Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an expanded version of the 2014 Wii U game, but on Switch it became such a dominant phenomenon that it now ranks among the best-selling video games in history. It adds all released DLC content, new racers and tracks, restores the battle mode with full-fledged arenas, and introduces two-player-per-kart racing, where one player steers and the other throws items. New assist features — Auto-Steer and Smart Steering — also made the Deluxe version a game a complete newcomer or child can handle without ruining the match for everyone else, which significantly contributed to its reputation as the ideal party game.

The foundation remains unchanged and immensely catchy: eight players duke it out on tracks full of shortcuts, anti-gravity sections, and classic obstacles like banana peels, shells, or the dreaded blue shell, which can flip an entire race in the final second. Anti-gravity isn't just a visual effect — the track curves along walls and ceilings, and bumping into an opponent in this mode speeds up both parties, so it pays to race in a pack. The roster includes dozens of characters from the Mario universe and beyond, each with its own stats affecting speed, acceleration, and weight, which combined with tuning the kart body, wheels, and glider creates a surprisingly deep build system that the tournament scene dissects down to the last digit.

In 2022 the game also received the paid Booster Course Pass expansion, which gradually added another 48 tracks from previous series entries in reworked graphics, pushing the total number of courses to a record number. Technically it's one of the cleanest titles on Switch — it holds a stable frame rate even in split-screen and looks practically as good in handheld mode as on a TV. It's precisely the combination of simple rules, chaotic multiplayer, and a huge amount of content that made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe an evergreen that has held its place at parties and professional tournaments alike for over seven years, and it still sells in the millions every year.