Genre: Kart Racing
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Nintendo really outdid themselves with Super Mario 3d World, creating a game that essentially looked like real-time CGI. Mario Kart 8 may very well use the same engine, although the look is slightly more aliased, probably as a result of having so much going on per scene versus its aforementioned platformer cousin. As is typical of Nintendo, the game's artwork is phenomenal, and the draw-in distance is incredible, with the entire track being visible at once from certain vistas.

When the CD-ROM first emerged, early optical-based games-- starting with Ys Book I & II on the PC Engine, and continuing in many games on the Sega CD, 3DO, Saturn, and Playstation-- made strong use of extraordinary instrument sampling, to great effect. Gaming gradually shifted towards either faux-chiptune efforts or cheesy Hollywood rubbish. Mario Kart 8 is one of a slew of contemporary games returning to the "old way", with songs featuring raging saxophone and guitar solos, all performed by a real band. Sound effects are just as shining.

From the first corner in the first race, it's obvious how much attention went into Mario Kart 8's physics, which feel tight and precise, albeit easy to master and not altogether nuanced. Aside from the dour "Toad's Turnpike", track design is superlative, with even tracks lifted from previous games getting massive overhauls that make heavy use of this entry's mechanics.

The first important change in this Mario Kart entry is a large shift towards rewarding skill; better items are still inversely correlated with driver position, but not to the same degree as in other contemporary Mario Kart titles. Another important change is that strange mechanics, such as "snaking" and rubber-banding have been hugely de-emphasized, particularly with power sliding relegated to corners: the way things should be. The ability to upload video highlights of races to both Miiverse and Youtube really makes the player feel connected with the community. All-in-all, this is the best Mario Kart game perhaps since the series' Nintendo 64 days.