Just played this game for the first time today at a friends house. My favorite entry in the entire series was Double Dash, that game to me was perfection and was a highly skill based game. The physics and controls were perfect. Mario Kart DS was another amazing entry in my opinion. I thought the Wii game felt and played sloppy in general. I also thought the Wii game became more luck based than skill based. The 3DS game was decent, but nothing great.
I turned to the Sonic Racing series during this recent lull in quality Mario Karts. Racing Transformed ended up being one of the best Kart Racers ever, and I just assumed Mario Kart would never reach the same highs it once did.
Mario Kart 8, this is a true return to the amazing series I once knew. Pristine visuals, perfect controls, skill based gameplay, great physics, what a wonderful racing game. Unlike the Wii game, I felt myself improving and was getting better as I played more and more, my losses were mainly based on my skill as a player, not my luck with getting hit by items. It's all about control. This is easily the best Wii U game out there and is one of the best Mario Kart games ever.
Glad to see this series back to what it used to be.