Mario Kart 8 has a neat new feature called "Mario Kart Television" that is a surprisingly big deal in the game.
In fact, when you finish a race, the default option is no longer "Continue" or "Next Race"--it's "View Highlight Reel." These auto-generated clips are one of the best new additions to the series, allowing you to quickly relive the best moments of your race. Even better, they allow players to toggle "slow-mo" on and off, which can be both hilarious and beautiful at the same time.
The game offers a video menu of these clips, too, right off the home menu: you can view your recent clips, watch clips of your friends, or even browse really popular clips from around the globe. With your own clips, you can even adjust the settings: length, character focus, highlight focus (action, items, big hits, etc.) in case the initial reel isn't quite to your liking. Most of the time, the game gets it right, but I've managed to make a few clips better by messing with the options.
The smartest thing of all, though, is that Nintendo allows these to be shared outside of the game with a direct YouTube upload integration. This is brilliant, and decidedly un-Nintendo (in an awesome way). It shows that they've been paying attention to the popularity of Twitch and "Let's Play" videos, and it really plays into the fan service mentality that Mario Kart has always embodied, anyway. And, since YouTube might be purchasing Twitch, anyway, I like that Nintendo has cut straight to the chase, especially since YouTube can reach a broader audience.
With all of that mind, I wanted to share a few of my first videos with the game. If you're anything like me, you love wiping out other racers, so I've chosen each of these clips based on that criteria. Enjoy!
SUNSHINE AIRPORT: LUDWIG VON KOOPA
Probably my favorite clip so far--this one features Ludwig von Koopa shooting an amazing ricocheting green shell at Waluigi in Sunshine Airport as he comes off the baggage claim area. This track really reminds me of Coconut Mall in terms of melding real-world locations with Mushroom Kingdom characters. It's an early favorite, for sure.
CLOUDTOP CRUISE: KOOPA
Koopa finally gets revenge on Mario after all those years of mistreatment in this clip--twice! Of course, this is Cloudtop Cruise, so expect some high-flying acrobatics as well. Who says turtles can't be fast?
TOAD HARBOR: LAKITU
In a mind-bending move, Mario Kart 8 lets players race as Lakitu even though he still manages the starting line and picking anyone up who falls off the course. Here's a video of me as Lakitu on Toad Harbor (which may remind you of San Francisco, if you've ever visited). Again, Waluigi gets the short end of the stick.
Do you have your own favorite clips so far? Feel free to share any awesome YouTube links in the comments section below!