Skip to main content

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s next DLC drop adds some of the series’ best courses

Nintendo revealed the full lineup of tracks players can expect from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass Wave 3 in a new trailer, and it includes some of my personal favorites from the entire series.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass Wave 3 features the following eight courses across the new Rock Cup and Moon Cup tournaments.

  • Tour London Loop
  • GBA Boo Lake
  • 3DS Rock Rock Mountain
  • Wii Maple Treeway
  • Tour Berlin Byways
  • DS Peach Garden
  • Merry Mountain
  • 3DS Rainbow Road
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass - Wave 3 Release Date - Nintendo Switch

Although this batch doesn’t contain any new courses like Wave 2 did, the ones Nintendo picked for Wave 3 are some of the series’ best. Wii Maple Treeway is one of the most aesthetically pleasing Mario Kart levels ever thanks to its vibrant, yet cozy autumn colors. DS Peach Garden always was a joy to race through because it felt like the track gave us a look at an important, but not always thoroughly explored part of the Mushroom Kingdom. And 3DS Rainbow Road stands are one of the series’ most ambitious tracks ever, as players race across entire planets and moons over the course of the race.

Recommended Videos

Overall, those three specific courses nail the track design and atmosphere that make for an amazing Mario Kart course, so it’s great to see all three included in HD on a console for the first time. Tour London Loop, GBA Boo Lake, Tour Berlin Byways, and Merry Mountain all weren’t too shabby in Mario Kart Tour either, so Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass Wave 3 might be the all-around best DLC we’ve gotten for the game yet.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available for Nintendo Switch. The Booster Course Pass can be purchased on its own for $25, but it is also included in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

Tomas Franzese
As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Mario Kart 9 isn’t happening yet, but 8 is getting new DLC
An old Mario course appears in Mario Kart 8.

Nintendo didn't show a sequel to Mario Kart 8 during February's Direct, but players will have no reason to put the game down any time soon. Instead of a sequel, Mario Kart 8 will be getting 48 new courses as paid DLC.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC – Nintendo Switch

Read more
Knock several seconds off your Mario Kart 8 Deluxe runs with these shortcuts
Link pops a trick on Cheese Land.

Shortcuts have been an integral part of the Mario Kart franchise since the very beginning, but as the series has progressed, the shortcuts have become less pronounced. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you aren't going to find any ridiculous paths that seriously cut down the length of a track, but there are still plenty of less-traveled points of interest to help you reach the finish line ahead of the competition.

This shortcut guide is in alphabetical order by track name and shows all of the prominent shortcuts across the game's 48 tracks. Naturally, you can cut corners and use a mushroom to go off-road and create additional, situational shortcuts. With many tracks featuring multiple routes, you should always test out new openings to see which ones work for you.

Read more
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe beginner’s guide
Mario and skeleton Bowser racing on the track.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is better than ever on Nintendo Switch. While returning vets may be able to find success from just jumping in and racing, there are a few notable changes from the Wii U version that might trip you up, whether you're a newcomer or expert.
Seeing as how Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the bestselling Nintendo Switch game, it certainly has a massive audience -- some of whom might be struggling to get a grasp of playing the game. In this guide, we'll teach you about many of Mario Kart 8's mechanics, offering tips to shave time off your laps -- hopefully getting you closer to first place. Here's our list of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tips and tricks.

Recommended reading:

Read more