Warning: As always, my reviews WILL contain spoilers as they’re crucial for thorough discussions. However, I encourage you to read anyways. Just because you can.
Overview: Mario Kart 8 portrays in essence what the title implies – Mario and various assortments of karts. Classic Mario game characters battle it out through 8 cups (translating into 32 different tracks) with fireballs, shells, boomerangs, and much more to obtain 1st Place and bring home the gold!
Gameplay: Mario Kart 8’s gameplay is relatively the same as previous titles. You have your accelerator, brake/reverse, item, and drift buttons. Easy to remember. Players get two options as to how to steer: 1) the use of the joystick or 2) actually steering with the control. Items continue to hold a big part in the game since a Banana Peel can stand between you and a gold trophy. IGN compiled a nice list of the items which you can take a look if you’re curious. Nonetheless, I want to give an honorable mention to the wondrous Super Horn. This magnificent item has the ability to destroy the fucking Spiny Shell by pulverizing it with its sound waves. It has made my life so much better and worth living…
Mario Kart 8 also features air gliding and anti gravity. The latter not only let’s you race on ceilings and walls, but also gives the opportunity to speedboost when bumping other characters or special obstacles. Gliding and anti gravity happen automatically when reaching certain parts on each course. The camera follows you the whole time, so don’t fret thinking you’ll suffer motion sickness. The goal of the game is simple: place first to win all the gold trophies you can.
Lou-Cyo’s Reaction: HOLY SHIT! The minute I saw the intro on my screen, I knew this game was a must have. To say the graphics are beautiful is an understatement. Nintendo was not playing when highlighting numerous times the fact that Mario Kart 8 was the first in its saga to be in high definition. The characters, items, courses… The smoothness of the illustrations make the pixels seem tangible. A treat to the pupils as you glide through the courses after exiting anti gravity zones.
You remember how 150cc was MAYBE a tad hard in previous Mario Karts? Mario Kart 8’s 150cc poses a realchallenge. If you’re anal like me and need every single unlocakble in the game, prepare yourself for overwhelming emotions ranging from crippling anxiety to irrational rage when attempting to place 1st on every track on 150cc. I cannot even count how many times I got CLOBBERED with a plethora of shells when on the LAST LAP of the LAST COURSE and SECONDS away from the damn finish line. Thinking about it makes my skin crawl with anger… But in a good way! Unlocking the characters and kart parts in this game is such a treat. I enjoyed getting the Koopalings the most. Do you remember them from Mario Bros. 3? Apart from the blissful nostalgia these characters embody, they get a cool HD touch up!
The game features mirrored racetracks to spice things up once you have collected all golden trophies the first time around. The online gaming options have expanded to phenomenal degrees by letting players customize tournaments. You have control over basically everything – from the race difficulty to what items and karts are allowed. Meaning you can have a 150cc races with only Mushrooms to be used. Can you imagine that in any of the 2 Rainbow Roads featured in this game? Sounds deliciously evil and fun to attempt! I recently got to play MK8 with 3 other people and the fun never stopped. We played for hours and the adrenaline was pumping nonstop. Mario Kart 8 is a game that will make you come back again and again. No matter if you’re alone, online, or with friends. I give Mario Kart 8 a 10/10. The game is just too much fun.
Have you played Mario Kart 8? What are your thoughts on the game? Let me know on the comment section. I wanna hear from you!
Nintendo is at the verge of giving me a heart attack!
This trailer just gave me life!
Not too long ago, I wrote all there was to know about the upcoming Mario Kart 8. HOWEVER, Nintendo decided to release an unannounced Nintendo Direct with the last pieces of the puzzle about the next chapter in the Mario Kart saga! The remaining characters were revealed: the adorable Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach! Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on that pink gold. I always got enjoyment of beating people with characters people stereotype against like Peach because she’s “too girly.” Can’t wait to make people eat my golden pink dust!
Talking about the “new and shiny,” Nintendo also released ALL of the 32 tracks in MK8 and I am here to list them for you because that’s what I’m here for. Ready?
Mushroom Cup: Mario Kart Stadium, Water Park,Sweet Sweet Canyon, Thwomp Ruins
Flower Cup: Mario Circuit, Toad Harbour, Twisted Mansion, Shy Guy Falls
Star Cup: Sunshine Airport, Dolphin Shoals, Electrodome, Mount Wario
Special Cup: Cloudtop Cruise, Bone Dry Dunes, Bowser’s Castle, Rainbow Road
Since we’re listing tracks, let’s go over Battle Mode. Now Battle Mode features modified tracks instead of arenas which include:
Moo Moo Meadows
Dry Dry Desert
Donut Plains 3
Toad’s Turnpike
Mario Circuit
Toad Harbour
Sherbet Land
Yoshi Valley
Also, remember these:
Please welcome the Super Horn and Crazy 8! The latter is basically a grab bag of 8 items that surround your kart and you’ll be able to use them – pretty neat. HOWEVER, that Super Horn though! It serves as the ultimate offensive/defensive weapon. Not only will the horn be able to blast opponents out of your way, it is said that the sonic blasts have the ability to destroy any shells heading your way – including the evil, dreaded, and diabolical Spiny Shell.
Oh, yes. The Spiny Shell has met it’ match finally and it’s all coming to MK8!
The Mario Kart TV feature was also explained thoroughly, MKTV will support voice chat in the lobby areas while playing with people online. I believe that’s a nice touch by Nintendo because now you will be able to actually make connections to a more personal level. Though I am crossing my fingers and it’s not dampened by pesky children cursing and being all sorts of inappropriate like on some famous FPSs… Anywho, in addition to the voice chat, racers will be able to create scheduled tournaments accessible to the public! No more worries about missing a tournament! MKTV was firstly described as a way to share your videos with friends; however, Nintendo informed its fans that the MKTV videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube! In a matter of seconds, you’ll be able to acquire praise and bragging rights from all over the world…
GIMME THE SPOTLIGHT!
Lastly, remember I mentioned how Europe was getting its own bundle pack with a cool Spiky Blue Shell collectible statue? Well, no need to be jealous because North America gets it’s own special bundle too! The same includes a black Wii U Deluxe (32 GB), a copy of Mario Kart 8 (not confirmed if it will be a disk or digital, a Wii Remote Plus, and a Wii Wheel for only $330.00! But wait, there’s more! People who purchase whatever version of Mario Kart 8 (i.e., disc, digital copy, or the bundle) and registers the game on Club Nintendo by July 31st of this year will get to pick a free copy of either Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, or Wii Party U! So, for those of you who are still debating on buying the console, THIS is the time to act!
Is it My 30th already?!
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Part III? Why, OF COURSE! As I mentioned in my previous entry, the PS4 left us with much to talk about. So now, on to the fun stuff: videogame releases for the PlayStation 4.
Killzone: Shadow Fall
At one point during the PS4’s announcement, co-founder of Gorilla Games, Herman Hurst, takes the stage and transports us to the universe of Killzone: Shadow Fall. In this first person shooter a war between factions has begun in an intergalactic setting. Opening scene: you’re in a spaceship flying over a beautiful architecture of alluring plazas and elegant buildings. Once you arrive to your destination and being treated like an (almost) V.I.P. … BOOM! Alarms go off; the ground begins to shake; and before you can even make sense of what the heck is happening, an explosion knocks you unconscious and all you see while blacking out is a wall of fire coming your way. Pretty fucking scary… You finally get out of your mini-coma state only to see this asshole trying to make a bullet a permanent part of your face.
The Asshole
In matter of minutes into the game you’re stabbing the same motherfucker in the neck; find yourself in the middle of a shooting fest; and finish up grasping for dear life from a motherfucking rope attached to a flying space craft while some douche is trying to shoot you. Two words: FUCKING AWESOME! Yes, you got your pistols, rifles, scopes, and grenades – the usual. But KSF appears to have gone above and beyond to make its gameplay far more interactive than normal FPSs which I believe will be its highlight (still impressed by the rope scene. Ah, love it!).
DriveClub
From the warzone to the streets! Sony has waited 10 long years to finally develop one of the most gorgeously crafted driving games I have seen, I am willing to bet, ever – all thanks to PS4 technology. The result? DriveClub was born. The game gave me a Need For Speed vibe, but the graphics… Oh, my GOD! I don’t know if the trailer showed cut scenes or actual gameplay graphics (which I pray to whatever divine entity out there is the latter), but damn they were stellar. The graphics looked INSANELY real – to the point that I believe if you lick the screen I bet you’ll be able to taste the fucking leather on those seats. Backpacking out of my obvious love with these graphics, there was a cut scene during the announcement of a game titled Deep Down and it was almost like watching a movie in HD – I almost died.
But wait! There’s more!
How about we visit the supernatural for a brief moment? Between a guy spewing fireballs and fabricating swirling infernos out of thin air in a heavily guarded city, The Sucker Punch’s game Infamous – Second Son makes its presence known. Not much of a storyline could be taken out of the trailer for this game; however, I believe it’s a wonderful addition to the PS4 releases.
I have to admit Sony has targeted a vast range of gaming styles. Take the games The Witness which is basically a puzzle solving game. Not excited over it, certainly not needed to take so much screen time during the PlayStation 4’s announcement, but I can’t judge. Just because it’s not my cup of tea to sit down in front of the PS4 to connect dots on a screen, doesn’t mean other Gamers out there don’t enjoy it. Other games announced included Diablo III (a roleplaying game centered on investigating a celestial mystery) and Destiny (a captivating FPS which has been predicted to be the next mind-blowing game for the Ps4) which certainly will not disappoint.
Watch Dogs
Now on to my favorite: Watch Dogs. By the middle of the trailer for this game I wanted to fast forward to the day I will be able to purchase such beauty. And the fact that it takes place in Chicago? MY current city?! It’s a must have. The demo demonstration during the announcement got me intrigued from start to finish. Watching the main character walk around streets I visit on the regular tapping into people’s personal devices and gain access to whatever private data without no one noticing gave it SUCH an exciting/scary atmosphere. And I loved every single second. All of the sudden you’re chasing and putting a random street thug out of his misery only to have the Chicago Police Department on your ass! But don’t fret. You end up jumping on one of the CTA’s (Chicago Transit Authority) trains and escape… It had me at edge of my SEAT!
PlaySation 4 has proven itself to be a phenomenally POWERFUL system. With software engines working only to enhance graphics; the push for enrichment of social connection; and array of features to please almost everyone in the fucking world, I believe other consoles have quite some homework to do if they don’t want to be left in the shadows. Yes, we have to wait until “Holiday 2013” to get out hands on such machine. And if the PS4 lives up to the high expectations, I could not care less if it’s released it December 31, 2013.
Well, that’s what I got for you regarding the PlayStation 4. Any questions, things you believe I should review, etc., don’t hesitate to contact me. Hope you’ve enjoyed the informative read!
See you around!
(P.S. Below are the trailers for each of the games I mentioned in this post.)
Lou-Cyo Reviews 