The latest round of DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been released, bringing fresh content to the fan-favorite racing title. As the name suggests, this is the fourth wave of content, with two more content due to be released before the end of the year. And like the previous three rounds, this eight-track collection is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Wave 4 introduces Fruit Cups and Boomerang Cups. We’ve become accustomed to starting a new set by traveling through a real city. This time we’re going through the streets of Amsterdam and Bangkok with Singapore’s third bonus city to close out the Boomerang Cup. These twisty, fast-paced circuits take our own world and blend it nicely with Mario’s world.
This wave marks the first appearance of a GameCube entry in DLC. There are many great tracks to choose from, and future DLC may add even more. For the rest of this wave, we draw inspiration from classic DS, GBA, and Wii outings.
At the end of Fruit Cup, something special is revealed in the form of an all-new track. It’s one thing to get upgrades from past titles, but playing a completely original course is surprising and very welcome, especially when it features Yoshi’s adorable world.
With that in mind, let’s take a step back and analyze the eight most recent additions to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
fruit cup
Tour Amsterdam Drift
Fruit Cup begins with a scenic tour of Amsterdam. The city is bursting with color, from the tulips that line the streets to the ornate buildings in the background. The circuit will take you past windmills, trams, street bikes and even the famous canals that run through the city. The twists and turns will keep you on your toes, but this track feels fresh, fun, and slightly less chaotic than its previous city outings.
GBA Riverside Park
This gorgeous track winds through a tree-lined park in the late afternoon. The setting sun creates the perfect atmosphere for a race like this, complete with bridges to cross, tight turns and piranha plants to avoid. Somehow, it’s still a relaxed hustle and bustle, but the updated visuals make this almost unrecognizable from its GBA origins.
WiiDK Summit
This classic course, inspired by the popular Mario Kart Wii, takes you back to the slopes through snow-capped mountains. It’s a desperately fast-paced circuit, with towering peaks, sudden drops and nasty shy guys skiing right in front of you, especially as you sprint towards the end. Watch out for those slow zones too!
Yoshi’s Island
This brand new track dates back to 1995 when Yoshi’s Island was released for the SNES. It serves as an homage to that platformer, with visual and audio cues from the game. There are many references to this cute title, including a faded visual style reminiscent of . The question has his mark flying, not to mention his Shy Guys on stilts, and even the music of the game itself. This is a fun, forested world hopping game that’s just right for your nostalgic bones. It’s a tough race to win!
boomerang cup
tour bangkok rush
Our tour around Bangkok features forks that take you up and down the streets of the city. With temples, statues, palm trees, and buildings as a backdrop, there’s plenty to take in. The winding route goes through bodies of water with many jumps, railway stations and huge monuments to avoid. There’s so much to see as a tourist in this town, but you’ll have to play multiple times to see it all!
DS Mario Circuit
There’s nothing like the classic Mario Circuit tracks to fill your roster. There are all kinds of obstacles on the road. Goombas flaunts his stuff, Piranha Plants shoot fireballs, and his giant Wiggler is waiting to block your path. The DS version also looked good at the time, but this new work is so beautiful that the colors pop out of the screen. Another fun course.
GCN Waluigi Stadium
Finally, a track from the classic Double Dash. This muddy race dates back to his 2003. A giant piranha he had a plant and a spinning fireball. Did I mention all the mud? The entire course is covered in brown sludge. This is clearly something Waluigi enjoys, making for slippery, slimy levels with lots of twists and turns. It can be tedious, but it can also be a lot of fun.
Tour Singapore Speedway
This might be one of the best city tracks ever. Set in Singapore, Mario Kart is a neon-filled mayhem in a futuristic cityscape. There are sprawling buildings, colorful bridges and even a tall pool with floating goombas. Of course, the famous Merlion statue also appeared. This domineering level really shines and is a great way to close out the Boomerang Cup.
Wave 4 brings even more of that sweet racing goodness to this near-perfect game. It’s hard to criticize something so fun and fresh. In fact, the only glaring downside is that he’s now in his final two waves. I hope Nintendo has more plans for Mario Kart after this year is over.
For now, DLC will continue to bring the game to life as the roster of available tracks continues to grow. Colorful courses, great sounds, and addictive gameplay make Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the strongest in the series and one of the strongest in the entire Switch title.
If you somehow haven’t had the chance to play the new tracks, it’s a simple process. With 4 waves now available, a whopping 32 additional tracks are available. Additionally, if you are a subscriber to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, these courses are already included in that package.