Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Games review
As of Jul 9, 2026, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is rated 91/100 on OpenCritic (133 critic reviews), and 92/100 on Metacritic (99 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
Is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe worth it in 2026?
A 91 on OpenCritic across 133 critic reviews and a 92 on Metacritic across 99 critic reviews is not a fluke, this is a genuinely excellent kart racer that earns its scores. The rebuilt battle mode, full DLC inclusion, and Switch portability make this the definitive version of Mario Kart 8, and for anyone coming in fresh it is the easiest recommendation on the platform. The honest catch is that this is fundamentally a Wii U game: the tracks, the mechanics, the feel, all of it carries over from the original release, with new characters and arenas as the headline additions. Reviewers who complained about online play flagged insufficient improvements, meaning if online matchmaking is your primary mode you are getting a better battle mode but not a meaningfully modernized netcode experience. Wii U veterans are essentially paying full price for a port with cosmetic upgrades, and that is a real disqualification, not just a caveat.
Players who skipped the Wii U original or want the best local multiplayer game on Switch, for them, this is an unambiguous buy.
Wii U owners get a fixed battle mode and portability but little else that is genuinely new, and online play received complaints about insufficient improvements; if either of those is your primary reason to buy, lower your expectations accordingly.
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- definitive version9
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- Nintendo fixes one of Mario Kart 8's only shortcomings in a generous port of a modern masterpiece.
- With multiple new additions and important improvements, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive version of one of the Wii U's best games
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe makes significant updates to the original that make its racing chaos the definitive version.
- excellent racing gameplay9
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- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an amazing game for all the same reasons I mentioned in our original review. It's still a gorgeous kart racer and every bit as addictive as it was in 2014. T...
- Three years on: still a classic, and with its biggest weakness fixed. If you own a Switch it's a no-brainer, especially if it's your first time.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe makes significant updates to the original that make its racing chaos the definitive version.
- improved battle mode6
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- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an amazing game for all the same reasons I mentioned in our original review. It's still a gorgeous kart racer and every bit as addictive as it was in 2014. T...
- When it comes to passing final judgement on a re-release like this it's tricky - do we scale back praise because it's content we've mostly seen before, or simply judge a release on...
- This is how you spiff up an older game. What could have been a cynical attempt to double-dip into Nintendo fans' wallets actually turns out to be the Mario Kart series' definitive...
- portability and switch features5
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- At the end of the day, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Mario Kart game and (predictably) fantastic. With a fully upgraded Battle Mode and all the portability that comes with Nintendo Swit...
- The best Mario Kart game ever is back... even better, with a Battle Mode that has finally been fixed. Playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe anywhere, anytime is (almost) priceless.
- 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' bring racing chaos, and great multiplayer to the Switch.
- new characters and content4
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- This is how you spiff up an older game. What could have been a cynical attempt to double-dip into Nintendo fans' wallets actually turns out to be the Mario Kart series' definitive...
- An excellent game that's still as good as it was 3 years ago... And now with every DLC and some subtle changes on its gameplay. If you haven't played Mario Kart 8 before this Delux...
- Mario Kart 8 returns with a ‘Deluxe' that comes with new features for this entertaining game. With better graphics and gameplay thanks to the Nintendo Switch, this is one of the be...
Cons
- limited new content for veterans5
see reviews +-
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an amazing game for all the same reasons I mentioned in our original review. It's still a gorgeous kart racer and every bit as addictive as it was in 2014. T...
- This is the best Mario Kart game ever made, expanding an already great Wii U title into a near-perfect racing game. Even so, players who have the original on Wii U may want to wait...
- At the end of the day, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Mario Kart game and (predictably) fantastic. With a fully upgraded Battle Mode and all the portability that comes with Nintendo Swit...
Themes and quotes are drawn from 19 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 232 ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.