Best Games to Play After Mario Kart 8 Deluxe iMore 2022
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe brings the classic racing game franchise to the Nintendo Switch, letting players control favorite characters from Mario Bros. titles and other Nintendo games. While it's best with a steering wheel controller, all you need is a set of Joy-Cons to challenge yourself and some friends to fun and silly competition. But if you're looking to change things up, there are plenty of other great Nintendo Switch games that will provide fresh thrills.
- Featured favorite: Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing
- Friendly competition: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Minigame madness: Super Mario Party
- Car talk: Gear.Club 2 Unlimited
- Disney driver: Cars 3: Driven to Win
- Double the fun: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Crash course: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
- Fat cat: Garfield Kart Furious Racing
- Cartoon competition: Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix
- Build an adventure: Super Mario Maker 2
- Hit the court: Mario Tennis Aces
- Squid kids: Splatoon 2

Featured favorite: Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing
This collection fuses the 2017 platform game, which celebrated Sonic's 25th anniversary, with the 2019 kart racing game so you can alternate between single-player or competitive fun. For Team Sonic Racing you can control one of 15 characters from the series collecting power-ups for your sports car.

Friendly competition: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Staff PickIf you love playing with friends using some of your favorite characters, you can get that same fun with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The brawling game lets two to four players compete loyally or online and features a huge roster of fighters unlocked through the single-player campaign.

Minigame madness: Super Mario Party
Challenge your friends in 80 minigames games including baseball, tricycle racing, and tank battles. There's plenty of strategy and tests of skills but also lots of goofy fun that will show off what the console and the Joy-Con controllers are capable of.

Car talk: Gear.Club 2 Unlimited
If you're looking for a more serious racing game, you might want to check out Gear.Club Unlimited, which lets you race around more than 200 tracks in sports cars from Mercedes, BMW, and other manufacturers. You can challenge other players in Derby mode or try off-roading.

Disney driver: Cars 3: Driven to Win
Fans of the Pixar movie can play 20 characters on just as many tracks based on the film. The six game modes let you challenge family and friends to races, picking up power-ups you can use to eliminate rival cars while pulling off stunts and tricks that will add to your own score.

Double the fun: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Up to three players can work together to save the Mushroom Kingdom in side-scrolling adventures with 164 platforming courses. Some of the characters are specifically geared towards younger, less-experienced players though if everyone's on the same page you can have plenty of fun jumping on and throwing your teammates.

Crash course: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Customize your car with items and skins and race online in this remaster of the 1999 game where you must reach the finish line by avoiding hazards and speeding up by jumping. The new version also features a Ring Rally, where you pass through rings to add time to your clock.

Fat cat: Garfield Kart Furious Racing
Up to four local players or eight people in online mode can compete across 16 circuits while trying to edge out the competition by gathering bonuses for their attacks and defense. Each of the characters has their own driving style which you can get to know while looking for secret shortcuts and powerful items.

Cartoon competition: Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix
Choose from 100 characters from Nickelodeon shows including SpongeBob SquarePants and The Legend of Korra that can be used as either racers or crew members who will help you win. Up to four local players or eight online ones can compete in two arenas or 28 tracks where you can win upgrades for your kart.

Build an adventure: Super Mario Maker 2
Design your own Super Mario side-scrolling courses that you can share with friends or check out the game's potential by playing through 100 already made versions. You can also team up with a friend to build together on the same console, using a wide variety of customization options and tools.

Hit the court: Mario Tennis Aces
Use your Joy-Con as a racquet and challenge your friends and family in singles or doubles matches using trick shots, slowing time, and breaking rackets. You can also play through a story mode where you'll level up Mario as he fights bosses and tries to stop Wario and Waluigi.

Squid kids: Splatoon 2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe added characters from Splatoon to the game. Play them on their own turf, the four vs. four action shooter where you try to blast your enemies with bright-colored ink. Customizing your character's clothes, weapons, and gear is a big part of the fun.

Mario is missing: Luigi's Mansion 3
Mario's brother must face his fears and navigate the themed floors of the Last Resort hotel solving puzzles and vacuuming up ghosts in order to save the day. Two players can team up playing Luigi and his doppelganger Gooigi, who can slip through spaces and move over spikes, or eight players can race the clock to clear objectives.
Start your engines
If you're looking for the best games to play after Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you'll find plenty of other excellent options on the Nintendo Switch. If you're hooked on kart racers and love getting to spend time with classic characters, Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing is a great option. You can also see Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails in their original element with a fresh version of SEGA's 2-D platformer.
Party game enthusiasts can't go wrong with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it's one of the best Nintendo Switch games and will offer a huge amount of fun as you try to unlock its huge cast of characters.
Another one of best games on the console, Splatoon 2 is a family-friendly shooter that lets you enjoy some friendly competition by covering everything in ink. No matter what you love about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, we hope this list will be helpful in figuring out what should dominate your Switch next!
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