Best Nintendo Switch racing game: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Unfortunately the Nintendo Switch is relatively lacking for great racing games, with most being average-to-decent ports of games from other consoles or even Android systems.
In among this field one clear winner stands out; the excellent Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
In itself a port of Mario Kart 8 on the previous-generation Wii U, this game doesn’t just stick a new name on an old game and knock off for lunch.
New characters, tweaked graphics enabling 1080p/60fps output while the Switch is docked, and a reworked Battle Mode all contribute to this being a massive critical and commercial success, and one of the very best installments in the long-running Mario Kart franchise.
There’s still few better games out there for breaking out among friends – and potentially ruining said friendships – than Mario Kart, and 8 Deluxe takes the series to new heights of colourful fun.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe delivers a huge amount of racing goodness right out of the box, and it’s a polished version of a Wii U entry that was only a proper Battle Mode away from being top of class. Now that issue has been addressed, what we have is arguably the best Mario Kart release ever seen. It’s the definitive Mario Kart 8 experience, content-rich and a delightful feast of comedic, cartoonish karting action. It’s a game that continually raises a smile and, occasionally, induces that trademark Mario Kart rage as shells strike and positions are lost. It’s addictive and unifying, unfiltered fun that draws in anyone daring enough to take up the wheel.
