Just started the show but I had to get this out before I forget again. All this talk about Mario Kart saving the Wii U yet I haven't heard anyone mention how the game uses the the gamepad other than for off-screen play or a map, but nothing so important it has to have the gamepad. It just makes me that much more frustrated Nintendo didn't make a solid console as powerful as the One or the PS4 but it plays Nintendo games. Does anyone else think the gamepad is holding the system back when even the so-called savior of the system doesn't need it?

If you address it later on in the show, I apologize, but that was just on my mind. And before I get called a hater, I do own a Wii U and plan on getting Mario Kart at some point, I even like when the gamepad is used in interesting ways, but I wouldn't miss those few occasions of the gamepad being cool if it meant the system as a whole were more powerful and could support new third party games.

I'm iffy on the gamepad. It keeps the main screen very clean as most of the UI elements are on the gamepad such as who is in what place and the map. You can also switch to a giant horn button (whatever) or a simulcast of what is on the screen. I find though that while I'm playing, I RARELY look at it, it's just hard when i'm trying to race!

I think I expressed this better on OLR, but it was a real missed opportunity not to have a 2 player mode with one on gamepad one on television. Even Sonic All-Stars racing, a launch title, did this. I hear it was omitted for performance issues but... in my opinion that doesn't excuse it's absence, just explains it.

That's right you did talk about the gamepad a little on OLR. I forgot because it was more of a discussion of what the gamepad didn't do. I also liked Loki's idea of having selected messages you could tap on to have appear in chat bubbles while you're racing, like pre-loaded phrases or fun taunts or something.

I agree with the huge missed opportunity on 2 player gamepad mode. I hadn't heard that sonic racing had that. How were they able to technically pull it off but Nintendo can't?

I was so mad I forgot to email the show about my Marvel Puzzle Quest experiences (probably because I was so engrossed in Marvel Puzzle Quest at the time) and now I have to wait two weeks to email you guys! Well, even though I haven't been able to participate with the show in a while, I'm glad I still came up in the conversation about three times and I inspired the episode title. :P

It was a good episode this week, a whole lot of love for Mario Kart 8, And very deserving of it. :)