Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 (マリオカート8) is a 2014 kart racing game and the eighth major installment in the Mario Kart series, developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. First announced at E3 2013, the game was released worldwide in May 2014.

Like other games in the series, in Mario Kart 8, players control characters from the Mario franchise and participate in kart racing on various race tracks, using items to hinder opponents or gain advantages. While incorporating game mechanics originally featured in earlier Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 introduces anti-gravity sections that allow players to drive on walls or ceilings. The game features multiple single-player and multiplayer game modes. The game incorporates Miiverse functionality and online multiplayer supported via Nintendo Network.

Mario Kart 8 was a critical and commercial success upon its release, currently holding aggregate critical scores of 88.52% and 88% on GameRankings and Metacritic, respectively. It is the fastest selling Wii U game as of June 30, 2014, with 1.2 million copies sold within the first four days of its release, and 2.82 million copies during its first month. It's the best-selling Wii U game with almost 5 million copies sold. The game has continued to receive post-release patches and downloadable content, including additional characters, vehicles, and tracks, and support for Nintendo's Amiibo line of figurines.

Gameplay
The game continues the traditional gameplay of the Mario Kart series, in which characters from the Mario universe race against each other in go-karts, attempting to hinder their opponents or improve their racing performance using various tools found in item boxes. Returning features from previous installments include motorbikes, and 12-player racing from Mario Kart Wii, as well as hang gliders, underwater racing, and vehicle customization from Mario Kart 7.

Mario Kart 8 '​s new features include anti-gravity racing, in which certain parts of a track can allow racers to drive on walls and ceilings. During these sections, players can bump into other racers or special bumpers to trigger a Spin Boost, which gives them an extra speed boost. New characters include the Koopalings, Baby Rosalina, and Pink Gold Peach. New items include the Boomerang Flower, which can be thrown to attack players, the Piranha Plant, which attacks nearby racers and obstacles, the Crazy Eight, which gives the user eight items, and the Super Horn, which can be used both to attack nearby opponents and defend against items, including the previously nearly unavoidable Spiny Shell.

Along with local multiplayer, Mario Kart 8 supports online multiplayer for up to twelve players, playable with friends, or with strangers both regionally and worldwide, with voice chat support outside of races. Players are able to set up tournaments with fully customizable rules and schedules, download ghost data from friends or top players, and receive stamps for use on Miiverse by beating staff times and completing Grand Prix races. Mario Kart TV lets the player view replay data from other players, including rewind and slow-motion playback functionality, and then upload highlights to YouTube.

The game is compatible with the Wii U GamePad, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Classic Controller, and Wii Wheel. Players can also use Amiibo figures to unlock Nintendo-themed costumes that can be worn by Miis.

Starter characters

 * Mario (Medium)
 * Luigi (Medium)
 * Princess Peach (Medium)
 * Yoshis (Green, Light Blue, Black, Red, Yellow, White, Blue, Pink, and Orange) (Medium)
 * Wario (Heavy)
 * Bowser (Heavy)
 * Donkey Kong (Heavy)
 * Toad (Light)
 * Waluigi (Heavy)
 * Koopa Troopa (Light)
 * Shy Guys (Red, Light Blue, Black, Green, Yellow, White, Blue, Pink, and Orange) (Light)
 * Princess Daisy (Medium)
 * Baby Mario (Light)
 * Baby Peach (Light)
 * Baby Luigi (Light)
 * Baby Daisy (Light)

Unlockable

 * Princess Rosalina (Heavy)
 * Iggy Koopa (Medium)
 * Morton Koopa Jr. (Heavy)
 * Lemmy Koopa (Light)
 * Ludwig von Koopa (Medium)
 * Roy Koopa (Heavy)
 * Wendy O. Koopa (Light)
 * Larry Koopa (Light)
 * Lakitu (Light)
 * Metal Mario (Heavy)
 * Toadette (Light)
 * Baby Rosalina (Light)
 * Pink Gold Peach (Heavy)
 * Mii (Any)

DLC characters

 * Link (Heavy)
 * Tanooki Mario (Medium)
 * Cat Peach (Medium)
 * Villager (Light)
 * Isabelle (Light)
 * Dry Bowser (Heavy)

Mushroom Cup

 * Mario Kart Stadium
 * Water Park
 * Sweet Sweet Canyon
 * Thwomp Ruins

Flower Cup

 * Mario Circuit
 * Toad Harbor
 * Twisted Mansion
 * Shy Guy Falls

Star Cup

 * Sunshine Airport
 * Dolphin Shoals
 * Electrodome
 * Mount Wario

Special Cup

 * Cloudtop Cruise
 * Bone Dry Dunes
 * Bowser Castle
 * Rainbow Road

Shell Cup

 * Wii Moo Moo Meadows
 * DS Cheep Cheep Beach
 * GBA Mario Circuit
 * N64 Toad's Turnpike

Banana Cup

 * GCN Dry Dry Desert
 * SNES Donut Plains 3
 * N64 Royal Raceway
 * 3DS DK Jungle

Leaf Cup

 * DS Wario Stadium
 * GCN Sherbet Land
 * 3DS Music Park
 * N64 Yoshi Valley

Lightning Cup

 * DS Tick Tock Clock
 * 3DS Piranha Plant Slide
 * Wii Grumble Volcano
 * N64 Rainbow Road

Egg Cup

 * GCN Yoshi Circuit
 * Excitebike Arena
 * Dragon Driftway
 * Mute City

Triforce Cup

 * Wii Wario's Gold Mine
 * SNES Rainbow Road
 * Ice Ice Outpost
 * Hyrule Circuit

Animal Crossing Cup

 * GCN Baby Park
 * GBA Cheese Land
 * Wild Woods
 * Animal Crossing

Super Bell Cup

 * 3DS Neo Bowser City
 * GBA Ribbon Road
 * Super Bell Subway
 * Big Blue

Splat Cup

 * GCN Wario Colosseum
 * Wii Daisy Circuit
 * Moray Skyscraper
 * Inkopolis

Star Fox Cup

 * GBA Sunset Wilds
 * GCN Dino Dino Jungle
 * Tomorrowland Future City
 * Orbital Gate Assault

Sonic Cup

 * GCN Mushroom Bridge
 * DS Waluigi Pinball
 * West Edmonton Mall
 * Green Hill Zone

Megaman Cup

 * 3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon
 * DS Airship Fortress
 * N.I.S.W.O.E. Desert
 * Central Highway

Wii U stages

 * Wii Moo Moo Meadows
 * GCN Dry Dry Desert
 * SNES Donut Plains 3
 * N64 Toad's Turnpike
 * Mario Circuit
 * Toad Harbor
 * GCN Sherbet Land
 * N64 Yoshi Valley