Mario Kart 8 has some great updates + Conception II + Rusty's Real Deal Baseball & MORE!

Mario Kart news update!

We weren't going to jump on this immediately... it was good to soak it in, of course we're talking about the new reveals for Mario Kart 8. It has given thousands of people chills, and made others cheer as they've put in their pre-orders. Don't wait until you can't pre-order if you want it hot off the press, check it out here. It roaring our way May 30th (2014), but if you don't mind going digital... you always have the option of buying it on the Nintendo eShop.  :)

Not only will the game have the features that we've seen thus far, but they are including new things like the Spin Boost and other features like remixed courses, returning characters, etc.

According to Nintendo... Spin Boost works while racing upside down or on walls, players can bump into other racers or certain track obstacles to get a speed boost. The Spin Boost fundamentally redefines the way that players compete, and makes anti-gravity racing even more exhilarating.

Returning characters include Metal Mario, Lakitu and Shy Guy based on the recent announcement, and the variety of characters is beautiful thing. While I am still a huge fan of Baby Mario in Mario Kart, all of the additional characters that also include all of Bowser's Koopalings (being playable for the first time ever)... will gain some play time from me also.

Two new items that have been added to the party are the Piranha Plant, which attaches to the front of your kart and chomps at other characters, banana peels on the track and even shells thrown at you. This is a double edged sword that shouldn't be usable for a long period of time because although it would be great when you have it... it would  definitely make it hard to take out the competition if you don't have the star or the giant mushroom (if it makes a return). The Piranha Plant also helps you gain a brief speed boost when it lunges forward to bite.

The other item is the Boomerang Flower, which can be thrown to stun your opponents, and since it arcs... it can hit multiple opponents. The limit is 3 throws, but it can be thrown backwards or forwards... and while these items sound cool... I hope there is the option to disable them in local offline multiplayer. I doubt Nintendo would turn this game to an unbalanced experience though, so we shall see.

There are 16 new courses as well as 16 remixed courses... like the beautifully improved rainbow road, Moo Moo Meadows (Mario Kart Wii), Donut Plains (Super Mario Kart), Toad's Turnpike (Mario Kart 64), etc. I am definitely excited to check them all out, and some of the courses will contact music from actual live performers (those with a sound system should definitely be able to appreciate this).      

One thing I was looking forward to though... is hearing about online 6 vs 6 multiplayer racing... incorporate chat, and you have a game that's perfect for tournaments where teams can take on each other and use the voice chat for strategy as they race for victory.

If you are looking for new 3DS demo's to check out, Conception II and Rusty's Real Deal Baseball... are now in the eShop.

 I've played RRDB so far, and although its weird, its interesting (weird can be good, and I'm not exactly a stranger to the type of weird available in this game, because I am a fan of Anime and have played plenty of Japanese games, etc.)... Nintendo has found a way to price a game at different prices based on how a person plays/haggles, so there is the chance of them making more than what could've been at a set price (smart).

Once I began playing, and realized how smooth it feels, I thought that it would be great for them to have actual baseball matches in this game... that use what you've learned in the games available for sale (in this game). If all of the games unlocked a full baseball game, or an experience that allows you to team up with Rusty and his team vs. another team... that would be a plus.

Play this game to haggle the game character in the game so that he can sell you the games in this game for a cheaper price so that you can go inside the games to play the games... its true. ROFL!


Up next... Conception II (which is also available on the Playstation Vita)... so this post will be continued.

Other games now available on the Nintendo eShop:

Super Monkey Ball 3D | 3DS (eShop)
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition | Wii U (eShop)
Metroid Fusion | Wii U (Virtual Console)
Advance Wars | Wii U (Virtual Console)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | Wii U (Virtual Console)
Evofish | Wii U (eShop)
Mystery Case Files Ravenhearst | 3DS (eShop)
Mystery Case Files Dire Grove | 3DS (eShop)

By the way... save $5 on Dr. Luigi | Wii U (eShop) when you buy Dr. Mario on the Wii U virtual console
by April 10th (2014).

Also (before I forget), get your hands on Dead Space for free via EA's Origin for a limited time.