What it's about kart racing with shells, bananas and anti-gravity
It's Mario Kart, the one where you pick a character and a kart, drive around a short course, grab item boxes and throw shells and banana peels at the others. There are cups of four races each, and the aim is to finish with the most points. Some tracks have you drive up walls and ceilings thanks to anti-gravity, which is as fun as it sounds.
The Deluxe version also brings back the battle modes, adds the characters and items from the Wii U version, and lets you hold two items at once. There's 150cc and 200cc for when you get good, and you can play alone, with friends on one screen or online.
How I got into it every console since the N64, plus a lot of Mario Kart on my phone
It's a lot of fun, and it always has been. I've played one on every Nintendo console since the N64, and it's more or less the same recipe every time. There's nothing fundamentally new, but it works, and I think it's amazing.
Before I owned this one on the Switch, I played a lot of Mario Kart on my phone, and that was already plenty of fun. On the sofa I mostly play with my daughter or my stepdaughter and their friends, which is where it really comes alive.
The honest bit: I miss what the mobile game did, with its weekly updates and challenges. Without them, and without online, playing alone on the Switch gets a bit boring. That's the one thing that makes me hesitate. It's still the game I'd hand to anyone, including somebody who hasn't played anything in years.
How it looks bright, fast and easy to read at speed
It's clean, bright and fast. Every course has its own colour scheme: sunny stadiums, snowy mountains, sweet-themed canyons and a Rainbow Road that does what it says. Nothing is subtle, which is the point. You can read the track at speed and the kart always looks great.
On Switch 2 there's a free update with a resolution boost, so it looks sharper than before. In handheld it looks good, but a four-player split gets small.
How it sounds a live band that lifts your mood
The music is one of the best parts. It's played by a live band and orchestra, with jazzy brass, bouncy guitars and tunes that change with the course. It lifts your mood without trying, and I'd say it's one of the happiest-sounding games on the console.
The sound effects are classic Mario Kart: the engine, the item box, the little jingle when you boost, the awful noise a blue shell makes. It works well with headphones, and with a group on the sofa it's loud and joyful.
The story and the people no plot, just a long cast of friends
There's no story, and that's fine. It's Mario and friends, a trophy, and some very rude shells. The characters are what holds it together, with Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Toad and a long cast you'll recognise, and the Booster Course Pass adds Birdo, Petey Piranha, Wiggler, Kamek, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline and Peachette.
After work: effort and challenge one cup, a few online races, done
Does it give you space to chill? Mostly, yes. This is as little effort as a game gets: you pick a character, pick a cup and race. There's nothing to remember, so you can leave it for a month and be back in a minute.
My own sessions are short these days. I do one solo cup, or a few online races, and that's about it. It's a nice, quick way to chill. Online is also what gives the game that little extra once you've finished everything and unlocked it all.
The assists matter most when you're tired. Smart Steering stops you from driving off the course, and Auto-Accelerate keeps your foot down so you only have to steer. Turn both on and it becomes very gentle. Auto-Accelerate doesn't work in battle mode, though.
Challenge is gentle at the start and goes up when you move to 150cc or 200cc, or when you play online against people who are better than you. Even then, a bad race costs a few points. The one real source of stress is luck: a blue shell on the last lap can still ruin it.
Docked vs handheld handheld alone, docked with company
When I play alone, handheld for sure. When I play with other people, docked is obviously better: a big bright screen, and Joy-Con or Pro Controllers all work. Split-screen in handheld is small, which is why multiplayer belongs on the TV.
Still, when you're in a pinch or travelling, it's brilliant to be able to play straight on the console. I love Nintendo's ingenuity in letting two players race without buying an extra controller, with one Joy-Con each.
What gets in the way shells, a DLC fee and a repetitive solo mode
- Playing alone offline gets repetitive once you've done the cups.
- Blue shells and bad luck, especially in 150cc.
- The extra courses come in the Booster Course Pass, which costs about €25 on its own. It's included with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
- Split-screen is small in handheld.
- Mario Kart World is a separate Switch 2 game. This site might cover it later, if at all.
On Switch 2 free update, sharper picture, eight players
It's backward compatible, and a free update on 2 September 2026 improved it for Switch 2: higher resolution, shorter loading before races, 8-player local racing, and CameraPlay with a compatible camera. For 8 players you need enough controllers, and at least one has to be a Switch 2 Pro Controller or Joy-Con 2. Local play is 1 to 4 players on Switch. Online supports up to 12.
I enjoyed discovering a new version of Mario Kart on a new console: the first hour was fun, with the picture improvements and the few extras and karts they add.
Verdict not new, still one of the easiest games to love
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't try to reinvent anything, and it doesn't need to. It's bright, it sounds happy, the assists make it gentle on a tired evening, and the first hour is pure fun. As an after-work game it ticks the box: you can stop after one cup and feel fine about it. It's also generous: the Booster Course Pass and the free Switch 2 update keep adding things to do.
My honest caveat is playing alone with no online. Once the cups are done, there's no weekly challenge to bring me back, and I miss that from the mobile game. With online on, or with friends beside you, it's a different game.
If you want one game for the sofa, for a quick race after work, or for anyone who says they're not a gamer, this is the one. The eShop asks €59.99, but you can often find it for around €50 in shops, so look around first.
