Review Roundup: Nintendo Switch gets another instant classic with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

For many, Mario Kart 8 was easily one of the best Wii U games. Sadly, since it was only on Wii U not many people got to play it at launch. Thankfully Nintendo is bringing the iconic racing game to their newest console, the Nintendo Switch, so more people can experience it! Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will feature all previously released content and even some brand new features, characters, and more.

Today, a handful of reviews were released for the game detailing how the new version of Mario Kart 8 works when paired with the Nintendo Switch. Of course, the game isn't drastically different but it's nice to know how the new changes impact the game. The game is currently sitting at an average score of 94 on Metacritic, meaning Nintendo is 2 for 2 with exclusives on the Nintendo Switch. Below you'll find some excerpts from a number of reviews for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

IGN

"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an amazing game for all the same reasons I mentioned in our original review. It’s still a gorgeous kart racer and every bit as addictive as it was in 2014. This is the best entry in the series so far, and it has all the content you’ll need. Returning players have seen a lot of this game before, but the overhauled Battle mode and its five additional ways to play are a great reason to pick it up. Nintendo didn’t do enough to make the online experience better, but the rest of this game holds up well."

9.3/10

Game Informer

"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is primarily a re-release of an acclaimed game from three years ago, but by adding new content and addressing the biggest complaint of the original, this version is unquestionably the best way to experience Nintendo's great racer. Battle mode is back to its original glory, and when combined with the rest of the robust Mario Kart 8 package, it creates a great addition to the fledgling Switch library."

9.25/10

DualShockers

"At the end of the day, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Mario Kart game and (predictably) fantastic. With a fully upgraded Battle Mode and all the portability that comes with Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is undoubtedly the definitive version of the game — maybe even the series. However, with limited offerings for Mario Kart veterans who shelled out nearly $100 on the last experience, the title will be significantly less rewarding."

8/10

GameSpot

"Deluxe also adds some small quality-of-life updates that make for a more polished package. Load times are shorter on Switch than on Wii U, and the game takes advantage of the Joy-Cons' vibration capabilities–off-roading is bumpier and drifting boosts feel more satisfying thanks to a stronger sense of acceleration. Plus, you can change your kart configuration in multiplayer without having to leave the lobby first. (About time.)

Even if you didn't really care about Battle Mode, the smallest changes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe refine an already great racing game. But the huge overhaul to the original's afterthought of a Battle Mode is a chaotic, varied opportunity to play very differently than in Grand Prix mode and well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch."

9/10

GamesRadar+

"Mario Kart 8 was a revelation, but not quite a revolution. Though its biggest new feature made a significant impact, underneath the bonnet purred the same finely-tuned engine. Anti-gravity racing was always more about spectacle than systems: a change for the better, undoubtedly, and a real treat for the eyes. Still, fundamentally, this was still the same Mario Kart we’d known and loved for 20+ years: part arcade racer, part dodgem ride. This wasn’t an attempt to change the formula but to perfect it.

Deluxe, then, makes absolute sense, as another chance to further refine a game that always wanted to be the acme of its genre rather than a paradigm shift for the arcade racer. It’s also, of course, an opportunity for Nintendo to find a wider audience beyond the relatively narrow reach of the Wii U player base. Though the original’s attach rate was phenomenal – roughly speaking, Nintendo shifted a copy of the game for every two hardware units – Switch should make the latest and greatest Mario Kart a bona fide smash, this time without the caveat “for a Wii U game”."

"Evidently, Nintendo hasn’t had the same trouble, returning to past games and cherry-picking most of the best bits to further augment what was already a pretty pimped-out ride. A name like Deluxe suggests superiority and Nintendo has duly delivered with the definitive version of the most complete Mario Kart to date. It leaves you with just one question: where does the series go from here?"

5/5

If Nintendo keeps releasing games of this caliber, it's safe to say the Nintendo Switch will be a big success for Nintendo. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe releases on Nintendo Switch on April 28th, 2017.