Mario Kart 8 Trailer Reveals Release Date, New Characters

[Steven Bogos]

Mario Kart 8 Trailer Reveals Release Date, New Characters

Mario Kart 8 will release on May 30.

Last night's Nintendo Direct revealed a wealth of new information on Wii U and 3DS titles launching in 2014. A new fighter for Super Smash Bros. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/132236-Little-Mac-Joins-Super-Smash-Bros-4-As-a-New-Fighter] was revealed, and we also got a new trailer for Mario Kart 8, which revealed its full release date, as well as some new characters.

Mario Kart 8 will release on May 30, and will feature all seven of Bowser's "Koopalings" as playable characters. The Koopalings first made their appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3 as Bowser's highest level henchmen, and sub-bosses of each world. They have occupied similar roles in preceding games.

For the first time ever in any game, all of Bowser's seven Koopalings are playable characters. Players with a taste for being bad can get ready to challenge gravity on the race track with Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy and Wendy. The game launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on May 30.

The trailer also shows off our favorite Mario characters driving on track, under water, and in anti-gravity - the big new addition to the series.

This is looking like it will be a pretty solid couch multiplayer game, something that Nintendo consoles excel at and something the Wii U could definitely use a few more of. I can't really see the gamepad being used in any meaningful way, however.

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[Bindal]

The WiiU Pad could work similar to how the second screen on the DS games work - as map. That's really all it would need to do, if you ask me.

 

[truckspond]

So basically Mario Kart 7 + roster update + rotation...

Going to be skipping this one and all subsequent ones until they do a reboot of the franchise

 

[Dark Knifer]

So basically Mario Kart 7 + roster update + rotation...

Going to be skipping this one and all subsequent ones until they do a reboot of the franchise

I thought it had been doing that for a while since the 64. Maybe even before that.

Looks fun enough if you have a wiiu I suppose.

 

[Yopaz]

The WiiU Pad could work similar to how the second screen on the DS games work - as map. That's really all it would need to do, if you ask me.

It could be used like mirror too I guess. Just taking a glance down to see if someone is right behind you or if a shell is coming in which would make it quite easy to avoid getting hit or to drop some tactical green shells or banana peels.

Map is a good idea though and I would love to move most of the hud down there too. I like having my screen clear of all that.

 

[Jumwa]

So basically Mario Kart 7 + roster update + rotation...

Going to be skipping this one and all subsequent ones until they do a reboot of the franchise

Anti-gravity vehicles that drive upside down and on walls not enough for you? Not sure what else they could really do to make this Mario Kart any more new. It's a lot more than other racing games do.

And the bottom screen could be used for a map. Or not. Does it matter? Nintendo gets railed on for using features of its devices needlessly, and then railed on when they don't force the features too. Seems lose-lose for them.

 

[JoJo]

Looking pretty nice, loving how far you see in the background and the upside-down parts. Now I just need to find a job and when I can afford to, I'll be investing in a WiiU for sure!

 

[Andy Shandy]

You know, at this point, I'd rather they made some "Nintendo Kart" combining all the Nintendo franchises - much like their own Super Smash Bros, although obviously for the racing genre.

It's the only way I would say I'd be interested in it again, because Sonic and SEGA All Stars Racing is a better series of games now, and I really could not give less of a fuck about the "Koopalings" being playable characters

 

[gizmo2300]

So basically Mario Kart 7 + roster update + rotation...

Going to be skipping this one and all subsequent ones until they do a reboot of the franchise

That really is all a sequel to a kart racer can do, updated levels, more characters, better graphics.

 

[JayRPG]

So basically Mario Kart 7 + roster update + rotation...

Going to be skipping this one and all subsequent ones until they do a reboot of the franchise

I don't quite get what you mean by that, like others have pointed out, they added the anti-gravity as a new twist on the races.

How would they even reboot a kart racer?
Even if they took away all the go-karts and gave them giant bananas with wheels instead, then renamed the game to "Mario's Banana", and instead of shooting shells they excreted bodily fluids on each other, like snot which just goes wherever you pointed it, or homing blood, or the slippery puddle of urine;
It would still essentially be the same game.

 

[JayRPG]

in b4 someone already hacks the game and <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2OSG92jUQ>ruins <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBB7akssziA>online multiplayer forever. No, I would not be surprised if this happened before the game released.

How would they even reboot a kart racer?

You know, at this point, I'd rather they made some "Nintendo Kart" combining all the Nintendo franchises - much like their own Super Smash Bros, although obviously for the racing genre.

Pro tip: Don't post the question if/when the answer is already there.

Making a game called Nintendo kart isn't rebooting Mario kart.. it's making a different game called Nintendo kart.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I don't quite get what you mean by that, like others have pointed out, they added the anti-gravity as a new twist on the races.

How would they even reboot a kart racer?
Even if they took away all the go-karts and gave them giant bananas with wheels instead, then renamed the game to "Mario's Banana", and instead of shooting shells they excreted bodily fluids on each other, like snot which just goes wherever you pointed it, or homing blood, or the slippery puddle of urine;
It would still essentially be the same game.

This is what happens when a series hits the twenty year mark: it kind of reaches the "innovation" apotheosis. Plus there's really nothing about Mario Kart that needs changing. No reason to change something that's essentially perfect.

 

[Dragonbums]

Yeah, I'm really hyped for this game. Hopefully I nab a job over the summer. Need to get some good games.

 

[Falterfire]

So... Did they announce any new IPs during Nintendo Direct? I didn't watch it myself and the Escapist only has the two news blurbs, but I'm curious if any new IPs or at least sub-franchises were announced.

Because as fun as jokes about the Wii U being a console made entirely out of remakes and look-alike sequels is, I would love to see at least one new Nintendo property somewhere.

 

[Verlander]

"What the touchscreen could be for?"

Doesn't have to be for anything. Just because you've got it, doesn't mean you need to use it.

 

[Lightknight]

So basically Mario Kart 7 + roster update + rotation...

Going to be skipping this one and all subsequent ones until they do a reboot of the franchise

I thought it had been doing that for a while since the 64. Maybe even before that.

Looks fun enough if you have a wiiu I suppose.

Exactly, my wife's N64 is still connected to our TV and Mario Kart has come out here and there.

It really is the same game over and over and over again. I get that it's a really big seller but count me out. It looks a bit slicker but definitely not worth getting a WiiU for yet. But, if you have one, it's a must own just like every Nintendo property on their consoles.

"What the touchscreen could be for?"

Doesn't have to be for anything. Just because you've got it, doesn't mean you need to use it.

And yet you paid $140 for it and it's use so far has almost always been unnecessary.

 

[Roxas1359]

MK can't inovate much more in terms of gameplay. But they could make new game modes, adventure mode for example.

Sega did it with F-Zero GX and have also done it with Sonic and Sega Allstars Transformed so it could work if Nintendo were to make it a mode so to speak.