Mario Kart 8
A Nintendo kart racing game with items and tracks.
Where Mario Kart 8 comes up2 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testMaking Games Better for Players with Motor Disabilities | Designing for Disability
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testAdaptive Soundtracks in GamesMario Kart 8 shows how small design choices serve both accessibility and feel. Auto-accelerate lets karts drive forward without holding a button, an example of offering toggles over held inputs. On Mount Wario, four songs crossfade at invisible trip wires, scoring the race cinematically at any speed. Lesson: reduce physical demands and tie audio to player position. The sources give no performance numbers.
- 1Mountain descentFirst song plays at the start
- 2CaveTrip wire crossfades to the cave song
- 3TreesFrantic violin piece takes over
- 4Run to finishFinal song crossfades in
From Game Maker's Toolkit
What was said about Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 can drive the kart forward without a held button. Mario Kart 8 has an option that makes karts accelerate by themselves, so players don't have to hold accelerate for a whole race. This removes a sustained button hold that some players with motor disabilities cannot manage.
The Game Maker's Toolkit video on motor disabilities uses it as an example of offering toggles instead of requiring held buttons: "forcing a player to hold down a button can make a game completely inaccessible to those with certain disabilities."
Mount Wario scores the race by crossfading four songs at invisible trip wires. Triggers along the track crossfade into a different song for each section, so the music fits the scenery and action at any speed. It feels like a live orchestra following the player.
The four pieces are the mountain descent, the cave, a frantic violin piece for the trees, and the run to the finish. Game Maker's Toolkit calls it a very simple trick with a big cinematic payoff.
Making Games Better for Players with Motor Disabilities | Designing for Disability
It can make karts drive forward by themselves, so players need not hold accelerate for a whole race.
Mario Kart 8 can drive the kart forward without a held button. Mario Kart 8 has an option that makes karts accelerate by themselves, so players don't have to hold accelerate for a whole race. This removes a sustained button hold that some players with motor disabilities cannot manage.
The Game Maker's Toolkit video on motor disabilities uses it as an example of offering toggles instead of requiring held buttons: "forcing a player to hold down a button can make a game completely inaccessible to those with certain disabilities."
Adaptive Soundtracks in Games
Mount Wario has four songs that crossfade as you cross invisible lines on the track. It works at any speed and feels like a live orchestra following you.
Mount Wario scores the race by crossfading four songs at invisible trip wires. Triggers along the track crossfade into a different song for each section, so the music fits the scenery and action at any speed. It feels like a live orchestra following the player.
The four pieces are the mountain descent, the cave, a frantic violin piece for the trees, and the run to the finish. Game Maker's Toolkit calls it a very simple trick with a big cinematic payoff.
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