Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8

Systems:

• WiiU
• Releases:
  • Original Release: May 2014
  • Zelda DLC Release: November 2014
  • Animal Crossing DLC Release: May 2015

Publisher:

• Nintendo

Developer:

• Nintendo EAD
• Bandai Namco Games (Development Support)

ESRB Rating:

• Everyone (E)
• Reasoning:
  • Comic Mischief

Mario Kart 8 is the eighth installment of the popular Mario Kart racing series. Famous Nintendo characters race one another on fanciful tracks using items to harry other drivers and win the coveted trophy. The game currently has eight cups with thirty-two tracks.

General Comments

This review currently contains the available content from the Animal Crossing DLC and content from the Legend of Zelda DLC.

Any violence in the game is cartoon violence. The driver characters are never in any true harm; they cannot drown, be physically harmed, or die.

Animal Abuse

Some driver avatars are animals. They can be attacked in-game. The Non-player Characters you race against are randomly generated so you cannot necessarily avoid them.

Aquatic Violence

In the Cheep Cheep Beach track in the Shell Cup the player character can be attacked by fish underwater.

Bones

The Dry Bowser driving avatar from the Animal Crossing DLC driving avatar is a skeleton. The Non-Player Characters you race against are randomly generated so you cannot necessarily avoid him.

The Twisted Mansion track in the Flower Cup uses skulls as décor.

The Bone Dry Dunes track in the Special Cup has skeletal koopas that will try to run into the player character’s vehicle.

Depiction of Disaster

The Grumble Volcano track depicts a volcano eruption. This includes shaking ground, fire falling from the sky, and earthquakes. Racers can be hit with rocks and fire but cannot die.

Electrocution

There is a lightning attack that can be used while racing. This can be used by the player and is used by NPCs against the player. The effect is a bright flash of lightning and the other drivers are minimized temporarily. These can be avoided only in Battle and Versus modes by turning off items.

The track Cloudtop Cruise has sections where the player can be struck by lightning. This temporarily disables the player character.

The track Mute City in the Legend of Zelda DLC has green walls that will spark if they are touched. They do not appear to actually harm the character.

Explosions

The Bob-omb and blue shell items cause explosions. They are large with a loud explosion noise and fire. They will throw the player into the air. These can be used by the player and will be used by Non-Player Characters. These can be avoided only in Battle and Versus modes by turning off items.

If the player attempts to accelerate before the race starts at the wrong time the engine can backfire and explode with a noise and smoke.

There are fireworks in the intro to the Mario Cart Stadium in the Mushroom cup, Rainbow Road in the Lightning Cup, and the closing credits scene.

Fire

The bomb-omb and blue shell items cause explosions. They are large with a loud explosion noise and fire.

Fire flowers are an item that shoots fire at other drivers. When the item is receive the player character will hold a ball of flame. They are only avoidable by turning off items in Battle and Versus modes.

The Bullet Bill item propels the player forward with fire coming out of its back, like a rocket.

If the player uses any sort of speed boost, fire will come out of the car’s tailpipe and sparks will form around the wheels.

The track Bowser’s Castle in the Special Cup uses fire as a major obstacle and as decoration. The track is practically made of fire.

The DS Wario Stadium track in the Leaf Cup has spinning fire traps that the Player Character can run into.

The Grumble Volcano Track in the Lightning Cup uses fire as a common obstacle. Fire also falls out of the sky, the volcano erupts and spews fire, and the track will randomly set on fire.

Ghosts

The Twisted Mansion track in the Flower Cup is a haunted mansion with ghosts. The ghosts do not attack.

Heights

All tracks have some high places that the player must drive over, including sections where the player must fly over scenery. Particularly notable examples are:

• Shy Guy Falls
• Sunshine Airport
• Mount Wario
• Cloudtop Cruise
• Rainbow Road (Special Cup)
• Rainbow Road (Lightning Cup)
• Dragon Driftway (Egg Cup, Legend of Zelda DLC)
• Rainbow Road (Triforce Cup, Legend of Zelda DLC)

Jump Scares

Though nothing will jump out at the player, items are sometimes not seen before they hit so they can cause surprise.

Rats/Rodents

The Yoshi Valley track in the Leaf Cup and the Wario's Goldmine track as part of the Legend of Zelda DLC have bats in the cave sections of the tracks. While the bats are not aggressive, the player character can collide with them. The Hyrule Circuit map in the Legend of Zelda DLC has bats on the map after the castle area.

Reptiles

The avatars Yoshi, Koopa Troopa, Lakitu, Bowser, and the Koopalings are all lizards. The Non-Player Characters you race against are randomly generated so you cannot necessarily avoid them.

In the Legend of Zelda DLC, the player character must drive through the mouth of a giant dragon statue at the beginning of the Dragon Driftway track.

Undead/Zombies

The Dry Bowser driving avatar from the Animal Crossing DLC driving avatar is an undead skeleton. The NPCs you race against are randomly generated so you cannot necessarily avoid him.

The Bone Dry Dunes track in the Special Cup has skeletal koopas that will try to run into the player character’s vehicle.

Vehicular Trauma

The game allows both Non-Player Characters and the Player Character to crash their vehicles. This does not result in a realistic crash; the car will briefly spin out of control and slow down. Vehicles can also be crashed into one another, but again the only result will be that the cars slow down. Shells, bombs, and other attacks will hit other cars and cause them to spin out of control briefly. Bombs will cause the cars to fly into the air.

Violence Against Children

There are multiple children and baby avatars that can be attacked in the game. The NPCs you race against are randomly generated so you cannot necessarily avoid him.

The Miis that the player can import from their WiiU system can also be children that can be harmed.

Weapons

The items found in the game can be used as weapons against other drivers.

In the Legend of Zelda DLC, the character Link will pull out a sword whenever he does tricks while driving.

Ad from our Sponsors: