Is Mario Kart on the Switch perfect? Of course not.
It’s entirely possible to play a full four-player game on one tablet
Plus, the Switch supports local multiplayer with other Switches, meaning that each additional Switch (and copy of Mario Kart) allows for more players. So if you’ve got a spare Joy-Con and don’t mind crowding around the Switch’s 6.2-inch screen, it’s entirely possible to play a full four-player game on one tablet, which seemed to run just about as smoothly as it did in single player.
The Switch supports two-, three-, and four-player split-screen on a single device - whether that’s hooked up to a TV or not. And the Switch makes that experience possible anywhere. It’s an excuse to sit down with somebody and chat.
I’ve said it before, and I will continue to say it again: local multiplayer adds a social experience beyond the act of playing a game of competition. I’ve been carrying around my Switch with Mario Kart installed for a few days, and I’ve enjoyed quick pick-up games with family, friends, and co-workers. The multiplayer experience is practically frictionless. There’s no need to find a TV or buy an extra controller. When the average person imagines crowding around a TV to squint at a four-player split-screen game, Mario Kart is likely the first title to come to mind.ĭespite being built originally for the Nintendo Wii U, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feels as if it was always meant to demonstrate the Switch’s most novel feature: the ability to pop off two controllers and use the tablet as a shared screen. It’s certainly popular from a sales perspective - Mario Kart titles are the third best-selling games on the DS and 3DS, the second best-selling game on the Wii (after Wii Sports, which was included with most consoles), and the most popular Wii U game ever released. After all, Mario Kart may be the most broadly loved local multiplayer franchise. Mario Kart may be the most broadly loved local multiplayer franchise Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, released last week, is the first game to make good on Nintendo Switch’s promise of multiplayer gaming that goes where you go. And mini-game collection 1-2-Switch was more for showcasing some of the Switch’s hardware features than it was a viable couch co-op game. Snipperclips, with its cute cooperative puzzle solving, did use the Joy-Con as separate controllers, but it was also short and didn’t warrant multiple play-throughs. When the Switch launched, there weren’t exactly a lot of games that showcased the console’s ability to play multiplayer. In a world where current-gen consoles offer far fewer games that allow you play side by side with friends on a couch, Nintendo seemed to be offering a glimmer of hope for fans of split-screen.
It featured heavily in their trailers and ads, showing off ideas like a group of friends gathering around for a couple rounds of virtual basketball or a girl showing up to a party with the portable console. When Nintendo first announced the Switch, one of the biggest selling points was the console’s massive potential for local multiplayer.