As you can likely guess from the title of the post, there are 4 more posts coming in this series.

Mario Kart 8 originally came out for the Wii U in 2014, which means most people never got a chance to play it. Now that the game has been released for the Switch, which means a whole new audience gets to play it, including me. I’m still counting this because the Deluxe version has enhanced visuals, more game modes, and a ton of other gameplay changes to the Mario Kart 8 formula.

Not only is this a vast Mario Kart game with nearly endless options to go back and play again and again and again, but it’s also the most accessible Kart game yet. My wife does not play games, but she loves this game! With the addition of options for auto-accelerate, steering assist, and tilt controls, she’s been able to play competitively without having to develop years of video game muscle memory first. We’ve spent many hours this past year playing together, and that alone makes this a game worth it.

My only real complaint with this game is that I wish there was more of it. I’ve bested all Grand Prix at all speeds, and even through there are 48 of them, now I just want more courses. Sadly, since this is the “definitive edition” of the game and has all the DLC from the Wii U version and more, this game is never going to get a content update. Despite that tiny, tiny shortcoming, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a masterful racing game made by a company who understands fun.