Nintendo Switch Review: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Booster Course Pass

All extra tracks are now added, so let’s take a look at the whole package:

Mario Kart 8 originally launched on the Wii U and would be packaged with all DLC for the Switch when it released shorly after the console/handheld hybrid launched. A few years have passed and most thought about when we would see the next entry in the Mario Kart series. We got the answer with Mario Kart Tour for Android/iOS but then the news came that we wouldn’t be getting a new Mario Kart for Switch but instead, 48 extra courses added as DLC and 8 new playable characters with the Booster Course Pass.

The Booster Course Pass can be purchased separately for £22.49 or you can grab it for no additional cost if you are have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. Below are a list of all additional courses and characters included with the Booster Course Pass:

New Tracks

  • Golden Dash Cup
    • Paris Promenade (Tour)
    • Toad Circuit (3DS)
    • Choco Mountain (N64)
    • Coconut Mall (Wii)
  • Lucky Cat Cup
    • Tokyo Blur (Tour)
    • Shroom Ridge (3DS)
    • Sky Garden (GBA)
    • Ninja Hideaway
  • Turnip Cup
    • New York Minute (Tour)
    • Mario Circuit 3 (SNES)
    • Kalimari Desert (N64)
    • Waluigi Pinball (DS)
  • Propeller Cup
    • Sydney Sprint (Tour)
    • Snow Land (GBA)
    • Mushroom Gorge (Wii)
    • Sky-High Sundae
  • Rock Cup
    • London Loop (Tour)
    • Boo Lake (GBA)
    • Rock Rock Mountain (3DS)
    • Maple Treeway (Wii)
  • Moon Cup
    • Berlin Byways (Tour)
    • Peach Gardens (DS)
    • Merry Mountain
    • Rainbow Road (3DS)
  • Fruit Cup
    • Amsterdam Drift (Tour)
    • Riverside Park (GBA)
    • DK Summit (Wii)
    • Yoshi’s Island
  • Boomerang Cup
    • Bangkok Rush (Tour)
    • Mario Circuit (DS)
    • Waluigi Stadium (GCN)
    • Singapore Speedway (Tour)
  • Feather Cup
    • Athens Dash (Tour)
    • Daisy Cruiser (GCN)
    • Moonview Highway (Wii)
    • Squeaky Clean Sprint
  • Cherry Cup
    • Los Angeles Laps (Tour)
    • Sunset Wilds (GBA)
    • Koopa Cape (Wii)
    • Vancouver Velocity (Tour)
  • Acorn Cup
    • Rome Avanti (Tour)
    • DK Mountain (GCN)
    • Daisy Circuit (Wii)
    • Piranha Plant Cove
  • Spiny Cup
    • Madrid Drive (Tour)
    • Rosalina’s Ice World (3DS)
    • Bowser Castle 3 (SNES)
    • Rainbow Road (Wii)

New Characters

Birdo

Petey Piranha

Wiggler

Kamek

Diddy Kong

Funky Kong

Pauline

Peachette

Alongside the base game of 48 tracks, the Booster Course Pass gives an additional 48 tracks so if you are after the ultimate Mario Kart experience, then this nets you a total of 96 courses. The base game has some incredible tracks and even characters from other Nintendo franchises like Link from the Legend of Zelda or the Villager from Animal Crossing. There’s even a few F-Zero tracks too.

Add that with the Booster Course Pass which contains a huge backlog of remastered tracks from the SNES, N64, GBA, Gamecube, DS, Wii, 3DS games as well as Mario Kart Tour and a few original tracks to boot and you have one impressive package. I do wonder what’s next for the franchise now that there’s this version that has so much content. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Switch successor gets a 4K port of MK8 Deluxe with all the DLC from the Booster Course Pass. It would make a lot of sense and would likely sell even more as when the game launched on Switch.

The Verdict

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was already an incredible package with 48 tracks and dozens of playable characters and customisable vehicles. The Booster Course Pass doubles the track list and adds more drivers to the mix. If you can get both, then this is the ultimate package for Mario Kart fans.

Score: 9.0