If there is any criticism to be levied at Deluxe , it is that most of the game's content is unlocked right out of the box. While this is likely a plus for players returning from the Wii U version, it will inevitably hamper the replayability of the game for its many, many new adopters.

That I'm sitting here in 2017 and writing a review of Mario Kart 8 definitely seems strange. I have played this game before – a lot – and now I'm revisiting the same game under very different circumstances.

The definitive version of Mario Kart 8; Wonderful tracks and characters with beautiful graphics; Battle mode is everything we wanted the first time around

Rubberbanding will frustrate every player from time to time; Mario Kart 8 veterans may not have enough to warrant another purchase; Too expensive for a re-release of a three year old game

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is everything you loved about the original Mario Kart 8 and more. Our review.

A bounty of new content; The definitive version of Mario Kart 8; Well worth the upgrade to Nintendo Switch

Players who already adopted the previous game will have most of what's here; Smart Steering can be frustrating

In short, Nintendo has created one of the best ports ever made. Mario Kart 8 fans have enough here to justify buying the core game once again and as for you newbies… well, you're in for one hell of a ride.

Many felt that Mario Kart 7 was a shocking stumble for Nintendo's (now) 25-year-old racing series, yet it did not stop the 3DS title from notching up the usual multi-million sales globally, with the game still often popping back into the charts in many countries.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch is a no-brainer for fans and/or Switch owners - easily the best version of Mario Kart released to date on any platform and yet another killer app for Nintendo's fledgling hardware.

The very first time I booted up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I made it halfway through my first lap before being interrupted by a screaming baby in my house. My infant son was hungry, so I undocked my Nintendo Switch and took it with me to my rocking chair as I fed him.

Huge amount of content; Battle mode; Holding two items at once creates great new strategies; Perfectly suited for bite-sized on-the-go sessions in handheld mode or multiplayer parties in TV mode

Odd implementation of drive assist; Not really any innovative new content

As I pointed out above, this is the same exceptional racing game that bowed in 2014, but as my review hopefully attests, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive version of it. Everything that made Mario Kart 8 special has returned and been amplified, and the additions (including new characters, plus...

Mario Kart 8 was already a great game on the Wii U. Now on the Nintendo Switch it's even better. Bringing everything from the previous games into one package and putting it on a new system was a great call.

A hallmark of excellence. It may have some flaws, but they are negligible to what is otherwise a supreme title.