With this being the Mario Kart with the most dedicated player base, and as of Deluxe, the biggest game in the spin-off series with the most sales, Mario Kart 8 has no shortage of elements that fans consider debatable.
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Original Game
- The character roster in general. While Ensemble Dark Horses like Toadette and Waluigi have returned to the race, the 9 new racers have left a mostly sour taste in much of the fanbase. The 7 Koopalings are Ensemble Dark Horses themselves, but the fact that they take a whopping 7 slots in the 30-character roster has left the base a bit broken in that regard. Worse, Bowser Jr., a character whose fan base is often at odds with the Koopalings, was not included in the initial release, along with other long-time fan favorite Diddy Kong (who wasn't included in the game for a long time). The more controversial racers include Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach, largely for the fact that they both contribute as Palette Swaps, making the roster have five babies that play too similarly to one another and two metallic Palette Swaps of Mario and Peach. Counting those with the seven Koopalings, they all take up almost half of the entire roster, a criticism that was further exacerbated by the inclusion of Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach as DLC, and eventually, Gold Mario in Deluxe (though he is thankfully just a palette swap of Metal Mario). Bowser Jr. fans were somewhat appeased with his inclusion in Deluxe but that version has its own cans of worms. That being said, this debate started to die down after the Booster Course Pass was revealed prior to Wave 4's release to also be adding characters from past Mario Kart games, along with some fan favorites that debuted in Tour, first starting with Birdo. By Wave 6, it appears to have been fully quenched, with the return of Diddy Kong and Funky Kong rounding up the full roster of Mario Kart Wii, as well as others such as Pauline, Petey Piranha and Kamek, although the addition of Peachette still left a sour taste in some people's mouths.
- The new Rainbow Road track. While some people say it looks gorgeous and fun, others have panned it for being too short and too simplistic compared to previous versions, and not using enough of the anti-gravity track mechanics introduced in the game.
- The fact that N64 Yoshi Valley now knows what place you are in. Some people are relieved to have That One Level toned down; however, some are wearing Nostalgia Goggles and want it the way it used to be (mostly without knowing (or caring) that the track obfuscated racers' positions in 64 due to technical reasons).
- There's also the fact that N64 Rainbow Road got the same treatment as the Rainbow Road from 7 did where the track is divided into three sections instead of three laps. Some people, in a rather ironic twist given the complaints about the original, feel that It's Short, So It Sucks!; others, however, don't mind and are happy to see it back.
Original Game: DLC
- The announcement of free Mercedes-Benz DLC
for Mario Kart 8 which launched on August 27th, 2014 (European and American confirmation here). This has shattered the base in numerous ways that include but are not limited to: Nintendo selling out when this is not their first time doing this (also, some of the previous product placement never left Japan), some are worried about the precedent set by Nintendo doing this product placement first instead of giving Battle Mode much-needed arena DLC or returning the cut characters first (also, some people were worried that this product placement DLC would be all we'd get for Mario Kart 8), some people find real-world elements doesn't mesh well with the Mario universe, and some people view that there's nothing wrong with this product placement and that this is another case of people hating on Nintendo for no reason especially since this DLC is optional and free of charge, and ultimately, was baked into Deluxe. - While many love the addition of Link, fans are conflicted about the use of his more realistic design (specifically his Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild designs). Some find the realistic design to be out of place in a cartoonish go-karting game, arguing that the more stylized Toon Link would've been better suited for a Mario Kart game, while others are fine with the design and argue that it makes sense to use the more realistic design since it is more widely recognizable, and being realistic makes him all the more charming.
- SNES Rainbow Road. Some people are glad this classic is back for another go in 8 since its last appearance in 7, but others would have preferred a different, newer Rainbow Road like the one from Super Circuit or even Double Dash!!, due to SNES Rainbow Road being the third Rainbow Road that's on the easy side in 8. This has died down somewhat once the Booster Course Pass released, which brought back 7's Rainbow Road, and while SNES Rainbow Road is in Tour like the rest of the Booster Course Pass tracks, its appearance in 8 predates Tour by five years, meaning that it escapes from having the same divisive artstyle as the Tour tracks and instead has a much more pleasing aesthetic compared to them.
- The return of Baby Park in the Wii U DLC package. Some like it because it reminds them of Double Dash!!'s chaotic nature the track delivers that anyone can win. Others actively groan upon seeing it on the pool of courses to choose from in online lobbies, and despise this return due to both that luck-based nature and the fact that the course only consists of two right turns and nothing else.
- The addition of 200cc: Some view it as a great and exhilarating challenge that breathes new life into the series and gives brake-drifting a good use, finding it difficult to go back to playing lower engine classes, while others find the mode to be Fake Difficulty due to the tracks not being designed or modified with the extreme speeds of 200cc in mind, and makes the CPUs more aggressive in Deluxe. F-Zero fans are particularly peeved about the mode, seeing it as another sign that Nintendo doesn't care about the series and is using Mario Kart as a replacement/substitute for it.
Deluxe
- The addition of Double-items for every player in Deluxe. Some players praise the decision, seeing it as a fun gimmick that adds strategy, reduces the burn of getting stuck with a coin while a Red Shell is in hot pursuit, and brings back a unique idea from Double Dash!!. Others find it to be disruptive, as racers in the 5th-11th pack repeatedly pull multiples of powerful items like stars and mushrooms, it makes 1st place safer from 2nd as it favors a defensive item, and it makes races way more chaotic and frenzied than skilled (especially in a game with 12 racers instead of 8).
- While people are excited for the improved Battle Mode and new and returning characters in the Deluxe expansion, some dislike the fact that they have to pay for the whole game all over again just to get it. And while the new content has been warmly received, there has been some debate over whether it should come to the Wii U version too (as either update content or DLC). It depends on whether you think the Wii U version deserves the content just as much or if it should be restricted for more sales.
- Some complaints arose that the elimination mechanic in Balloon Battle would be removed in favor of Wii's point-based version. Others felt it suited online play better, while some wished the option still existed.
- The fact that all the characters, difficulty levels, and cups are all unlocked from the start in Deluxe made some people angry. On one side, you have the persons who already bought 8 on Wii U who feel happy that they won't have to do almost everything once again, while on the other side, you have the others who only bought Deluxe who feel that the single-player mode has lost most of its interest (you now can only unlock Gold Mario, a palette swap of Metal Mario, after completing every cup in 200cc, which is not exactly worth the effort).
- The removal of firehopping in Deluxe has ignited a heated Casual-Competitive Conflict within the community. On one side, supporters of this decision are happy they now have a chance to win online without people abusing a cheap exploit, while detractors cry out accusing Nintendo of ruining the game by taking all of the skill out of it.
- 200cc can now pop up at random during online play in Deluxe, being more frequent with higher VR. Casual-Competitive Conflict ensues here since it makes the usual strategy of competitive playnote a massive double-edged sword in online play, since such a combo is often too fast to stop or turn properly, making online races a case of Luck-Based Mission with this setup. On the casual side, people applaud it since it encourages builds that aren't just Morton/Waluigi + best speed to acceleration combo and actually lets lighter charactersnote have a chance to shine in online play. However, detractors also point out that the majority of online karts are nothing but Biddybuggies, Streetles, Wild Wigglers, the occasional Landship, and Roller tires.
Deluxe: Booster Course Pass
- The Booster Course Pass DLC has torn the fanbase asunder since its announcement, due in no small part to it being a Contested Sequel of sorts. Many players lament that, in lieu of creating an entirely new entry for the Switch, Nintendo chose to lengthen an already long Sequel Gap and release DLC for what was then a five year old port of what was then an eight year old game. Many other players say it was the perfect choice as they were still playing 8 Deluxe and it remained the Switch's best selling game, and as such it was a better business decision over making a Mission-Pack Sequel. It also reignited feuds between fans of the original Mario Kart 8 and Deluxe, with fans of the former decrying the BCP for "ignoring" those that bought the original game, and fans of the latter again defending it as the better business decision due to Deluxe's continued popularity and relevance. There are also those who bought the original game and the Deluxe Updated Re-release and don't mind only the latter getting updates and DLC, also thinking it only makes business sense and that it would be redundant to release the content on both the long discontinued Wii U and the Switch.
- The fact that every track in the pass is derived from its appearance in Mario Kart Tour, resulting in a much simpler and more cartoony graphical style and track design from the base game, is without a doubt the biggest reason for the contention surrounding the BCP. Many find it insulting and out of place due to Mario Kart 8 being a game known for its visual and functional panache, as well as the fact that only ten of the pass' 48 courses make use of the game's signature anti-gravity mechanic (with the first wave omitting it entirely). Many others are okay with it or even prefer it, finding the original game to be overdesigned and "un-Mario like" and see the BCP as a return to form, and say the DLC is still a steal for doubling the number of tracks at less than half the price. There's also the Quantity vs. Quality debate, as some would have been fine with fewer courses if it meant that they could be better matched with the base content, while others just love that there are now 96 courses to choose from. Although fans largely agree that the pass got better over time with both mimicking the base game's design conventions and looking more visually appealing in general, how much better, and if it actually does live up to the base selection, remains very hotly contested.
- Many players, particularly those who dislike Tour or outright subject it to Fanon Discontinuity, are irritated by the BCP's inclusion of all but one of its original courses (the outlier being Piranha Plant Pipeline), seeing it as a poor excuse to preserve its content once the game inevitably shuts down (which is partially bolstered by the pass sharing Tour's codename of Booster) and blame it for snuffing the chance to add "better" or more beloved content, especially since, even when counting only the 14 city tracks, Tour ends up with more representation in Mario Kart 8 than any other entry. And even putting that all aside, many feel the game's courses are not designed for the game's physics system at all and become borderline unplayable on 200cc. Many other players point to how the BCP actually has said popular and beloved content (in particular, the inclusions of tracks like DS Waluigi Pinball, Wii Maple Treeway, and 3DS Rainbow Road), and it also partially rectifies the game's controversial character roster. They also disregard the Fanon Discontinuity, noting that Nintendo's promotion of it solidifies it as the ninth mainline Mario Kart gamenote and thus it deserves its courses to be officially preserved, as well as the fact that the BCP itself likely would not even exist without Tour. With many of the Tour tracks becoming fan favorites, some feel they're not as unplayable as critics make them out to be.
- The selection of non-Tour courses was inevitably going to be divisive due to every course being someone's favorite, but DS Mario Circuit is a particularly contentious inclusion. Either it's an excellent choice bringing attention to an underappreciated course, especially with the DS iteration of the course being seen as one of the best, or it's a terrible one that wasn't even necessary due to there already being a Mario Circuit in the BCP and "snubbed" the chance for another more popular DS course, particularly Luigi's Mansion or Airship Fortress.
- Compared to the other "prefixless" tracks, which have generally been received well, Sky-High Sundae has a pointedly divided reception. Some like it for its complete use of anti-gravity, and think its ice-cream theme is appealing, while others hate it for being the third oval-shaped track after GCN Baby Park and Excitebike Arena, claiming it is unoriginal, and believe that the anti-gravity is unnecessary and ruins the flow of the race.
- The BCP introduces a route changing system to integrate the courses' various layouts from Tour, mainly with the city courses, which utilize different layouts on each lap (with the exception of Los Angeles Laps, which instead turns the different routes into sections akin to 3DS Rainbow Road). One section of fans finds it to be a clever gameplay twist that pays respect to the multiple layouts and allows them to stand out from the base selection (with tracks such as Singapore Speedway and Vancouver Velocity being seen as some of the best tracks in the game, especially with their Awesome Music), and the other section finds it to be an obtuse and disorienting mess that serves only to "mask" what they find to be dull and uninteresting layouts (especially those released early in Tour's life like New York Minute and Tokyo Blur). Both sides have praised the use of route changing in the non-city courses, however.
