For the past few weeks, the racing video game Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, on the Nintendo Switch console, has been enjoying “new circuits”. Indeed, the Kyoto firm provides players with a pass – paying – allowing them to rediscover known circuits (from old Mario Kart games) in order to prolong the pleasure, especially online. Thus, according to a principle of several bursts, tracks will appear regularly, over the next few months. Focus on the first wave, including 8 tracks.
Wave 1: 5 known circuits, 3, a little less…
With the Additional Circuits pass, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will further increase its already substantial basic content. And, of course, selling more copies of its title, exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. Although a “classic” version of the software was born on Wii U, the previous generation of consoles. So concretely, if you are used to the license, you will not lose your bearings since 5 of the circuits of this wave 1 come from games released, of yesteryear, on DS, GameBoy Advance, Wii, N64 and 3DS. On the other hand, three of them are from the Mario Kart Tour mobile game. Ignored by many fans, more fans of console titles.
Also, if you have never touched this title released on Smartphone, you will have the pleasure of discovering three new and rather pleasant tracks. First of all there is the Paris track, offering a nice challenge, then the excellent Ninja Dojo track and the pleasant Tokyo circuit. Obviously, on the big screen of the Switch, we gain in clarity and therefore, in gaming pleasure. Also, due to the relatively recent release of this mobile version, the graphic rendering is rather good, with a lot of details and a pretty neat design.
On the other hand, concerning the 5 other circuits (Coco Supermarket, Flying Garden, Corniche Champignon, Montagne Choco and Circuit Toad), our feelings remain mixed, as for the visual rendering. No doubt the developers wanted to respect the originals, without distorting them. But, controller / console in hand, we can not help but notice the visual (graphics) a little too simplistic, compared to the other circuits already present in the game. With a rendering, sometimes, a little empty. Even, coarse, on certain details of the decoration.
Choco Mountain (N64)
Nevertheless, retracing these tracks with unpublished motorcycles and karts remains appreciable, since the approach – in terms of piloting – is necessarily different. To illustrate this thought, we really liked the fact of going down the Corniche Champignon, a very winding and technical route, with motorcycles, which are much more agile than go-karts.
In addition, all these circuits have been integrated into 2 new cuts, making it possible to revive the interest of solo play, with the different categories initially offered by the software. A few more hours, therefore, to weigh the scales, when making your choice. Beyond online and local games.
A word, finally, on the musical aspect. In this area, nothing to complain regarding, Nintendo has perfectly reworked the original themes of the circuits concerned, offering a quality result and, this time, without a qualitative difference with the rest of the content.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: “nice” content but a bit simple?
In the end, the arrival of these eight new circuits in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a pure delight, for those who love the game. Thus, we find ourselves replaying software, long hours (solo, local, online) to rediscover the circuits in question. So the goal of reviving the life of the game is well achieved. However, we would have liked the 5 circuits taken from previous versions (because the 3 tracks from the mobile game are not concerned) to be more worked, graphically. Fortunately, in terms of the soundtrack, it’s flawless. There remains the question of the price since for 19.99 euros you will have all the circuits (the 8 treated today then all the following ones, i.e. 48 in total). Is the quality/quantity/price ratio reasonable? We will not decide on this point, preferring to let you judge. Something that will depend on your attachment to the software and the frequency with which you play it…
Our rating:
15/20
Article published at 2:20 p.m. on 04/16/2022
