Mario Kart 8 (Wii-U)

[StaticMania]

The Bomb item was the only thing that could deflect Blue Shells if it was directly above you and you threw the bomb forward of course....but I believe that it was only in Mario Kart DS.
 

Okay. Someone tell me if I'm seeing this right. About 0:30 in the trailer, we see a track very similar to Wario Stadium DS. But before that we had Bowser Castle Wii. Yoshi Valley and GCN Sherbet Land were shown off, so that makes... seventeen tracks in total.
Am I missing something here?

 
(Never mind this part)...its most likely a new track. The Wario(and Waluigi)stadiums always have the same aesthetic, so they can tend to look the same sometimes. But at the same time, maybe the Bowser Castle track is also new.

[Brad]

The promotion is coming to UK, and you have a total of ten games to choose from. YESSSS.

• New Super Mario Bros U
• Pikmin 3
• Game and Wario
• Nintendoland
• Wind Waker HD
• Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
• Wonderful 101
• Wii Party U
• Mario and Sonic and the Sochi Winter Games
• Sonic Lost World

[StaticMania]

Okay, from looking at the brief glimpse of Wario Stadium in the Direct...(at 26 seconds in)

 

...And from looking at some DS Wario Stadium footage.

 

I can most certainly say that the Bowser Castle stage seen there is not a retro track. Even from the small bit of video seen of Wario stadium in the Direct, comparing it to the footage I saw...its definitely the same course. In the Direct the part of the track they show seems to be just a little bit past the Half way point, which is around 39 seconds in track from the original version if you're playing normally.

[PSI Wind]

Yeah, I agree. This roster isn't the best one. But I generally only play as Mario anyways as I like a balanced character.

[Willsy]

May 30th can't come soon enough! Little bit disappointed that you can only voice chat before and after races, but the free game promotion and MKTV features made up for that.

[PSI Wind]

Also, thank GOD they decided to bring the bundle to the US.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Full US promo info

http://www.gonintendo.com/s/227295-noa-pr-nintendo-gives-a-crash-course-in-new-mario-kart-8-information?sid=430bcbbcab072ef3d35ae3f55e397547

 

NoA PR - Nintendo Gives a Crash Course in New Mario Kart 8 Information

Apr 30, 2014 by NintenDaan

 

Revealed: Wii U Bundle, Free Game Offer, Online Features, New Items and Racers

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- One month from today, Mario Kart 8 will be driving players wild with anti-gravity racing action. To get people revved up for the Wii U game, Nintendo released a new Nintendo Direct video that announced some additional news nuggets, including a Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle, a free downloadable game offer for Wii U owners who buy Mario Kart 8, details about online features, cool new characters and devastating new items.

"Everyone loves Mario Kart," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "It's a franchise that brings people together for fun at a family gathering, a frenzied race against friends or just an afternoon break at the office. The numerous new features of Mario Kart 8 make this the most ambitious version yet, and one that will have players of all skill levels racing for the checkered flag."

To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. Some of the new information announced today included:

Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle: People who don't yet own a Wii U system will find it easy to get in on the action. On May 30 Nintendo is releasing the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Set bundle that includes a Wii U Deluxe Set system, a Mario Kart 8 game, a red Mario Wii Wheel accessory and a red Mario Wii Remote Plus controller, all at a suggested retail price of just $329.99.

Get a Free Digital Game: People who buy Mario Kart 8 and register the game with Club Nintendo before July 31 will receive a free Nintendo eShop download code for an additional Wii U game. Players can grow their Wii U digital game collections by choosing from one of these well-received Wii U games: New Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD or Wii Party U. That's a two-for-one deal featuring some of the all-time great Wii U games. This offer also applies to people who get the game in the Mario Kart 8 bundle or digitally in the Nintendo eShop.

Online Multiplayer: Up to 12 players can race together online in four different multiplayer modes, as long as everyone has a broadband Internet connection. Like to trash-talk your friends while you're preparing for a race? You're in luck! Mario Kart 8 lets players chat with one another in the lobby area using the Wii U GamePad microphone or text phrases as they wait for their friends to join. Players also can create public or private tournaments for which they specify the day of the week, the time and the rules. Per tradition, players will be able to race against ghost data from friends or even the top 10 worldwide racers. They can try to beat them or just pick up a few tips and tricks from studying the best. If you beat the development team's ghosts, you'll get cool stamps for use in Miiverse posts.

Mario Kart TV: As previously announced, players can watch their highlight racing reels, rewind them, play them in slow motion or upload them to Miiverse. They can watch the world's most popular highlight reels and comment on them. But players with Google accounts can also upload their reels directly to their YouTube channels.

New Items: Items are what make Mario Kart games so balanced. No matter how skilled racers are, they're just a blue Spiny Shell away from disaster. A well-timed item can also turn defeat into victory in an instant. The new Super Horn blows away all other items - literally. Sounding the Super Horn issues forth a sonic shock wave that blasts away everything in the vicinity, including other drivers, Red Shells and even blue Spiny Shells. It's a potent asset, especially for drivers trying to maintain their lead. Mario Kart 8 also introduces the Crazy Eight, a swirl of eight different items that lucky players can use one by one.

New Racers: Two new playable female characters make their debut appearances in Mario Kart 8. New heavyweight driver Pink Gold Peach glows with a golden light and makes a nice counterpart to Metal Mario. Baby Rosalina shows up for a play date with other Baby characters. As in past Mario Kart games, players can again choose to play as their Mii characters, which rounds out the field of racers to an even 30.

Mario Kart 8 is now available for pre-order at major retailers throughout North America. A deposit may be required for pre-orders. See individual retailers for details. For more information about Mario Kart 8, visit http://mariokart8.nintendo.com.

Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

 

And ya I'm peeved off about the roster too, they say unique and color ful cast, but they then use another baby and a reskin to this... when there are plenty of other characters to use, I mean I still think there are high chances of DLC considering the advertising plan they have planned

[LimeTH]

I don't understand it.

 

This game is so teeming with creativity, life and detail. The tracks are spectacular, the animation is fantastic,the graphic and logo design for all the fake sponsors have the graphic designer in me all giddy. They went so far as to have Mario's mustache flap in the wind.

 

Yet the best they could come up with is Pink Gold Peach?

[Toby]

As long as I don't have to freaking unlock Wario this time, I'm fine with the character roster!

[StaticMania]

We had to unlock Wario before?

[SilentDoom]

I'm not even that mad about Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach.  Everything else about the game is so amazing that it's really easy to just let it slide.  

[LimeTH]

I'm not even that mad about Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach.  Everything else about the game is so amazing that it's really easy to just let it slide.  

 

It's just so jarring that everything about the game had so much work into it, and then they get lazy with the roster selection. 

 

I'll admit Baby Rosalina is super cute, though.

[Toby]

We had to unlock Wario before?

Mario Kart 7

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Ok can I just say the live soundtrack for this game is just AMAZING I cant wait to listen to that while racing

Also still think there may ba a chance of character dlc, in part due to the yearlong advertising campaign, and the mario golf precedence... Just hopefully they would be good ones

[PSI Wind]

Did anyone else notice they didn't mention Mario Kart Super Circuit?

[Celestia]

I groaned at Baby Rosalina and Gold Peach, but literally everything was pretty dang good. I'll definitely be picking this up now. Oh, and the "Mario Kart Memories" segments were hilarious.

[LimeTH]

Did anyone else notice they didn't mention Mario Kart Super Circuit?

 

They didn't mention Mario Kart Wii either, I think.

[StaticMania]

Did anyone else notice they didn't mention Mario Kart Super Circuit?

Yeah, its kind of odd. Though they probably didn't mention it because it didn't add anything new.

[Indigo Rush]

So, where is this GCN Sherbet Land I hear people talking about? All I see is a totally new snow-themed level.

 

 

NEVERMIND I'M DUMB LOL :,D

Edited April 30, 2014 by Indigo Rush

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Woah, two Wario courses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HsC-ys6dC2I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_7kGKQRmdUA

 

and Yoshi valley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KkjJ7Sg17-s

[SilentDoom]

Did anyone else notice they didn't mention Mario Kart Super Circuit?

 

Game is so forgettable even the developers didn't mention it =P

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

You guys, there are FOUR PLAYER GRAND PRIXS!

[jords]

Ok seeing Mount wario, I thought this was a full out Winter olympic track. And I thought for some reason Sonic was joining the race. 

[Salamander]

Say you guys, I'm pretty sure we are getting a MK8 direct this month, dont you guys? I mean there is a massive precedence, there has been one for every major release, from W101 to SM3DW to DKCTF, pretty sure we are getting one for this one

 

"It's like Nintendo heard me..."

 

I have to admit that when they announced Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach, I did think to myself "Uh oh, the fans aren't going to like this..."  Just to note, though,that "pink gold" is a real thing.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Say you guys, ya I know the character selection isnt the best, but there is a reason for it, and I think it also lends credence to the possibility of DLC characters

 

More or less what we are facing here is Melee Syndrome, clones added to fill out the roster due to being short on time due to other aspects draining resources, now you may ask, what clones? outside of the metals, well all 5 of the most recent additions are clones of a sorts

Clones are:
Lakitu
Shy Guy

Koopa

 

Now they arent clones in the traditional sense of being based off another player, but rather they already have existing models in the game and were easy to adapt to be playable, it also helps that they have a measure of popularity and are series staples

Baby Rosa is also a clone, just due to realitive ease of development

 

The fact is that a TON of this games resources were directed towards gameplay and track development, so things were a bit tighter in the character development department, which meant that we got the staples, easy clones, and then one new group of realitively iconic and fan favorite characters that COULD NOT BE SPLIT up, so yes in a way the koopalings did abolish the chance and the time needed to get additional characters ingame, but on the other hand they are considered classic mario characters

So as much as you might dislike Metal Peach and Baby Rosalina they were thrown in because they didnt take much time and to round out the roster, even if they werent ingame, that doesnt mean there would be another character in their place, but rather just holes in the roster

 

 

HOWEVER now that the main production is over, it is quite likely that Nintendo might do the same as they had originaly planned for mario golf, and have the Character and Kart Development teams continue making new characters and Karts for a potential release in Q3/4 to help keep the buzz up, and prolong game life