Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Finally Gets A Release Date
After much speculation, we finally know the full contents of the second wave of Nintendo's "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" Booster Course Pass. Nintendo announced the Booster Course Pass earlier this year, promising to deliver 48 remastered and all-new tracks for fans to enjoy — but it didn't launch these tracks all at the same time. Instead, Nintendo adopted a staggered release approach, meaning that it split the courses into six waves. Paying upfront for the DLC grants you access to all of them, so whether you've already paid for it or are planning to do so now, you'll be able to enjoy these new tracks starting from August 4, 2022.
When Nintendo revealed the idea for the "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" DLC, the response from the fanbase was a little mixed — after all, many were hoping for a "Mario Kart 9" instead. A true Nintendo Switch (and previously Wii U, and even before that — most of Nintendo's other consoles) staple, "Mario Kart" is certainly nothing less than a fan favorite, but this iteration of the game has been around for years, having been released in 2014. However, instead of making a perhaps not-so-impressive game from scratch for the same console, Nintendo opted to instead refresh the current title with many new tracks.
The Booster Course Pass can be obtained in two ways: you can either buy it directly from the Nintendo Shop for the price of $24.99 for all 48 tracks, or you can buy a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. The latter nets you more goodies, such as access to various DLCs like one for "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," but it costs $49.99 for a year, and you will have to re-subscribe if you want to keep playing the new tracks once your first year is up.
Wave 2 brings back some iconic races
Nintendo detailed all of the upcoming eight courses in a press release shared on BusinessWire as well as in the video embedded above. There are some tried-and-true races that we've already seen on other platforms or in other games, but there's also a brand-new racetrack called Sky-High Sundae, which will later be added to the "Mario Kart Tour" mobile game. The delightfully sweet Sky-High Sundae seems to serve as the crown jewel of the second wave of tracks, getting the most screen time in the trailer by far. The course appears to be snappy, with lots of jumps and sharp turns across a sweet-themed loop.
The new courses are split into two cups: the Turnip Cup and the Propeller Cup. The former includes the following races: Tour New York Minute, SNES Mario Circuit 3, N64 Kalimari Desert, and DS Waluigi Pinball, while the latter features Tour Sydney Spring, GBA Snow Land, Wii Mushroom Gorge, and the aforementioned Sky-High Sundae.
The update serves up a good mix of racetracks for the fans to enjoy. There are some urban races, some iconic courses that are making a comeback from a distant past, and the Sky-High Sundae that serves as the cherry on top. Nintendo hasn't said when we can expect to see the third wave. Considering that the first one launched in March 2022 and the second one follows in August, it seems to be safe to assume that Wave 3 will arrive sometime in early 2023.