Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It retains the gameplay of previous games in the Mario Kart series, with players controlling a Mario franchise character in races around tracks. Tracks are themed around locales from the Super Mario platform series and are populated with power-ups that help players gain advantages in races. Different difficulties are selectable prior to a race; harder difficulties make gameplay faster. In the new anti-gravity sequences, players drive on walls and ceilings. Mario Kart 8 contains a variety of single-player and local and online multiplayer games modes, including Grand Prix racing and arena-based battle modes.

Nintendo revealed Mario Kart 8 in 2013, and released it in May 2014. Both paid and free downloadable content (DLC) were released after its launch, including a further difficulty setting and additional tracks. It was re-released on the Nintendo Switch in April 2017 as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Deluxe includes all of the original DLC, as well as a revamped battle mode and other gameplay alterations. Nintendo continued to add downloadable circuits and characters as paid DLC.

Mario Kart 8 was a critical success; reviewers praised its gameplay and presentation, but the battle mode received mixed reviews. Critics praised Deluxe as the definitive version of Mario Kart 8 for its improved battle modes and presentation. Both releases have been named by critics as among the best Mario Kart games, and have won and been nominated for several awards. Mario Kart 8 is one of the best-selling video games of all time, at over 65.47 million sold. It is also the best-selling Wii U game at 8.46 million sold and the best-selling Nintendo Switch game at 60.58 million.