Topic: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

@MarioVillager92 Indeed! Glad I was able to make it this time.

@Tyranexx I was wondering where you'd went, that's understandable. At least it's not a communications error like I had at the start.

@WoomyNNYes Thanks! Nope I haven't heard this story before. I had a feeling most don't say anything. Though I haven't shared my code publicly. Actually, I have it set to not allow friend requests from randoms I play with (if you tried adding me after, sorry about that).

@Sunsy I had a communication error at the very beginning, but before I joined any rooms. It resolved itself when I tried again. XD

@Tyranexx Nice, I think I saw that too! Nice work. Yeah you've been dealing with quite the Mario Kart veteran, lol... been into the series since the N64 days!

@WoomyNNYes And that is why I don't have my friend code on my signature anymore. I've gotten an absurd amount of people sending me requests who don't even let me know on Nintendo Life itself... it got annoying for me, plus there's no messaging system on the Switch. Even then, I don't add just anybody, and I'd rather get to know folks before adding them, whether it's in real life, or right here on NL.

@Sunsy Glad you made it as well! You can set it so that people you've played with can't send you friend requests? I should change that... I've had randoms send me requests from online matches I've played.

@MarioVillager92

Yeah, open up your switch user icon page. Scroll down & select User Settings. Then select Friend Settings. There you can disable friend requests. (Although, that might also block an actual friend you gave your friend code to. I could be wrong.)

@MarioVillager92 Whereas my first Mario Kart exposure was with Mario Kart Wii at a party. XD The only games in the series I've ever spent more than an hour with are Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Kart. The latter hasn't aged well, but it was still a fun piece of history that came with my SNES N3DS XL.

@Tyranexx It was during the first race for me. When I joined, the race already started and the game put the live camera on your player while I waited.

@MarioVillager92 Yup, I actually did it to avoid random people sending me friend invites. I will sometimes disable it only if I give someone my friend code, after that, I usually turn it back on.

@Sunsy That must have been when I was using a Shy Guy then? I switched to Rosalina later. I usually use her, but sometimes I switch to other racers for fun.

@WoomyNNYes @Sunsy OK, thank you both! I went ahead and disabled the receiving of friend codes, and would only turn it back on if someone wants to add me.

@Tyranexx I used to play Mario Kart Wii a lot back then... especially its online. It was a good escape for me during my high school days, lol! I also used to have an online friend who was really into the game, we'd play races and battles together back then. Edit: Ah I forgot about your thoughts on Super Mario Kart. While I do have a soft spot for that game and Mario Kart 64, it hasn't admittedly aged the best with its controls and more simplistic tracks.

@MarioVillager92 I probably would've liked Mario Kart Wii if I had normal access to the game lol. I've thought about going back and trying more, but as of this writing MK8D seems to be the de facto way to experience the franchise. Super Mario Kart was interesting, albeit very simplistic (understandable considering the hardware). I wasn't a big fan of the controls either. Plus, the AI seemed pretty bad.

@Tyranexx Yeah, 8 Deluxe is the one I always go back to nowadays. The controls are great in that game, the soundtrack is amazing, and thanks to the DLC, there is an insane amount of courses! And its online is pretty good, too. I wonder how the next Mario Kart game would turn out... not gonna lie, it's got some massive shoes to fill considering how good 8 Deluxe is!

I kind of have a hard time going back to the older Mario Kart games these days... I'm not a fan of how you'd drift and do mini-turbos in the older games, and MKW has a couple things I don't like about it (namely how overpowered the bikes were, and the thunder cloud being such an awful item). I remember the CPU racers in SMK, they'd throw items whenever they please! Yeah it's understandable how the tracks were made like that - there's only so much you could do with the SNES's mode 7 scaling and rotation, after all.

@MarioVillager92 The controls in MK8D are easy to learn, which is good; accessibility is always a great goal! I like the soundtrack too, though I'll admit no particular OST name sticks out in my mind. I would like to see a Mario Kart 9 someday, but it has a lot to top after MK8D's treatment.

I don't think I can go back to any of the handheld Mario Karts, and this is from someone who seriously considered buying MK7 on 3DS. I'd probably try some of the other home console versions, but I doubt those would click either. The CPU racers in SMK were rigged, no question. XD

@Tyranexx Agreed for sure, plus they've got the smart steering as well. I don't use that feature personally, but I'm glad it's there for those who want it. Mario Kart 9 (or whatever Nintendo wants to call it) does have a lot to top for sure... I am looking forward to seeing what it'll look like nonetheless.

It's funny you've mentioned MK7 because I revisited it a few years ago. The controls were largely the same, but the physics were a bit different... every time I'd drift and boost with a mini-turbo, my kart would start sliding left or right depending on which direction I drifted. It felt weird... then again, I was spoiled by MK8D so that might be why. Double Dash on the GameCube is definitely the most unique Mario Kart game though, with the two-character mechanic and the special items. If you're curious about how you'd drift in the older games (particularly Mario Kart 64, Double Dash, and DS), you'd start drifting, and you'd have to press left and right continually to charge mini-turbos. This was changed in Mario Kart Wii and beyond, and even back then, I felt that the new drifting was so much better! I won't blame you for just sticking with 8 Deluxe. As noted earlier, the controls are great in that game, and it's got a boat load of courses too.

@MarioVillager92 When my nephew eventually gets old enough to know how to treat a controller, I plan to introduce him to MK8D with the smart steering enabled. I feel like it's an intuitive way to ease kids into gaming without making them too frustrated.

I've heard the physics in the games change each iteration, usually for the better. Double Dash allowed for two characters? How did that work? Drifting in the older games reads like it was way less intuitive compared to now. If Mario Kart Wii has the new drifting, maybe I'll still give it a try at some point.

Fun fact: some MK8 Deluxe "pros" use smart steering for vector gliding and certain shortcuts. They toggle it on and off insanely quickly, and there are no rules against it in most tournaments.

@Tyranexx One player controlled the driving, the other player controlled the items. You could both press Z to swap positions. Also the starting boost was bigger if you both hit it.

@Tyranexx Sounds like a plan, I think it's a good one for kids to play as their first game. I'm sure your nephew would like it. I first played Mario Kart 64 when I was 5, and despite not being great at it at the time, I was enjoying myself and I got the driving mechanics down. Though, I would always hold up on the control stick and I didn't know how to use items yet, haha.

Yep, in Mario Kart: Double Dash, there were two characters per kart. As @link3710 mentioned, one character did the driving, and the other character used the items. There was a co-op mode as well. Each pair of characters had their own special items too (Mario and Luigi having the fireballs, for example). Also, fun fact, Daisy made her Mario Kart debut in this game! She was Peach's default partner.

@link3710 Interesting....I think that could make for some pretty fun co-op sessions. Those two players would (hopefully) be working together and not be racing against each other in that scenario instead.

@MarioVillager92 I hope to introduce him to the ways of Nintendo, though I won't push it on my nephew either if he shows no interest lol. I wouldn't expect him to get all the mechanics down pat the first time, just as long as he's having fun!

Regarding MK:DD - Makes sense that there's two characters per kart then, going by the name. I think it's neat that each pair has unique abilities too. As mentioned above, co-op on the same kart was probably a nice change of pace from a local vs. mode.

@Tyranexx That'd be cool to introduce him to the world of Nintendo. But yeah, as someone who's a lifelong Nintendo fan, I'd still agree that it shouldn't be forced onto him if their games just aren't his thing. We all like different things, after all! And yep, having fun is what matters most.

Indeed. I didn't play the co-op mode too much, but I have played it with my younger brother before. It was pretty fun, and it was quite a different take on the Mario Kart formula. If I recall correctly, I was doing the driving. I also like how you can get an even better starting boost (fittingly named the Double Dash) in co-op if both of your timings are just right! There's an All Cup Tour in Grand Prix mode as well, which has you race on all 16 courses in a mostly random order.

Indoctrinating someone into the Nintendo cult of all things is ethically acceptable

Duly noted. XD

@MarioVillager92 Many things Mario would be good to start with I think, minus the RPGs. Same with franchises like Kirby, and maybe a touch of the earlier/easier Zelda games too lol. But yeah, if nothing clicks, I can always try something else.

As I thought, local co-op in Double Dash sounds like it's pretty fun. At least with that unique take! I hope you and your brother had a great time. That's true co-op, not just the relationship-busting vs. modes. XD The All Cup Tour sounds pretty fun too since you don't know what to expect.