So I was at a store here, and...

[A Black Falcon]

Well, that's where I differ. I had great fun with this game, and think it's one of the best in the series.

It may be (currently MK64 is my favorite with MKWii probably in second, but I haven't played much of this yet), but all of the Mario Kart games are random like that to some extent so it's how the series works. Luck matters about as much as skill, frustratingly. And the 4-track-circuit design with no saving amplifies that issue in the single player mode because of having to repeatedly replay earlier tracks to get to the harder later ones.

Yes, I think the red and blue shells have become more and more overpowered and unavoidable as the series has gone on, but the tracks and the handling are as good as they've ever been.

The handling in MK games has always been a bit too skiddy, though. It's worst in the first game (SNES SMK does not have good controls...), and newer ones give you more options to make things better with all the kart and wheel options, but still, tighter controls would be great. Most of the newer tracks are designed around the controls being as they are, admittedly, but it is an issue sometimes in some tracks, and in most of the SNES classic courses.

On that note, given how many changes they made to the "classic" courses in this game, wouldn't it be better to say that they are new tracks inspired by these classic tracks, rather than actual classic tracks? Heh. I like most of the changes, but they are hardly true to the originals.

They even brought back the coins as another thing to collect to make sure you're hitting top speed.

What's good about coins? I've never liked them. In a game as luck-based as this, punishing you even further for the random chance of being hit, by taking away some of your speed in the form of coins, is inordinately cruel! My first impression would be that the coins make this game worse more than they do better.