Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 is a fun kart racer that uses gravity-defying tracks and better item balance to build a better game.

Mario Kart 8 shifts its focus from chaotic weapons to precise driving, and that makes this one of the most rewarding entries in the series.

Video game players are familiar with the law of diminishing returns. Even as new entries in a series tirelessly improve upon their predecessors, our interest nevertheless wanes; with games, improved is somehow less exciting than new. Mario Kart 8 is a rare thing, then: the best entry in a series and the most exciting yet.

Mario Kart 8 doesn't mess with the formula much, but it left me smiling

Mario Kart 8 is a slick and gorgeous-looking kart racer that's perfectly solid but not always as exciting or addictive as we've come to expect from the series.

Mario Kart remains pure fun, and it's never been better

Intuitive controls, beautiful circuits, and a perfectly realigned power-up system – Mario Kart 8 has set out to top the 1992 original

Mario Kart 8 is my favorite series entry since Double Dash, and if it gets arena battle tracks at some point by way of DLC, it will be a near-perfect package. Its vibrant visuals will hold up for years to come, ensuring that the game will withstand the test of time, and it will be a staple in my household for a long, long while.

Much more than a dolled-up version of its predecessors, Mario Kart 8's new features and refinements make a stale series fun again.

In years to come the debates over the best Mario Kart games in the series will, inevitably, feature this as a contender.