Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsFun game but...
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2019
Is there a game more classic than Mario Kart? I think not. Mario Kart is up there with legendary games like Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, the Super Smash Brothers series... The list can go on. However, while this particular entry in the series is fun, I can't say I enjoyed it as much as its predecessors such as Mario Kart Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii. (In fact, the last Mario Kart game that I played was Mario Kart Wii.) The biggest problem with this game is that everything is already unlocked. Now, I know this is technically a re-release of Mario Kart 8, and I'm sure the creators needed to make the decision of keeping everything unlocked or locked upon release. As a girl who respects going through the motions of beating every level in order to get those special karts or characters, this game made me feel a little empty inside because I felt like I had nothing to accomplish.
Don't get me wrong, this game is still fun. I enjoy the new paragliding mechanics and zero gravity mode. I also like that you can pick different parts of your car, to truly customize your experience. You can also choose a riding style, which is great for when my nieces play (they use the auto drive while I bust my butt getting those drifts).
Another honest point - the older courses are the ones that are the most interesting. The newer courses, while absolutely beautiful, are not as fun as some of the others that we've seen in the past.
If you're a new Nintendo Switch User and are craving your Mario Kart fix, this will settle your craving until the next entry comes out. Just keep in mind that everything is available right from the start. Call me petty, but that's the biggest flaw of this game.
