A surface level analysis of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could point out that the game lacks a narrative. It is nothing more than a racing game whose sole purpose is to entertain. There is no deeper meaning or purpose behind it. However, one must go past trying to find a meaning head on. Unlike some platformer games or RPG’s, in which the narrative/meaning is given to you in a rather straightforward manner, the significance behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe lies in how it engages the players and their interactions with one another through its mechanics.
Although the option of a single player mode exists, Mario Kart’s significance and purpose lies in the fact that it is a multiplayer game. The game mechanics are essentially designed to drive direct interactions and competitive behavior between players. Unless all items are turned off and everyone makes a pact to not interact with other drivers and only focus on their own paths to the finish line, it is almost impossible not to engage with other players. A good portion of the items provided in the game are offensive items, whether it be the red shell, blue shell, bomb, boomerang, etc, whose purpose are to not only get yourself ahead, but make sure others are dragged behind. In addition, the mechanic in which sometimes when you bump into another player you are given a boost is another example how this is an interactive multiplayer game as you are feeding off of the other players.
When I am talking about these interactions between players I am not just talking about in the game itself, but in real life. One of the biggest contributions to the player’s life is that the game adds a level of immersion to the point that we personify these Mario Kart 8 Deluxe characters as being the people playing with us in our physical surroundings. By doing that, it drives the players to take the mechanics given to us and add a story to the game. We are not just simply driving a path to get to the finish line, but strategically holding on to our red shell just in case our friend sitting on our left gets in front, or praying that somebody gets a blue shell because your sibling is currently in 1st place. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe not only gives us the mechanics, but infinite freedom to do with them as we please.
Through other mechanics, the game encourages these interactions as they almost try to compensate for disparity in skill levels. Often times in games, playing with people of different skill levels often discourages much interactions. It is simply not as fun playing with someone who does not match your skill level, either by being at a much higher skill level or a much lower, as you do not go at the same pace, which can be especially evident in racing games. However, in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you are given options to help compensate for those skill disparities, even if by a little, as you can switch controls for auto-save, auto-acceleration, joystick vs. steer controls, and opt for vehicles/parts with greater acceleration, traction, speed, etc. Having those who may not be as skilled play with auto-save and auto-acceleration on and having those who may be slightly more skilled turn those mechanics off makes a difference and allows for a more even game with lots of engagements and interactions.
