Since the launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe last Friday, my Switch has been getting a bunch of attention. Waiting for the game to drop on the eShop at midnight was one of the most exciting releases for me in recent memory apart from Persona 5 for obvious reasons. I adored Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U, it was one of my favorite games on that console and then when they added the Animal Crossing and Legend of Zelda DLC I became even more enamored. How could a company know exactly what I want? And how could they pull it off exactly how I wanted? That’s part of the greatness of Nintendo. They give us such wonderful and finely detailed products that leave us wanting more. So that got me to thinking: even with how great I think Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is, can I really call it my favorite? Is there another entry in the series that I love even more?
Almost all the people I know around my age got introduced to Mario Kart on the N64. It was a welcomed change of pace from the hectic onslaught that was Super Smash Bros and the intense space battles of Star Fox 64. It was something much more casual like Mario Party, but still had enough of an edge to it to make it competitive. It was a great fit for the console and the accompanying library of games.
But the game that really sold me on the series was Mario Kart: Double Dash for the GameCube. Talk about a beast of a game. With the cast of characters more than doubled from the previous entry and the addition of back seat drivers, special items, stats and dual items, the game added so much more complexity and engagement to the franchise that I was hooked.
But sadly, after that entry, none of the future games ever seemed to grab my interest. The Wii version was painfully forgettable and the ones for the handhelds never had the party nature of the game that I cherished so much.
Even with the incredible additions they put into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart: Double Dash remains to be my favorite in the series to this day.
So, what about you? What’s your favorite entry in the franchise?
Written by G. S. Martin
Truly Abrasive 