Get ready to put your foot down as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launches for the Nintendo Switch across Europe and South Africa later this week.
Start your engines, put the pedal to the metal, and get ready for the kind of thrilling racing action that only Mario Kart can provide, as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launches across Europe and South Africa this Friday for Nintendo Switch. Whether racing with family on the TV in the living room, playing a quick race in the park with friends, or visiting a friend’s place and playing online together, Nintendo Switch lets players enjoy Mario Kart in more ways than ever before.
People of all ages can play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe together, with several play styles to accommodate all experience levels. With the new, optional, Smart Steering feature, players can focus on enjoying the action and not worry about driving off-course, keeping the action enjoyable for everyone. Motion controls can also be enjoyed via the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Wheel, available in pairs and releasing across Europe on Friday.
In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, familiar and fan-favourite Nintendo characters including Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Link from The Legend of Zelda, and the newly-included Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl from the Splatoon series, and compete across 48 race tracks inspired by familiar Nintendo franchises, from the Super Mario series to Animal Crossing, and even the world of Hyrule in a track inspired by The Legend of Zelda. Some of these circuits will be familiar to veterans, as racers can experience blasts from the past with revived and updated classic circuits from previous titles, including Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will allow players to compete in frantic multiplayer races anytime, anywhere, and with anyone they choose. By handing one of the two Joy-Con controllers included with the Nintendo Switch console to an opponent and competing on the console’s built-in screen, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s multiple game modes can take place wherever players choose. Whether it’s played in tabletop mode while waiting for food at a restaurant, in handheld mode in the back of a car, or in TV mode at a party, there are plenty of ways for budding racers and veteran battlers to get stuck into wheel-to-wheel action.
As well as local and online multiplayer racing, players can also enjoy the new and revamped Battle Mode. Players will battle it out in one of eight dedicated arenas, including returning courses from titles such as Mario Kart 7, and engage in game modes returning from Mario Kart Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii, such as Bob-omb Blast and Shine Thief, alongside the classic Balloon Battle, and the brand new cops and robbers-style mode known as Renegade Roundup. Players can also make use of the returning Feather item to jump over obstacles in Battle Mode, the Boo to steal items from others, and can once again carry two items at once for more strategic battling and racing.
Joining a strong line-up of Nintendo Switch titles including Snipperclips – Cut it out, together!, 1-2-Switch, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which has received more perfect scores than any game in Metacritic history*, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has already received acclaim with critics:
- Metacritic 94%
- Forbes 100%
Alongside 48 circuits, local and online multiplayer racing and the new battle mode, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also features five speed classes to choose from, including the super-fast thrill-ride of 200cc mode, plus a wide range of amiibo compatibility. The multiplayer action can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways on Nintendo Switch consoles, with four different methods available to play with friends.
- Up to four friends can play on a single Nintendo Switch console in TV mode, or in tabletop mode by using the stand at the back of the console and placing it on a flat surface
- Online multiplayer allows for up to two local racers to get involved in 12-player races with others around the world**
- Through Local Wireless Play, multiple Nintendo Switch consoles can be connected to each other, allowing up to eight people to play together in the same room
- Up to 12 consoles in TV mode can be connected via LAN Play***, with one or two players per connected Nintendo Switch for a maximum of 12 players
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the biggest, most accessible and versatile Mario Kart game yet hits the starting grid this Friday, 28th April on Nintendo Switch.