Well everyone, it appears that the hot topic of the week has been the release of “Mario Kart 8“. Everyone has been raving about it, and for good reason. “Mario Kart 8” has certainly exceeded my expectations. Epic level design, beautiful graphics, and of course, the superb soundtrack have really made me enjoy this game. This soundtrack is full of catchy tunes that certainly make the races you partake in that much more exciting. Not to mention, there are plenty of cool features this soundtrack brings to the party.
While many songs featured in the game are re-creations of tunes found in the original “Mario Kart” titles, there are also plenty of incredible tunes that are found in the brand new levels and screens of this title. The key aspect that every racing game has to follow in order to capture the player, is to create an atmosphere that gives the player the desire to take part in the race. This is done by creating standout scenery complimented by an engaging soundtrack, and while not straying far from the original formula that every “Mario Kart” title follows “Mario Kart 8’s” soundtrack and scenery captures that perfectly, creating a blend of new and unique tunes to fit every track that you race on. For instance, the “spooky” tracks that you will race on will have a scary but silly sound. All of the bright-colored, outdoor tracks will be followed by fun- fast paced music. What helps these tunes captivate the player is also their presentation. The Wii U’s superb graphic and sound capabilities allowed the developers of “Mario Kart 8” to express this soundtrack to the highest quality. Each song that you hear will have a diversity of sounds, which are all meant to invoke a certain sense into the player. Not only that, but each song’s sound effects are based off of the scenery of the level. For example “Electrodome” which is a futuristic raceway filled with musical references of today, such as DJ’s, nightclubs, and notes, is filled by a fun- techno beat, with a variety if computer- generated synth melodies. “Dolphin Shoals” a peaceful, tropical raceway, is accompanied by a steel drum, and many island-time drum beats. This array of different styles of music with superb audio quality, is what really made me enjoy the soundtrack of “Mario Mart 8“.
While I do love the original works of the game, what really tickled my nostalgia, were the re-creations of previous “Mario Kart” songs. Each and every throwback level in “Mario Kart 8” received a total cosmetic overhaul, while still holding onto the same courses we know and love. That same idea was applied to the songs of all these levels, as all of these songs have been upgraded to sound fresh and current, but still hold on to the original melodies we heard in their titles. Although, I will say that it took me some time to adjust to the re-working of songs I know and love, but I obviously got used to it. My personal favorite thus far, is the re-creation of “Rainbow Road” which has been my favorite “Mario Kart” level, and song of all time.
If you haven’t already, try and pick up “Mario Kart 8” in stores now, as I would love for everyone to get a taste of this great soundtrack. As always, I’ll be back next week. See you at the finish line.