Nintendo's 'goal' for Mario Kart 3D: eight-player online

by JC Fletcher on Jun 10th 2011 8:30PM

Mario Kart 3D has more improvements in store than just hanggliders bolted to the backs of all the cars. It currently features eight-player local wireless racing, and, if everything goes as planned, it'll feature eight-player online as well.

Joystiq asked Mario Kart 3D producer Hideki Konno if the kart racer would feature online play, and he responded "Of course!" Though the current online configuration isn't quite set, "our goal right now is to have the same number of players for both local wireless and multiplayer over wi-fi." The bottleneck at the moment is making sure the game can handle smooth 60FPS frame rate with eight players in both online and offline, 2D and 3D.

Tags: e3-2011, hideki-konno, mario-kart, mario-kart-3ds, mario-kart-7, online

Reader Comments (48)

256 would be better.

@Special Agent Steve
That was a MAG joke btw. Guess it didn't go over very well...

@Special Agent Steve

MKG

Massive Karting Game

@Special Agent Steve
How about 8 player online WITH voice enabled? I don't think Nintendo will ever do that.

@tendoboy1984

That's a bot. You're wasting your time.

If they get smooth, 8-player online working, it's a day one buy.

@False

I will buy it day one regardless

The jaggies really make me sad. It's very noticable when playing my 3DS too. Since I carry around an iphone 4 all the time, the resolution drop is visually jarring. Even moreso than playing non-retina games on my phone.

Oh well. Looking forward to Mario Kart though, jaggies and all. MKDS still looks good in motion because it's 60fps

@arrrdawg Jaggies are mostly due to the fact that the picture isn't in the native 3DS resolution.

@skeldare
Yep, after watching a trailer for this game, the anti-aliasing seemed to be pretty good. A big step up from Mario Kart DS (which was never bad to begin with).

@Special Agent Steve

Mario Kart DS didn't have heavy aliasing, did it? Actually, I can't think of any original DS game that did.

@Esposch
Actually, the Legend of Zelda games had pretty good AA. I wouldn't call it heavy, but far from "jaggedy".

I hate it when playing online for Mario Kart DS, you FINALLY get someone to race with and everyone is set to go, them BOOM. Someone disconnects. Fan-fkn-tastic.

I kinda figured it would be a given. Kart Wii had 12 and I maxed my rank several times because of it!

Shows that it is weaker than Wii, at least, but i would certainly appreciate 8. 4 feels like too few

@Mr Khan was there any doubt that it wasn't as powerful as Wii, though? It's less powerful than your average smartphone. Even the first iPhone beats it out by about twice the horsepower.

@Mr Khan

Yeah well online modes in smash bros & Mario kart wii were turrerrible. Funny that call of duty has the best online experience on Wii. Maybe the ole N will finally get this interwebs thing the kids are talking about down.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

WTF are you talking about? Mario Kart Wii is one of the best online experiences on Wii. It even had its own Wii Channel you could access from the main menu.

Wait a sec... I'm trying to rationalize with McPoop, one of the biggest Nintendo haters/Sony pipe suckers this side of the internet.

@scy1192

Let me guess; you used MHz to determine that it's twice as powerful, right?

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

Nope. Mario Kart Wii had by far the best online mode. Goldeneye is a close second.

@Co

Rationalize: Attempt to explain or justify (one's own or another's behavior or attitude) with plausible reasons ***even if these are not true*** or appropriate.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

ahahahhahahashahh bwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahhaah I'd forgotten all about those pics, geeze, those from years ago?

But yeah, you're way off base. Musta been some issue that somehow only struck you. Kart Wii was hands down the best online experience I have ever come across on the Wii, always worked absolutely beautifully for me and my friends.

@Mr Khan

Mario Kart Wii had an extremely streamlined online mode... finding people that weren't ridiculously talented or cheaters were another story (instant bullet bill mod!!!).

I really hope it's 60 FPS, with 3D on. That would be impressive.

@XRZ36

Don't set yourself up for disappointment.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

Hoping doesn't set people up for disappointment; expecting does. Yes, even low expectations, which are actually even worse.

@GrayHero

Stop splitting hairs.

And I hope there's no snaking anymore. So hopefully they'll use the power sliding method from Mario Kart Wii.

@yab
Seems like the boosting mechanism is going to be more like that of the DS version than the Wii version according to ign: http://ds.ign.com/articles/117/1174809p1.html

Personally I think that's a good thing. I wasn't a great "snaker," but I had a lot more fun with that boost mechanism compared to the less satisfying Wii version's boosting.

@darkquota

That had better not be true. If there is snaking, i won't play online period, as i refuse to do it.

@darkquota

I'm sad to say it, but that IGN article by Ms. Drake is blatantly false. I wish it were true, but as of right now it's not. I just got back from playing Mario Kart at E3 yesterday and I can tell you that it definitely has Mario Kart Wii-style boosting. Sorry.

On a brighter note I can also report that the game was absolutely awesome.

@darkquota

I will be pissed if there is snaking. I was amazing at it, but it took away from a lot of the fun. Unless you are playing with an entire group that can all snake, some people will be left completely in the dust

@yab

Snaking was a joke that nearly completely broke the online experience. Soooo many douchebags...

@darkquota

I totally agree with you.

http://www.dublinholisticmassage.com/

If eight players is a goal nowadays, you need to remove any online player interaction. You fail too hard at it obviously.

@Schlecht do you really think mario kart is that good with, say, 16 players? no. the courses would have to be wider and would definitely not be as fun. let's use our brains here, nintendo haters.

@XRZ36

Mario Kart has always used 8 racers, even in single-player mode.

Did they just say this is 8 player offline as well? How do they achieve this? Is this like system linking? I'm confused and excited at the same time!

@Baron Samedi
Yeah, you can link systems up through wifi. Just like the regular ds.

My bad I jumped to conclusions (office space reference). I was thinking this was for the WiiU. Excitement now depleted.

So once Ocarina of Time 3D and Mario Kart 3D come out then the we can say...

"IT PRINTS MONEY!"

@tendoboy1984

Possibly. I think the bigger test will be holiday sales compare to PSVita ... assuming Vita actually launches in North American before Christmas.

I hope they still have the download play feature. That was killer.

8 players? That's good news.
Mario kart Wii having 12 racers actually really unbalanced the whole experience, high-tier weapons became common place among the low ranks, especially the likes of blue shells.

I really hope there is as much content as Mario kart wii and DS.

And for Gawd's sake make some good battle arenas. I want tight mazes, full of ramps and bridges and not big flat open areas (like most of the god awful Double Dash levels).

What is it 2003?

WOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!! 8 whole players.

What's wrong with 8? Nintendo elaborated on this, their goal is 8 players online with 60 fps in 3D.

I'm more concerned that the game will be really watered down. They took out snaking (For better) and now bikes, so I don't see it being very in depth.

I don't see the huge issue with "jaggies." Is it really that distracting from a game?

"Goddamit, I can't focus because my gun's edges are too unrealistic! It's hard to see my opponents through geometric shadows!"

You've dealt with it for so long, why start complaining now? Especially for a handheld game?

Mario Kart 7

Nintendo's 'goal' for Mario Kart 3D: eight-player online

Reader Comments (48)

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 8:30PM Special Agent Steve said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:45PM Special Agent Steve said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:49PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 8:36AM teeftwo said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 8:32PM False said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 1:40AM Brodo said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 8:34PM arrrdawg said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 8:49PM skeldare said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 9:02PM Special Agent Steve said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:33PM Esposch said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 12:59AM Special Agent Steve said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 8:47PM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 9:13PM ND92 said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 9:16PM Mr Khan said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 9:47PM scy1192 said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:48PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:29PM Co said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:50PM GrayHero said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 7:21AM Tihn said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 1:46PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 2:19PM MarkezJM said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 4:15PM Tab said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 9:20PM XRZ36 said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:49PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:53PM GrayHero said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 1:47PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 9:44PM yab said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:09PM darkquota said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:24PM Mr Khan said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 12:47AM Bighouse said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 1:42AM Brodo said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 2:21PM MarkezJM said

Posted: Sep 4th 2011 5:29PM holisticmassagedublin said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:35PM Schlecht said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:39PM XRZ36 said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:55PM tendoboy1984 said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:42PM Baron Samedi said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:10PM pizzafreak360 said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 10:48PM Baron Samedi said

Posted: Jun 10th 2011 11:53PM tendoboy1984 said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 12:57PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 3:10AM ARRoobs said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 6:42AM RupeeClock said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 11:15AM TwEE said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 3:11PM Gandalf the Grey said

Posted: Jun 11th 2011 7:07PM Jamaican1231 said

Posted: Jun 12th 2011 1:19AM ND92 said

Posted: Jun 12th 2011 3:21PM EliminatorZigma said

Mario Kart 7 Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW