Mario Kart 8

So here it is. The second post in four hours about Mario Kart 8. Though I've only beaten all 50cc cups and the first 100cc cup (all three stars!), the credits rolled and I'm putting this post in this books. Similarly to Stan, due to being about 4-5 hours in to a game I'm likely to play for 100, I am just going to post some of my impressions. My initial reaction was "wow!" This game is super beautiful. It's really the first must-have game for me on any of the "next gen" consoles, and although this could probably function easily on PS3 and XBOX 360, it's just such a fucking great feeling to be playing a Mario Kart game that doesn't look like shit. It has a smooth-as-fuck frame rate and great overall gameplay. The Wii U Pro controller really makes the experience enjoyable. Here are some other things I'd like to address:

Characters - Rosalina sucks. She's almost identical to Peach. Meaning that there are 7 characters in this game that are essentially just Peach. The Koopalings are growing on me, but it just hurts me to think that we could have had other characters if they were not in the game. So in total, we have 14 characters that are either Peach or a Koopaling.  We should have as many characters in this game as there are Grand Prix cups. I want each one to count, damn it! And if 14 are gonna be variants of two characters, let's throw in another 14. King Boo, please. But don't worry, Bowser is awesome. Despite Stan's unsuccessful attempt at using it, I still swear by Bowser in the Baby Buggy with cushion wheels. That thing flies! I've one a 100cc cup easily with it so I'm sold.

Courses - I had a similar reaction to Stan. I was underwhelmed with a lot of the new courses. They're beautiful and fun, but most aren't really resonating with me (first impression, I know). I love Sunshine Airport, Shy Guy Falls and Bowser Castle, but my favorite is easily Mount Wario. This game really shines with what it has done with old tracks. All of them have a facelift for the better. It's tough to explain, but it's just a great thing to see. Moo Moo Meadows and Donut Plains 3 really stand out to me.

Free game - Mario Kart 8 came with a free download of either New Super Mario Bros U, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker HD, some stupid party game or Pikmin 3. So awesome! Getting Zelda free with the game I essentially bought my Wii U for is an awesome feeling.

Overall, this is everything I wanted from a new Mario Kart game. I would love to see them embrace DLC and bring new tracks into it eventually. And new characters! I want every single character and every single race that has ever existed in the Mario Kart universe. And I will pay a shit ton for that option.