Previews

Nintendo Turns The Iconic Racing Series Upside Down.

Nintendo has yet to announce a new entry in its beloved F-Zero racing franchise, but the publisher appears to have the next best thing with Mario Kart 8 for Wii U. No, Mario won't crossover to Captain Falcon's world, but Nintendo have put a sci-fi spin onto the game that takes full advantage of dizzying anti-gravity features that let players drive up the side of walls and even upside down.

It's without question one of the biggest game-changing features in series history, but don't worry; despite the F-Zero influence, it still provides the Mario Kart experience we love.

Enjoying The Pretty Scenery

"Visually striking" is the best way to describe Mario Kart 8, and for good reason. This is the first game in the franchise to go high definition, and Nintendo plans to create an experience to assault the senses.

First, the game runs at an impressive 60 frames-per-second, and fans will notice this the second they sit down to play. Everything moves considerably faster than in previous titles, enhancing the huge jumps and stomach-churning loops that bring to mind F-Zero, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the world's best roller coasters. Newcomers may have some trouble adjusting to the speed, particularly when it comes to dodging those trademark banana peels or racing upside down, but it is a fantastic feeling.

The visuals themselves are also gorgeous, and having recently taken the game for a spin we initially thought Nintendo was showing a trailer rather than the actual game. Sparks erupt from karts as they skid along the track, characters use their eyes to track nearby opponents, and the environment overflows with beautiful details.

Nintendo is including everything, from waterfalls, castles and piranha plants in the Mushroom Kingdom-inspired Mario 8 Circuit, to gigantic pyramids (Dry Dry Desert), a spooky mansion complete with library and underwater segment (Ghost House), and vibrating instruments set around a piano-style track (Melody Motorway). It is, without question, the most graphically-intense Mario Kart yet.

Driving Ourselves Up The Wall

The biggest feature, as we mentioned, are the hovercrafts. Wheels automatically shift into antigravity mode and players experience an all-new perspective for a Mario Kart game. You will snag hard-to-reach gold coins and explore new sections of the different tracks, all of which seemed more complex than previous Mario Kart entries, with some of the loops reaching high into the clouds.

Gamers will also be able to take part in 12-person online races, and there is the standard split-screen play for local competition. Even more interesting is the ability to share highlight videos with other players via Mario Kart TV, giving you the opportunity to post your best (and maybe worst) races to Miiverse.

As far as the feel of the GamePad, player positioning appears on the left side of the screen. Tapping the centre honks the horn, and jolting the GamePad up while in mid-air has your character perform a trick. The motion controls we used were very sensitive but they reminded us of the previous game's Wii Steering Wheel. After a lap, we were attuned to the controller's sensitivity and felt right at home.

That Classic Feel

Nintendo preserved previous features from past Mario Kart games, most notably hang-gliders after sailing off a ramp and underwater racing from Mario Kart 7, and speedy motorbikes from Mario Kart Wii.

Even with the anti-gravity feature and social integration, Mario Kart 8 still feels instantly familiar to long-time fans. Characters like Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Waluigi and Toadette are but a few of the heroes from which to choose. The award-winning formula of chucking red turtle shells and the dreaded blue shell remain perfectly intact.

As usual, racers near the end of the pack have a much greater chance of acquiring the more powerful weapons, while the person in the lead normally picks up bananas peels; gamers can also expect to collect a mushroom for a much-needed speed burst, along with green shells and a fire flower.

The only bad thing about Mario Kart 8 is the fact that it won't debut until spring 2014! Of course, we expect Nintendo to reveal plenty of new details leading up to the game's launch, but it looks like another quality title to look forward to on Wii U. Until then, we will continue to drool over the gameplay footage while keeping our racing skills sharp in Mario Kart 7 on Nintendo 3DS.