The main karts use a similar design from Mario Kart 7. The gameplay is similar to most traditional Mario Kart games. In April 28, 2017, an enhanced port of the game was released, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which added some new features, including characters such as Dry Bones, Bowser Jr., King Boo, Link (Champion's Tunic), and the Inklings. Mario Kart 8 is the best-selling title for the Wii U, selling 7.89 million copies as of September 3, 2021, surpassing sales of both Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. In addition, ATVs join the returning karts and bikes as a new class of vehicle. Elements from Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 are reused, such as Bikes and 2-Player online from Mario Kart Wii, and gliding, underwater driving, and kart customizing from Mario Kart 7. A prominent new addition is anti-gravity, allowing players to drive on almost any surface. The game primarily focuses on the new anti-gravitational mode added into it.
Mario Kart 8 was released on in Japan, in North America and Europe, and in Australia. It was released on May 30th, 2014 for the Wii U. Mario Kart 8 (Japanese: マリオカート8 Mariokāto 8) (often abbreviated to MK8) is the eighth installment in the Mario Kart franchise (eleventh including the arcade games).
