Mario Kart 8 might arguably be the best entry in the series, thanks to its wide variety of courses, both old and new; zero-gravity features, and overall polish.
While most fans of the series were expecting a new entry on the Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a perfectly serviceable re-release—adding a lot of accessibility features and Splatoon’s Inkling as a new driver. While fans will have to wait a little longer for Mario Kart 9, Nintendo is planning to add some new courses to keep Mario Kart 8 Deluxe fresh for a while longer.
Announced during the Feb 9th, 2022 Nintendo Direct, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will receive the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pass, which will be paid DLC offering six “waves” of courses by the end of 2023. Each wave will feature eight courses, remastered from previous entries in the Mario Kart franchise for a total of 48 courses.
Some of the courses featured in the announcement were Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii, Choco Mountain from Mario Kart 64, and Tokyo Blur from Mario Kart: World Tour. The full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pass will cost $24.99USD (roughly $31.67CAD) but will also be made available through the Nintendo Online Expansion Pass subscription.
This will mark the second time in Mario Kart 8’s lifecycle that it received paid DLC—in the form of the Wii U version’s inclusion of The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing characters and select courses. While excited fans may be disappointed to learn there probably won’t be a new Mario Kart on the horizon for a while, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still stands as a landmark entry in the franchise; and some fresh content would be perfect for it.
