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Finally, someone used Pareto’s economic theories to find the best Mario Kart 8 racer
Who hasn’t spent sleepless nights pondering what would happen if we applied the theories of Vilfredo Pareto, the early 20th-century Italian economist, to Mario, the Mushroom Kingdom’s Italian high-jump champion and part-time elephant cosplayer? Data scientist Antoine Mayerowitz, PhD, tackled that age-old question.
Nintendo brings 'Mario Kart 8' and 'Splatoon' for Wii U back online August 3rd
'Mario Kart 8' and 'Splatoon' for Wii U are coming back online after Nintendo spent months fixing security flaws.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s second set of new tracks arrives on August 4th
The eight courses include DS classic Waluigi Pinball and a brand-new one from ‘Mario Kart Tour.’
'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' is getting 48 courses from older games as paid DLC
The Booster Course Pass costs $25, but it's included with a Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
Nintendo's Black Friday sale includes 'Mario Kart' when you buy a Switch
You can get a Nintendo Switch bundled with 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' for only $300 in a special Black Friday sale.
Nintendo is holding an online 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' tournament this Sunday
Top-tier Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players better limber up with some thumb exercises. Nintendo has announced a North American online tournament which will take place on Nintendo's Switch Online service from 1 PM to 11 PM ET on September 22nd. The top eight racers will take home prizes of 2,500 Gold Points ($25).
Mario Kart 8's super-fast 200cc class almost made me puke
It could've been the latent heatstroke setting in from the three days I spent tut-tutting millennials under my breath at Coachella, or the five coffees I'd drunk to sustain some form of consciousness. But when I finished playing a demo of the new 200cc level in Mario Kart 8 with some folks from Nintendo on Monday, my eyes felt looser in their sockets and a barely containable feeling of nausea lingered in my gut for about an hour. It was as if I'd come off a roller coaster -- like one of those daring, metallic serpents from Six Flags or Busch Gardens in the '80s that jolted you just a bit too much and gave the impression you'd nearly avoided whiplash. All of which is to say, 200cc is not for the weak. It is stupid fast and stupid good.
1.84M New 3DS units shipped in 2014, Wii U up to 9.2M
The New 3DS is off to a "good start" according to Nintendo, after the enhanced handheld shipped 1.84 million units by the end of 2014. The company launched the New 3DS and its XL variant in Japan back in October, before bringing them to Australia the following month. The New 3DS' arrival helped take the "3DS family" beyond the 50 million mark, and as of December 31, 2014, the 3DS total is 50.41 million units shipped worldwide. On the other hand, Nintendo says 3DS sales haven't grown sufficiently in North America and Europe this fiscal year; both regions are waiting for the New 3DS to launch there next month. Between April and December 2014, Nintendo shifted 7.08 million 3DS systems worldwide. While the Wii U has gathered steam in recent months, it's still tracking a long way behind its handheld sibling. Nintendo shifted 1.91 million consoles worldwide during the busy holiday quarter of October to December 2014, taking its nine-month figures to 3.39 million, As of the end of 2014, its two-year lifetime total is 9.2 mllion systems and 52.87 million software units.
Nintendo: Amiibo sales outpace Smash Bros. Wii U
Mario Kart 8 sold 1.7 million copies in 2014 both digitally and at retail in the United States according to the NPD Group, Nintendo revealed in a press release. The publisher also noted that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U sold 1.3 million copies during the year, though sales of the company's amiibo figurines were "nearly twice" that of Nintendo's Mario brawler on Wii U. Nintendo said that total hardware and software sales increased "by more than 29 percent and more than 75 percent, respectively, over sales in 2013." As of December, the publisher said that amiibo sales were "approximately equal" to that of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. On the handheld side of Nintendo's lineup, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS eclipsed 2 million copies sold since the game launched this past fall. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby also combined to sell 2.6 million copies in the remastered games' first six weeks. Nintendo recently offered a worldwide launch date for the company's new 3DS system during this week's Nintendo Direct presentation; the C-Stick-sporting console will arrive on February 13 for $200. The improved console will be accompanied by The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate along with each game's respective special edition 3DS systems. [Image: Nintendo]
Metareview: GOTY Edition
Over the weekend the Joystiq hive mind concluded its annual hive dance and deemed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor the top dawg of 2014. Monolith's action-RPG may have hacked and slashed its way to the top of our list, but a glance at The Rest of the Internet makes one thing clear: When it comes to 2014's GOTY awards, there isn't One Game to rule them all. With that in mind, we've taken the Metareview format we use to collate other outlets' reviews and given it a GOTY paint job. As ever, it's just a sampling of all the publications out there and plenty of places have yet to dole out their awards. Nonetheless, here's a wee look at the best games of 2014 according to everyone else.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2014: Mario Kart 8
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. Mario Kart 8, much like its host console, made a poor first impression when it showed up in demo form back at E3 2013. In the same way that the Wii U met with equal parts confusion and indifference when it debuted – thanks to that odd controller– Mario Kart 8's anti-gravity racing felt like the most tiresome sort of tacked-on gimmick early on. "Oh, it's Mario Kart! But super pretty! And upside down!" Great. Super. Who cares? But also like the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 hides deep pleasures just beneath the surface. Beautiful, smart, overstuffed with rewards, and functional in ways the series has only toyed with in the past, Mario Kart 8 was a burning hot spot in Wii U's brightest year yet.
Joystiq Streams: Mario Kart 8 Too Link, Too Furious
Since summer ended, the Hells Shells have been resting, lying in wait for the triumphant return of Blue Collar Racing. The last Joystiq Grand Prix was five months ago, but with hot, fresh DLC invading Mario Kart 8 it's time to hit the track once more! Get ready as the drunken posse of Mike Suszek (@mikesuszek), Danny Cowan (@db_cowan), Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM), and Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello) dig into the new tracks and check out Link's speedy Master Cycle. We'll be streaming all that Mario Kart 8 DLC goodness at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. Like what we're laying down? Follow us on Twitch to catch every stream. [Images: Nintendo/Mercedes]
New Nintendo eShop releases: Mario Kart 8 DLC, Sonic Boom
Mario Kart 8's first major content pack is available now, and for $8 and 1GB of Wii U space you can fill your racing roster with the likes of Link, the Master Cycle, and a circuit based on F-Zero's Mute City. Or, to summarize for numerophiles, three characters, four karts and eight tracks. Don't forget, you can also get the DLC as part of the $12 package that bundles in a pre-order for the second pack, due in March 2015. The eShop's not just about Mario Kart 8 this week... 'cos Mario Kart: Super Circuit brings GBA racing to the Wii U Virtual Console. We josh, kartophobes, there's plenty of other stuff to download. There are the console and handheld editions of Sonic Boom, the Wii U port of pop-up beauty Tengami (check out our impressions of it on iOS), and the belated stateside arrival of Pokemon Trading Card Game on 3DS Virtual Console. Since it's November and another one of those content-packed weeks, our digestible list of new releases should prove handy. You'll find that below the break. and if you're after sales and permanent discounts, point your clicker here.
Walmart discounts Halo: The Master Chief Collection bundle for Black Friday
U.S. retailer Walmart has revealed its Black Friday sales lineup, giving holiday shoppers time to prepare for a series of deep discounts later this month. Starting on November 26 at 6 p.m., customers can pick up an Xbox One hardware bundle that includes a copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and a $30 Walmart gift card for $329. The Xbox One Assassin's Creed Unity Bundle is also up for grabs at $329, matching a deal Target announced earlier this week. Walmart additionally offers Mario Kart 8, The Evil Within, and Destiny for $35 each, along with a $149.99 Nintendo 3DS XL bundle that includes a free copy of New Super Mario Bros. 2. Cheap Ass Gamer has a full breakdown of Walmart's featured gaming deals. [Image: Microsoft]
Nintendo: Pre-orders of Super Smash Bros. surpass Mario Kart 8
Super Smash Bros. pre-orders are at a record high for Wii U, eclipsing those of summer hit Mario Kart 8. In a Bloomberg interview, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said his company expects Smash to give the console a sales boost similar to the one provided by Mario Kart 8. In last month's financial results, Nintendo revealed the racer is at close to 3.5 million sales, with Wii U shipments up to 7.29 million worldwide. "The launch of Mario Kart 8 has essentially doubled our Wii U sales year-on-year," Fils-Aime said. "Our expectation is that the sell-through for Smash is going to be very strong, certainly on par with what we saw with Mario Kart 8. We think the impact on hardware will be similarly dramatic."
Mario Kart 8 update adds Amiibo support
A downloadable Mario Kart 8 update, meant to steady the game for the initial volley of DLC cars and tracks, will also enable simple support for Nintendo's Amiibo lineup. A select number of characters from Nintendo's new toy army will unlock corresponding outfits for your Mii racer. Tapping the Kirby statue on the Wii U gamepad, for instance, will unlock a pink puffball-themed outfit for your Mario Kart Mii, complete with a helmet designed to resemble Kirby looking back at you, smiling in the face of a blue shell coming up. Mario Kart 8 will also have unlocks for Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Captain Falcon, Samus, and Fox McCloud. The Amiibo update will happen alongside the November 13 release of Mario Kart 8's first DLC - a pack of 8 tracks, 4 vehicles and 3 new characters, including Link and Tanooki Mario. The Amiibo toys, meanwhile, are coming out alongside the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. on November 21. For more on the Amiibo and how they work in Smash, check out my impressions here.
Mario Kart 8 closing on 3.5 million copies sold
When Nintendo reported its net profit of 29.2 billion yen yesterday ($224 million), it also revealed that it sold 3.22 million copies of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS since the game's mid-September launch in Japan. The company's improved sales can also be credited to the continued success of another staple in its catalog: Mario Kart 8, which has now sold 3.49 million copies to date, Nintendo revealed. As for other sales figures the company reported in yesterday's earnings statements, Tomodachi Life crossed 3.12 million copies sold and Pokemon X and Y sold a whopping 13.29 million copies to date. Following its launch in May, Mario Kart 8 provided a boost to Nintendo's Wii U shipments, which have now reached 7.29 million consoles worldwide. The racing game may have a longer tail on store shelves than previous games in the series, as Nintendo will introduce its first downloadable content pack in November for $8. The first DLC pack will feature new race tracks such as the Excitebike Arena and Yoshi's Circuit, new racers like Link, Cat Peach and Tanooki Mario as well as new vehicles like the Zelda-inspired Master Cycle and Mario's returning B-Dasher kart. [Image: Nintendo]
Link's Master Cycle makes spirit tracks in Mario Kart 8 DLC
The first downloadable content pack for Mario Kart 8 will include a special motorcycle inspired by the Legend of Zelda series, Nintendo revealed on Twitter. The Master Cycle features Link's iconic Hylian Shield on the side and a body shape that vaguely resembles a horse. Seen in the concept art above, the cycle also sports a blue and gold paint job and a Triforce on the front wheel. The Master Cycle is one of four new vehicles arriving in the November DLC pack, another being Mario's B Dasher kart from Mario Kart DS. The pack will also include three new playable racers, Link, Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach, as well as eight race tracks. Mario Kart 8's first piece of DLC will cost $8 on its own, though players will be able to pick it and another pack up in a two-for-one bundle for $12. The second DLC pack is Animal Crossing-themed and will arrive in May 2015. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Discussion: All aboard Nintendo's Amiibo train?
Just a little more than a month to go before patient Wii U owners will finally get a Super Smash Bros. to call their own. November 21st will bring more than just HD Smash into your home, though. Nintendo will also roll out its Amiibo that day, the teensy near-field communication equipped figurines that let you summon up helpers in the game. Slam that little Princess Peach on your Wii U tablet controller, and she'll show up in Smash smacking fools around on your behalf. Here's the thing, though. Those Amiibo are $13 a pop, which is mighty expensive for toys with such limited use in the game. There isn't even a bundle option for anyone interested in collecting. It would be one thing if there was a clear picture of future functionality, but Nintendo's tight lipped about any long-term plans for the toys. Nintendo says Mario Kart 8 will support Amiibo, but still hasn't said how or when. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker will use them as well, but even though that game's out in December, it's unknown Amiibo functionality won't be available in 2015. Why would people buy up these toys when they have no idea why they should? Are they cool enough as collectibles on their own? Will you pick up that Kid Icarus one for no reason other than it's rad? Take our poll after the break and discuss your Amiibo plans in the comments below.
Mario Kart 8 DLC revives the plumber's trusty B Dasher kart
American gamers haven't seen the aerodynamic B Dasher kart since its debut in Mario Kart DS, but that's about to change thanks to Nintendo's burgeoning Mario Kart 8 DLC plans. "The quick B Dasher kart returns in Mario Kart 8 and will be in the 1st DLC pack," reads a tweet from Nintendo of America. Beyond that details are scant, but it appears the "1st DLC pack" the tweet is referring to is the game's upcoming Legend of Zelda-themed DLC. That pack, which is slated for launch in November, also includes three new characters (Link, Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach) alongside eight additional race tracks and four new vehicles. It's priced at $8, though fans can purchase the DLC as well as a second, similarly immense DLC pack scheduled for release in May 2015 for $12. Though the B Dasher has most frequently been seen alongside Mario - the duo even grace the cover of Mario Kart DS - as you can see in the above screenshot, Mario Kart 8 will allow any character to take the B Dasher for a spin. Just keep an eye out for low-flying blue shells. [Image: Nintendo]