It all has to do with the new anti-gravity sections being introduced for the first time in the series. When I first saw Mario Kart 8’s anti-grav mechanic being shown at E3 2013, it seemed to me, more than anything else, a visual novelty. Racing along walls and ceilings and upside down on mobius strip-style tracks certainly looks impressive, but what does it actually add to the gameplay? Meeting with series producer Hideki Konno and director Kosuke Yabuki after playing the game recently though, they explained that racers colliding in these sections would--instead of slowing down--actually receive a speed boost.