The world has changed a bit in the last thirthy years. If we go back to an interview with Tadashi Sugiyama and Hideki Konno, directors of Super Mario Kart for Super Nintendo, about the 25th anniversary of the franchise, we will see how the original Super Mario Kart was made by eight people. In fact, it was seven plus Shigueru Miyamoto as producer. Also, the development lasted just one year.
Things were pretty different compared to what we have now. All the original eight characters in the game were beautifully crafted, but this doesn't change the fact that they were still a few pixels in the screen. Limitations were a source of inspiration, as they almost always are, They revealed also that the original idea requested by Miyamoto was to develop F-Zero for two players. Since such idea was impossible due to limitations of the console, they came with another idea. Smaller courses, slower pace, and this brought ideas like more intersctive roads and items. The karts originally were intended to be big size, but once again, this change to fit with the slower and smaller races allowed characters to shine more in the screen, and we know now how important this has been for the whole success of the franchise.
Just imagine how things could have been if we just got some kind of F-Zero for two players. Another fast pace racing game, showing the incredible capavility of Super Nintendo to render all those pixels at lightspeed. Creativity just needs the right way to be displayed, and and the idea of Miyamoto was well intended, and gave us in the end what he wanted: fun for everyone.
Since Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo, countless titles have tried to imitate it. It can't be that hard, right? It's just a cute kart game. There was a time, in the 32- and 64-bit era, after the success of the first Mario and Friends races, when everyone wanted their own kart game. That was almost twenty years later, until the eighth installment of Mario Kart marked a golden age for the genre. Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, eventually even Crash Team Racing came back from the dead. There must be a secret formula, because none have managed to establish themselves on the level of Mario Kart.
When Mario Kart 8 was released back in 2014, I didn't have a Wii U yet. Thankfully, a bit later I got one and I managed to try some karts with Mario and friends, but it wasn't for a long time. Mario Kart has never been my cup of tea; I mean, I like it, but I am really bad at any game about driving, even if Nintendo is behind the mechanics. The single player content was only enough to allow me to scratch the surface of the great game that was developed within, and none of my friends ever got the console, so my enjoyment of the game didn't last long.
As you can imagine, my understanding and feelings about Mario Kart aren't competitive at all. So when finally we were in a new generation and the Deluxe version was announced, I was hesitant for a moment. Then I realized, it was the right moment to have the Mario Kart experience that I love. I picked up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the world of gaming was never the same again for me.
We can tell that the Deluxe version was designed from the beginning to be a long-term game. The developer team was reassigned and it has new directors, so it wasn't just a cheap way to make cash from the same effort. Nowadays it should be easy to acknowledge this, since the expansion pack is basically another new game. From 48 courses to 96, which a few dozens are remakes of classics, the Switch version has become a celebration of the franchise itself.
This game has been one of the main games of the generation, for the whole 8 Nintendo Switch years. Out of those dozens of millions of players that bought this Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I'm sure it won't be hard to find people who can relate with me on this matter. This game has been like a friend who you don't need to talk with everyday. It will be always there for you when you need it, and it will be like never nothing went wrong along the way.
Even without enjoying the online experience much, I am fortunate enough to have found joy in little parties with friends, I tried to squeeze every single course on my own, and the battle mode was a blast in every sense. In fact, for some reason the battle mode has been my way to enjoy the online experience. Even if it sounds contradictory because of the name, it's the perfect way to play without the pressure of being good or bad at the main rules of Mario Kart. Nintendo knows what they were doing when they created this mode in the first installment of the franchise. After all, we're here to have a good time, no matter who wins or loses.
Sometimes I find myself using past verbs, since I can even remember how was life back then, when I used to play it more, or when I saw for the first time the Nintendo Switch screen looking like a dream playing those courses. So don't get me wrong, if I put the cartridge on the console again, I'm having a blast right away. It's just that I want to have some emotional space between this beloved game and the new one, which is around the corner, hopefully.
I'm sure that for some, Mario Kart 8 as a whole will forever represent their childhood, and that's impossible to put into words. When Nintendo gives us something as great as this game, it becomes a generational feeling, which is why it endures so long. In my memory, Mario Kart 8 will always be a reminder of how to have fun countless times, throughout different stages of life, creating unexpected and priceless memories. Tanooki Mario, I'll see you at the next Mario Kart.
