Originally published on May 29, 2014 on Pixelitis.net.

I know what you’re thinking. Mario Kart 8? There’s that many of them?

With the Mario Kart franchise reaching its 22nd anniversary this year, you’d think it would look and feel stale by now. But in typical Nintendo fashion, Mario Kart 8 rejuvenates the series, this time debuting in high definition.

And it sure looks pretty.

It’s no lie that Mario Kart’s first foray into HD is a welcome upgrade, but a bigger question has been lingering in my head since its reveal at E3 2013 last year. Does this new iteration shake things up in a novel way a la Double Dash!!, or does it settle for its track record (pun fully intended) of enjoyable yet decidedly safe and unwavering design?