
The biggest new gameplay feature of Mario Kart 8 is the anti-gravity mechanic which lets players race on the walls or ceiling in certain areas. Mario Kart TV also records Battle Mode matches. The game stores the last 12 full races which can then be edited and shared at the player's discretion. Slow motion effects can be applied during the editing process. Players can determine various parameters for the clips such as clip length (30 seconds, one minute, or the entire race), which character the camera follows, and specific race events to showcase such as stunts, item usage, or last minute victories. This clip can be edited and shared online via Miiverse and/or uploaded to the user's own YouTube account (in 720p).

Mario Kart TVĪfter finishing a race, players are shown an auto-generated clip of highlights from that race. Mario Kart 8 is the first title in the series to feature live instrumentation for select course themes. In three or four player splitscreen, the game runs at 30fps. The game runs at a native resolution of 720p and refreshes 60 frames per second in singleplayer and two player splitscreen. There is also local support for up to four player splitscreen races. Up to 12 players are able to compete in the game's online mode, including two local players using the same console. The Community features introduced in Mario Kart 7 make a return, letting players set up tournaments and group races with an expanded set of custom rules. Another new feature is Mario Kart TV which automatically creates a highlight reel of each race for users to share with their friends on Miiverse or YouTube.

Mario Kart 8 introduces gravity-based track design with vertical surfaces and upside down roads for the usual band of racers to drive on via magnetic wheels.
