Time to go deep and see what the latest karting entry has to offer in both video and written form!

Mario Kart 8 has been racing around and has finally made a pitstop in my hands. While I am a fan of the series, I am also a critic. The time I spent with it in its different modes resulted in an assortment of thoughts. So far, Mario Kart 8 has its exciting moments, but the overall package doesn't seem to grasp me at every angle quite yet.

I was initially impressed with the large variety of courses that were shown. A particular course I liked was the Electrodrome, where you race in the middle of a massively colorful party. Elements light up when you ride, and everything bops along with the music, which is a neat touch. Another course I adore is Sunshine Airport. This track is rather short, but exciting due to planes flying overhead, and having obstacles to jump over. Aso for the retro tracks, Sherbet Land is one of my favorites. The remixed music and added underwater segment make it a track to remember. However, my number one track has to be Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64. Its one long track has spectacular, colorful scenes and images. Trains will pass you by while Chain Chomps will give the ground a good smack, making an additional boost possible.

Racing in the Grand Prix mode unlocks tracks, which is pretty standard. Try to do your best, and you're given one to three stars depending on your performance (between coins collected and finishing place). In turn, you'll not only unlock new courses, but also new characters, seven of them being Bowser's minions.

Unlockable gear is also back in Mario Kart 8, with a new piece unlocking ever 50 coins, it seems. These include tires, bodies, or specific gliders that will impact your stats. The stats will alter significantly if they are applied to the right character. Every person should find a character to love in each class, with the broad selection brings much appeal. I found myself choosing the babies the most, though. I like their weight, and the text they spew is just really adorable.

Aside from the Grand Prix, there's the standard Time Trial and VS Race modes. In Time Trials, you can either play alone or compete against a ghost. Nintendo staff member ghosts will be raceable, and by beating him or her, you will be rewarded a Miiverse stamp. Speaking of Miiverse, you can pull more ghosts from Miiverse and race them as well. More racing battles can be had in the VS Mode, where you fight randomly a bunch of computer opponents. You can set the rules and play any track you have unlocked so far.

As for Battle Mode, I am a bit saddened. The game's biggest changes were made here, but were not changed to my liking. Not only do you have just Balloon Battles, but they are no longer played out on actual arenas. Instead, you will ride on existing courses as you try to hit your opponents. While the mode is fine with the right people, it does feel like a step backwards, which is not exactly what I wanted out of it. I spent more time in this mode to see how my feelings would adjust. Battle Mode used to be its own thing, but now that uniqueness kind of feels lost.

All of these different modes can be enjoyed with up to four people locally, which can turn into a wacky time. However, Mario Kart 8 is also playable online, where you can play worldwide and regional races and battles against players all around. Private lobbies can be made for your friends, which is easy to use and quick to set up. From here, you can also join a friend if he or she is already playing a match. Finally, you can set up tournaments. These can be held weekly, daily, or for a fixed period of your choosing. Similar to the VS mode, you will get a bunch of tools to make the tournament to your liking and allow only a certain group of players. So far, it seems promising.

At the same time, Mario Kart TV also seems promising. After every race, battle or Grand Prix, you can go into a menu and view the best moments of that race. Players will be able to cut it down from 30 to 60 seconds, and let the clips focus on specific elements like action, items, drifting, among others. You can also watch the full race if desired, but the highlight clips are fun and a joy to behold. When the game launches, these clips will be available to upload to Miiverse or other places. I am really looking forward to showcasing an awesome match to the whole world I had with a friend.

Mario Kart 8 has a lot of potential when it comes to community aspects. The online elements seem promising, and Mario Kart TV is surprisingly cool to look at. The track designs are also amazing, making the game just a joy to behold. Sadly, the Wii U GamePad does not provide interesting things. Battle Mode seems like quite a disappointment, too. How my opinion will pan out in the end, depends on a lot of elements, but this new entry seems somewhat better than Mario Kart 7.