
The former helps prevent the player from falling off the edge and the latter keeps the acceleration always on, though not very fast. In the menu, there are now options for Smart Steering and Auto-Acceleration. In addition, two returning items have been added to the game, with one exclusively for the new "Battle Mode" (see below), which includes the Feather from Super Mario Kart and Boo. The Feather item makes its return since Super Mario Kart exclusively for the new Battle Mode.Ĭharacters can now carry up to two items at once, even if they do not drag the first item, and the game features the return of the Double Item Box from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

The framerate does drop from 60 to 30 frames per second if you play on a single Switch with three or four players, but that’s hardly a dealbreaker when the racing looks this good.

Even remade tracks, like SNES Rainbow Road or F-Zero’s Mute City, have remarkable detail that is noticeable whether you’re playing handheld or on a TV.

The course designs, in particular, are top notch – I love the way Mario Circuit twists and bends like a Mobius strip. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks great on the Switch, too! It’s just as amazing in 2017 as it was in 2014, and great art direction is a major reason that the graphics have stood the test of time.
