Battle Mode has been a classic staple in the entire Mario Kart series, a nice change of pace from straight-up racing in which players freely drive around an arena, attempting to burst their opponent's balloons with power-ups until only one player remains. The Battle Mode in Mario Kart 8, however, totally blows, taking place on the same race tracks featured in the regular race modes, rather than the separate, blocky arenas made famous in earlier titles. So disappointing is this that many would be willing to shell out cash to make a proper Battle Mode happen in the form of DLC, while others suspect that this has been Nintendo's plan all along, to withhold a much-loved aspect of earlier games to make more money. It's crass, for sure, but so fun is the Battle Mode that the offer of a proper one as DLC would likely go down a storm with fans. If it's simply a case of Battle Mode not being ready for the final game, and the rushed version being thrown in for now, then fair enough. Though, in that instance, gamers probably shouldn't have to stump up the cash to pay for it. How Likely Is It?: 8/10
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
