I really struggle with Mario Kart 8

[madhair60]

like last place every single time online... and in single player I was doing OK until someone told me I had some kind of auto-steering baby mode on. Yet I go play Crash Team Racing and I absolutely kill at it. What's up with that, ooh, what's up with that.

[Kelvin]

Do you use the drift to keep boosting? You can build up faster boosts the more you lean into it, yellow, then blue, then purple, I think? I rarely do purple, but I'm always boosting out of every turn.

[kittens]

yet another video game that i would absolutely thrash professional video games man mad hair 60 at

[ImmaculateClump]

You've just got to play these games for fun, haven't you?
The whole point of the blue shell and the random chance pickups is to add chaos and level the playing field a bit regardless of the players experience and skill level.
I wouldn't worry about not winning every race.

I hear you though. I thought I was the kart king, but the few games I had online (when it was free) taught me otherwise. I usually came in the middle.

[Crenners]

When racing, remember the old adage 'slow in, fast out'. A lot of people assume it's 'fast in, fast out', which is probably what you're doing?

The chances are that you're taking corners too quickly and going wider which means you're actually travelling further than other racers to complete one lap. You may not be driving more slowly than anyone else but because of the extraordinary distance you have to travel over the course of a five-lap race, everyone else would get to the finish line (end) considerably sooner than you.

[Mister Six]

Do you use the drift to keep boosting? You can build up faster boosts the more you lean into it, yellow, then blue, then purple, I think? I rarely do purple, but I'm always boosting out of every turn.

That plus timing jumps over ramps to get an extra boost.

God, I love Mario Kart 8.

[oggyraiding]

When I play with my younger brother he insists on going 150cc with Frantic items, which makes the game horrible. Mario Kart lightning is probably one of the least fun items in gaming history.

[Kelvin]

It sounds like a joke, but the trick to winning Mario Kart 8 is really to get in first place right at the start. Every position behind that is a nightmare, as you get bombarded with wave after wave of red shells, bombs, every major power-up. Whereas in first place, you only have to worry about 2nd place's items, which are never more powerful than red shells, and therefore easy to defend against with judicious use of bananas/green shells. Even the one blue shell per race shouldn't be that much of an issue if have a decent lead on the others. First place is by far the easiest position to defend.   

[bgmnts]

The trick to winning Mario kart is actually staying in last place until you get either the rainbow power up or the lightning. Then just stroll past every tiny cunt over the finish line.

[Kelvin]

Also, not had a chance to mention it elsewhere, but that new Paris DLC level is incredible, an all time great.

[Ferris]

It has balance issues that make races feel unfair (at best).

MarioKart Wii is by far and away the best of the franchise, and it isn't particularly close.

Ok cheers.

[chocolate teapot]

What characters and karts do you use? It can make a difference. I love mario kart so any questions happy to help, I'm not cracked, when I play online against the waluigi caterpillar kart people I struggle to make top 6 but overall I leave everyone in the dirt hehe

[Ferris]

Funky Kong and Standard Bike L.

[MojoJojo]

Even the one blue shell per race shouldn't be that much of an issue if have a decent lead on the others.

I thought for a moment this was a limit that I didn't know about, but looking online, yeah you can get loads of blue shells. It does make you realise how it easy it would be to fix some of the most frustrating aspects of the blue shell though.

[Kelvin]

Sorry, I could have been clearer there. As you say there's no hard limit, but generally it works out as about one per race in my experience.

[madhair60]

I think Mario Kart as a series just generally kind of sucks and I don't enjoy it. The SNES one was good.

[ImmaculateClump]

Snes one is amazing, definitely both the best and the most pure/balanced.
I do like mario kart and find it fun, but if it's a consistent, competitive racer you're after, you'd have to look elsewhere.

Nintendo are all about party games now, innit? I mean look at smash, when players found little exploits and glitches that turned it into a skill-based fighter, nintendo were like "nah, take all that out for the next one, we want a button masher", which is totally fair enough, they're after a broader audience.

[RetroRobot]

I can consistently beat my friends when we play but online I never come above 6th. Bloody Mario Kart.

[Ham Bap]

I started playing this again versus my 9 year old son. Used to kick his head in on it when he was 6.
He was beating me with ease.
Had to sit and learn how to drive it properly like I was playing Gran Turismo. Still cant beat the little shit on some races.

Its a nightmare if you get stuck near the middle or 6. You get caught in a hurricane of banana peels, green shells, red shells, the blue shell fizzing past etc.

But yeah its alll about the corners and getting your boosts.
Fantastic game though.

[chocolate teapot]

A piece of advice I was given was to try and get into people's slipstreams. Funky Kong with standard bike is good shout, heavy characters on the little karts and bikes is so fun. My go to is Daisy with Yoshi Bike and Slim Wheels, I always use the Bowser glider too.

[Ferris]

Depends on the course as well.

If you've got the knack and nerves of steel you can get a faster bike and try to improve your lines on yer Rainbow Roads and so on. Some courses (anything with water usually) require you to get a better handling bike and there's no way round it, but the wheely-ability of a bike is essential on the straights.

[Crenners]

I think Mario Kart as a series just generally kind of sucks and I don't enjoy it. The SNES one was good.

I played infinite SMK and could give or take any of the others. DS one was good but I could still erase the memories and lose nothing. Still not played the DLC for this because so what essentially

[Kelvin]

I'd argue that MK8 is almost a perfect game for its multiplayer niche. Every track in the main game is good to great, it looks great, it feels great, it controls perfectly. Even the items, which are essential to the chaotic, anyone-could-win gameplay, can be turned up or down, to suit whingers. Other than maybe adding a more substantial single-player mode - which honestly isn't something I care about in a Mario Kart - I honestly don't know how Nintendo can improve on this iteration; its leagues ahead of the previous entries.   

[Memorex MP3]

is Super Circuit any good?

[curiousoranges]

Any rumours about when the next set of tracks could be released?

[chocolate teapot]

the dlc that was announced? that was released in March I think.

[imitationleather]

The way people bang on about Mario Kart you'd think it'd be like getting sucked off by God but I always think it's a bit boring and crap. And I'm not absolute rubbish at it like the OP.

[Ferris]

When a man is tired of Mario Karts, he is tired of life.

(Alternative: "I have seen the best minds of my generation destroyed by Mario Karts")

[turnstyle]

The mario kart franchise peaked at Super Mario Kart.

Nothing can convince me otherwise.

The blue shell has ruined the modern game.

[ImmaculateClump]

Yeah, can't really argue with that.
Nintendo shot themselves in the foot by making the perfect mario kart first go.