items.' Well, OK, then no items. Or, 'I only want to have bananas.' Well, OK."

3

New items

Mario Kart 8 introduced several new items to the series. Crazy 8 gives the player a ring of all of the game's items, which can be fired off one by one. Super Horn emits a sonic blast that can knock out other racers as well as Green, Red, and Blue Shells.

4

Zero-gravity racing

Mario Kart 8 features circuits with sections where the direction of gravity is altered. In these sections, karts transform and are able to race upside down or up vertical walls, such as in Mario Circuit which is based on the Möbius strip. Director Kosuke Yabuki explained to IGN the development team's reasons for including this new concept: "We always want to introduce an element of surprise... We thought that just improving the graphics to make the game prettier wouldn't be enough."

5 6

Multiplayer modes

Mario Kart 8 on Wii U features four-player split-screen races and online races for up to 12 players. On Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe adds local wireless play for up to eight players.

Story, characters, and setting

7

Playable Koopalings

Mario Kart 8 was the first series entry in which all seven Koopalings (Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig) were playable drivers.

Base-game characters

The base game on Wii U features 16 starting drivers: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Baby Daisy, Baby Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, Toad, Waluigi, Wario, and Yoshi. A further 13 drivers are unlockable: Baby Rosalina, Iggy, Lakitu, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Metal Mario, Morton, Pink Gold Peach, Rosalina, Roy, Toadette, and Wendy.

8

Wii U DLC characters

Mario Kart 8's first two downloadable content packs added new drivers. The "The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8" pack added Link, the hero from the Legend of Zelda series, plus Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach. The "Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8" pack added Isabelle and a male and female Villager from the Animal Crossing series, plus Dry Bowser. Purchasing both packs unlocked eight new color options for Yoshi and Shy Guy. All of these characters are available from the start in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

9

Booster Course Pass characters

The Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe included eight additional drivers: Birdo, Petey Piranha, Kamek, Wiggler, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline, and Peachette.

Development and pre-release

10

First mention

Nintendo first mentioned the possibility of creating a Mario Kart title for the Wii U system in an interview with Nintendo Power magazine published in November 2011. Mario Kart series producer Hideki Konno said (quoted by IGN): "I can't get into the specifics, but I do want to create a new and enjoyable Mario Kart that uses the unique functions of the Wii U. Anything beyond that I have to keep secret. Please bear with me for now!"

11

Announcement at E3 2013

Mario Kart 8 was officially announced with a trailer on 11th June, 2013 at the E3 gaming expo. The trailer introduced the game's zero-gravity hover mechanic, as well as characters including Toadette, Daisy, and Waluigi. The game's release was set for spring 2014.

Publishing

7 12 13

Wii U release dates

Mario Kart 8 was released on 30th May, 2014 in North America, Europe and Australia. In Japan the title launched a day earlier, on 29th May 2014.

14

Deluxe version for Nintendo Switch

A "Deluxe" version of Mario Kart 8 for Nintendo Switch was revealed in the system's first trailer, shown in February 2017. Footage of the port showed King Boo as a playable driver and the ability to hold two items. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released 28th April, 2017. Other new drivers included Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy from Splatoon, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr. Deluxe also introduce the new battle modes Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast.

Graphics and visual design

15 16

Wii U framerate

Mario Kart 8 targets 60 frames per second on the Wii U system, but "continually drops down to 59fps" according to a Digital Foundry analysis. This "has zero affect on playability - but it has a noticeable impact on image fluidity that mars what would otherwise be a perfectly consistent frame-rate." In four-player split-screen mode, the frame rate is halved to 30 fps.

16

720p on Wii U

Mario Kart 8 runs at a resolution of 1280x720 on Wii U, according to Digital Foundry's analysis.

17

1080p, 60fps on Switch

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe runs at 1080p when docked on Nintendo Switch, with resolution dropping to 720p to match the system's built-in screen, according to a Digital Foundry analysis. Textures, character models, shadows, and effects are "identical" to the Wii U version.

Music and sound

18

Live recorded music

Mario Kart 8 is the first series entry to feature live recorded music. Its score spans a range of sounds, from heavy electric guitar on Bowser's Castle to saxophone solos on Dolphin Shoals. The game's sound director Kenta Nagata told Kotaku: "It was felt that live recorded music would work very well in conjunction with [high-definition graphics]... the Mario Kart series is all about racing around courses brimming with variety, and the genres of music that accompany this are equally varied. We look for great musicians who can handle a variety of genres as opposed to just focusing on one in particular."

Game technologies

15

Wii U GamePad features

In Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, players can use the Wii U GamePad screen to see a map of the circuit and switch between standard and motion controls. Players can also tap the screen to sound their kart's horn.

Sales

19

Fastest-selling Wii U title

Mario Kart 8 became the Wii U's fastest-selling game a week after it launched in May 2014, selling 1.2 million units across the Americas, Europe, and Japan according to Nintendo's internal sales data.

20

Evergreen sales in Japan

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch returned to the #1 position in Japan's Famitsu sales chart in April 2024, almost a decade after the base game first launched on Wii U. Deluxe had sold 5,804,495 copies in Japan as of 21st April, 2024.

21

Best selling racer in US

Mario Kart 8 overtook Mario Kart Wii as the biggest selling racing game in US history in April 2021, when combined sales of the base game (8.45 million) and Deluxe version (33.41 m) totalled 41.86 m units globally.

References

  1. Eurogamer (2014, June 5). Video: Mario Kart 8's controversial Fire Hopping technique. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/video-mario-kart-8s-controversial-fire-hopping-technique.
  2. Otero, J. (2014, April 3). Mario Kart 8 Introduces Expanded Item Customization. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/03/mario-kart-8-introduces-expanded-item-customization.
  3. IGN (2014, April 30). 5 Reasons Mario Kart 8’s Online Matters. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/30/5-reasons-mario-kart-8s-online-matters.
  4. Otero, J. (2014, May 29). How Anti-Gravity Made Mario Kart Better. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/29/how-anti-gravity-made-mario-kart-better.
  5. Nintendo (n.d.). Mario Kart 8. https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Wii-U-games/Mario-Kart-8-765384.html.
  6. Nintendo (n.d.). Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe. https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mario-kart-8-deluxe-switch/.
  7. IGN (2014, February 13). Mario Kart 8 Release Date, Koopaling Characters Announced. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/13/mario-kart-8-release-date-koopaling-characters-announced.
  8. Watts, S. (2014, August 26). Mario Kart 8 DLC Includes Link, F-Zero, and More. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/08/26/mario-kart-8-adding-racers-and-tracks-in-november.
  9. Nintendo (n.d.). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass. https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mario-kart-8-deluxe-booster-course-pass-70070000013723-switch/.
  10. Goldfarb, A. (2011, November 10). Nintendo Considering Wii U Mario Kart. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/11/10/nintendo-considering-wii-u-mario-kart.
  11. Goldfarb, A. (2013, June 11). E3 2013: Mario Kart 8 Announced. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/11/e3-2013-mario-kart-8-announced.
  12. Eurogamer (2014, February 13). Mario Kart 8 release date announced. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/mario-kart-8-dated.
  13. GameFAQs (n.d.). Mario Kart 8 – Release Details. Fandom, Inc. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/wii-u/700050-mario-kart-8/data.
  14. Sanchez, M. (2017, January 13). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Announced for Nintendo Switch. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/13/mario-kart-8-deluxe-announced-for-nintendo-switch.
  15. Phillips, T. (2013, July 8). Mario Kart 8: Nintendo turns the series upside down. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/mario-kart-8-nintendo-turns-the-series-upside-down.
  16. Linneman, J. (2014, May 24). Digital Foundry vs Mario Kart 8. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2014-vs-mario-kart-8.
  17. Morgan, T. (2017, April 20). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: a great console title is a handheld revelation. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2017-mario-kart-8-deluxe-tech-analysis.
  18. Schilling, C. (n.d.). The Music of Mario Kart 8. Kotaku. G/O Media. https://kotaku.com/the-music-of-mario-kart-8-1592469987.
  19. Pereira, C. (2014, June 2). Mario Kart 8 Sells 1.2 Million, Becoming Wii U's Fastest-Selling Game. GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-kart-8-sells-1-2-million-becoming-wii-u-s-fastest-selling-game/1100-6420033/.
  20. My Nintendo News (2024, April 25). Japan: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is #1 this week. Excite Global Media Ltd. https://mynintendonews.com/2024/04/25/japan-mario-kart-8-deluxe-is-1-this-week/.
  21. Bankhurst, A. (2021, April 16). Mario Kart 8 Is Now the Best-Selling Racing Game in US History. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/mario-kart-8-is-now-the-best-selling-racing-game-in-us-history.

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