Start your engines, put the pedal to the metal, and get ready for the thrilling, nostalgic racing action that only Mario Kart can provide. Today, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launches for the Nintendo Switch.
The game has some familiar favourite Nintendo characters including Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Link from The Legend of Zelda, and the newly-included Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl from the Splatoon series.
You get to compete across 48 race tracks inspired by familiar Nintendo games, from the Super Mario series to Animal Crossing, and even the world of Hyrule in a track inspired by The Legend of Zelda.
Nostalgia and recognisable characters aren’t the only attraction of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the game also has improved graphics and a slew of new additions:
- There are 42 characters and all of them are unlocked and available right from the start, which means no more slogging through hours and hours of gameplay in the Grand Prix mode. You’ll still need to collect coins to get access to new vehicles and parts, but having so much content available immediately makes it so much easier to get into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- The original Mario Kart had a battle mode but it was lacking in options and functionality that it might as well have been excluded. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe fixes this by bringing eight arenas designed specifically for battle mode. Four of them new and four based on arenas found in previous games.
- You can hold two items at once. It might seem like a small, insignificant update but the impact is significant. Now, if you’re holding something incredibly useful, you won’t have to use it in order to pick up another item. You’re not able to switch between the two items, which is a bit annoying, but the feature is useful nonetheless.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is also the most portable version of the franchise, thanks to the Nintendo Switch. Handing one of the two Joy-Con controllers (included with the Nintendo Switch console) to an opponent and competing on the console’s built-in screen, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s multiple game modes can take place wherever you choose. Whether it’s played in tabletop mode while waiting for food at a restaurant, in handheld mode in the back of a car, or in TV mode at a party, there are plenty of ways for budding racers and veteran battlers to get stuck into wheel-to-wheel action.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can be purchased online from R729.00, or as part of a Nintendo Switch bundle for R5999.00
