This year for the holidays my sons asked for a Nintendo Switch Online membership. They are such huge fans of all Nintendo Switch games and wanted to elevate their game playing experience by connecting with friends online and sharing their game play via social shares and email. I was all for it, being an Animal Crossing New Horizons fan myself, so we got the family plan for the Nintendo Switch Online membership, and now opened up a slew of new features in each game.
Their new favorite game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a competitive racing game featuring up that allows four players locally, eight players in local wireless multiplayer mode, or up to twelve racers competing to win online! For the maximum online player mode, players need a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and are able to race in the Grand Prix, VS Race, and Battle modes online. The boys race friends, classmates, and me both in old battle courses and revised battle mode for the new Mario Kart 8 version, and when they play on the tv in TV Mode the resolution is a crystal sharp 1080p. This means all those Wii U tracks are here (for those who remember those and loved them).
The roster of racers includes 42 favorite characters from across some of the most popular vintage and new Nintendo games, including Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Animal Crossing. The Princesses and Isabelle are here as well, and new characters that weren’t in previous versions are introduced here, such as the Inklings. If you have younger children playing for the first time, they can play in Smart Steering mode to make it easier to stay on their track initially until they get the hang of the game and are past the novice stage, and once they become more familiar with racing and are ready for a challenge, they can move into regular play and on to 200cc!
There are safety options (Parental Controls) to ensure my children are protected from unsavory interactions, but in general all Nintendo Switch games are rated E and can safely be played by people of all ages, children or adults. I have as yet to see a game that I object to or don’t love. I definitely feel like I can hand them their Nintendo Switch to have an hour or two of fun after a tough school week, and when they want a more immersive experience, we hook it up to the TV for a big screen and surround sound, and they have a blast. I’ve shared some of our favorite past games in our Kids Rated-E Video Game library to help you get started creating your own kid-friendly video game collection!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a great first game if you are just starting to play Nintendo Switch games, because it lets you check in for some fun without trying you up too long in a challenge, and experience how exciting and challenging Nintendo Switch Gaming can be. It’s always fun and interesting because the huge roster of characters and many tracks (48 courses!) keeps things varied, and of course you can invite friends to join you when you want to connect to others and test your skills against other experiences players who also want to win!
Some of the racing courses include Water Park, Toad Harbor, Animal Crossing, GBA Ribbon Road and GBA Cheese Land, Dragon Driftway, GCN Sherbert Land, 3DS DK Jungle, Bone Dry Dunes, Cloudtop Cruise, Shy Guy Falls, and so many more. The graphics and design of the raceways are spectacular, enmeshing players in dream worlds that make the experience more thrilling and wonderful. Ice castles, desert wastelands, amusement parks, meadows, or cruising by World Wonders, the racing course options are so fun and varied, offering new adventures and endless play.
We aren’t ashamed to admit we bribe our sons with Nintendo Switch games to study harder, and it works… they bring home good grades, and they get to have a blast playing. It’s a win-win!
We received Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to review for this post.