A Nintendo community
by the fans!
           
  Forum main
 + 
Top Ten Things That Drive Me MAD in Mario Kart 8 [top ten]
 
Mario Kart 8 has been out for a few months now, and is a pretty big hit for Nintendo as they try to sell more Wii U's to the masses. It's a pretty looking game, with great tracks and characters to choose from. It's very easy to hop online and get in a game in about a minute, and there are people playing around the world at all times.

But that still doesn't excuse the fact that there are things in Mario Kart 8 that drive me, dare I say, bananas.

Perhaps you have experienced a few of these...
08/04/14, 03:09    Edited: 08/04/14, 03:08
 
   
 
Accidentally Powersliding in the Wrong Direction
Let's start the list with a user generated error that drives me bonkers. Sure, it's my own doing, but man, is it ever frustrating when it happens. Don’t be shy. We’ve all done it. Coming off a big jump or trying to change directions really fast, there has to be at least one time you can remember being stuck power sliding the wrong direction. It’s a helpless feeling, and makes you look like a total dope as you try to jump out of the grass.
 
Boomerangs
Yes, I understand how the boomerang works and why it’s an interesting weapon. But the prospect of losing 6 coins in one throw makes me mad. Also, why doesn’t my shell/banana block the boomerang? The boomerang should stop there and return to sender. That way there should be some skill involved with a good boomerang through, especially against an opponent with defense. I believe the boomerang should also be used as a coin collecting item, much like in The Legend of Zelda. A truly gifted player would be able to throw the boomerang towards some coins, while taking the tightest racing line in a corner, maximizing speed and efficiency.
 
Still Getting Hit With a Red Shell AFTER Passing Someone
This is a big one, and I don’t understand how or why it happens. The red shell is designed to hit the person in the position directly ahead of you, correct? Then how come if someone launches a red shell behind me, but I gain a position in front of me, that I still get hit with that red shell? Shouldn’t that shell target the person I passed? If this is about lag or processing power, then all those complaints that the Wii U is an underpowered system are confirmed true. Figure it out, computers!
 
#7 Getting a Useless Item in the Bottom Three Positions
There’s really not a whole lot you can do with one mushroom when in last place, especially when you see positions in front of you getting the spamshroom or three shrooms. Last place is an inevitability. Just accept it and move on to the next race. Green shells are also the worst, unless you have spectacular aim or luck.
 
Getting the Coin Item When in First Place
This follows the logic of #7 about useless items in bad positions. But I’ll be honest. This item is useful just in case you get hit with something before the next set of item boxes. But other than that, it’s so useless. I can usually predict how the race will end if I’m in first place if I continually get coins and no defense. And really, what’s the deal with only awarding two coins, when getting hit with an item takes away 3? I don’t understand the logic in that.
 
Fireballs
Fireballs and the ones who throw them are the worst. A good fireball user employs the Spread tactic: much like the Spread in Contra, you try to spray and nice swath of fireballs in order to almost guarantee a hit on somebody. Even yourself. Spray and pray, baby!
 
Shortcut Fails
Another thing that makes me mad that is totally my fault. You have those three mushrooms ready for that shortcut near the end… you hit that first one and powerslide... right into the goddamn wall. And then you proceed to use the next two mushrooms either to continually drill into that wall, or go through the shortcut, across the track, and into the opposite wall. Sigh. Another variation of this is trying to make a shortcut over a jump, and totally flying off the course due to poor direction. Lose three coins. Double sigh.
 
Lightning
Tough call, but in terms of just the items themelves, this one makes me the maddest. In my opinion, this is the most overpowered item in the game. The bomb will make you lose your item and coins, but the lightning trumps that by doing both AND making you a tiny loser capable of being squashed. It’s incredibly ridiculous that it can totally negate the Crazy 8 as well, causing you to lose ALL the items circling you. A simple and fair fix for Nintendo to consider would be to choose that you lose your item, or you lose your coins when you turn tiny, but not both. Or make the penalty less severe. Perhaps only lose 1 coin?
 
Losing 9 Coins in One Second
This was close to being the #1 thing that makes me mad in Mario Kart 8. That said, it's still pretty frustrating. I know it’s rare, but it happens. If you haven’t had the pleasure/misfortune of experiencing this, here’s how it goes: It usually happens right before a jump over a pit. You must be holding a defensive item behind you (green shell, banana, bomb, etc.). Someone hits the lightning right before you jump. Bam, 3 coins lost. You also hit your own item in the spin out. Bam, 3 more. This usually happens at the same time you are falling into the pit you were about to jump over. 3 coins. 1 second, 9 coins lost.
 
Getting Hit By Your Own Green Shell or Bomb
This. This is the thing that drives me nuts the most in Mario Kart 8. And it's usually all my fault. So embarrassing. The worst part is, you can usually see it coming right after you throw it. You toss that shell a half mile away from a wall, hoping to hit someone, only to drive up to the turn and see that same shell bounce right off the wall into your kart. The bomb is just as bad. You throw it out in front of you, hoping to hit the crowd, only to see the bomb walk right into you as you drive by. The shame of it all.
 
So there you have it. What did I miss? What would you rank as the thing that makes you most mad? Sound off in the comments below!

Also, please note that these are things that would also normally happen during offline play. I chose not to address fire hopping, and other strategies other players employ during the online experience.

URL to share (right click and copy)
08/04/14, 03:09   Edited: 08/04/14, 03:08 
 
Why not sign up for a (free) account?
   
 
That's a pretty good list, and I will definitely agree with the "shortcut fails" mention. I'll try to take one and think I'm being super slick, only to fail miserable in my efforts. I'd also add one to your list: launching into an air glide only to get hit by a shell or other item. So frustrating!
08/04/14, 03:59   
Getting hit by an item that knocks you off the track and then you get set back on and before you can even move someone comes by and knocks you off again...
08/04/14, 04:12   
@NoName

Yeah I thought about that one, but lumped the general idea into the losing 9 coins in 1 second thing.

@Zero

Oh, yes. That's a classic. It doesn't happen very often to me though. But it happens.
08/04/14, 04:13   
People who throw things backward while crossing the finish line when they know they're safe.
08/04/14, 04:19   
Great list!

Perhaps another not worthy of the Top 10 is when you can sense a Star-man coming your way, so you get far to the side of the track, only for the computer to hit you anyway.
08/04/14, 04:27   
@PogueSquadron
I love doing this. Rub salt in 2nd places wound. *evil laugh*
08/04/14, 08:11   
@PogueSquadron

That drives me crazy too, but I tried to keep the list to whatever would happen during a single player experience too. I don't think the CPU tosses things backwards near the finish line, but I could be wrong!

The new Rainbow Road is infuriating sometimes, especially as a heavy character. Those first two big turns are tough when at full speed and full coins.
08/04/14, 14:31   
08/04/14, 15:53   
#6 is my biggest. Nothing is worse than working your way to first, particularly if you'd fallen behind significantly, only to wind up completely defenseless when you get there.

@PogueSquadron

Haha, I do this.
08/04/14, 16:02   
Haha it's awful. Amanda complains about it all the time. The only time I'll do this is if I really can't stand the person behind me other than that I just don't really care how well the people behind me do.
08/04/14, 17:40   
This was pretty funny, nice job.

I used to do #10 and #4, before I learned how the new controls work and still had muscle memory of Mario Kart Wii. I've gotten used to the game now so it rarely happens, though I still don't feel comfortable with the way this game controls.

Speaking of hitting walls, it annoys me how much more a wall hit messes you up in this game. In previous games you'd just bounce off and lose a little speed, but in this game it's more like pinball and you can fly off in random directions and lose a lot of speed. Chalk that up for my top ten of annoyances.

With #9, I think the advantage of the boomerang is that it is able to penetrate defenses. Otherwise, it's too functionally similar to a green shell. That said, I like the idea of the boomerang, but it would make for a better weapon if people could carry two items. I like your idea of grabbing coins, and to add to that, it'd be cool if it could also grab the coins out of the opponent you hit.

With number #8, are you suggesting that the red shell should switch targets after it is launched? I'm not sure I agree with that one, and either one of you it hits still helps the thrower. Switching targets increases its chances of running into objects and breaking without hitting anyone. If you pass someone when a shell is targeting you, you can still pull in front of the person you passed and try to get the shell to hit them.

#7 and #6 are definitely my big problem with this game. The whole item system is out of whack, I feel.

I don't have an issue with #5 since I can get a fire flower and I do the same thing.

My only problem with #3 is that your own item can hit you and make you lose more speed and coins. But, I don't have an issue with lightning otherwise because it hits everyone. When I get hit with lightning then I don't usually get passed up unless someone behind me had a Starman. I would argue the case of the triple red shells being the most powerful item in the game, because there's so little defense for it so it's almost guaranteed to give someone a place or two.

For #2, coins in general need to just go.

For #1, I swear that green shells bounce towards racers when they hit walls. Maybe it's just my imagination or maybe they just have wonky bounce physics, but I always feel like they target me or anyone else around.
08/04/14, 21:44   
@Mop it up

You know, I had a comment in my #1 about the Green Shells having a magnet like attraction when they bounce off walls, but I took it out because it made me sounds like a conspiracy theorist. So, I'm glad I'm not the only one to notice that shells usually bounce right towards someone.
08/04/14, 22:35   
@Mop it up

I've noticed that too. It's like I'm too accurate with Green Shells.
08/04/14, 22:47   
I've gotten pretty good at throwing a green shell and hitting someone without a bounce. Sports, y'all.

I'm also working on a positive Top Ten about Mario Kart 8 as well. It would be unfair to only address the things that make me mad without addressing the positives.
08/07/14, 15:21   
Heh, I agree with most of these. Except I like fireballs, lightning, and boomerangs. And I used to powerslide in the wrong direction much, much more in MKWiiii (especially with motion controls). I feel like they fixed it in 8.

Coins. Coins, coins, coins. What a shitty item. Is there anything more disheartening to receive? When I'm in the lead, I can't even fire off my current item to grab a new box. Because I might get COINS. On the other hand, maybe that's the point. On the OTHER hand, when you're in second, cruising towards the last set of item boxes, getting coins is an enormous bummer. And you should NEVER get them in the back or middle of the pack.

It really is the most irritating thing in the world when you get serially pelted with items and lose, like, 10 places in a race in five seconds. Especially in single-player, where it's not even funny. How do you guys think a short period of invulnerability would work?

Bombs are super-deadly. My batting average is about .500.

For hitting myself, I mean.
08/07/14, 15:51   
My biggest gripe is the same one I've had in pretty much every Mario Kart game: the AI just seems impossibly fast to me. I can hit someone with everything in the book, blow past them at top speed, and they'll pass me by three seconds later.

I totally powerslide in the wrong direction all the time, too. Very embarassing.
08/07/14, 21:29   
Oh, hey, so you said you focused on things that can happen in both single and multiplayer. Does the CPU employ the spread tactic with fireballs also?
08/07/14, 21:59   
@Mop it up

I'm not really sure? It's been weeks, maybe a month since I've played against the CPU.
08/07/14, 23:48   
How about seeing a vehicle that looks really cool and then looking at the stats and realizing they're god awful.

I feel like vehicle stats in general need to go. Everytime the higher level play has devolved into 'use the dry bones tank' or 'use funky + the flame rider' or my personal favorite 'metal mario + red monster'. (Because metal mario happens to have a slightly smaller hitbox in a game where half the items will always hit someone unless they're blocked.)

Nintendo, if you're going to allow these slightly overpowered stat combos exist then at least have the decency to allow me to apply them to the vehicle 'I' want to use.
08/08/14, 01:17   
Edited: 08/08/14, 01:28
Mop it up said:
Oh, hey, so you said you focused on things that can happen in both single and multiplayer. Does the CPU employ the spread tactic with fireballs also?

I get hit by fireballs from the computer more often than human players.
08/08/14, 01:23   
  Forum main
 +