Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Nintendo has pretty much perfected their tried and tested racing formula, releasing both the best portable and console Mario Kart to date. Finally, there’s another game on Switch to file alongside Zelda as ‘must-have’.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is, therefore, the definitive version of an already great racer. From the wealth of tracks now available in the Grand Prix mode, to the range of multiplayer options - including the vastly improved Battle games - makes Deluxe a package with depth and range as well as high-speed thrills. Coupled with the new possibilities of the Switch - such as the ability to wirelessly connect multiple tablets for your own Mario Kart LAN tournament - and you have what might just be the definitive arcade racing experience.

The detail, the care and the craft on show amount to a package that feels luxurious, a feeling only emboldened by this deluxe edition, and the few tweaks made here underline its brilliance. There was some debate when it originally came out about whether Mario Kart 8 was the best in the series - with Deluxe, that's now no longer in doubt.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an amazing game for all the same reasons I mentioned in our original review. It’s still a gorgeous kart racer and every bit as addictive as it was in 2014. This is the best entry in the series so far, and it has all the content you’ll need. Returning players have seen a lot of this game before, but the overhauled Battle mode and its five additional ways to play are a great reason to pick it up. Nintendo didn’t do enough to make the online experience better, but the rest of this game holds up well.

It’s those kinds of moments that make a Mario Kart game. While some players will spend hours perfecting time trials and improving their standing online, that’s not really what these games are for. Mario Kart is a vehicle for fun with all your friends and family, no matter their individual skill, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best, most versatile version of that yet.

Even if you didn't really care about Battle Mode, the smallest changes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe refine an already great racing game. But the huge overhaul to the original's afterthought of a Battle Mode is a chaotic, varied opportunity to play very differently than in Grand Prix mode and well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch.

The definitive version of one of the greatest multiplayer games ever, with a vast array of courses, characters, and the best Battle mode since the SNES days.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a refinement rather than a remaster, but one that corrects the few flaws of its predecessor. It would be nice if there was just a bit more new content to help justify the full price release, or if you didn't have to unlock kart mods all over again, but for the foreseeable future, this is the definitive – and best – Mario Kart experience.