Shells, drifts, and that controller everyone fights over while screaming on the couch with friends.

For now we only have one reading, the gut choice, no criterion. And there, a surprise: when the community picks on feeling, Mario Kart 8 only edges ahead of barely one game in twelve. That is low. Really low for such a beloved franchise. No criterion votes exist yet, so it is impossible to say whether that score hides strengths in fun or controller joy. But this first signal stands out for a game you would imagine at the top.

One possible explanation: this version launched on a single console, the Wii U, which stayed niche. Where the series exploded elsewhere, this exact edition may have reached fewer people, and it shows in the gut choice.

So, who is it for? For you if you want pure party gaming, frantic multiplayer races, the simple and immediate joy of the kart. Much less if you judge by raw love at first sight on this version, because right now the immediate buy-in just is not there. Still a thin profile, to confirm with more duels.