110°

Can 'Mario Kart 8' save the Wii U?

Now that Mario Kart 8 is out, does it go some way towards redeeming the Wii U console in the eyes of the public and industry?

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prankster101.com
randomass1713591d ago

Not another one of these... can't we at least get some new material?

Benjaminkno3591d ago

yeah, where's the "When will the Ps4 hype start to pay off?" articles?...

The few exclusives Ps4 has don't warrant a purchase by a long shot, yet it's selling like crazy. Maybe by Christmas, but not now.

WiiU is superior in every way except graphics.

randomass1713591d ago

Er, I'm not asking the journalists to crap on Sony for an opinion as uncommon as that. I'm asking they stop asking this same tired question over and over. It's boring.

wheresmymonkey3591d ago

Oh the hype's paying off. I'm wondering if they can keep riding it untill their heavy hitters actually show.

I just think its funny that the majority of sites aren't commenting on the fact that sony and MS are both in a very similar predicament that Nintendo was in, this time last year.

WeAreLegion3591d ago (Edited 3591d ago )

The Wii U is superior for YOU. For me, I play my PS4 more than my Wii U. Much more.

@wheresmymonkey - What predicament? Watch_Dogs, Wolfenstein, and Murdered all just came out in the past month. Nintendo has to rely on their own games to push the console. Sony and Microsoft can cruise on multi-plats for awhile. Neither of them is having a drought.

OsirisBlack3591d ago

Lets not use hyperbole when discussing the Wii U please. I own Wii U,PS4,XB1 and a gaming PC but I can be realistic. I own MK8 and it is a great game I also own DKCT,Both Mario games and Zombie U.... they are all fun but did you notice a trend? No? Let me help you out. My next game will more than likely be Bayo2 or splatoon.See a pattern emerging? Exactly Both other consoles are superior because third party developers have completely shut Nintendo out.

For exclusives it is an amazing machine but that is really all it is for. I do believe MK8 will raise sales for June but it won't be enough. I only hope Nintendo does not abandon the system for at least 2 or 3 years and just doubles down on making quality games.

Zelda and Bayo 2 should move a few units as will Starfox and Metroid if they release it before killing off the system. But calling Wii U superior in every way just lets me know you either don't realize how bad their online is or you simply do not care about the big picture.

Nintendo needs to fix their Online,Relationship with third party devs(Fifa 15 is coming out on the Wii and not the Wii U),Their system image(lots of people still think its an add on for the Wii)and they need to fix their marketing. I still believe Wii U can turn it around but they are going to have to do it with an onslaught of popular nintendo only IP's.

gaffyh3591d ago

Mario Kart obviously hasn't saved the Wii U in the US at least as it still was outsold by the Xbox One, despite Microsoft announcing a price cut 3 weeks in advance. I think Japan might love it though, so they'll probably see a good bump there.

Nintendo needs to get Zelda out, everything else, other than X, won't appeal to non-Nintendo gamers.

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KonsoruMasuta3591d ago (Edited 3591d ago )

Expect them to continue happening.

Next article: "Will Super Smash Bothers save the WiiU?"

After that: "Will Zelda save the WiiU?"

It's coming. I can guarantee it. If it does not happen, I will eat my WiiU.

deafdani3591d ago

Lol, I can see these stupid articles still happening in 2016, 4 years after the console's release. :P

randomass1713590d ago

I'll take a bet on seeing them even after the next Nintendo console launches. Journalists can't get enough of this hoo-hah.

Dunban673590d ago

I agree that the articles title is not original but the article itself is a well written in depth look at the Wii u and not a negative article ( if reality is not considered negative)

This article is in depth, well thought out and written w care unlike 90% of the articles that post on N4g and well worth the read -

3-4-53590d ago

Look a site name....no further explanation needed.

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bahabeast3591d ago

they need that SSB and a new Zelda

gamerfan09093591d ago

It won't save it but it'll sell about a million Wiiu's. The only thing that will save these consoles is a year where there's nothing but system seller games and the Wiiu gets priced dropped to 250 bucks. I'm talking a Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Zelda, Starfox type of year. Either way Nintendo will be fine financially, but their next console has to be flawless. They're losing market-share by the minute, especially in NA.

wonderfulmonkeyman3591d ago

Nintendo is selling refurbished units for $199.
Price isn't the issue.

gamerfan09093591d ago

Lol dude most consumers are not going to go out of their way to look on Nintendos site to see their refurbished units man. You have to market something like that. If the Wiiu was marketed better and was 250 bucks they'd sell double what they're doing each month

Blackleg-sanji3591d ago

Where on the website?! Shoot ill pick one up at that price

wonderfulmonkeyman3591d ago (Edited 3591d ago )

Mario Kart bundle offer.
Somewhere around $255 for the system, MK8, a wheel, a motion plus with Mario design, AND a code for one of four(or eight in the uk) really good games on the eshop.

Again, they've already got the price thing down pat, so save your laughter.

randomass1713590d ago

The value for that bundle isn't bad, to be honest. You're getting two games for one if you register Mario Kart, so that's a plus.

deafdani3591d ago (Edited 3591d ago )

Metroid and Star Fox aren't system sellers, not by a long shot. Even Zelda is a bit of a stretch (though the games themselves sell pretty well).

Nope, the true system sellers are Mario Kart (already released) and Smash Bros (coming soon). In the past generation, the Wii Sports and Wii Fit games were massive system sellers as well, but that trend seems to have died completely, so Nintendo needs to ride on Mario Kart and Smash, and find new system sellers. Easier said than done, I know. :P

I honestly have a feeling that Splatoon will be a surprise hitter for the Wii U, and will help shift a lot of units. It's being made by Nintendo EAD, and it's a colorful third person shooter with online multiplayer and family friendly, with a rather unique twist to it. Plus, it was featured very prominently by Nintendo at this year's E3, both in the Direct and in the show floor. The impact it has made on the media is quite big for such a quirky game... could this be Nintendo's next big IP?

Yes, I'm dead serious here.

randomass1713590d ago

I'll use the same excuse Jim Sterling used for indies on PS4 (an excuse I actually agree with). Games like these may not be system sellers, but they are system justifiers. If a gamer looks at the new Zelda and is like "Yeah, this is what I'm getting for Wii U" it makes sense because that's a new game that people want on the system. It doesn't matter if Zelda is historically a system seller compared to Mario. It's still seen as a good reason to own the system, along with the plethora of other games coming out.

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DirtyLary3591d ago

Well if the Wii U is still selling for $200 when Smash release, count me in to save the franchise with a purchase.

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80°

Looking Ahead: The Lingering Questions About the Next Mario Kart

VGChartz's Mark Nielsen: "10 years. It’s been almost 10 years since the last mainline release in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart 8 came out for the Wii U in 2014 and became the best-selling game for the system by a sizeable margin, and later pulled the same magic trick on the Nintendo Switch under the stage name Deluxe. All in all, it's sold nearly 70 million copies over the last decade and is still selling like hot cakes to this day, so it’s no wonder Nintendo has been in no rush to replace it. However, with rumors of a new system being just around the corner, and reports a few years back that a new Mario Kart is indeed under way, it seems the era of 8 might very well be drawing to a close. It’s an exciting prospect to be sure, but after two Nintendo systems with Mario Kart 8 at their heart, a lot of questions remain about how Nintendo will choose to follow it up."

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vgchartz.com
Yi-Long4d ago

I hope they just keep building on Mario Kart 8; Add a track-creation tool, and probably open it up to more Nintendo IPs with new tracks and characters, so Metroid, Punch Out, Starfox, Animal Crossing, etc etc.

gold_drake4d ago

there wont be a new one until the switch 2 comes out.

nintendo needs their bangers early on

80°

Wii U Versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon's Online Play is Back

Nintendo has recently restored Wii U Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon online after five months of being offline.

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sirusgaming.com
100°

The Next Mario Kart Desperately Needs A Good Gimmick

Mario Kart 8 has been out for nine years now if you include the Wii U version. Despite the Switch port continuing to sell insane numbers since it came out in 2017, many people believed that a new installment was way past due. When the Booster Course Pass was announced instead, it was a bit controversial, with one side of people stating that it was time for a new game, and the other side believing that this was the best course of action and that there's nothing else Nintendo can do to innovate the franchise.

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dualshockers.com
Number1TailzFan302d ago

There's nothing wrong with the games, but after most of them being very samey, I got a bit bored. I liked MKDS because it added a mission mode, yeah it didn't have maybe as many as I'd like but it was decent for variety.

I really prefer the new Mario Party for the different types of games in it.

Mario Kart doesn't really feel fresh because you know what to expect for every new game pretty much. The single player mode of DKR was far more in depth a game vs Mario Kart IMO, MK is probably better for multiplayer though.

-Foxtrot302d ago

It needs a campaign mode like Crash Team Racing with open hubs, driving around the Mushroom Kingdom, selecting your races and the like. Have a system like the CTR tokens within the races that then unlock secret racing cups later on or the time relics to unlock other things.

There's nothing wrong with the games but when you've had the same set up for so many games it just gets a bit samey after a while.

They could even have something like a track creator like Modnation Racers or something.

Neonridr301d ago

I always enjoyed the single player aspect of Diddy Kong Racing myself.

Knushwood Butt302d ago

After starting with the first game on SNES, I think the last one I bought was on the DS.

Phlacky301d ago (Edited 301d ago )

I think the next gimmick should be interactive tracks with obstacles and traps such as maybe throwing a shell ahead to make something fall on another player Also have water and mud parts that effect handling more also fire parts that can cause you to over heat if you stay in it to long etc...

Yi-Long301d ago (Edited 301d ago )

I don’t think it needs ‘a gimmick’ so much, because gameplay is pretty much perfect right now, but I would like the next Mario Kart to do either a ‘track-builder’ thing, so you just get access to the tools and make your own tracks (think Modnation Racers or LBP Karting), and/or expand upon ‘Mario’ Kart and open it up to the rest of Nintendo IPs, and just do a ‘Nintendo Kart’, so we’d see more of Zelda, but also Starfox, Kirby, Metroid, Valkyria Chronicles*, etc.

* I know, technically not ‘Nintendo’.

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