mario kart – Trekking with Dennis

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tier List: Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, I put all 48 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s racetracks into an internet-friendly tier list! But the Booster Course Pass has seen the launch of another 48 racetracks over the past couple of years, and now that the sixth and final wave has landed, it’s time to give each one a ranking!

The same rules apply as last time: racetracks will be given one of six rankings from F-tier at the bottom to S-tier at the top, and I’ll be basing their positions on criteria such as track layout, theming, music, and just how much fun I have with each one overall. Racetracks I hate or never choose to play will be at or near the bottom, and the ones I adore will be close to the top.

So what was the state of play when we ranked the first set of racetracks? I’m glad you asked!

F-tier: three racetracks,
D-tier: five racetracks,
C-tier: ten racetracks,
B-tier: twelve racetracks,
A-tier: twelve racetracks,
S-tier: six racetracks.

You can see the first tier list above, complete with all of the racetracks we ranked last time. If you want to check out the full list, including my comments on all of the above tracks, you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

I’ve enjoyed the Booster Course Pass on the whole. The decision to release racetracks in waves was fun, and gave me a reason to keep dipping back into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. There have also been some wonderful inclusions from past games, as well as some wild new additions to the Mario Kart series. All in all, the Booster Course Pass has been good fun, and feels like good value for the asking price. When you consider you’re doubling the amount of racetracks from the base game, as well as getting a few new characters, the cost definitely seems reasonable to me!

Racetracks will be listed in the order in which they appear in the game, beginning with Wave 1 and ending with Wave 6. Each track will be given a tier ranking of either F, D, C, B, A, or S, and I’ll provide my reason(s) for my decision. Please keep in mind that not only is this just one person’s subjective take on the Booster Course Pass… but also that this is just for fun. If you hate all of my choices, that’s totally fine!

With all of that out of the way, let’s rank some racetracks!

Tour Paris Promenade (Golden Dash Cup)
Tier: A

Paris Promenade is a wonderful encapsulation of everything Paris wants to be, and in that sense it’s the exemplar of what Mario Kart Tour aimed to achieve with these city-themed tracks. Having visited Paris as a tourist (with a friend acting as a local guide) I have to say that the city itself is probably the worst I’ve ever had the misfortune to visit; it’s an absolute dump. But its idealised version makes for a fun racetrack, and hits all of the tourist hotspots that you’d expect, including the iconic Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées.

I also absolutely love the accordion melody that accompanies the track; it feels wonderfully French!

3DS Toad Circuit (Golden Dash Cup)
Tier: B

Toad Circuit gets a lot of stick from people who say it’s “boring,” but I actually don’t mind it. It was a great first track to introduce new players to Mario Kart 7, and it’s been recreated in more or less its original form here. It was a solid track then, and it remains a solid track now. It’s a pretty basic layout set at a modern raceway – much like other tracks from other games with the “Circuit” name. But there’s nothing wrong with it at all, and I’m perfectly content to race through it.

Decent music, decent theming, and a decent layout come together to make a racetrack that’s… well, decent.

N64 Choco Mountain (Golden Dash Cup)
Tier: D

I felt that Choco Mountain stood out on the Nintendo 64… but this recreation feels decidedly mediocre. The all-brown colour palette manages to feel more akin to dirt than the titular chocolate, and I just don’t find much visual interest in the racetrack or its theming. There aren’t any really challenging points that are fun to master, and this is one of those racetracks where there isn’t one glaring flaw… but rather a lot of smaller things all come together to make it unappealing.

Nice bluegrassy music, though.

Wii Coconut Mall (Golden Dash Cup)
Tier: S

Coconut Mall is elevated to S-tier thanks in no small part to an absolutely amazing soundtrack! Honestly, the musical accompaniment to this racetrack is one of the best in the entire Mario Kart series, and I love the upbeat, fun energy that it brings. Coconut Mall is a fun setting in its own right, with a cartoony shopping centre to race through that’s something a bit different from other offerings in the game. There are plenty of twists, turns, and jumps – and the conversion of the final ramp into a glider section was a great way to update this track with newer Mario Kart mechanics.

There are so many positives here that Coconut Mall absolutely deserves its S-tier ranking!

Tour Tokyo Blur (Lucky Cat Cup)
Tier: C

There’s nothing particularly wrong with Tokyo Blur… but there’s not much about it that leaps out at me, either. I’m surprised, in a way, that Nintendo opted to go for Tokyo instead of Kyoto – the city where the company is headquartered. But maybe they’ll do that in Mario Kart 9 or Mario Kart Tour 2… who knows? Truth is that I’m waffling right now to fill some space because I really can’t think of much to say about a decidedly mediocre racetrack. It was nice to visit Tokyo and have a non-Western city included in the Booster Course Pass.

I just wish that Tokyo Blur had been a bit more… memorable.

DS Shroom Ridge (Lucky Cat Cup)
Tier: B

I like Shroom Ridge. It’s essentially a newer version of N64 Toad’s Turnpike; a racetrack with moving vehicles as obstacles, but with a somewhat more complicated layout. There are a few dips, sharp turns, and generally a bit more theming and scenery. Traffic poses a unique challenge, and darting in between different cars and vans manages to feel like good fun.

Races on Shroom Ridge can be chaotic – but the good kind of chaotic!

GBA Sky Garden (Lucky Cat Cup)
Tier: F

I don’t enjoy Sky Garden. Its “racing on clouds” schtick is dull, and the white-blue-and-tan colour palette isn’t the most exciting, either. The layout is pretty basic, and while we could say that’s to be expected for a racetrack that debuted in Super Circuit on the Game Boy Advance… look at what Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the Booster Course Pass have done with several GBA and even SNES tracks. There was more that could’ve been done here – but even then, the bland theming would have let it down.

There’s a neat shortcut that can be fun to pull off online, though.

Ninja Hideaway (Lucky Cat Cup)
Tier: B

I should endeavour to play Ninja Hideaway more often, because it’s a racetrack with a unique Japanese-inspired theme that’s a lot of fun. It’s great when a racetrack offers branching paths that take more or less the same amount of time to traverse; it keeps things interesting and varied. Ninja Hideaway also has an easily-missed shortcut that involves breaking a wooden barrier, and an exciting glider section where landing on a higher or lower path is possible.

The theming carries this one a long way – but underneath all that, it’s still a great track to race through!

Tour New York Minute (Turnip Cup)
Tier: S

I adore New York Minute. The jazz soundtrack feels perfect for the “city that never sleeps,” and racing around Central Park and through the Rockefeller Center – where Nintendo’s official shop is situated – is an absolute blast. It’s been more than fifteen years since I last set foot in New York City, but several locations felt genuinely familiar to me, showing just how well the Booster Course Pass (and Mario Kart Tour) have recreated famous landmarks.

Could this be the best of the real-world city tracks? Read on to find out!

SNES Mario Circuit 3 (Turnip Cup)
Tier: S

Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking (again), but I absolutely love SNES Mario Circuit 3. As I said in the first part of this list when discussing SNES Donut Plains 3, everything I loved about Super Mario Kart is present here, and although the racetrack is flat and its theming is basic… the wave of nostalgia that washes over me every time I boot it up is more than enough to carry it into S-tier. I had so much fun with Super Mario Kart in the SNES days… to think I’m still racing through some of these tracks more than thirty years later is funny to say the least!

Definitely a blast from the past – but a solid racetrack in its own right, with a couple of fun shortcuts to pull off, too.

N64 Kalimari Desert (Turnip Cup)
Tier: S

Am I giving out S-tier rankings like they were E’s at a rave… or is the Turnip Cup just that good? Kalimari Desert is one of my favourite racetracks from the Nintendo 64, and the adaptations made to it for the Booster Course Pass take it to another level. I adore racing through the train tunnel, and that each lap takes a different path. I love that there are different routes to take, glider options, and a sneaky shortcut. And the musical accompaniment is just fantastic.

Kalimari Desert’s “American Southwest” theming felt wonderful on the Nintendo 64 – and if anything, it feels even better on the Switch!

DS Waluigi Pinball (Turnip Cup)
Tier: A

I’m not sure what Waluigi has to do with pinball… but there’s no denying that this is a great racetrack! I have fond memories of playing pinball – not at an arcade, but at a leisure centre. That pinball machine was a Star Trek: The Next Generation one, and it was an absolute blast! Everything you’d expect to see in a pinball machine is present in this racetrack, and dodging the giant rolling balls can be challenging! Waluigi Pinball is also the longest racetrack in the game, which is neat. Some tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can feel a tad short… looking at you, N64 Rainbow Road!

A great soundtrack, a fun and unique theme, challenging obstacles, and an exciting layout all come together to make Waluigi Pinball a great racetrack.

Tour Sydney Sprint (Propeller Cup)
Tier: B

Sydney Sprint takes racers through the Sydney Opera House and across Sydney Harbour Bridge. Those are basically the only two landmarks I know of in the city – the latter from seeing it lit up on New Year’s Eve – so from my point of view at least, it’s a racetrack that hits the major highlights of the city it’s recreating! I like the layout of the racetrack, with each lap feeling different from the last and the final lap actually going “backwards” from the direction the race started.

A solid city track.

GBA Snow Land (Propeller Cup)
Tier: B

I love snowy and wintery racetracks, and GBA Snow Land is a perfectly creditable addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s growing roster of those. The penguins add something a little different midway through, as the track veers off the road and onto a frozen lake. There’s a particularly complicated shortcut that really only works if you have a mushroom and you absolutely nail your drifting alignment… but pulling it off online, in the final lap, and jumping from being in tenth place to first in a matter of seconds? That’s pure racing bliss.

The wintery theming is doing a lot for Snow Land, but it’s a fun racetrack with a cool (get it?) shortcut.

Wii Mushroom Gorge (Propeller Cup)
Tier: A

Mushroom Gorge was great fun on the Wii, great fun on the 3DS, and it’s great fun again here on the Switch. The addition of an optional glider section makes the multi-mushroom jump section different, and perhaps a tad easier for players who find the bouncy mushrooms a bit tricky. I’m not wild about the musical soundtrack, but if that’s my only complaint about this well-laid-out racetrack… that’s not too bad!

A racetrack that’s an absolute blast – and that can lead to some fun and chaotic moments online!

Sky High Sundae (Propeller Cup)
Tier: F

Although it doesn’t officially have the “Tour” prefix, it’s worth pointing out that Sky High Sundae debuted on Mario Kart Tour shortly before it arrived in the Booster Course Pass. Food-themed racetracks are pretty “meh” for me, as I think I said last time, and Sky High Sundae really has nothing going for it. The music is uninteresting, the theming is dull, and the plain oval layout is pretty uninspired, too. Anti-grav does nothing to cover up Sky High Sundae’s flaws.

A racetrack that I almost always avoid.

Tour London Loop (Rock Cup)
Tier: A

I was born in London… and if you’d told me a few years ago that there’d be a Mario Kart track set in that city I don’t think I’d have believed it! London Loop hits most of the landmarks you’d expect: Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Thames, Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch, and the London Eye being the ones that spring to mind. The soundtrack is fun, each of the three laps takes a different route, and there are many of the London/British staples that tourists and visitors love to see, like phone boxes and double-decker buses.

A fun track that captures the spirit of London.

GBA Boo Lake (Rock Cup)
Tier: D

I appreciate that Boo Lake features an actual lake in this reimagined version… but even a dash of underwater racing can’t salvage what is a pretty bland and uninteresting racetrack. There just isn’t all that much going on here: a fairly minimalist soundtrack, a plain boardwalk to race on, and only one pinch point that offers anything resembling a challenge.

Still, Boo Lake can be a bit of fun at Halloween!

3DS Alpine Pass/Rock Rock Mountain (Rock Cup)
Tier: B

On the 3DS, Alpine Pass (as we know it in the UK) felt like a racetrack that was there to showcase the all-new gliding system. As a result… maybe it wouldn’t be totally unfair to suggest that other parts of the racetrack were less of a priority. Still, there’s a fun soundtrack and some great theming, and I like that the glider sections come with the option to either rush back to the ground or keep sailing through the air. Both approaches feel like they have merit.

A lot of gliding… but most of it is fun!

Wii Maple Treeway (Rock Cup)
Tier: S

Maple Treeway is a beautiful autumnal racetrack that I’m so glad has returned. It looks stunning in 1080p HD on the Switch, and racing up and down a massive tree while the leaves are turning shades of red, orange, and gold… it’s just an incredible experience. The wigglers offer a bit of a challenge, there’s an interesting alternate route if you have a mushroom, and replacing the bouncing net with a short glider section mixes things up a bit.

Oh, and the music! The soundtrack to Maple Treeway is one of the best in the entire Mario Kart series without a doubt!

Tour Berlin Byways (Moon Cup)
Tier: B

Berlin Byways has one of the best musical accompaniments in the Booster Course Pass, and that really helps this city racetrack stand out. It’s been years since I’ve been to Berlin, but a couple of the racetrack’s tourist sites – the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall – felt familiar. I love the addition of Whomps in the Berlin Wall, too – that was a bit of fun, and a surprisingly bold move from Nintendo given that it might’ve seemed flippant and thus controversial.

All in all, a fun dash through the German capital.

DS Peach Gardens (Moon Cup)
Tier: B

Peach Gardens was always a decent racetrack in both its original form and when it was recreated on the Wii. It’s been shaken up this time around with its final lap now running most of the racetrack in reverse. This is a really fun inclusion, and really transforms Peach Gardens into something a bit more special. Racing through the gardens at Peach’s castle was always a neat idea, and although not much has changed visually from the racetrack’s original version on the DS, the titular garden looks better than ever.

Not many Mario Kart racetracks let you go backwards!

Merry Mountain (Moon Cup)
Tier: S

Although Merry Mountain is another racetrack that, if it was being honest, should come with the “Tour” prefix… I can’t really fault it! I love Christmas, and this racetrack’s “Christmas village” theme is beautiful. Part of why I love snowy and wintery racetracks is because of the association with the holiday season, so having an overtly Christmas-themed racetrack in the game for the first time is just fantastic. The music is great, the theming is fantastic, and there are a few fun twists and turns before the racetrack ends with a long, straight run to the finish line.

Merry Christmas! And no, it’s not too early to say that.

3DS Rainbow Road (Moon Cup)
Tier: A

This might be the best version of Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – even though it isn’t my all-time favourite Rainbow Road! This racetrack was a blast on the 3DS, and its recreated version takes all the beauty and wonder of racing through outer space to a whole new level. I love the soundtrack, which brings back the N64 Rainbow Road theme as part of a new, longer musical track, and hopping from the titular rainbow road to planetary rings and the surface of the moon will always be loads of fun.

3DS Rainbow Road really nails that feeling of wonder and magic that the racetrack should have.

Tour Amsterdam Drift (Fruit Cup)
Tier: F

Amsterdam Drift fails at the only real task it had: it doesn’t feel like Amsterdam. The racetrack spends far too long underwater in empty, featureless concrete ditches with crystal-clear water that don’t resemble Amsterdam’s world-famous canals in any way. And the rest of the track isn’t much better, either. The musical accompaniment isn’t noteworthy – nor does it have any features reminiscent of the Netherlands or Amsterdam – and the city sections feel bland and uninteresting. The tulip garden was a nice touch – but can’t salvage this racetrack.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, and it deserves better than this!

GBA Riverside Park (Fruit Cup)
Tier: B

Riverside Park is fun – if a tad short! Jumping through a waterfall will always feel great, and the walking piranha plants are a different take on a familiar obstacle. There are a couple of turns that are fun to drift around, and because Riverside Park isn’t too long, when racing online you’re usually never too far off the pace – making it easy to catch up if you fall behind.

A good example of how to upgrade a classic track without completely changing it into something new.

Wii DK’s Snowboard Cross/DK Summit (Fruit Cup)
Tier: A

I don’t like comparing racetracks from different games to one another… but I can’t help it here because comparisons with Mount Wario are inescapable! DK’s Snowboard Cross might’ve cracked its way into S-tier were it not for Mount Wario taking the same concept and doing it far better. DK’s Snowboard Cross was outstanding on the Wii – and has been recreated in more or less its original form here. But having seen Mario Kart 8′s take on the same idea… it doesn’t seem quite as impressive as it once did.

I love racing through the half-pipe near the finish line – and there’s no denying that this is still a great racetrack.

Yoshi’s Island (Fruit Cup)
Tier: D

Yoshi’s Island is one of only two racetracks to make its debut in the Booster Course Pass. And it’s a shame it’s so disappointing! The theming here is on point, and I will absolutely give credit to Nintendo for recreating the look and feel of Yoshi’s Island. But the racetrack’s layout is dull and it comes with a glaring flaw: that awful flying button that unlocks a slightly shorter elevated path near the end of the lap. There are times when the button is literally unreachable; it’s drifted too far such that it becomes completely impossible to hit it no matter what angle you take from the glider ramp.

That’s poor design, in my view, and drags Yoshi’s Island down a peg.

Tour Bangkok Rush (Boomerang Cup)
Tier: D

I’ve never been to Bangkok, so I’m hardly a good tour guide to the Thai capital. But even with that caveat, I cannot believe that one of the most interesting, important, and noteworthy features of Bangkok is a multi-storey car park. It’s mind-boggling to me that this was included in the racetrack given that there must’ve been other touristy sights worth racing past. Beyond that weird inclusion, though, Bangkok Rush doesn’t do anything to stand out from a growing roster of city tracks.

It’s great to get another city outside of Europe and North America, though.

DS Mario Circuit (Boomerang Cup)
Tier: C

I’m not convinced that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe needed yet another “Circuit” track. Nintendo has made a significant alteration to DS Mario Circuit, adding a forested section with a sleeping Wiggler that wasn’t part of the original version. The inclusion of a couple of tight turns that are relatively fun to drift around just before the finish line help drag DS Mario Circuit out of D-tier… but only just.

A racetrack that just feels… unnecessary.

GCN Waluigi Stadium (Boomerang Cup)
Tier: D

Waluigi Stadium was near the bottom of the list in both Double Dash and Wii, and this revised version doesn’t do enough to make it feel any better or more interesting. The generic “motorsport stadium” theme is bland, the halfpipe sections are functionally useless, and there just isn’t much going on to elevate Waluigi Stadium into being anything better than the sum of its parts. It was a disappointment in both of its earlier appearances, and it is again here.

Waaagh!

Tour Singapore Speedway (Boomerang Cup)
Tier: B

Singapore Speedway is a lot of fun. It feels almost futuristic in places; a reflection, no doubt, of the city-state’s renowned infrastructure and technological prowess. Being set after dark makes the city and its buildings pop, and racing through Chinatown is a change of scenery from the high-rises and neon-lit skyscrapers of the rest of the racetrack.

Maybe it isn’t the best city track… but it’s far from the worst!

Tour Athens Dash (Feather Cup)
Tier: D

Athens Dash is another like Amsterdam Drift where I just don’t feel like its theming has been handled well. Athens – modern Athens, that is – has more to offer than the ruins of Ancient Greece, yet this racetrack ignores all of that and sticks only to the ruins of the Parthenon and the rest of the Acropolis. Including at least one modern building or attraction should’ve been possible, even if the racetrack were to keep its focus on the ruins. Athens Dash leaves me conflicted, because as enjoyable as parts of it are, I feel like it’s missing the point. Some of the buildings in the background are incredibly low-poly, even for a Tour track.

There are also a couple of genuinely confusing points in the racetrack that aren’t well-signposted.

GCN Daisy Cruiser (Feather Cup)
Tier: B

Daisy Cruiser is just… nice. It’s a pleasant track to race around with a sweet musical accompaniment and a fun theme. This version of the racetrack hasn’t really been enhanced beyond where it was in Mario Kart 7 (when it was recreated for the first time), but there’s nothing wrong with that. The underwater section had already added a lot, and it’s hard to see where else to take Daisy Cruiser without losing some of what makes the racetrack as fun to play as it is.

I like the sliding tables in the dining room, those always win a chuckle!

Wii Moonview Highway (Feather Cup)
Tier: A

Yes! Moonview Highway is back! I’d been hoping to see this racetrack make a return, as I’ve long felt it was underappreciated on the Wii. One of the more difficult racetracks in the game thanks to a combination of road traffic and some tight turns, Moonview Highway is a blast. It hasn’t been changed too much from its original incarnation, which is great – but I do lament the loss of Mii characters staffing the toll booths!

A fun, challenging racetrack that I’m happy to play over and over again.

Squeaky Clean Sprint (Feather Cup)
Tier: A

I didn’t think I was going to like Squeaky Clean Sprint when it was first announced. It just seemed, from those clips, like a pretty generic and uninteresting racetrack… but I was so very wrong about that! Ribbon Road proved that shrinking down Mario and the gang for a race was a great concept, and Squeaky Clean Sprint makes such good use of its “toy-sized racers” idea. Racing down the plug hole of a bathtub – past accumulated grime and dirt – felt genuinely icky the first few times I did it, and there’s something about the bathroom setting that’s just comical and fun. The design of the track itself is great, too, with alternate routes opening up in the second and third laps.

A surprise, to be sure… but a welcome one!

Los Angeles Laps (Cherry Cup)
Tier: F

What’s the one landmark that comes to mind when you think about LA? The Hollywood sign! Not only does Los Angeles Laps not race past the most famous landmark on the entire American Pacific coast, but it doesn’t even appear on the hills in the background. Instead, Los Angeles Laps worms its way through the most bland and generic city, with only the brief beach section near the start feeling like anything vaguely inspired by LA or California. And what was going on with that diversion through an oil field?

A boring, generic racetrack that ignores the most iconic emblem of the city it’s meant to represent.

GBA Sunset Wilds (Cherry Cup)
Tier: C

Sunset Wilds came within a hair’s breadth of a B-tier ranking… but then Nintendo opted to rip out its most unique feature! One of the best tracks from Super Circuit – and, I’d venture, one of the best desert racetracks in the entire Mario Kart series – Sunset Wilds lived up to its name in both its original incarnation and when it returned in Mario Kart Tour. The sun would actually set – with the final lap of the race taking place after the sun had gone down. For some reason, this version removes that iconic feature.

The racetrack left behind is still enjoyable… but it’s missing a key element of what made the original so much fun.

Wii Koopa Cape (Cherry Cup)
Tier: B

Koopa Cape was a blast on the Wii, and this version is almost as good. I don’t like the changes made to the warp pipe section; removing the obstacles and rushing water changed things a bit too much. But despite that minor downgrade, Koopa Cape is still fun to race through, and the river section in particular can lead to some fast-paced and hectic fun.

A solid addition to the lineup, all things considered.

Tour Vancouver Velocity (Cherry Cup)
Tier: B

Vancouver Velocity has some cute autumn and winter theming that I appreciate, and racing through both a park and an ice rink adds a bit of visual diversity to what could’ve easily been yet another city track. The anti-gravity section shakes things up, too. There’s also a pleasant soundtrack along with a night time setting that, again, adds something a little different to help Vancouver Velocity stand out a little.

The ice skating Shy Guys are cute, and I love seeing the aurora in the sky.

Tour Rome Avanti (Acorn Cup)
Tier: C

There’s nothing especially wrong with Rome Avanti, and it balances its historical and modern sites far better than Athens Dash. But there’s not a lot about it that leaps out at me, either, and along with a fairly convoluted criss-crossing layout, I just don’t find it a ton of fun to drive. I like the Chain Chomps in the Colosseum, and again the night time look gives Rome Avanti something to help it keep its head above water. But I guess I just don’t see much else about it that’s all that special or memorable.

Still, the standard of driving is far higher than anything ever seen in the real Rome!

GCN DK Mountain (Acorn Cup)
Tier: B

DK Mountain is fun, and it comes with a great musical accompaniment! The cannon section can feel painfully long, but once that’s out of the way, the race down the mountain/volcano feels fast-paced and exciting. The angry face on the volcano looks better than ever in this version of the racetrack, too, which is fantastic, and the return of the dangerous bridge just before the finish line was a much-needed inclusion! There’s a lot to love here.

Oh, and this version retains the shortcut from Double Dash and Wii (that I’ve never been able to successfully pull off!)

Wii Daisy Circuit (Acorn Cup)
Tier: A

Daisy Circuit always felt like an underappreciated racetrack on the Wii, and I’m glad to see it make a return. It’s not got an especially complicated layout, but the inclusion of the original shortcut – now with an added glider ramp – does provide an option if you have a mushroom to use. I like the aesthetic and music of Daisy Circuit, and racing around a sweet little seaside town at sunset will always feel like a ton of fun.

Probably one of the best racetracks to have the “Circuit” name!

Piranha Plant Cove (Acorn Cup)
Tier: A

Piranha Plant Cove is another track that should come with the “Tour” prefix, but we can forgive it because of how much fun it is! The use of the word “Cove” conjures up images of pirates, and this racetrack’s underwater ruins theme kind of plays into that. I like the night time setting, and it’s fun to get a racetrack that’s almost entirely underwater – only the second in the game after Dolphin Shoals to really lean into the underwater racing idea.

A fun concept that has been executed well – and a racetrack that looks outstanding on the Switch.

Tour Madrid Drive (Spiny Cup)
Tier: B

The best part of Madrid Drive is also the shortest: driving through the football stadium! But this short section definitely elevates a racetrack that can feel, in parts, a bit samey in a game with so many other European city tracks from Tour. In a way, Madrid Drive drew the short straw by being the final city track in the game; it’s easy to feel bored of the concept by this point. But its art gallery is fun, the Wiggler in the city square is just plain random, and the aforementioned football stadium – complete with ball-kicking Goombas – gives the track a unique element to help it stand out.

Not the best city track, perhaps… but definitely not the worst!

3DS Rosalina’s Ice World (Spiny Cup)
Tier: A

I love icy and wintery racetracks, and Rosalina’s Ice World really leans into the magic and wonder that snow and ice can provide. Heavily inspired by Super Mario Galaxy, the racetrack has a lot of those magical, mystical elements that really compliment its ice road setting. It was great fun on the 3DS, and this recreation feels faithful to the original while bringing much more visual detail.

As the final icy track in the game, Rosalina’s Ice World delivered!

SNES Bowser Castle 3 (Spiny Cup)
Tier: B

I adore the way in which the original Bowser Castle music from Super Mario Kart has been adapted here. The heavy metal cover brings it in line with the music for Mario Kart 8′s Bowser’s Castle – which is great! Overall, though… I can’t help but feel that this version of SNES Bowser Castle 3 is a little too different from its original appearance. Heck, it’s basically a brand-new racetrack altogether. It’s a good track, don’t get me wrong… I guess it just doesn’t give me the same nostalgic vibes as other SNES racetracks have.

It’s great to get another Bowser’s Castle track in the game, though!

Wii Rainbow Road (Spiny Cup)
Tier: A

I feel a little sorry for Wii Rainbow Road, because it would have almost certainly made S-tier were it not for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe having so many other versions of this iconic racetrack. By the time I reached Wii Rainbow Road at the end of the Booster Course Pass, I couldn’t help but feel it was just a little too samey. That’s not its fault at all, and the way it’s been recreated here is still wonderful. But it gets a little lost amongst other versions of the racetrack – including the 3DS one discussed above.

A solid end to the Booster Course Pass, though.

So that’s it!

We’ve put all 96 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Booster Course Pass racetracks into our tier list. Let’s take a look at the final standings, shall we?

F-tier: seven racetracks,
D-tier: eleven racetracks,
C-tier: fourteen racetracks,
B-tier: twenty-eight racetracks,
A-tier: twenty-four racetracks,
S-tier: twelve racetracks.

Let me just add those up on my calculator… yep, that’s all ninety-six racetracks officially ranked! Check out how the tier list looks:

As I said at the beginning, all of this has just been the wholly subjective (and occasionally arbitrary) take of one person. I’m a huge fan of Mario Kart – and I have been since the very beginning. I think you can see that there are far more racetracks in the upper half of the list than the lower half, and even those racetracks that I don’t enjoy every aspect of can still be fun to race through from time to time.

This has been a fun experiment. I’ve never made a tier list before, but the format is surprisingly good fun. I can already think of a few more ideas for tier lists… so this might become an occasional part of the website going forward!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the different Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Booster Course Pass racetracks. I’ve certainly had fun racing through all of them – though I was clever this time and took my time instead of trying to rush through all of them in quick succession! Now that the final wave of the Booster Course Pass has landed, I think it’s an easy recommendation for any Mario Kart player. Doubling the number of racetracks in the game really does expand it and give it a boost – and with Mario Kart 9 potentially still a ways off, that’s a good thing in my book!

I have more than 200 unused screenshots of Dry Bones (my favourite Mario Kart driver, if you couldn’t tell) racing around practically all of the racetracks in the game, so maybe I’ll put together some kind of gallery of those in the days or weeks ahead. And be sure to stay tuned for more Mario Kart and Nintendo content here on the website in future! If we start to get news about a new Nintendo console, Mario Kart 9, or anything else in that vein, I’ll do my best to cover it and share my thoughts.

Until next time!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out now for Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Booster Course Pass, and the Super Mario series are the copyright of Nintendo. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Twelve Mario Kart racetracks that can stay in the dustbin

Thu 02.11.23Thu 02.11.23Dennis

Yesterday, Nintendo announced which eight racetracks have made the cut and will be included in the final wave of the Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. And spoiler alert, but there are some incredibly fun ones! Returning to SNES Bowser Castle 3 – in its upgraded form – is perhaps the one I’m most excited about, but there were several others that look like an absolute blast.

But that got me thinking: which racetracks haven’t been included in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or the Booster Course Pass? Nintendo has obviously been saving some real classics for Mario Kart 9, including some highly-requested fan-favourites. And with the Switch’s successor console potentially only a year or so away from launch… that seems absolutely fair enough! One of my only real concerns with the Booster Course Pass has been that Nintendo has used up a lot of good, solid racetracks – potentially leaving fewer to be remade next time around.

While there are some racetracks whose omissions from the Booster Course Pass will undoubtedly have upset fans, those aren’t the ones we’re going to look at today! Instead, we’re going to focus on a handful of racetracks from across the Mario Kart series that I’m perfectly happy to consign to the dustbin – permanently! These are racetracks that I didn’t enjoy either in their original games or when they returned as retro tracks in later games.

It goes without saying that all of this is the entirely subjective opinion of one person! If you love any or all of these racetracks, please don’t take it personally! We all like different things, and this list is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek fun. I’m a huge fan of Mario Kart, and the fact that I’ve found a handful of racetracks to dislike doesn’t change that.

Racetracks will be put into one of three “cups” (which have been given dustbin-appropriate names) just like they would be in any other Mario Kart game. And any racetrack that has appeared in a Mario Kart title is fair game. I’ve tried not to select too many tracks from the same entry in the series.

With all of that out of the way, let’s jump into the list!

Empty Baked Bean Tin Cup

Wario Stadium
Mario Kart 64

Wario Stadium’s unforgivable flaw is that it’s just… boring. There’s nothing interesting or exciting about the titular stadium or the dirt track set there, and while it has a decently twisty layout, all that manages to do is drag out the racetrack too much. There are a couple of turns that can be challenging to take, but even those aren’t anything to write home about. The musical accompaniment isn’t spectacular, either.

Probably Mario Kart 64′s least enjoyable offering.

Baby Park
Mario Kart: Double Dash

As you’ll know if you’ve already checked out my Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tier list, I detest Baby Park. The racetrack’s plain oval layout is bad enough, but what’s worse is how random it is. If you hit a run of bad luck you can end up in last place not because of any skill issue, but by sheer chance. That might keep things “interesting” in some online races… but it doesn’t feel like a lot of fun most of the time.

An admirable attempt to try something different… but one that did not succeed.

Desert Hills
Mario Kart DS

I’m not the biggest fan of desert racetracks. One or two per game might be okay, depending on what else they bring to the table apart from sand. But DS Desert Hills really only has sand. There just isn’t much else going on here that’s any different, and the racetrack has an incredibly bland colour palette that doesn’t offer much by way of visual interest either. Mario Kart can do better desert racetracks than DS Desert Hills – and it has done so on multiple occasions.

With that in mind, what place could there be for a racetrack like this one?

Sweet Sweet Canyon
Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

I’m not wild about food-themed racetracks in Mario Kart, and nothing about Sweet Sweet Canyon jumps out at me as being especially fun or memorable. The bland colour palette drowns in tan, brown, and yellow tones, and the inclusion of an underwater section doesn’t seem like it adds much. There are no fun secret routes or shortcuts to learn, and Sweet Sweet Canyon tends to end up as a racetrack I skip every time I play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Those massive donuts look delicious, though!

Dirty Nappy Cup

Toad’s Factory
Mario Kart Wii

There was speculation that Toad’s Factory might’ve been one of the racetracks to join the Booster Course Pass, but you know what? I’m glad that it didn’t! This is probably my least-favourite track from Mario Kart Wii, and one I’d seldom choose to play. The idea of a racetrack set at an operational factory is a fun one… and there were moments in Toad’s Factory that came close to living up to the promise. But there were also annoying pinch points, a pretty basic layout, and one of the worst pieces of music in Mario Kart Wii to drag it down.

I’m all but certain that Toad’s Factory will be back in the next Mario Kart, though!

Yoshi Desert
Mario Kart Super Circuit

Most of what I said above about DS Desert Hills also applies to GBA Yoshi Desert. Desert tracks too easily fall into the trap of being one-note and uninteresting, and while Yoshi Desert gets some credit for being one of the first desert racetracks in the Mario Kart series… even that’s not enough to save it. Also included in Super Circuit was the wonderful Sunset Wilds – a racetrack that took the desert theme in a completely different direction. Yoshi Desert is nothing in comparison!

Yoshi Desert returned in Tour, though… so maybe it’ll be back in a future Mario Kart game, too.

Koopa Beach 2
Super Mario Kart

I adore Super Mario Kart, and I’m not sure that it’s always fair to compare unenhanced SNES tracks with the best that modern Mario Kart has to offer. But that being said, Koopa Beach 2 is a pretty basic track even by Super Mario Kart standards, consisting of a fairly plain oval on a beach. There isn’t much else to say; at least Koopa Beach 1 had some moments of island-hopping to mix things up. This track just… doesn’t have a lot to offer.

Compared with other beach-themed racetracks, Koopa Beach 2 just comes up short.

Amsterdam Drift
Mario Kart Tour

I have a particular criticism of Amsterdam Drift: it doesn’t really feel like Amsterdam. The main reason for that is how much time is spent racing underwater. Now I know that Amsterdam’s canals are famous… but it just felt to me like too much of this racetrack was taken up with underwater racing in these deep ditches that had no points of interest within them. If the racetrack had been called “Canal Crunch” or something, and wasn’t meant to be a representation of Amsterdam, maybe that would’ve been okay.

But the racetrack fails at its one and only objective as far as I’m concerned.

Cigarette Butt Cup

Daisy Hills
Mario Kart 7

To be honest, it was a toss-up whether to include Daisy Hills or Mario Circuit from the 3DS… but Daisy Hills claims the “win” on this occasion. While there are some moments of visual interest and a soundtrack that’s at least okay, Daisy Hills is one of those easily-overlooked racetracks that just feels bland and generic. The brown dirt track, green grass, and blue sky combo has been seen on so many different racetracks with better layouts or more memorable musical accompaniments that it doesn’t feel interesting in the slightest here.

I’d almost forgotten that Daisy Hills existed.

Hyrule Circuit
The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8 DLC
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

You may disagree with this pick if you’re a big fan of The Legend of Zelda… but as someone who never played any of those games, I just don’t feel any connection to Hyrule Circuit. The nicest thing I can say about it is that it’s neat to race through a castle that isn’t filled with molten lava, but in every other way this track just feels bland and generic. I don’t think its gimmick of a hidden path that could be opened by hitting switches was particularly well-implemented, either.

Plenty of Zelda theming (I assume, anyway) but I just don’t care about that in the least.

Yoshi Falls
Mario Kart DS

Yoshi Falls is a plain oval with a few boost panels. Its brief waterfall sections are so short that they’re easily overlooked, and there just isn’t much else that’s exciting or even memorable about such a plain racetrack. The giant Yoshi egg gives it a small amount of visual interest, I guess, but even that’s not enough to salvage this one.

Yoshi has indeed fallen.

Rainbow Road
Super Mario Kart

SNES Rainbow Road is a great track, an all-time classic, and a nostalgic punch in the face for those of us who loved Super Mario Kart! So why on earth is it on this list? Simple: it’s been recreated in the last four Mario Kart titles (7, 8, 8 Deluxe, and Tour)… so it needs a break. Bringing it back again in Mario Kart 9 would be repetitive, and transforming the racetrack in the way some other retro tracks have been would take away from its unique charm.

Give SNES Rainbow Road the day off and bring back other racetracks instead!

So that’s it!

I hope your favourite wasn’t on the list… but if it was, sorry! Actually no, I’m not sorry… because this is just one person’s entirely subjective take, and we’re all entitled to our views on this wonderful kart racing series.

There’s only a few days left until the sixth and final wave of racetracks arrives for the Booster Course Pass… and with the development of new tracks for Tour seemingly coming to an end as well, does that mean production is shifting toward Mario Kart 9?! It’s been almost a decade since Mario Kart 8 debuted on the Wii U, so it’s about time for a new entry in the series! I hope that Nintendo doesn’t include the racetracks listed above in the next game… but if they’re present I daresay I’ll get over it! Not every track can be an absolute favourite, but I think every Mario Kart game so far has managed to have far more good ones than bad.

So I hope this was a bit of fun! Stay tuned, because the second part of my Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tier list is in the works! You can find the first part, in which I ranked all 48 racetracks from the base version of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, by clicking or tapping here. And you can find my dedicated Mario Kart webpage by clicking or tapping here.

See you on the track!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out now for Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Booster Course Pass, and the Super Mario series are the copyright of Nintendo. Images of GBA Yoshi Desert, SNES Koopa Beach 2, and 3DS Daisy Hills courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tier List: Part 1

Fri 27.10.23Fri 27.10.23Dennis

As promised, I’m going to put all of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe racetracks into an internet-friendly tier list! In this first part, we’re going to look at all 48 of the racetracks that come with the base version of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Next time, when I’ve had a chance to fully play through all of the Booster Course Pass additions, I’ll put those 48 racetracks into a tier list as well – so stay tuned for that around the holidays or in the new year.

So… what’s a tier list? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Rather than ranking every racetrack from 1-48 – which would be pretty difficult, especially with tracks in the middle – each track is going to be given a rating. There are six possible ratings based on the “tier list” formula that you may have seen elsewhere online.

F-tier racetracks will be at the bottom; these are the worst or least-enjoyable tracks that I’d almost never choose. Next is D-tier: a step up from the worst of the worst, but still racetracks I either generally dislike or hate a particular aspect of. C-tier racetracks are right in the middle and have no major flaws… but relatively few impressive elements. B-tier is a step up from average; these are racetracks that are fun, but not quite perfect. A-tier is where we start to see the best that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has to offer! And finally, S-tier racetracks are the absolute cream of the crop.

Why is “S” the uppermost tier? Why not A or A-star? Truth is… I have absolutely no idea. But that’s how other people have made their tier lists, so I’m sticking with the same basic formula and nomenclature. I guess I could Google it… but there’s no time for that now. We’ve got racetracks to rank!

It goes without saying that this tier list is the wholly subjective opinion of one person! I have my own criteria for determining what I like and what I dislike… and if you disagree or hate all of my rankings, that’s okay! There’s plenty of room for differences of opinion, and I’m in no way trying to say that this is the “objective,” definitive way that everyone should rate the racetracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This is just my opinion, and I share it in the spirit of light-hearted fun.

I’ll be going through the racetracks in the order in which they appear in the game and assigning each one a tier. With all of that out of the way, let’s get started!

Mario Kart Stadium (Mushroom Cup)
Tier: B

Mario Kart Stadium is a great introduction to the game. It’s not an especially complex racetrack – but it shouldn’t be, as it’s the first one that players will try out. The theming is fine, being set at a modern speedway at night, and Mario Kart Stadium introduces players to gliding and anti-gravity. The anti-grav section is pretty basic, but again, this is the first track in the game.

All in all, a solid start.

Water Park (Mushroom Cup)
Tier: C

Water Park is a racetrack I’ll occasionally choose. I like the theme park vibe that it gives off; it reminds me somewhat of the likes of Disneyland or Sea World. But nothing about Water Park screams “Mario Kart” to me. There isn’t much to firmly place the racetrack – which is only the second in the game – in the Mushroom Kingdom or the Mario franchise, and if I had to sum it up in one word it would be “generic.”

The very definition of a C-tier racetrack, I suppose!

Sweet Sweet Canyon (Mushroom Cup)
Tier: D

Another racetrack that just feels incredibly generic, Sweet Sweet Canyon is one I’d rarely choose to play. It has a very uninteresting colour palette, with lots of yellow, brown, and tan tones that all sort of blend into one, and a musical score that isn’t particularly memorable. The food theme is just kind of “meh” for me, and I know that Mario Kart can do better. It’s not the worst track in the game or anything… just not a particularly fun one.

And that’s coming from a fatso who loves sweets and doughnuts!

Thwomp Ruins (Mushroom Cup)
Tier: B

Thwomp Ruins has some fun theming, being set in an ancient temple that feels like something you might expect to see in the Tomb Raider series! The titular Thwomps are present at several key points along the racetrack, providing an extra challenge, and there are a couple of alternate paths to race along, as well as anti-gravity and underwater sections. There’s also a couple of excellent shortcuts if you have a mushroom (and the skill to use it right!)

This is definitely one to choose if you want a frantic race online!

Mario Circuit (Flower Cup)
Tier: C

There are several great racetracks where anti-gravity feels crazy and exciting… but Mario Circuit isn’t one of them. It’s only if you look into the background and see upside down or sideways trees and other detritus that you’ll even realise you’re racing in anti-gravity… and I just think that’s not great. Mario Circuit isn’t bad; it has a great soundtrack and I’ll always appreciate seeing Peach’s castle.

The layout just feels uninspired, and while there are long anti-gravity sections, they don’t feel all that special.

Toad Harbour (Flower Cup)
Tier: S

In 2013, I was lucky enough to play a preview build of Mario Kart 8 at a press event – and Toad Harbour was the racetrack I got to try out. It was the ideal track for such a demo, as it’s damn near perfect! Taking inspiration from both New York City and San Fransisco, this harbourside racetrack is incredible. Its theming is on point, it has a great soundtrack, and the addition of trolleybuses as moving obstacles keeps each lap feeling different and fun.

Definitely one of the best that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has to offer – and no, I’m not just saying that because I got to play it before anyone else!

Twisted Mansion (Flower Cup)
Tier: B

Twisted Mansion is hands-down the best ghost-themed racetrack in the Mario Kart series to date. It brings together the ghostly Boos – mainstays of the Mario franchise – with elements from the Luigi’s Mansion games, and its haunted house aesthetic sticks the landing. The layout of the track itself is perhaps Twisted Mansion’s weakest element, because aside from the anti-grav section near the start, it doesn’t feel especially innovative. There’s a neat shortcut and an underwater-into-glider section… but other than that, the theming and music are doing most of the heavy lifting here.

Still, that’s more than enough to make Twisted Mansion a fun racetrack!

Shy Guy Falls (Flower Cup)
Tier: C

I love the idea of Shy Guy Falls way more than the execution. This is another track where Mario Kart 8′s signature anti-gravity mechanic just feels lacklustre. I never really manage to get the sense of racing up and down a waterfall; the racetrack’s waterfall sections feel like driving through a river. There’s nothing in the distance or surrounding the waterfall to really evoke the wonder of this setting – not until the very last second. The rest of the theming also feels pretty bland, but I’ll give Shy Guy Falls points for being decently pretty to look at.

There’s a tricky shortcut toward the end that’s a pain to learn… but it can be fun to pull off when racing online or with friends!

Sunshine Airport (Star Cup)
Tier: A

Sunshine Airport is a blast. There are so many little details in the theming that tie this racetrack into other parts of the world of Super Mario, including destinations on the departures and arrivals boards in the airport lobby. Racing along an active runway with a plane coming right at you is also an incredibly tense and exciting moment. I love the way that the track twists and turns, offering multiple paths around an aircraft or across its wings.

Sunshine Airport also has a great musical accompaniment!

Dolphin Shoals (Star Cup)
Tier: B

A racetrack that’s almost entirely underwater could’ve come across as being a bit too gimmicky, but Dolphin Shoals pulls it off well enough. I like tropical beach racetracks, and the crystal clear waters of Dolphin Shoals definitely play into that. The titular dolphins are only present for a brief moment, which is a bit of a shame – but the return of the giant eel from Super Mario 64 as an actual part of the racetrack was a masterstroke!

I’ll definitely give Dolphin Shoals extra points for being something a bit different.

Electrodrome (Star Cup)
Tier: S

Electrodrome is amazing. It’s one of the few tracks where two alternate anti-gravity routes are close enough that you can see other racers – and seeing people racing upside down (from your perspective, at least) is an absolute blast. The music here is fantastic, and the nightclub/discotheque theme is absolutely unique. This is the kind of racetrack that could only work in Mario Kart!

Oh, and the dancing piranha plants bopping in time to the beat? Adorable.

Mount Wario (Star Cup)
Tier: S

Two S-tiers in a row? Wow, the Star Cup is really doing some incredible things! I love snowy, wintery racetracks – when done well – and Mount Wario represents a fun twist on the standard snowy circuit that has been present throughout the Mario Kart series. Racing down a mountain (after jumping out of a plane) is a ton of fun, and the slalom skiing section toward the end is one of the most exciting in the game. There are so many twists and turns and changes in the scenery as you descend the mountain.

Mount Wario is one of the best snowy tracks in the entire Mario Kart series without a doubt.

Cloudtop Cruise (Special Cup)
Tier: D

Cloudtop Cruise has a long cannon section that I’m not wild about, a lot of plain white clouds at the beginning and end, and… not much else. The music isn’t great, the theming isn’t anything special, its one shortcut is a little too easy to pull off, and because the cannon takes such a long time it leaves you incredibly vulnerable to shells and other items.

This just isn’t a racetrack I’m all that bothered about, and I almost never choose to play it.

Bone Dry Dunes (Special Cup)
Tier: C

Argh, this is painful! I adore Dry Bones (if you haven’t figured that out by now), so to rank his first-ever track so low isn’t where I’d have wanted to be. But to tell the truth, I’m being generous giving this one a C-tier ranking, and it’s only Dry Bones’ presence that carries an otherwise bland and uninteresting desert racetrack over the line. I don’t care for the music, the track layout is pretty boring, and there are a couple of pinch points where I always seem to run off the track or into a fence.

There were so many ways to create a Dry Bones-themed racetrack… why go for such a boring desert?

Bowser’s Castle (Special Cup)
Tier: A

Mario Kart 64′s version of Bowser’s Castle is probably the best of the bunch, but this version of the iconic Mario Kart racetrack has to be a close second. There’s everything you’d expect to find in King Koopa’s castle – lava, giant statues, and even lasers! The heavy metal soundtrack is the perfect accompaniment to this difficult racetrack, too. There are plenty of obstacles to dodge, from lava plumes and fireballs to punching statues and rolling rocks, making this one of the most challenging racetracks in the game.

Definitely not the first racetrack to show to a beginner – but a ton of fun nonetheless!

Rainbow Road (Special Cup)
Tier: C

I don’t hate this version of Rainbow Road, but when I compare it to other absolutely iconic racetracks bearing the name… I find it comes up short. The space station idea could’ve worked well for another track with a different name, but I feel it gets in the way here and detracts from the whimsical magic of Rainbow Road. The music isn’t quite up to par with other versions of the racetrack, either.

The twisting anti-gravity paths (with no guard rails) do pose a challenge, though – and I can appreciate that, at least.

Wii Moo Moo Meadows (Shell Cup)
Tier: A

Moo Moo Meadows has always been a fun, relatively gentle racetrack – as was its predecessor, Moo Moo Farm. I like the American setting of this cattle farm; it reminds me of several farms that I saw while living in the United States. The soundtrack is just pitch-perfect for that kind of locale, too, and the overall theming carries Moo Moo Meadows a long way!

The cows on the farm are too cute! Extra points for adorableness!

GBA Mario Circuit (Shell Cup)
Tier: C

GBA Mario Circuit, in this modified form, feels like a less-exciting version of Mario Kart Stadium. The layout of both racetracks is similar, even down to the anti-gravity section with a tight turn. I will give points for adapting a fairly plain racetrack in a novel way, and for finding a way to shoehorn anti-grav racing into a retro track that never had it in its original form. But as with most tracks with the “Circuit” monicker, GBA Mario Circuit is nothing special.

I don’t hate it, but it’s not one I’m going to choose very often.

DS Cheep Cheep Beach (Shell Cup)
Tier: A

The tropical beach theme carries Cheep Cheep Beach a long way – but I like the adaptations made for underwater racing in this version of the racetrack, too. The tropical musical accompaniment is great, the sunshine, sand, and clear waters are beautiful in 1080p HD, and there are a couple of places where different routes open up. There’s a lot to love here!

Cheep Cheep Beach is definitely one of the better retro courses.

N64 Toad’s Turnpike (Shell Cup)
Tier: B

I detested this racetrack on the Nintendo 64, but the updated version has definitely improved things. Maybe I’m misremembering, but I feel that the N64 version was a lot less forgiving, with either more road traffic or less space in between the vehicles causing more frequent collisions – and after spinning out in Mario Kart 64, it took longer to get going again than it does in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Updating this racetrack has been good, then – but the anti-gravity path is utterly useless, and the occasional glider moments don’t really add much, either.

Still, a solid reworking of one of my least-favourite racetracks from Mario Kart 64.

GCN Dry Dry Desert (Banana Cup)
Tier: D

A boring desert track without much going for it… Dry Dry Desert scrapes its way above the dreaded F-tier because it has a brief underwater section themed around an oasis that breaks up the otherwise drudging monotony of this bland, uninteresting racetrack. Were there really no better options from Mario Kart Double Dash to recreate?

Aside from the oasis section – which you’ll race through in a matter of seconds – it’s hard to find another redeeming feature in this one.

SNES Donut Plains 3 (Banana Cup)
Tier: S

Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but I adore Donut Plains 3. The track has had less done to it than something like GBA Mario Circuit, but the subtle new additions really elevate it and make it something special. Underwater racing is now present, and I love how one of the bridges has fallen into the lake. The music hits all of the nostalgic notes for me, as someone who played and loved Super Mario Kart in the ’90s, and although it’s a relatively short and flat racetrack… I can’t fault it.

Donut Plains 3 brings back incredibly fond memories.

N64 Royal Raceway (Banana Cup)
Tier: A

If we were ranking the original versions of these racetracks, Royal Raceway would be in the S-tier without a doubt. But this updated version took away one of its most iconic and defining elements: the off-road area in front of Peach’s castle. This part of the racetrack was a little “Easter Egg,” allowing players to stop racing for a moment and enjoy driving in front of the iconic setting of Super Mario 64. Stripping it out feels unforgivable… but I still love Royal Raceway in spite of this shameful omission!

Great music, a fun, twisty layout that’s perfect for drifting, and another nostalgic punch definitely justify Royal Raceway’s A-tier ranking.

3DS DK Jungle (Banana Cup)
Tier: B

DK Jungle is a lot of fun. I love the Donkey Kong Country theme, as the first entry in that series is one of my all-time favourites from the SNES era, and this racetrack adapts it well. Or rather, it adapts the newer Donkey Kong Country Returns! The jungle feels dense and almost claustrophobic, and the banana temple is weird but totally on theme. The soundtrack is another absolute bopper, too!

The only thing I’d have added is some kind of DK-themed coin to replace the standard coins.

DS Wario Stadium (Leaf Cup)
Tier: F

I’m just flat-out not interested in anything Wario Stadium brings to the table. I don’t care for the music, the layout, or the generic “motorsport stadium” theming, and as a result it’s got to be one of my least-used racetracks. As a dirt track in a crowded stadium with jumps, at a couple of points I get almost a Motorcross Madness vibe from Wario Stadium… but even that can’t salvage what is a generally unenjoyable track.

Not sure what else to add, really.

GCN Sherbet Land (Leaf Cup)
Tier: C

Although I’m a big fan of snowy and wintery racetracks in general, GCN Sherbet Land feels decidedly average. I like the ice-skating Shy Guys, and I appreciate the addition of an underwater section in this adaptation. But nothing else about Sherbet Land really jumps out at me, and compared to other winter tracks, it comes up short. It’s not atrocious, and if I’m in the mood I’ll definitely play through it along with its wintery cousins. But most of the time, this is one I tend to skip over to get to more enjoyable racetracks.

The winter theme is definitely doing a lot of work to keep Sherbet Land out of D-tier status!

3DS Melody Motorway/Music Park (Leaf Cup)
Tier: A

Melody Motorway (as we know it in the UK) is fantastic. I love that driving across the various instruments actually changes the racetrack’s musical accompaniment – and hitting a “wrong” note leads to an off-key note being played! This feature alone adds a lot to Melody Motorway – but the racetrack also has a fun optional glider section, the ability to perform tricks in time with the beat, and a twisty layout that keeps things interesting.

Melody Motorway did for the 3DS what Electrodrome did for Mario Kart 8 – and this updated version is pitch-perfect!

N64 Yoshi Valley (Leaf Cup)
Tier: C

Yoshi Valley was a blast on the Nintendo 64. You couldn’t tell at a glance whether you were in first place or fifth, and the whole racetrack had a uniquely chaotic energy as a result. However, upon returning to Yoshi Valley… I think it’s one of those tracks where the concept is let down somewhat by the execution. A multitude of winding, maze-like paths that frequently cross over and intersect one another is a really fun idea, but the way it’s implemented in Yoshi Valley means there’s one “optimal” path and a bunch of others that you’d be almost silly to choose.

I do like the big Yoshi egg, though, and this is another one that hits me with the nostalgic feels.

DS Tick-Tock Clock (Lightning Cup)
Tier: B

I tend to overlook Tick-Tock Clock, but it’s undeniably a fun racetrack. The name and design harken back to the level of the same name in Super Mario 64, but the racetrack puts its own spin on the “clock mechanism” idea. The use of rotating platforms is neat, and the changing clock hands that can provide a shortcut is a clever concept, too. And once again, there’s some great music to bring it all together.

A fun racetrack… and one I should endeavour to use more often!

3DS Piranha Plant Pipeway/Piranha Plant Slide (Lightning Cup)
Tier: A

Piranha Plant Pipeway feels like a creative and fun take on the warp pipes that have been featured in every Mario game going all the way back to the ’80s. The underground sections of the racetrack really nail the feel of some of those early Super Mario Bros. underground levels, and there’s a fun underwater section to boot. It’s not the easiest racetrack to get the hang of, and there are several points where it’s easy to topple off the track or oversteer. But the challenge is part of what makes it great!

Who knew going down a warp pipe could be so much fun?

Wii Grumble Volcano (Lightning Cup)
Tier: D

Grumble Volcano’s gimmick of having pieces of the track fall away is interesting – and one I’d like to see reproduced on a better racetrack! I’m just not sold on the theming here, and the colour palette of the track doesn’t help it stand out. We’ve already got lava in racetracks like Bowser’s Castle… and even on the Wii, I didn’t really see what Grumble Volcano had to offer beyond its gimmick.

Not a racetrack I choose very often.

N64 Rainbow Road (Lightning Cup)
Tier: B

I’m so conflicted about this one. Rainbow Road – as it appeared on the Nintendo 64 – is one of my all-time favourite Mario Kart racetracks… but this version feels much less enjoyable than it ought to be. I think the key to the success of that original version was its relative simplicity: the neon characters in the background, the occasional Chain Chomps on the road… and that was all. Mario Kart 8 filled in too much of the background, created an entire city underneath the racetrack, turned the neon signs into bursts of fireworks, and added a flying train. But the real unforgivable mistake was making it last for only a single lap! In its original form, maybe Rainbow Road was slightly too long. But this one-lap version is too short.

Cracking music, though!

GCN Yoshi Circuit (Egg Cup)
Tier: B

Here’s an embarrassing admission: it took me way too long to realise that Yoshi Circuit is in the shape of Yoshi’s sprite! That layout provides for some surprisingly tight turns and fun twists, which elevate a racetrack that’s visually quite plain into something a bit more special. I love pulling off the waterfall shortcut – even though I’m not good enough to nail it every time – and when racing online, this is another track that can become quite frenzied.

This racetrack was a pleasant surprise when I bought the DLC for the original version of Mario Kart 8.

Excitebike Arena (Egg Cup)
Tier: A

A plain oval sounds like it should be boring as all hell to race around, but Excitebike Arena’s unique randomisation aspect really keeps it feeling fresh and fun every single time. Obstacles and ramps are randomly placed on the track, and there are more than 200 possible variations depending on where they end up. I also like the callback to Excitebike, a game I remember playing on a friend’s Nintendo console in the late ’80s or early ’90s. Excitebike was a fun game for its time… and it’s nice to see that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten some of these old classics!

The randomisation definitely lifts this track up… but the theming is great, too.

Dragon Driftway (Egg Cup)
Tier: C

I don’t hate Dragon Driftway… but I just can’t think of anything about it that’s in any way noteworthy other than its vaguely Chinese aesthetic. The dragon-themed track is fun enough, I suppose, but unless you’re driving slowly enough to admire the scenery that’s not really good enough to take Dragon Driftway into a higher tier. There are a couple of decent turns and good use of anti-gravity, but again… none of that really stands out to me all that much.

A fairly forgettable racetrack, but one where the theming helps it keep its head above water.

Mute City (Egg Cup)
Tier: S

I was a huge fan of F-Zero on the SNES (along with its sequel, F-Zero X, on the Nintendo 64), and it’s a colossal disappointment that Nintendo continues to sit on the series and do nothing with it! But I suppose an F-Zero Mario Kart track is a nice addition. Mute City is a blast, and as a racetrack it really manages to nail the F-Zero feel. The speed, the boost panels, and the futuristic cityscape all bring back wonderful memories of a series of old-school racers that Nintendo has all but forgotten.

The F-Zero sound effects were a nice touch, too!

Wii Wario’s Gold Mine (Triforce Cup)
Tier: C

Wario’s Gold Mine was decent on the Wii, but changing the minecarts from obstacles into moving boost panels really nerfed a significant portion of the racetrack. The overall mine theme isn’t spectacular, either, but I will give credit for the rollercoaster-like dip at the beginning and a fun piece of music. These two elements carry Wario’s Gold Mine a long way!

When I downloaded Mario Kart 8′s DLC on the Wii U, this wasn’t one of the tracks I was most excited to see.

SNES Rainbow Road (Triforce Cup)
Tier: B

SNES Rainbow Road is a classic, don’t get me wrong. And it makes sense to add it to the Mario Kart game that’s been around for the longest amount of time. But at the same time… SNES Rainbow Road had already been recreated several times, including in Mario Kart 7. This version doesn’t do much that 7′s hadn’t already, and I’d rather have seen SNES racetracks like Bowser Castle or Vanilla Lake brought back for the first time than play Rainbow Road again.

All that being said, it’s a challenging racetrack that looks great on the Switch – and it’s another one that brings back those nostalgic SNES memories!

Ice Ice Outpost (Triforce Cup)
Tier: B

I wasn’t sold on Ice Ice Outpost at first. It didn’t feel particularly special the first few times I tried it out, but it’s a racetrack that’s definitely grown on me since the DLC for Mario Kart 8 landed. I like that the iceberg/glacier theme takes the typical wintery track to a slightly different place, and while understated, Ice Ice Outpost’s musical accompaniment is solid.

The dual path design – complete with easily-missed shortcuts – is also something a bit different.

Hyrule Circuit (Triforce Cup)
Tier: D

Having never played any of the Zelda games, I have no connection to the land of Hyrule nor any frame of reference for the inclusions made in Hyrule Circuit. And it’s for that reason that this racetrack doesn’t do much for me. It’s neat to race through a castle that isn’t filled with molten lava for once… but that’s really all that Hyrule Circuit has to offer. For fans of Zelda, I can absolutely see this being a B- or even A-tier track, though. I liked the idea of hitting switches to unlock a hidden path… but the execution was poor and this feels too difficult to achieve consistently. Or maybe I’m just bad at video games!

All things considered, this racetrack just isn’t for me… and I’m okay with that.

GCN Baby Park (Crossing Cup)
Tier: F

This absolute abomination should be nowhere near Mario Kart! Okay, maybe that was too harsh. But Baby Park might be my least-favourite racetrack in the entire game. It’s boring as all hell, consisting of a single, short, unembellished oval. If this was Nascar, maybe that would be okay! Races on Baby Park also feel horribly unbalanced, as it’s too easy to hit a run of bad luck (or good luck, conversely), meaning that races end up feeling less about skill and more about random chance.

If this gets picked online, I might actually disconnect from the lobby rather than play through it!

GBA Cheese Land (Crossing Cup)
Tier: F

Oof, the Crossing Cup is off to a rough start. Cheese Land on the Game Boy Advance had a lot more personality than this bland, uninspired desert track. The titular cheese is all but absent, replaced by the most generic-looking sandy dirt that not only fails to live up to the racetrack’s name, but also feels incredibly boring and too similar to other desert tracks.

I appreciate the attempt to add anti-gravity, but that doesn’t do anything to salvage this thoroughly disappointing racetrack.

Wild Woods (Crossing Cup)
Tier: A

Wild Woods is a surprisingly fun addition to Mario Kart 8 – and the first step toward saving the reputation of the Crossing Cup! Its theming reminds me of books like The Faraway Tree, and the whole racetrack gives off a kind of “enchanted forest” vibe that’s really gentle and sweet. This stands in contrast to a very fast-paced racetrack with a rushing water section, lots of anti-gravity, and some tricky corners!

Races on Wild Woods can take unexpected turns, and the pacing of the racetrack overall feels fantastic.

Animal Crossing (Crossing Cup)
Tier: S

I’m a huge fan of the Animal Crossing series, and this racetrack is absolutely incredible. I love the “four seasons” idea, and the autumn and winter variants in particular are beautiful. Animal Crossing includes practically all of the major buildings, characters, and locales from New Leaf (the game upon which it was based), and racing through this wonderful setting feels absolutely amazing. The music is also inspired by the soundtrack to New Leaf – and has different variants for the four seasons.

Until Merry Mountain was released as part of the Booster Course Pass, Animal Crossing was the only track with any Christmas theming!

3DS Koopa City/Neo Bowser City (Bell Cup)
Tier: A

When I first played Mario Kart 7, I found Koopa City to be too difficult. I’m not sure if that’s been toned down very much in this revision or whether I’ve just gotten a little better at it, but in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe I’ve definitely come to appreciate the racetrack a lot more. I no longer quiver in fear when I see it pop up! The environment is a ton of fun, and something completely different from other Bowser-themed racetracks. In fact, Koopa City feels closer, in some respects, to an F-Zero racetrack than it does to Mario Kart. And yes, I mean that as a compliment!

A rain-soaked futuristic city with some sharp turns makes for a fun and challenging racetrack.

GBA Ribbon Road (Bell Cup)
Tier: B

Ribbon Road reminds me of a Dreamcast game called Toy Racer that I had a bit of fun with around the turn of the millennium. Shrinking down the racers and placing them in a bedroom surrounded by toys is a really fun idea, and I think Ribbon Road executes it quite well. If you pay attention to the background, there are a lot of references to other Mario and Nintendo games, which is fun, and reimagining some of the typical enemies and obstacles to be toys was neat.

Oh, and the rippling section of the track is a ton of fun to land tricks on!

Super Bell Subway (Bell Cup)
Tier: A

I like trains, so Super Bell Subway’s theme definitely sits right with me! I also love the subtle additions of things like graffiti to the titular subway, as it implies that graffiti and vandalism are a thing in the Mushroom Kingdom! There’s a fun shortcut to pull off if you have a mushroom, the moving trains take up a lot of real estate on the racetrack to pose a unique challenge, and there’s a great soundtrack to boot.

All in all, a solid addition to the lineup.

Big Blue (Bell Cup)
Tier: A

Rounding out this first set of racetracks is Big Blue, the second track based on F-Zero. And it’s another fun one! I like the rushing water section, the boost panels, and the incredibly fast-paced final third of the racetrack. Seeing jets (or spacecraft?) performing acrobatic feats in the background is a ton of fun, and Big Blue also manages to really recapture the F-Zero feel.

A fun and exciting way to wrap up the first 48 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe racetracks!

So that’s it… for now!

When I’ve had time to play through the final wave of Booster Course Pass racetracks – which aren’t out yet, but will be released before Christmas – I’ll put together the second part of this tier list. So we’re really only at the halfway point! I feel pretty confident about many of the Booster Course Pass tracks that have been released so far, but there are a few I’d like to spend a bit more time with before settling on an “official” ranking.

Speaking of rankings, let’s take a look at the tier list as things stand after the first 48 racetracks!

Here’s the breakdown:

F-tier: three racetracks,
D-tier: five racetracks,
C-tier: ten racetracks,
B-tier: twelve racetracks,
A-tier: twelve racetracks,
S-tier: six racetracks.

After going back to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and replaying all 48 of these racetracks to capture screenshots for this piece, my poor arthritic thumbs need a break! I haven’t played Mario Kart quite so intensively for some time, and I’m definitely feeling the effects.

So I hope this was a bit of fun. I have a bunch of extra screenshots of Dry Bones racing around almost all of these racetracks, so I might put together a gallery of those sometime in the new year. And please don’t forget to come back after the final wave of the Booster Course Pass lands to see the second part of this list!

Eight Ideas for the Next Mario Kart

Wed 18.10.23Wed 18.10.23Dennis

With the Booster Course Pass dumping new racetracks, characters, and content onto Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it’s been a while since we looked ahead to what might come next for Nintendo’s flagship racing series. Although it seems pretty clear that the opportunity for Nintendo to launch a brand-new Mario Kart game on the Switch has come and gone, a new Nintendo console might be right around the corner. That can only mean one thing: Mario Kart 9 is on the way!

Okay, maybe I’m getting a little too excited. But with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe being the Switch’s top-selling game, and the Booster Course Pass giving it a bit of a refresh, I’m absolutely convinced that Nintendo will want to get a new title in the series onto the Switch’s successor console as quickly as possible – perhaps in time for the new machine’s first holiday season. If, as has been rumoured, a new Nintendo console might launch next year… we could be a mere twelve months away from Mario Kart 9!

A screenshot from Mario Kart DS. — Can you spot the mistake in this beta version of *Mario Kart DS*?

Or not. But either way, today we’re celebrating my dedicated Mario Kart webpage going live by considering five ideas that I think could make for neat inclusions in the next Mario Kart game – or in any game after that, if Nintendo doesn’t see fit to include them this time! If you missed the Mario Kart page, you can find it using the drop-down menu above… or just click or tap here to head there directly! All of my Mario Kart content will be available there – including my tier lists of all the racetracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is something I’m currently working on! So check back for that at some point soon.

Before we go any further, I’ll give my usual caveat: I have no “insider information.” I’m not claiming that Nintendo is planning to include anything we’re going to discuss today in Mario Kart 9 – and I don’t even know for certain that Mario Kart 9 even exists or is in development! Also, everything we’re going to consider today is the entirely subjective opinion of one person – so if you hate all of my ideas or I don’t include something that seems obvious to you, that’s okay! We’re all entitled to our opinions on this wonderful racing series.

With all of that out of the way, let’s take a look at my ideas!

Idea #1:
A first-person mode.

A screenshot of Mario Kart 7's first-person perspective. — First-person racing in *Mario Kart 7*.

The first and only time that the Mario Kart series has offered a first-person view came in Mario Kart 7. In that game, it was possible to see the race from a first-person perspective – but only when also using the 3DS’ gyroscope to steer. It was a bit of a gimmick on the 3DS, and I didn’t use it extensively – but there’s something about racing in first-person that’s just fun.

I’d love to see Mario Kart 9 bring this back, using the more powerful hardware of Nintendo’s next console to allow us to get up close and personal with some great-looking karts and bikes. It would be a blast to be able to race in first-person mode using a standard control pad, without having to be tied to a gyroscope or motion controls, too.

A screenshot of Forza Motorsport (2023). — First-person racing in *Forza Motorsport*.

A first-person perspective is something offered by many racing games on other platforms, and is something most driving and racing titles have done for a long time. The Mario Kart series has long stood apart from racers that take themselves more seriously… but that doesn’t mean Nintendo can’t take inspiration from other titles in the racing space!

Racing in first-person puts you in the middle of the action, and it would also be a great excuse for Nintendo to design different steering wheels, handlebars, and kart interiors. There’s a lot of fun to be had here – and I hope Nintendo’s sole experience with a first-person mode in Mario Kart 7 won’t shoot down this idea.

Idea #2:
A logo maker (like in Mario Kart DS).

Recreating the website’s logo in *Mario Kart DS*!

Mario Kart DS allowed players to draw their own custom logos using a pretty basic in-game logo maker. Making a personal icon instead of using the generic ones made for each character adds a bit of customisation and personality to the game – and that’s always something fun to see!

Again, with more powerful hardware on the way, there’s the potential to expand this feature far beyond the capabilities of the Nintendo DS. Players could even get the option to give karts and bikes custom liveries – something seen in games like Forza Horizon 5, for example. But even if that’s not practical, making custom logos and taking them online would be a ton of fun.

The logo as it appears on a standard kart.

There’s obviously the potential for abuse here, unfortunately. And as we’ve seen in the past, some players will draw rude, offensive, or just plain silly things. But as we’ve seen with custom designs in the Animal Crossing series, for instance, it’s possible to give players these options in a way that’s safe and appropriate for sensitive eyes. Nintendo wouldn’t need to have a whole team of content monitors checking everyone’s logos… just make sure that it’s easy to report anyone with an inappropriate logo so they can be sanctioned.

I’m a big fan of customisation in games – even though I have the imagination of a sleep-deprived pigeon and the artistic skills to match. This could be a whole mini-game in itself… and I’d love to see some of the wonderful and creative ideas that other racers come up with!

Idea #3:
Identical stats for every racer and vehicle.

This is a subject I’ve covered already – and you can find that article by clicking or tapping here. But to summarise: Mario Kart is unbalanced. What that has meant is that there’s one “ideal” combination of driver + kart that, in many races, everyone online is using. It’s not a lot of fun to race online against eleven Waluigis all riding the same Wiggler kart!

Recent tweaks to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe haven’t actually helped this issue – they’ve just shifted the ideal combo to another character and another kart. So my proposal is simple: dump the stats and make every racer and vehicle behave the same way. This would completely negate the problem and open up the next Mario Kart game to allow players to choose who they want to race with and how they want to race.

Complicated stats in *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*.

I find it disheartening, sometimes, to join an online race only to see almost everyone has picked the same kart and driver. Part of the fun of Mario Kart is mixing it up and trying out different combos. With such cosmetic variety, it seems a shame that, in order to remain competitive online or in time trials, there’s really only one (or at the most two) options that are viable.

Mario Kart isn’t a racing simulation, so things like tinkering with stats to get more horsepower… it just seems unnecessary. It would simplify Mario Kart in one way, but it would also open it up and diversify it in another.

Idea #4:
Racetracks with different variants.

The *Booster Course Pass* version of Kalimari Desert has different routes for each lap.

Mario Kart Tour introduced racetracks with different layouts and variants – and I think this is something that could be carried into the next main Mario Kart title. In the Booster Course Pass, several racetracks have different layouts for each lap, which is neat – but I’m thinking of racetracks with completely different layouts that could either be chosen or selected at random.

This could be a relatively easy way to add variety to the next game’s roster of tracks without having to create wholly new tracks with new assets. One variant of a track could be a simple loop, but a second could add additional twists and turns, for example. Both variants could use the same background, textures, and even some parts of the racetrack – like the start/finish line – as well as music. But there’d be something different for players to get stuck into each time.

It would be nice to get some varied tracks in the next game.

Mario Kart 8 launched in 2014 – and it looks set to reach its tenth anniversary before a brand-new mainline Mario Kart game will be ready. If Nintendo hopes to keep Mario Kart 9 around for even half as long, finding ways to keep the game varied and interesting to players will be essential. If the game came with 32 racetracks, but some of those had two, three, or even four different variants, that would go some way to accomplishing that objective.

I expect that the next Mario Kart title will be a kind of live-service experience, with Nintendo making changes and updates on the fly. Some of these updates could add new racetrack variants, which is something Nintendo has already done in Tour. That would be a possibility, too.

Idea #5:
Character costumes and outfits!

Mario in swimwear from *Mario Kart Tour*.

It would be great if every character could have different costumes to choose from. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example, there are different colours for Yoshi – but I’d love to extend this to every character in the game. And not just different colours, either, but costumes and hats that transform the look of our favourite drivers.

This could also be a way to simplify the roster. Mario variants (like Metal Mario or Tanooki Mario) could be merged into one, with those outfits being available to players who choose Mario. That doesn’t have to happen, but it could open up the driver list to new and exciting characters!

Princess Peach in a blue dress in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*.

For other characters, different colour variants, costumes, and hats could all be included. I think Tour has done something like this, so clearly it’s something Nintendo has already been toying with. I think there’s a ton of potential to really mix it up – and it would be great fun to see what outfits people would choose when racing online!

At the end of the day, this is another point about customisation and personalisation. Without having to create entirely new character models, Nintendo could add a whole lot of variety to Mario Kart 9 and allow us to really get a tailored, personal experience from the game.

Idea #6:
Designs from The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Kart racing in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*.

After spending a lot of money on it, I’m surprised that Nintendo has made no effort so far to cash in on the wild success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. There’s a ton of potential in bringing elements from the film into the next Mario and Mario Kart games… and the sooner the better!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie included a kart-racing sequence, and it was one of the most exciting and entertaining in the entire film! The sequence included several designs based on vehicles from the Mario Kart series – but also some brand-new designs, too. It would be great to see even one of these make its way to the next Mario Kart game.

There were also characters from the movie who could be included. Mario’s parents, for instance, or the penguin king from the opening act. Even including some of these designs as alternate costumes for characters like Luigi, Peach, and Donkey Kong would be a great way to connect with the success of the film.

Creating a racetrack – or better yet, four racetracks in the “Movie Cup” – would also be a fantastic idea. New tracks could draw on the film’s locations in both the real world and the Mushroom Kingdom, taking advantage of the new designs and adaptations that were created. Obviously a game will never be able to completely recreate the art style of a big-budget animated picture… but it could certainly take those designs as a starting point.

Idea #7:
Crossover characters from other franchises and properties.

“More characters” is always going to be a request when we’re talking about a new Mario Kart game – but that’s not really what I’m suggesting here! I think it’s a given that Mario Kart 9 will have an expanded driver roster, bringing in old favourites like Diddy Kong and newcomers to the Mario universe like Cappy.

Instead, what I’m hoping to see are licensed characters from other games and franchises. We’ve already seen Link from the Zelda games, characters from Splatoon, and Isabelle from Animal Crossing… but Nintendo can do better than that, surely!

Although it seemed unfathomable in the ’90s, when Sega and Nintendo were fierce competitors, we’ve seen Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog team up on several occasions over the past few years. Sonic is absolutely the kind of character I’m thinking of – but it needn’t stop there! Characters from games that have been popular on the Switch, like Minecraft or Fall Guys, could be great inclusions, too.

If Nintendo could strike deals with some of the gaming world’s big studios and publishers, there’s almost no limit to the character possibilities for the next Mario Kart game. Even just within the Nintendo extended family, though, there are literally dozens if not hundreds of possibilities.

Idea #8:
More real-world vehicles.

Mario Kart 8 launched in 2014 with a surprising merchandising tie-in: Mercedes! Three Mercedes cars were reimagined as karts in Mario Kart 8, and have been retained in the Switch version, too. Although it was definitely a bit of a surprise to see the likes of Dry Bones and Wario driving scaled-down versions of real-life cars… it was a ton of fun, too!

I don’t pretend to be an expert on merchandising and product placement, so I have no idea how easy or difficult it might be for Nintendo to license real-world vehicles. But the success of the Mercedes tie-in surely makes it something worth considering!

Car manufacturers are clearly open to this idea – otherwise why would they license their vehicles for games like Forza Motorsport? I’m not saying that Nintendo could necessarily get the likes of Lamborghini or Koenigsegg to sign on… but then again, why not? Scaled-down supercars could be an absolute blast… and maybe there could be something like a Tesla or other electric vehicle, too.

The possibilities are limitless, really – there could be classic cars, modern racing cars, and more. If we really branch out, we could look at monster trucks, lorries… even trains!

So that’s it!

We’ve considered eight possibilities for the next Mario Kart game. I’d love to see everything we’ve discussed above when the next game launches… but I’m not sure how likely all of these things are! Still, it was a bit of fun to speculate and fantasise about what Mario Kart 9 might look like.

So I hope this has been an interesting look ahead. As I said at the beginning, I have no “insider information,” and it’s likely that none of the things we’ve been talking about today will make it into any future Mario Kart game. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to consider what the next Mario Kart game might look like! With the series being a mainstay of Nintendo consoles, and a new console potentially launching in the next eighteen months… we might be closer to a new Mario Kart game than it seems!

Remember to check out my dedicated Mario Kart webpage for more speculation and discussion. You can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out now for Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Booster Course Pass, and the Super Mario series are the copyright of Nintendo. Some images used above courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass: Who are the mystery characters?

Fri 07.04.23Sat 08.04.23Dennis

The latest update to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC brought with it a big surprise: the returning character of Birdo! I genuinely couldn’t care less about Birdo, to be honest with you; I didn’t like her in Super Mario Bros. 2 and I’ve never been fussed about having her as a playable character in Mario Kart, either. But that’s beside the point!

The Booster Course Pass has updated the game’s character roster, and in addition to Birdo there are now five mystery characters who will presumably be added later this year. On this occasion, I thought it could be fun to make a few educated guesses about who these mystery characters might be… as well as pick five of my own that I’d add if I had the option!

If you read my review of the Booster Course Pass last year, you’ll know that I think it’s been a decent addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe… but it isn’t anywhere near as much fun as a new game would’ve been. The addition of new characters, however, certainly has added an extra element to the game – and as the original version of Mario Kart 8 was released almost a decade ago, that was sorely needed!

I’m breaking this list into two parts. The first part will be characters that I consider likely additions, based on their appearances in Mario Kart Tour – a game that the Booster Course Pass is heavily borrowing from. The second part will be my “fantasy” picks. I’m sticking to five characters in each half of the list – because there are currently only five vacant character slots.

Let’s jump into the list!

Part 1: Mario Kart Tour characters

With only one exception, all of the racetracks added in the Booster Course Pass so far appeared first in Mario Kart Tour. The character of Birdo, who was a surprise addition in the latest update, also appeared in Tour before joining the roster. So in my view, characters who are already part of Mario Kart Tour are far more likely to join Mario Kart 8 Deluxe than anyone else!

With that in mind, here are five of my favourite contenders.

Tour character #1:
King Bob-Omb

Two versions of King Bob-Omb can be seen in this promo screenshot from *Mario Kart Tour*.

King Bob-Omb first appeared in Super Mario 64, and his turn in the driver’s seat in Mario Kart Tour is the first time he’s appeared in the series. It was also his first time as a playable character, having been a boss or enemy in a number of Mario spin-off titles. King Bob-Omb is a heavy character who could join the likes of Bowser and Wario in that category, and as a villain, he could be a lot of fun to race with.

Tour character #2:
Kamek

Promo art for *Mario Kart Tour* featuring Kamek.

Kamek was originally intended to be a playable character in Mario Kart 64, even appearing in the game’s demo version and in some promotional material released by Nintendo. For unknown reasons, Kamek was subbed out for Donkey Kong before the game’s final release – and that was probably the right call! A quarter of a century later, Kamek made their first appearance as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour, and I think they’ve gotta be in contention to join the main game!

Tour character #3:
Diddy Kong

Diddy Kong as he appeared back in the Nintendo 64 era.

Diddy Kong was a playable character in two previous Mario Kart titles: Double Dash and Wii. On the Nintendo 64, Diddy even had his own game: Diddy Kong Racing, which was a fun multi-vehicle arcade racing title. It’s a surprise in some ways that Diddy Kong hasn’t appeared in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, especially as the Switch port added a lot more characters than the Wii U original. Diddy Kong feels like a strong candidate to add to the game!

Tour character #4:
Pauline

Mayor Pauline as she appeared in *Super Mario Odyssey*.

Because Mario Kart 8 was made years before Super Mario Odyssey, none of the characters from that game made an appearance. But with Odyssey proving so popular – and selling so well – it makes a lot of sense for characters like Pauline to cross over. Cappy is also a great candidate, but Pauline could join Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina to give players another female racer to choose. Pauline originally appeared in 1981’s Donkey Kong – making her one of the original characters in the Mario series.

Tour character #5:
DK Junior

DK Junior’s pixellated character model in *Tour*.

This one is a bit of a wish, to be honest! But back in the SNES days, DK Junior was one of my favourite characters to race with when I played Super Mario Kart. His return in Tour is the first time the character has been seen since. It could be a blast to bring him back, especially as Super Mario Kart has recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

Part 2: My Picks

Karting in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*.

There are a whole host of Nintendo and Nintendo-adjacent characters that I can think of who’d be a ton of fun to play as in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! The game has already expanded beyond the world of Super Mario, bringing in characters from the Zelda, Splatoon, and Animal Crossing franchises. So there’s plenty of scope to cast an even wider net!

These characters are less likely to appear than those above – but if I had my way, all five of them would join the party!

Pick #1:
Sonic the Hedgehog

Ever since Sega’s unceremonious exit from the console wars shortly after the turn of the millennium, Sonic has teamed up with his old mascot rival Mario on more than one occasion. As strange as it was to see these two long-time adversaries working together, they make a great pair! Although Sega has its own racing games, several of which feature Sonic, perhaps the time has finally come to have Sonic line up alongside Mario in the definitive kart racing series.

Pick #2:
Minecraft Steve

Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, and has sold more than 3.5 million copies on the Nintendo Switch alone. Steve – Minecraft’s iconic default player character – would be a fun and unexpected addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. He’d be no more out-of-place than the likes of Link, and it could be a really fun way to bring two gaming powerhouses together!

Pick #3:
Tom Nook

Joining Isabelle and the Villager from the Animal Crossing series could be extreme venture-capitalist Tom Nook! Tom Nook was a lesser part of Animal Crossing: New Leaf – the Nintendo 3DS title upon which Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Animal Crossing inclusions are based – but he went on to play a much larger role in New Horizons. As the second-best selling Nintendo Switch title of all time (despite being unfinished and offering less to do than its predecessor) it would make a lot of sense for Nintendo to take advantage of New Horizons!

Pick #4:
Fox McCloud (Star Fox)

Fox McCloud as he appeared in promo art for the SNES title *Star Fox*.

I absolutely adored Star Fox on the Super Nintendo – though the franchise now feels like one that Nintendo has put on the back burner. With 2023 being the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary, bringing Fox McCloud into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could be a great way to celebrate! Nintendo could do more with the Star Fox series, and I’m surprised that no new game has been forthcoming on the Switch.

Pick #5:
Doom Guy

The Doom series has a history on Nintendo devices, and there was even an exclusive: Doom 64 was only available on the Nintendo 64 (until a recent port brought it to PC, that is!) Doom and Nintendo also had an unexpected team-up in 2020, when the launches of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Doom Eternal coincided, leading to some fun collaborations. Doom is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and it could be a blast (pun intended) to bring a character like Doom Guy into a totally different kind of game!

So that’s it!

I hope this was a bit of fun as we look ahead to some of the characters who may (or may not) be joining the roster of drivers in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It now seems all but certain that there won’t be another Mario Kart game until the Switch’s successor console is launched, and while that’s a disappointment in more ways than one, the Booster Course Pass has at least convinced me to dust off my Switch and jump back into the game. Adding new racetracks has certainly padded out Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and extended its playable lifespan, and new characters will do the same.

Who would you choose to add to the lineup? There must be hundreds of Nintendo and non-Nintendo characters that could make for fun or interesting inclusions in a future Mario Kart title, so we’ve only scratched the surface today! Still, I hope it was interesting to consider who might line up on the grid!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the Booster Course Pass are out now for Nintendo Switch. The Booster Course Pass will add more racetracks and characters in two more “waves” across 2023. The Mario Kart series – including all titles discussed above – is the copyright of Nintendo. Some screenshots courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Eight racetracks I’d add to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Wed 21.12.22Wed 21.12.22Dennis

It’s official: I’ve given up on seeing Mario Kart 9 any time soon. That game most likely won’t arrive until the Nintendo Switch’s successor console is released, which is a shame if you ask me! 2022 has been the Mario Kart series’ thirtieth anniversary, and with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe being just an extended port of a Wii U game released back in 2014, I felt that the time was right for a brand-new entry in the series. But Nintendo disagreed, and instead what we’ve had this year has been the Booster Course Pass – downloadable content for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe that’s slowly adding extra tracks to the game in “waves” of eight at a time.

Let’s set Mario Kart 9 and its associated disappointment to one side for now and focus on the Booster Course Pass. For the money, I reckon the Booster Course Pass is pretty good value – or at least it will be when all of the tracks are ready! Only half of the new racetracks have been released at time of writing, so your mileage may vary on how much value for money you think you’re getting!

As I said when I reviewed the Booster Course Pass, several of my favourites from past editions of the series have already been added. Racetracks like Kalimari Desert, from the Nintendo 64, and Coconut Mall, from the Wii, have been included in the Booster Course Pass already, and would likely have made a list like this if I’d made it a few months ago! But there are still plenty of racetracks from past iterations of Mario Kart that I’d love to see updated – so that’s what we’re going to look at today!

I’ve tried to pick tracks from different entries in the series, some of which I’m more familiar with than others. I haven’t invented any brand-new racetracks this time around; these are all tracks that have appeared in one or more Mario Kart titles. For obvious reasons, I haven’t picked any tracks that are already part of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or the Booster Course Pass! And as always, my usual caveats apply: I have no “insider information,” and I’m not trying to claim that any of these racetracks will be part of the Booster Course Pass in future. Finally, all of this is just the subjective take of one person! If I don’t include your favourite racetrack, or include a track you absolutely hate, that’s just the way it goes!

With all of that out of the way, let’s begin!

Trekking Cup:

Racetrack #1:
^SNES Bowser Castle 2

We’ll start by going all the way back to the Super Nintendo! Super Mario Kart may seem rather basic by today’s standards, but it’s where the series began – and it was one of my most-played games of the mid-90s! There were three Bowser Castle tracks, all of which used the same basic aesthetic, and on this occasion we’re going to pick Bowser Castle 2, from the Flower Cup.

Bowser Castle 2 has the infamous “STOP” sign if players take a wrong turn, and that could be something fun as relatively few Mario Kart tracks have anything quite like it; a dead-end path that leads to nothing but lava! The track also splits into two roughly equal paths at one point, and has several hops over the lava. As we’ve seen with other older racetracks, Bowser Castle 2 could be adapted to incorporate anti-gravity or gliding sections.

Racetrack #2:
^Tour Singapore Speedway

One of the surprise hits for me from the first three waves of the Booster Course Pass has been the inclusion of real-world cities. I talked extensively about New York Minute in my review of the Booster Course Pass as I think it’s one of the best racetracks in the game, but I’ve also really enjoyed what Mario Kart has done with Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, and London. At time of writing there aren’t many more Tour-exclusive tracks that could be added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so I’m picking Singapore Speedway this time.

Singapore would join Tokyo and Sydney to represent another non-European city, and while I’d love to see many more real-world cities represented as I feel it’s a fun concept, of the cities that Nintendo has chosen to adapt so far, Singapore feels the most interesting. As the world’s only real city-state, Singapore is a unique place – and I’m sure it’ll be fun to race through!

Racetrack #3:
^N64 Frappe Snowland

I like the music that accompanies this winter-themed track, and I think it would be fun to see it updated. Out of 72 racetracks in the game (at time of writing) only five are winter- or ice-themed (six if you include the winter variant of the Animal Crossing track). So there’s definitely room for another snowy, wintertime track in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

As happened with Kalimari Desert when it was added to the Booster Course Pass, there’s scope to reimagine parts of Frappe Snowland, updating them for the Switch. The jump could be replaced by a glider ramp, an anti-gravity hill could be added, and the final part of the lap, with towering walls of snow, could become narrower or even change shape with each lap.

Racetrack #4:
^Wii Moonview Highway

One of the few Wii tracks not to have been ported to another game, Moonview Highway is notorious for its difficulty. Some fans consider Moonview Highway to be one of the hardest tracks in the entire Mario Kart series – so perhaps some adaptations would need to be made to mitigate this before it could join Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!

Moving traffic is always a difficult obstacle in a racetrack, and has proven tricky going all the way back to Toad’s Turnpike on the Nintendo 64. But as annoying as they can be, moving vehicles keep players on their toes and ensure that every lap – and indeed every race – feels different. I also really like the theming of Moonview Highway; the night time setting, the rising moon, and the combination of city and forest sections make it a visually interesting and distinct racetrack.

Dennis Cup:

Racetrack #1:
^3DS Shy Guy Bazaar

There are plenty of desert levels in the Mario Kart series (and several already in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) but for me, Shy Guy Bazaar has always been a little different. It picks up a vaguely Arabian-inspired theme, with some of the buildings and the main marketplace using that aesthetic. Most other desert tracks in the Mario Kart series take place across dunes or ruins, so having one set in the marketplace of a living town definitely makes Shy Guy Bazaar unique.

I have very fond memories of Mario Kart 7. When the game was released, I was working in a large office in a big city, and I had several colleagues with whom I’d play the game using the 3DS’ download play feature. It was great fun to take part in some very competitive races! Shy Guy Bazaar may not be Mario Kart 7′s best-remembered racetrack – but that’s just another reason to bring it back!

Racetrack #2:
^{Arcade GP} Diamond City

Now we’re heading into some real uncharted territory! Beginning in 2005, Nintendo created a series of arcade machines based on the Mario Kart series, each of which featured a handful of new and unique racetracks. At time of writing, none of these tracks have made it to a home console, remaining arcade exclusives. That means relatively few players have had the chance to try any of these racetracks – and I can’t be the only one who thinks it’s high time to change that!

Diamond City has a fun look – at least based on what I’ve seen of it. A Wario-themed near-future city with some Japanese elements, the racetrack is at least superficially different from others set in big cities. The layout is more than just a simplistic oval, with a tight turn at the beginning, and there are plenty of places where anti-gravity, gliding, or even underwater sections could be included.

Racetrack #3:
^N64 Unfinished Town

If you thought we were getting into some weird territory with the arcade version of Mario Kart, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! This racetrack was seemingly abandoned during development on Mario Kart 64, never making it into the final game. However, thanks to the tireless work of modders and data-miners, the track’s existence was confirmed, and a playable version has even been recreated from files that were uncovered.

The racetrack known simply as “Town” is actually pretty basic from what I can tell, following a fairly straightforward route through a generic town setting. Had work on the track continued, perhaps more theming would have been added! The concept remains interesting, though, and as a slice of Mario Kart history, I think it would be incredible to finally allow this unfinished track to see the light of day in an official release.

Racetrack #4:
^GCN Rainbow Road

In true Mario Kart style, we finish with Rainbow Road! The version from Mario Kart: Double Dash has yet to be remade, and I think it would be great to bring it back here. Like other Rainbow Roads it’s a difficult racetrack, but one whose verticality could lead to a truly excellent reworking that would really showcase Mario Kart 8′s anti-gravity feature in particular.

There are already four Rainbow Roads in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – so what’s one more? The tracks are all different enough from one another to be distinct, so there’s no harm in including this version of Rainbow Road. With only four tracks from Double Dash in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at time of writing, bringing back another from the GameCube era would be no bad thing, too.

So that’s it!

I think we’ve picked some different racetracks that would make for fun and exciting additions to the Booster Course Pass – although I’d be happier, in many ways, if they’d be part of a brand-new game instead! But in lieu of Mario Kart 9, the Booster Course Pass is definitely filling a gap, and has convinced me to pick up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe all over again. I suppose in that sense it’s achieved its aim!

This time, I tried to pick racetracks that haven’t gotten as much attention, or that haven’t been remastered or made many appearances outside of the games in which they originally appeared. I’d be happy to see any of these tracks return to the Mario Kart series – and if none of them make it into the Booster Course Pass then maybe they’ll crop up in a future title!

I’ve been having a good time with Wave 3 of the Booster Course Pass. The track Merry Mountain in particular is just what I want to see at this time of year, and it’s been a blast racing through that Christmassy village! London – the place where I was born! – also features in Wave 3 as one of the more interesting (and longest) city tracks shown off so far, and it’s been a blast to replay racetracks like Maple Treeway too.

So I hope this was a bit of fun; some fantasy racetrack additions from a long-time Mario Kart fan. I certainly had a good time going back to replay some of these tracks or just looking at gameplay videos. What better way to celebrate Mario Kart’s thirtieth anniversary?

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the Booster Course Pass are out now for Nintendo Switch. The Booster Course Pass will add more racetracks in three “waves” across 2023. The Mario Kart series – including all titles discussed above – is the copyright of Nintendo. Some screenshots courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass: thoughts and impressions

Wed 17.08.22Wed 17.08.22Dennis

I’ve got to be honest with you right at the start: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass disappointed me before I’d raced a single lap… or even downloaded it. That’s because I was really hoping to see Mario Kart 9 this year; a brand-new game with new features rather than just an expansion pack for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The original version of Mario Kart 8 released for the Wii U back in 2014 (though I played a preview build at a press event in 2013; lucky me!) so I’ve been waiting to see what Nintendo would do next for a long time. This Booster Course Pass just felt underwhelming when it was announced compared to what I’d been hoping for.

With 2022 being the thirtieth anniversary of the Mario Kart series (Super Mario Kart was released for the SNES all the way back in 1992), and with Nintendo’s love of celebrating big milestones and anniversaries, again the timing for a new game felt right. But I guess Nintendo is sticking to the “one Mario Kart game per console” thing, and the Booster Course Pass is intended to throw players a bone and give the game a bit of a refresh as the Switch enters what must be the latter part of its life. I have no doubt that there’ll be a Mario Kart 9… but now it seems like it’ll be on whatever console Nintendo makes in the years ahead rather than coming to the Switch.

Pink Gold Peach in a promo image for the *Booster Course Pass*.

But the Booster Course Pass makes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe “feel like a new game,” right? That seems to be the cliché that a lot of folks have trotted out to describe the expansion pack. I’d answer that question with a firm “no.” An expansion pack like this refreshes the game, gives it a new lick of paint and shuffles things around, but the same Mario Kart 8 gameplay and visual style is still front-and-centre, even as new racetracks are added. For players who’d been getting bored of that, or who had drifted away from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in search of new experiences, this will be at best a shot in the arm; a temporary boost to bring them back for a while. But the novelty of the new courses will fade faster than it would had there been a brand-new game this year.

But is it fair to judge the Booster Course Pass by that standard? No expansion pack is really intended to be a wholly new game, and there are undoubtedly some fun tracks that have been added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe this time around. Not only that, but the format that Nintendo has used here is a fun one; tracks will be added in “waves” of eight at a time until the end of 2023. The total number of tracks added by the time the Booster Course Pass is complete will be forty-eight – doubling the number of racetracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The *Booster Course Pass* includes tracks from past Mario Kart titles.

I quite like the “wave” approach to the expansion pack. Building up the Booster Course Pass slowly over the span of a couple of years keeps the game feeling fresh for longer compared with dumping all of the racetracks at once in a single event. Your mileage on that may vary, though, and there’s nothing wrong with holding off on picking up the Booster Course Pass until late 2023 when the final wave of racetracks has been added. At a cost of £20 ($25 in the United States) it felt a bit steep at first for only eight additional racetracks; the value of the Booster Course Pass will feel a lot better when all forty-eight are playable!

So who is this expansion pack really for? I don’t think it’s necessarily the natural next step for the Mario Kart series in general, rather the Booster Course Pass is for people who’ve started to get bored of what Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has to offer. Once you’ve played Rainbow Road, Toad Harbour, and GBA Cheese Land a hundred times apiece, this expansion pack shakes things up and provides some new layouts, new scenery, and a bit of a new challenge. For someone new to the Nintendo Switch and/or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I’d say you don’t have as much to gain by picking up the Booster Course Pass at this stage, but it could be worth it later on. It just depends on how repetitive you begin to find the forty-eight courses that come with the base game!

The *Booster Course Pass* may feel like better value in a year’s time.

I’ve made a couple of lists here on the website of racetracks that I’d want to see in a future Mario Kart title, and two of my favourites have appeared already in the first couple of waves of the Booster Course Pass. As with racetracks across the rest of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, older tracks have seen more changes to both mix things up and to fit with the game’s anti-gravity, flying, and underwater mechanics that weren’t present in earlier titles.

Both Coconut Mall and Mushroom Gorge, which were tracks that debuted on the Wii, feel more or less unchanged in the Booster Course Pass. Both tracks were fantastic in Mario Kart Wii and make wonderful additions here. Their musical accompaniments are likewise neat, and both feel like a nostalgia blast! I have fond memories of playing these racetracks with friends during the Wii days, and replaying them in HD on the Switch has been a blast.

Kalimari Desert and Choco Mountain have returned from the Nintendo 64, and the former in particular is one of my all-time favourite Mario Kart racetracks. Choco Mountain is a fun course, although I would say that its all-brown colour palette makes it feel a little bland, and that’s something that could’ve been worked on or adapted for this new version.

Kalimari Desert, though, is absolutely fantastic in the Booster Course Pass. It’s more linear this time around – each of the three laps follows a definite route, meaning players don’t have as much choice when it comes to taking risky shortcuts through the tunnel or over the train tracks. But the adaptations that have been made are fantastic and really showcase the course at its best. There’s something about the “American Southwest” aesthetic that I’ve always loved about Kalimari Desert, and seeing it brought into the modern day thanks to a visual and gameplay overhaul has been wonderful. Although the track also appeared on the 3DS back in 2011, this new version feels like the definitive take on Kalimari Desert.

Kalimari Desert is one of my favourite Mario Kart tracks… ever.

Mario Kart Tour is a crappy mobile game that is bedevilled by many of the pay-to-play and pay-to-win microtransactions that blight the mobile gaming scene. As a result I’m not familiar with most of its racetracks, so the inclusion of several in the Booster Course Pass has given me my first real opportunity to play them. At time of writing (wave two) there have been four racetracks from Mario Kart Tour added; there may be six more to come for a total of ten.

I’ve been lucky enough earlier in my life to have visited both Paris and New York – the settings for two of the Mario Kart Tour tracks included in the Booster Course Pass – and I have to say that New York Minute in particular really hit me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. There were some genuinely recognisable locations in Central Park and the downtown area that I vividly remember travelling to with friends years ago, and again I wasn’t expecting this brand-new track to give me the nostalgic feels in the way that it did! The music for New York Minute is one of the best in the game; the perfect jazz accompaniment to a beautiful racetrack.

New York City comes to *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*!

The Mario Kart Tour tracks also have fun and varied layouts, with each of the three laps taking different routes. I think this keeps things interesting and makes it a lot harder to just drive on “autopilot” even after playing each of the tracks a dozen times. The three other Mario Kart Tour tracks – Paris Promenade, Tokyo Blur, and Sydney Sprint – all hit a number of tourist attractions and key locations in their real-world settings, and it’s something both fun and a little different to race through a Mario Kart track based on a real-life locale.

Having first played Super Mario Kart in the early 1990s, not too long after it was released here in the UK, I’m a dab hand at practically all of the SNES courses that have been included in Mario Kart 8! The sole SNES inclusion in the Booster Course Pass (again, at time of writing after wave two) is Mario Circuit 3, and it’s perhaps the least-interesting from my perspective. Not much has been done to the course’s layout, and with Donut Plains 3 as part of the base game I guess it just wouldn’t have been my first choice. There are better SNES courses, like one of the Vanilla Lake tracks or possibly a Bowser Castle or Koopa Beach that might’ve offered a bit more diversity. That isn’t to say Mario Circuit 3 is bad, just that as an addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe it doesn’t offer as much originality as some of the other SNES courses could’ve.

Though there’s nothing wrong with SNES Mario Circuit 3 per se, there are other SNES tracks that might’ve been more fun.

Rounding out the retro courses we have Toad Circuit from the 3DS, which is fine, Snow Land from the Game Boy Advance, which is a cute winter-themed track with an icy road, Waluigi Pinball from the DS, which is one of the most unique concepts on show in the Booster Course Pack so far, Sky Garden from the Game Boy Advance, which reminded me a lot of Cloudtop Cruise from the base game in terms of the way it’s been adapted, and finally Shroom Ridge from the DS – a racetrack with traffic.

There are two brand-new tracks, too: Sky High Sundae and Ninja Hideaway. I like food-themed tracks, so Sky High Sundae was a visual treat! It’s also one of the rare tracks to fully take advantage of Mario Kart 8′s anti-gravity racing feature, which is neat. Ninja Hideaway is a Japanese-themed track with a couple of flying sections that break up what is otherwise a pretty basic layout – albeit one with a fun aesthetic.

So that’s the Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I’ve tried to judge the additional racetracks on their own merits as much as possible, and there are definitely some fun inclusions that make Mario Kart 8 Deluxe worth returning to for lapsed players and those who’d been getting bored of the same lineup over and over again.

However, I can’t shake the feeling that it would’ve been better for Nintendo to include these tracks as part of a new game: Mario Kart 9. There could’ve been transformational gameplay changes, perhaps some new drivers from both Nintendo titles and from games and series that have found success on the Switch in recent years, and while the visuals wouldn’t be significantly improved due to the limitations of the Switch’s hardware, changing things up from a gameplay perspective would’ve been worth doing. The Booster Course Pass adds a lot of content and a lot of value to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but a new game this ain’t.

For what it is, though, and for the price, the Booster Course Pass has plenty to offer. There are some fun tracks that I hadn’t played before as well as several blasts from the past that really hit the right nostalgic notes. I daresay the Booster Course Pass will keep Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at the top of the Switch charts now that we’re well into the second half of the console’s life – though whether it’s worth picking up now and trying out each wave of tracks as they arrive or whether it would be better to wait and pick it up in the latter part of next year is going to be up to you.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out now for Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass is available as an expansion pack for an additional fee. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, and all other titles and properties discussed above are the copyright of Nintendo. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Ten racetrack theme ideas for Mario Kart 9

Tue 18.05.21Sun 13.11.22Dennis

With Nintendo planning a digital presentation for next month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo – more commonly known as E3 – rumours abound as to what they could talk about. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2? A new 3D Mario game? A new Donkey Kong title? Those are all contenders, and I would posit that Nintendo would be unlikely to put out a major E3 broadcast unless they had something big to say! But there’s still the prospect of a new Mario Kart game – something I’ve discussed on a couple of occasions already.

Super Mario Kart was released for the SNES in 1992, which means that next year will be the Mario Kart series’ 30th anniversary. In recent years we’ve seen a number of anniversary-themed events from Nintendo, and I can’t help but feel that they’ll do something to acknowledge Mario Kart. E3 would be the ideal time to announce Mario Kart 9, then, in time for the title to be released in the first half of next year!

Maybe I’m wrong about that, though – and as I always like to say, I have no “insider information!” But regardless, it’s always fun to talk about the Mario Kart series and the prospects for a new title. Having already talked about a number of older racetracks I’d like to see come back, a roster of Nintendo characters who could be drivers, and even a handful of non-Nintendo characters who could join the fun, this time I want to talk about the possibilities for new racetracks – specifically, what theming Nintendo could use.

Past Mario Kart games had a number of Nintendo-themed tracks – such as Royal Raceway, based around Princess Peach’s castle, DK Mountain, which obviously pays homage to the jungle home of Donkey Kong, and of course the Bowser Castle tracks. But many Mario Kart titles also had more generic or non-Nintendo tracks too – things like Vanilla Lake, Choco Island, Sweet Sweet Canyon, and even Rainbow Road are all based less on specific Nintendo properties than just generic theming. My list will include a mix of both kinds of racetrack!

So let’s take a look, shall we?

Number 1: The museum from Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The upgraded museum as it appears in *New Horizons*.

A racetrack based around Animal Crossing: New Horizons seems like a given considering how popular the game has been since it launched! But rather than a generic island – or perhaps as well as one – I think a racetrack themed around New Horizons’ museum could be neat. I do still check in with my New Horizons island from time to time, partly because I still haven’t collected every last bug, fish, fossil and work of art! The museum is one of the game’s most interesting locations, and would make a fun setting for a racetrack.

Starting in the lobby, players would race through four areas: the bug room, fossil exhibit, art gallery, and aquarium. The aquarium offers the potential for underwater racing – if that feature is coming back in Mario Kart 9 – so there’d be at least two terrains as well as a variety of scenery! The higher levels of the museum would also offer space for jumps and tricks. But above all, it would be a different take on the expected “Animal Crossing island” track that I think would take a lot of folks by surprise.

Number 2: The Last Resort hotel from Luigi’s Mansion 3

The Last Resort hotel is the setting for *Luigi’s Mansion 3*.

I know, I know. My playthrough of Luigi’s Mansion 3, which I commenced in the run-up to last Halloween, still needs to be finished. And I will get around to it eventually! But for now, let’s consider how The Last Resort hotel could make for an amazing racetrack! The Mario Kart series has never shied away from spooky, ghostly racetracks, and given the popularity of Luigi’s Mansion 3 on Switch, incorporating it into Mario Kart 9 makes a lot of sense.

Players could start in the basement garage and race to the top in a one-way route broken into three segments. That would put a twist on several of the similar one-way downhill tracks in Mario Kart 8! Ghostly apparitions could make for interesting moving obstacles, and above all, the track would have the potential to be a lot of fun. There could certainly be jumps or aerial sections, though I’m not sure about racing underwater.

Number 3: A track based on the world of Minecraft

This kind of ties into my idea of having Minecraft Steve as a playable racer! Minecraft has been popular on the Nintendo Switch – just as it has been on practically every other console – and considering that Nintendo and Microsoft have happily worked together to bring Minecraft Steve into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, why not go one step further and have a Minecraft-themed racetrack?

The open worlds of Minecraft have a multitude of biomes and terrains, and there’s scope for anti-gravity racing up cliffs or down deep caverns, underwater sections through seas and rivers, aerial sections jumping off mountains or into the sky – and that’s before we even get to the Nether or the End! There could even be a Minecraft cup with four racetracks based around this game – though maybe that’s a bit much!

Number 4: Bubblaine from Super Mario Odyssey

Remember when the internet went wild for Mario’s nipples? We live in strange times…

There’s bound to be at least one racetrack based on a location from Super Mario Odyssey in the next Mario Kart title, so I’d like to propose Bubblaine! The Mario Kart series has previously featured a number of beach-themed tracks, but this would be the first to be based on an actual level from a mainline game. There’s even the possibility for a track based on Bubblaine – or the other water level from Odyssey, Lake Lamode – to be fully underwater, with no above-water sections at all. That could make for an interesting twist!

I like beach-themed racetracks in Mario Kart. They’re relaxing and often have great music, and though Bubblaine wouldn’t necessarily be unique in the Mario Kart series, it could pick up the baton for beach racetracks.

Number 5: New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey

New Donk City played a big role in the marketing campaign for Odyssey, and it seems at least possible that Nintendo would want to capitalise on the name and imagery for Mario Kart 9 as well. There have been urban racetracks in the Mario Kart series before but none quite like New Donk City.

Just like how street circuits like Monaco or Singapore are popular in Formula 1, the closed-in nature of New Donk City’s network of roads could make for a fun racetrack. With tall buildings to potentially jump from, and Mayor Pauline’s iconic song forming the basis for the soundtrack, this one has a lot of potential to be a fun – if slightly tricky – racetrack!

Number 6: The Galar Region from Pokémon Sword & Shield

A promo screenshot of a city in the Galar Region.

I’ve never played a Pokémon game. Make of that what you will! But Pokémon Sword & Shield have been successful on the Nintendo Switch – despite the so-called “Dexit” controversy the games generated! Although Pokémon has always been a franchise strongly associated with Nintendo, no Pokémon characters or locales have appeared in the Mario Kart series – at least, not yet.

I don’t know too much about the Galar Region other than it’s based on my native United Kingdom, but that in itself could make for a fun concept for British Nintendo fans! There have been some Pokémon characters included in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so it’s not impossible to think that a crossover between two of Nintendo’s biggest exclusive properties is on the cards.

Number 7: The city of Kyoto, Japan

Now we’re leaving the realm of video games behind to look at some racetrack themes from the real world. Kyoto – which was the capital city of Japan for more than 1,000 years before it moved to Tokyo – is where Nintendo is headquartered. Many of the company’s developers live and work in the city, and know it intimately. It could be a lot of fun for them – and for us as players – to bring the city to life as the basis of a racetrack.

A Japanese-themed racetrack is a win-win for any Mario Kart title in many ways. The game’s Japanese audience would be pleased to see a representation of their home, and there are many in the west who love all things Japanese and would be equally thrilled. Kyoto makes a lot of sense because of its connection to Nintendo, and we could see recreations of famous landmarks like the Imperial Palace, To-Ji Temple, Kyoto Tower, and Teramachi Street.

Number 8: A food-themed racetrack

Choco Island and Choco Mountain, which appeared in Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 respectively, kicked off a trend of Nintendo including at least one racetrack with a food theme in most mainline Mario Kart games. In addition to chocolate we’ve had the likes of Cheese Land and Sweet Sweet Canyon. It would be great to keep this trend going with another foody track, perhaps one based around Japanese cuisine?

A restaurant could make for a fun setting, and would allow shrunk-down racers to drive through the kitchen, into the dining room, across tabletops, past plates of food, and so on. Mario Kart has always been a series which is happy to set logic aside when it comes to theming, so why not?

Number 9: Ice or a glacier

Ice and snow have appeared a lot in Mario Kart.

There have been plenty of snow- and ice-themed tracks in past Mario Kart games, and I’m sure the next entry in the series will bring at least one to the table. There’s scope for a track set on a glacier to have an environmental theme, especially if the glacier were melting! Perhaps each lap could see more and more of the glacier melt away, until the final lap has players racing through a track that’s more water than ice.

Regardless, snow and ice are tricky surfaces to race on, and can be made to feel extra slippery under the wheels of players’ karts. This alone makes them fun and challenging in equal measure, and I hope there’ll be at least one track with this kind of icy, wintry theme in Mario Kart 9.

Number 10: An alpine or mountain stage

A picture-perfect Alpine village and lake.

The famous cycling races Tour de France and Giro d’Italia both run stages through the Alps, and it’s something along those lines that I’m thinking of here. Mountainous racetracks in Mario Kart tend to either be snowy or have some other theming, but I quite like the idea of racing along past a mountain village, pine trees, and the like, in a track with an alpine setting.

The Alps border several countries, including France, Switzerland, Italy, and Austria, so elements from those cultures could be incorporated into the theming of the track. This could also be a one-way track divided into segments instead of a loop to run laps around.

So that’s it. Ten theme ideas for Mario Kart 9 racetracks!

Still the best version of Rainbow Road… change my mind!

Because Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is just a port of a Wii U game, there hasn’t been an original Mario Kart title released for the Nintendo Switch yet. I know that’s kind of splitting hairs, but it provides a small amount of hope that we’ll see another title in the fun kart racing series before this generation is over. The Switch should still have several years’ of life left, so if we don’t get Mario Kart 9 this generation it could be a while before we see it.

I’m hopeful, then, of a new Mario Kart game sometime soon. Whether it will be announced at E3, or whether it will be connected to the 30th anniversary of the series are just guesses on my part – but I think both are educated guesses. It makes sense to me, at any rate!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out now on Nintendo Switch. All other titles and properties mentioned above are copyright of Nintendo or their respective studio, developer, publisher, and/or owner. Some screenshots and promo artwork courtesy of the Mario Wiki. Some stock images courtesy of Pixabay. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Ten non-Nintendo characters who (probably won’t) appear in Mario Kart 9!

Fri 23.04.21Sun 13.11.22Dennis

A few days ago I had a lot of fun putting together a short list of (mostly) Nintendo characters who I think should appear in Mario Kart 9 – whenever that game may come! As a follow-up, I thought it could be interesting to consider a few characters from outside of Nintendo’s walled garden who could also join the fun. If you’d like to check out the original list, you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Mario Kart 8 and later Mario Kart 8 Deluxe pushed the boat out as far as the roster of drivers is concerned, including characters from outside of the Super Mario series for the first time, including Link from The Legend of Zelda series, Isabelle from Animal Crossing, and two characters from the Splatoon games. However, it would be a first for the series to include non-Nintendo characters!

Isabelle, from the Animal Crossing series, is a driver in *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*.

Although the Mario Kart games haven’t done so yet, Nintendo has proved itself willing to open up to other companies’ franchises and characters in recent years. We’ve seen Minecraft Steve, for example, as well as characters from the Castlevania, Persona, and Dragon Quest series appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch, so I think that demonstrates a willingness on Nintendo’s part to think outside the box when it comes to characters in popular titles.

Whether it will happen, though, is completely unknown! And to reiterate what I always say: this is pure guesswork and a wishlist from a fan, nothing more. I’m not claiming to know for a fact that any characters listed below will appear in Mario Kart 9 – or even if such a game is currently in development. With the 30th anniversary of the Mario Kart series coming up in 2022 I think it’s possible that we might see a new game, but even that’s just a guess on my part!

With that out of the way, let’s jump into the list!

Number 1: Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega)

Sonic as he appears in *Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020*.

Of all the characters on this list, Sonic is arguably the most likely to crop up in Mario Kart 9. Not only is he a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but there have been a number of Nintendo games over the last decade or more in which he’s been prominently featured. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games in 2007 marked his debut alongside Mario, and since then the duo have appeared together in five more Olympic-themed titles.

It would’ve seemed unthinkable in the ’90s for Mario and Sonic to appear together; they were the mascots of competing companies! It was only when Sega retired from manufacturing their own consoles shortly after the millennium that Sonic appearing on Nintendo hardware was even a possibility, but he’s since become a mainstay. He’d make for a fantastic character, and having already featured in his own kart racer, he definitely knows a thing or two about driving!

Number 2: Pac-Man (Bandai Namco)

A 3D rendering of Pac-Man from 1999’s *Pac-Man World*.

Another character who appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pac-Man is a gaming icon from the medium’s early days. Originally an arcade game created in 1980, Pac-Man spawned a whole host of titles in a series that continues to this day. Though the games have no real story or plot, Pac-Man was arguably one of the first video game characters, and was, for a time, symbolic of the games industry as a whole. His simple design became iconic, and even today Pac-Man is instantly recognisable.

As with Sonic above, even a few years ago the idea of a collaboration between Nintendo and Pac-Man (short of licensing one of the games to their consoles) wouldn’t have seemed possible. But as companies continue to pool their resources and work together, it could make a lot of sense for both Nintendo and Bandai Namco (or should that be Bando Namcai?) to bring Pac-Man to Mario Kart 9.

Number 3: Fall Guy (Epic Games/Mediatonic)

Three Fall Guys seen in a recent Nintendo Direct.

If I’d been in charge of the development of cute obstacle course/battle royale title Fall Guys, I would have prioritised a Nintendo Switch release. Regardless, the title is finally going to be released on Nintendo’s console, months after it’s PC and PlayStation 4 debut. The Fall Guys themselves are adorable little jelly bean characters with a huge variety of costumes, and their cartoon aesthetic would fit perfectly with Nintendo’s long-running kart racing series.

The recent Epic Games buyout may complicate matters, but with Fall Guys coming to Switch I really feel it has a shot at being successful on that platform – especially if Mediatonic can get cross-platform play up and running. If the game is a hit, bringing a Fall Guy to Mario Kart 9 would be fantastic, and something Nintendo could absolutely consider doing. It would arguably benefit Fall Guys more, with the character’s inclusion serving almost as advertising, but that should just be an incentive for Epic Games to allow this crossover to go ahead!

Number 4: Master Chief (Microsoft)

The Master Chief in *Halo: The Master Chief Collection* concept art.

The inclusion of Minecraft Steve in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate shows that Microsoft is quite happy to work with Nintendo, and a number of their recent moves – like their partnership with EA – have opened up the possibility of further collaborations and crossovers with big games companies. With that in mind, could the Halo series’ iconic protagonist end up as a racer?

Halo games, as first-person shooters, are quite violent, so perhaps Nintendo would opt not to include such characters for the sake of keeping the game family-friendly. But Master Chief’s design isn’t aggressive or scary, and I think he could be made to fit. It would be a fun collaboration between two of modern gaming’s big powerhouses.

Number 5: Doom Guy (Bethesda/Microsoft)

*Doom Eternal* promotional artwork featuring the character known as Doom Guy.

Though visually similar in some respects to the Master Chief, Doom Guy has a surprising history with Nintendo. Not only was Doom 64 a Nintendo 64 exclusive in 1997, but last year saw a bizarre yet strangely wholesome internet-inspired team-up with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In short, Doom Eternal shared a release date with New Horizons, and because of the polar opposite nature of the games, fans began ironically pairing up Doom Guy with Animal Crossing characters – notably Isabelle.

Nintendo could take advantage of the memes and jokes by bringing Doom Guy into Mario Kart 9. On the surface, maybe he isn’t a great fit for the series. But there’s nothing offensive about his character design, and if last year’s fan art showed us one thing, it’s that Doom Guy can be made to look adorable and cartoonified!

Number 6: Two Point Hospital Doctor or Nurse (Sega)

Two Point Hospital is a spiritual successor to 1997’s Theme Hospital, a classic of the “tycoon” genre. It was ported to the Nintendo Switch last year after releasing for PC in 2018, and has gone on to be a surprising success on the platform. As with many tycoon games there isn’t really one principal character to pick out, but a generic doctor and/or nurse could be a fun addition to Mario Kart 9.

One of the great things about Two Point Hospital is its cartoon aesthetic; a deliberate choice that mimics the title’s origins in tycoon games of the 1990s. That look just happens to be perfect for the Mario Kart series, which means a Two Point Hospital character would be a natural fit.

Number 7: A Palico (Capcom)

A Palico as seen in the trailer for *Monster Hunter Rise*.

I’ll let you in on a secret: the Monster Hunter series has never seemed like my thing. The latest title in the series, Monster Hunter Rise, is available for Nintendo Switch, but despite loving the visual style, the core gameplay of hunting and killing so-called “monsters” – which seem to be docile animals living their own lives not troubling anybody – holds absolutely no appeal to me!

Regardless, the latest title is a big hit on Switch, and Palicoes are cute little felines or cat-like characters that accompany the player character during the game. It seems like this kind of cute critter would be a perfect fit for Mario Kart 9 – even if I don’t personally care for the game they originate from!

Number 8: Zagreus (Supergiant Games)

Promotional art for *Hades* featuring Zagreus.

Hades has to be one of the best indie games I’ve played in recent years, and was recently featured in a Nintendo Direct presentation as the game is getting a full physical release (i.e. on a game cartridge) for Switch. It’s an absolute blast, and if you haven’t tried it I can’t recommend it enough – if you’re okay with a game in which you die over and over again!

Zagreus, son of Hades, is the game’s protagonist, adapted from the character present in Ancient Greek mythology. His anime-inspired style is… well let’s just say I’m not an anime fan. But as a character he’s interesting and fun to root for in Hades, and with some minor adaptations I’m sure he could fit in with the rest of the racers!

Number 9: Ori and Sein (Microsoft/Moon Studios)

Ori and Sein in *Ori and the Blind Forest*.

I’d almost forgotten that both Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps had been ported to the Nintendo Switch, but both games were a good fit for Nintendo’s platform and seem to have sold reasonably well. This entry is technically two characters, but they could be rolled into a single racer as Sein’s design might not lend itself to being an independent driver!

The Ori games are surprisingly sweet but also challenging in places, and Ori would certainly fit right in with the Mario Kart series from an aesthetic point of view. It would be great to see the Ori series, which already has a Switch presence, join up with Nintendo for an additional collaboration!

Number 10: Geralt of Rivia (CD Projekt Red)

Geralt as he appears on the box art of *The Witcher 3*.

Though I still haven’t played The Witcher 3 – or the prior two entries in the series, come to that – it’s held up as one of the best games of the last ten years, and protagonist Geralt of Rivia has since cropped up in a couple of unexpected places! Perhaps his next adventure could be joining Mario and friends for a go-kart race?

The Witcher 3 was one of the most ambitious titles to bring to the Nintendo Switch, considering the size and complexity of the game, but by all accounts it’s a solid port. A lot of folks have been enjoying taking Geralt with them to play on the go, and his recent appearance in Soul Calibur VI shows that CD Projekt Red are clearly amenable to collaborating with other companies. He would be a strange choice, perhaps, but a lot of fun nevertheless!

Bonus: Battle-Cars (Epic Games)

Promotional art for *Rocket League* showing two Battle-Cars.

One of the most surprising things in Mario Kart 8 was the inclusion of Mercedes-Benz car parts, as part of a deal Nintendo struck with the famous car manufacturer! We could absolutely consider other manufacturers or vehicles that would be cute to see in the next Mario Kart game, but for now I thought it could be fun if Nintendo could team up with one of the other top car games out there – Rocket League!

I’m atrocious at Rocket League and have been since the first time I played, but the game is a lot of fun. A buyout by Epic Games saw the title move to a free-to-play model, which has been good in some ways. There are a number of different vehicle styles, and any could be adapted to make a fun kart in Mario Kart 9. Perhaps three or four different styles would be enough so as not to overwhelm the title!

So that’s it. Ten characters – and one bonus set of vehicles – that Mario Kart 9 should – but most likely won’t – include!

If I’m right that Nintendo plans to do something next year to mark the series’ 30th anniversary, a new game would be top of the list. And in the spirit of celebration, bringing a whole roster of characters from across gaming to join one big Mario Kart party would be a great thing for Nintendo to do. Some characters that Nintendo has worked with in the past, like Sonic the Hedgehog, seem far more likely than others, but it would benefit practically every company involved in the games industry to allow Nintendo to license one or two of their characters. After all, it’s a fantastic advertisement for the game they’re originally from!

I’ve been a huge Mario Kart fan since I first sat down to play Super Mario Kart in 1993 or 1994, back when I owned a SNES. That title only had eight racers to choose from, and the series has come a long way since then – while managing to retain the fun. As games got better and I played the likes of Shenmue and Knights of the Old Republic I began to favour titles with a strong focus on story; there are few titles I considered fun for their gameplay alone. The Mario Kart series has always been one of them! Whatever happens next year, and whenever Mario Kart 9 may come, I hope Nintendo try to bring in some new and different faces.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out now for Nintendo Switch, and is the copyright of Nintendo. All characters mentioned above are the copyright of their respective studio, developer, and/or publisher. Some screenshots and promo art courtesy of IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Fifteen Nintendo characters who NEED to be part of Mario Kart 9

Wed 14.04.21Mon 14.11.22Dennis

A while ago I took a look at some racetracks from past Mario Kart games that I’d love to see return in Mario Kart 9 – whether that game ends up coming to the Nintendo Switch or whether it’s not made until a new console is out. This time I want to look at some characters from other Nintendo games (and a couple of non-Nintendo games) who would be amazing to add to the roster of drivers in Mario Kart 9. There are so many fun characters that have been created over the years, and with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe expanding the list, why not go all-in and add these ones too?

For the purposes of this list I’m assuming that all of the characters from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be returning. After all, why wouldn’t they? So I’m not including anyone on my list who was part of the most recent entry in the series! Instead I want to focus on characters who’ve never been playable in Mario Kart.

*Mario Kart 64′*s Rainbow Road is one of my all-time favourite tracks!

In 1993 or 1994 I first played Super Mario Kart on the SNES. From almost the first moment I was hooked, and had great fun with the cute, silly kart racer. It even prompted me to try go-karting for myself, which was a fun experience! I’ve been fortunate enough to play every Mario Kart game to date – some more than others – on their original hardware, and while it would be unprecedented for Nintendo to launch a second Mario Kart game on the same console, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is just a port of the Wii U title. Maybe that means Mario Kart 9 is closer than we think!

Next year will be the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Kart’s 1992 release, and thus the 30th anniversary of the entire Mario Kart series. Given Nintendo’s love (bordering on a fetish, really!) of anniversaries and anniversary events, perhaps some kind of celebration is on the cards. Maybe they’re even working on releasing Mario Kart 9 in time for the 30th anniversary!

Nintendo recently launched the (underwhelming) *Super Mario 3D All-Stars* for Mario’s 35th anniversary. Might a new game be planned for Mario Kart’s 30th?

Who’s your favourite Mario Kart racer? Ever since their first appearance in Mario Kart Wii, mine has been Dry Bones – the skeleton koopa troopa. He’s just so cute! I even have a figure and a plush toy of him somewhere in my collection! But there are many wonderful characters in the various Mario Kart games, and several different versions of some of the big ones. Mario, for example, has a baby version, a metal version, a gold version, and even a tanooki version! While there are some great characters to play with already, I can still think of more!

My usual caveat applies: I have no “insider information.” I don’t know if or when Mario Kart 9 will be released, whether it will come out on the Switch, or which characters may or may not be included. This is simply a wishlist from a fan of the series – nothing more!

With that out of the way, let’s jump into the list!

Number 1: Tom Nook

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is second only to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the all-time bestseller list for the Switch, and with the huge popularity of the game, it makes a lot of sense to include more Animal Crossing critters in Mario Kart 9. Isabelle and a generic Villager are already present, but it would be amazing to see Animal Crossing mainstay – and everyone’s tanooki best friend – Tom Nook join the lineup.

As with all Animal Crossing characters, Tom Nook has a unique, cartoonish look that’s perfect for Mario Kart. No changes would be needed to the way he looks, and it would be possible to have several different outfits for him, including seasonal variants and even holiday-themed ones, based on his different outfits in New Horizons.

Number 2: K.K. Slider

Sticking with Animal Crossing, while there are plenty of characters who could join Tom Nook, few are more emblematic of the series than musician K.K. Slider. A regular visitor to players’ islands in New Horizons, the laid-back dog could take a break from jammin’ and join a kart race! I didn’t know this until recently, because I always felt K.K. Slider’s “songs” were a bit of a joke, but he has a real-world following. People actually enjoy listening to his music. Funny old world, eh?

There’s scope to add other Animal Crossing critters too, but most of the remaining mainstays – Timmy and Tommy, Sable and Mabel, etc. – come as part of a set, and it would be hard to include one but not others.

Number 3: Fox McCloud (a.k.a. Star Fox)

Back in the SNES days I adored Star Fox, Nintendo’s animal-themed space shooter! It was one of the first games I picked up for the console, drawn in simply by the box art as I was a huge fan of anything to do with space and sci-fi. Fox has recently appeared alongside Mario in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but has never made an appearance in Mario Kart. As a pilot, surely he’d be a good driver!

The Star Fox franchise has felt underappreciated by Nintendo, with no new entry since 2016’s Star Fox Zero. Bringing back the series’ protagonist in a sure-fire hit like Mario Kart 9 could lead to a resurgence in popularity, with perhaps a new Star Fox game in the offing.

Number 4: A Goomba

The Mario Kart games have included many of Mario’s iconic adversaries as playable characters, going all the way back to the inclusion of Bowser and Koopa Troopa in Super Mario Kart. But Goombas have only ever appeared as obstacles on racetracks, never as a playable character. That wrong needs to be righted, and players should be able to finally give Goombas a break!

With so many other iconic Mario villains having had a turn in the spotlight, it would be really sweet to see a Goomba in the driver’s seat for once.

Number 5: Samus Aran

The only Metroid game I’ve ever played was Super Metroid on the SNES – though I did briefly toy with Metroid Prime on a friend’s GameCube. But there’s no denying that Samus, the series’ protagonist, is an iconic Nintendo character in her own right. Samus was actually one of the first female playable characters in all of gaming, with the reveal at the end of the first Metroid game in 1986 being a truly stunning moment for players!

Samus has been a regular fighter alongside Mario in the Super Smash Bros. games, but has yet to appear in Mario Kart. With characters beaming in from other franchises already, perhaps it’s time to fix that!

Number 6: The Animal Friends

This is a total cheat since it’s really a few separate characters, but I love them all so I couldn’t just choose one! Beginning in 1993’s Donkey Kong Country, DK has been able to call on various animals to aid him in his quest. Among my favourites are Expresso the Ostrich, Enguarde the Swordfish, and of course the iconic Rambi the Rhino!

Obviously the Mario Kart series would have a hard time including all of them, but it would be great to see at least a couple of these fan-favourites join the roster of drivers. Plus I think we’d all like to see how a swordfish could possibly drive a go-kart, and I think it’s worth doing for that reason alone!

Number 7: Chunky Kong

Sticking with the Donkey Kong series, DK’s cousin Chunky was introduced in Donkey Kong 64 but has only made minor cameo appearances since. He would obviously be one of the heavyweight drivers, alongside his cousin and the likes of Bowser, and that could be neat. Despite its lesser status among Nintendo titles, I really enjoyed what Donkey Kong 64 brought to the table, and it would be great to welcome back a character who hasn’t been seen since.

Chunky, despite his stature, had a very timid, almost cowardly personality, and that could be incorporated into his persona in Mario Kart 9 as well.

Number 8: A Thwomp

Another iconic Mario villain that has only appeared in Mario Kart as an obstacle, it would be really fun to see one of these sentient boulders get a turn behind the wheel! Thwomps have been part of Mario Kart going back to the SNES, and they make for difficult obstacles, especially for new players.

In recent years we’ve seen Thwomps included in many Mario titles, and they’ve become emblematic of the kind of opponents Mario faces on his adventures, along with Bowser, Koopas, and Goombas.

Number 9: Professor E. Gadd

Later in the year I hope to get back to writing up my playthrough of Luigi’s Mansion 3 – something I aimed to do last Halloween but never finished! Professor E. Gadd is Luigi’s ally in the Luigi’s Mansion games, setting up players with ghost-busting equipment and helping out as Luigi battles spooky spirits.

Despite the popularity of Luigi’s Mansion 3, we’ve only ever seen a couple of minor cameos outside of the main series. Bringing the professor into Mario Kart 9 would finally give him a major role!

Number 10: Hellen Gravely

Sticking with Luigi’s Mansion 3, bringing in the character who I assume is one of the game’s big bosses would be fantastic as well! Hellen Gravely worked with King Boo to kidnap Mario along with Luigi’s other friends at the start of Luigi’s Mansion 3, and she would make for an interesting racer! There aren’t that many female drivers in the Mario Kart series, and someone like Hellen Gravely would be a contrast to the likes of Princess Peach and Rosalina.

Just don’t tell me how Luigi’s Mansion 3 ends… I still need to finish it!

Number 11: Dorrie (a.k.a. the “Swimming Beast”)

Dorrie first appeared in Super Mario 64 as a friendly “Loch Ness Monster” type of critter, and has recently been seen in Super Mario Odyssey as well. Though Dorrie is far larger than the other racers, perhaps they could be scaled down to fit in a standard kart! Ever since Mario 64 I’ve liked the cute, Nessie-inspired design, and bringing Dorrie into Mario Kart 9 could be a ton of fun.

If racers with no hands like King Boo or Wiggler can drive karts, who says Dorrie can’t?

Number 12: Minecraft Steve

I know, I know. Minecraft isn’t strictly a Nintendo game (it’s owned by Microsoft) but it’s one of the most popular titles on the Switch, and retains a huge playerbase even as it approaches its tenth anniversary. Steve – the game’s silent protagonist – has appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so clearly Microsoft are happy to collaborate with Nintendo in these cases!

Bringing an “outsider” like Minecraft Steve into Mario Kart 9 would really expand what the game is all about, and if it’s going to be connected to the 30th anniversary, that kind of celebration vibe could be perfect.

Number 13: Among Us Crewmate

Another non-Nintendo character from a hugely popular title, if Mario Kart 9 pushes the boat out and brings in a lot of drivers from different franchises, taking advantage of the current popularity of Among Us could be worthwhile. An Among Us costume is available in Fall Guys – which is itself coming to Switch this summer – so publisher InnerSloth are clearly willing to collaborate!

Among Us has proven itself to have staying power; it wasn’t just a fad that burned out quickly. If Mario Kart 9 is coming up any time in the next couple of years, it stands to reason Among Us will still be around, so a collaboration could make a lot of sense.

Number 14: Mayor Pauline

In the run-up to the launch of the Switch and Super Mario Odyssey, Pauline’s song Jump Up Superstar! was a huge part of Nintendo’s marketing push. Pauline also appears in the game itself as the mayor of New Donk City, one of the worlds Mario traverses. Pauline is based on the original “damsel in distress” seen in 1981’s Donkey Kong.

Pauline has recently been a playable character in Mario Tennis Aces, so clearly Nintendo have her in mind as a character to use in future. Bringing her into Mario Kart 9 just feels like a natural fit!

Number 15: Cappy

Speaking of Super Mario Odyssey, how could we possibly exclude Cappy? Mario’s ally – and hat – in Odyssey is a perfect character to include in Mario Kart 9! Most Mario Kart titles have drawn on the latest Super Mario games for inspiration, and including Cappy feels like an absolute no-brainer.

Cappy was a new character created for Odyssey, and thus hasn’t had an opportunity to make any major appearances outside of that game… at least, not yet!

So that’s it. Fifteen characters I’d love to see included in Mario Kart 9.

*Mario Kart 7* was a huge hit on the Nintendo 3DS.

Even with the 30th anniversary coming up next year, Mario Kart 9 could still be a long way off – we simply don’t know at this stage what Nintendo’s plans are for the next few years. There have been rumours of a wholly new console, despite the Switch being barely four years old at this point, and while I think that would be a mistake, it’s possible Nintendo plans to go down that route.

The Switch has been Nintendo’s roaring comeback after the failure of the Wii U, and that’s been great to see. Even though their paid online model is pretty crappy, and cut off a previously-free online mode for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Switch overall has been a resounding success. Mario Kart 9 would just be the icing on the cake.

The Mario Kart series – including all games mentioned above, as well as all individual racetracks, characters, and other properties – is the copyright of Nintendo. Some screenshots courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Fifteen games worthy of a second look in Spring 2021

Sun 28.02.21Mon 06.02.23Dennis

Spoiler Warning: Though there are no major spoilers, minor spoilers may still be present for a few of the titles on this list.

Anthem is gone, Cyberpunk 2077 is still a stinking mess, and there are delays aplenty across the games industry as the pandemic rolls on. What’s a gamer to do? Well, I might have the answer for you! Tomorrow will be the first day of March, and to me March has always meant the beginning of Spring. There are small snowdrops beginning to bloom in my garden, and the nights are getting shorter. A few times this past week I’ve even managed without the heating on in my house – much to the dismay of the cats!

There are still plenty of great games that – all being well – will be released this year. If you missed it, I put together a list just after New Year of ten of the most interesting titles! But considering the delays and that this time of year is typically fairly quiet in terms of releases, I thought it would be a great moment to consider a few games that deserve a second look. I’ve limited the list to titles that are readily available to buy on current-gen platforms and PC, so no out-of-print games this time.

Without any further ado, let’s jump into the list, which is in no particular order.

Number 1: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch, 2017)

Nintendo’s most recent karting game is a ton of fun. It’s the kind of arcade racer that has a very low bar for entry – anyone can pick up and play this fun title. But mastering Mario Kart 8 – especially if you choose to head online – is no small task, and there’s a surprising amount of skill involved to be truly competitive with the best players! I’ve adored the Mario Kart series since its inception on the SNES, and this version is the definitive Mario Kart experience… at least until they make Mario Kart 9!

Number 2: Fall Guys (PC and PlayStation 4, 2020, coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch this summer)

Among Us gained a lot of attention not long after Fall Guys was released last summer and stole at least some of the cute game’s attention! The fact that Fall Guys isn’t on mobile probably counts against it as far as finding a broader audience goes, but despite what some have claimed, the game is by no means dead. Season 4 – which promises to bring a new set of futuristic rounds – is being released soon, and for less than £15 (at least on PC) I honestly can’t fault Fall Guys. It’s an adorable, wholly unique experience in which your cute little jelly bean character runs a series of obstacle courses in a video game homage to the likes of Total Wipeout. Each round lasts only a couple of minutes, and it really is way more fun than words can do justice to! I’ve recently got back into playing after taking a break, and there’s plenty of fun still to be had.

Number 3: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC and Xbox, 2002)

You can find Morrowind on PC, and despite being an older title it’s compatible with Windows 10. There has been an active modding scene for almost twenty years at this point, so even if you’ve already played the base game it may still be worth going back for more. In my subjective opinion, Morrowind is the high-water mark of the Elder Scrolls series. It certainly offers players more to do than its predecessors or sequels – more NPCs to interact with, more factions to join, more types of weapons to wield and spells to cast, and so on. Especially if you hit Morrowind with some of the visual/graphics mods that are available, it can feel almost like a new game!

Number 4: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, 2002)

Another older title that you can find on PC, as well as on iOS and Android, Vice City was one of three Grand Theft Auto titles released between 2001 and 2005. Remember when Rockstar was able to put out more than one game per decade?! If you’ve had your fill of Grand Theft Auto V by now – and it’s been out for eight years, so I wouldn’t blame you if you were ready to play something else – maybe going back to one of the older games will be a nostalgic blast. Many fans of the series consider Vice City to be the best entry, and while I don’t think I’d go quite that far, I had a ton of fun with it back on the original Xbox.

Number 5: Banished (PC, 2014)

There are some great city-builders out there, but one of my favourites from the last few years is Banished. The game was built entirely by one person, which never fails to amaze me! It would still be a fantastic title if it had been made by a full studio, but the fact that the game and all its complex systems were programmed by a single developer is an astonishing achievement. Banished isn’t easy, even on lower difficulty settings, and it will take a little time to get into the swing of how to plan your town and manage your resources. But if you’re up for a challenge it’s a wonderful way to lose track of time!

Number 6: Skully (PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One, 2020)

Skully is a game that I’ve been meaning to write a proper review of since I picked it up last year, but it keeps slipping down my writing pile. From the moment I saw the trailer and heard the game’s premise – a 3D platformer in which you play as a disembodied skull – I was in love, and the game did not disappoint! The environments are beautiful and the game is plenty of fun. It manages to feel at points like an old-school 3D platformer of the Nintendo 64 era, and at others like a wholly modern experience. It’s also an indie title, and it’s great to be able to support indie developers wherever we can!

Number 7: Jade Empire (PC and Xbox, 2005)

If the demise of Anthem has got you missing the “golden age” of BioWare’s role-playing games, make sure you didn’t skip Jade Empire. The Xbox exclusive was overlooked by players in the mid-2000s, and while other BioWare games from that decade, like Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age Origins are all held in high esteem, the Chinese-inspired Jade Empire is all but forgotten. When Steam has it on sale you can pick up Jade Empire for less than the price of a coffee, and for that you’ll get what is honestly one of the best and most interesting role-playing games of all time.

Number 8: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (PC, 1997)

Starfleet Academy is unique among Star Trek games because it features the cast of The Original Series in video clips recorded especially for the game. These aren’t scenes from films or episodes of the show; you literally will not see them anywhere else. Starfleet Academy is a starship simulator, and while its visuals obviously don’t look as good in 2021 when compared to other titles, the overall experience is fantastic. You won’t find another game quite like it – especially because ViacomCBS has all but given up on making Star Trek games since the release of Star Trek Online!

Number 9: Forza Horizon 4 (PC and Xbox One, 2018)

I signed up for Game Pass in order to be able to play racing game Forza Horizon 4 – and it was totally worth it! The Forza Horizon series attempts to find a middle ground between true racing sims and arcade-style titles, and generally manages to do so quite well. Forza Horizon 4 has a map which represents parts of Great Britain, and that’s something unusual! I didn’t see my house, but it’s always nice when a game uses a familiar setting. There are plenty of fun cars to race in, and different kinds of races too, including going off-road.

Number 10: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Multiplatform, 2013)

Is it just me, or has every subsequent game in the Assassin’s Creed series struggled to hit the highs of Black Flag? Origins and Odyssey were decent, but even in 2021, I think that Black Flag is the definitive title in the franchise! There’s something about its pirate setting and the wonderful crop of NPCs that make Black Flag a truly enjoyable experience from start to finish. For a game that’s approaching its eighth birthday it still looks fantastic, too!

Number 11: The Last Of Us (PlayStation 3, 2013)

Despite its severely disappointing sequel, The Last Of Us is fantastic. If you’re looking for a game with amazing characters and a deep, engaging story, it simply can’t be bettered. I put The Last Of Us on my list of games of the decade as the 2010s drew to a close, and for good reason. Joel and Ellie’s trek across a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic United States was absolutely one of the gaming highlights of the last few years. The characters are so well-crafted that they feel real, and every twist and turn in the intense storyline carries emotional weight. The game is being adapted for television, and I’m interested – cautiously so in the wake of The Last Of Us Part II – to see what will happen when it makes the leap to the small screen.

Number 12: Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC, 2018)

Though I know Age of Empires II is the title most folks prefer, I’ve always appreciated what the original Age of Empires did for the real-time strategy genre. If you’ve been enjoying the recent remake of the second game, it could be a great time to give the original a try as well. Age of Empires didn’t invent real-time strategy, but it was one of the first such titles I played after its 1998 release – and I sunk hours and hours into it in the late ’90s! There’s something about building up an army of Bronze Age warriors to smash an opponent’s town that’s just… satisfying!

Number 13: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, 2019)

I played through Jedi: Fallen Order last summer and documented my time with the game here on the website. Suffice to say I had a blast; the linear, story-focused title is exactly what the Star Wars franchise needed after the Battlefront II debacle! Having just seen the dire Rise of Skywalker I was also longing for a Star Wars story that I could actually enjoy for a change, and Jedi: Fallen Order did not let me down! I had a great time swinging my lightsaber across a galaxy far, far away… and I think you will too.

Number 14: No Man’s Sky (PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, 2016)

No Man’s Sky was incredibly controversial at launch. The pre-release hype bubble got wildly out of control, egged on by a marketing push that oversold the game. Remind you of any recent titles? But despite the backlash in 2016, Hello Games has since put in a lot of hard graft, and five years on No Man’s Sky genuinely lives up to its potential. Had it been released in this state I think it would have been hailed as one of the best games of the decade – if not of all time. I understand not wanting to reward a game that was dishonestly sold, and that the “release now, fix later” business model is not one we should support. But there’s no denying that No Man’s Sky is a great game in 2021, and if you haven’t picked it up since its 2016 launch, it could be worth a second look.

Number 15: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, 2020)

A full remake of the definitive skateboarding game is hard to pass up! In the Dreamcast era, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater launched an entire genre of skating games, and its amazing soundtrack is a nostalgic hit of late ’90s/early ’00s punk rock. The remade version, which you can pick up on Switch and the two new consoles later this year, is great fun, and has managed to do something rare for a remake: genuinely recapture the look and feel of the original title. Obviously the visuals are brought up-to-date, but the feel of the game and the way tricks are performed are fantastic. I was able to slip right back into playing as if I’d never put the Dreamcast controller down!

So that’s it. Fifteen games that I think are worth your time this Spring.

There are plenty of fun titles on the horizon, but some of the ones I was most looking forward to – like Kena: Bridge of Spirits – have recently been delayed, prompting me to look at my library and put together this list.

I hope this has inspired you to find something to play over the next few weeks! If not, stay tuned because there will be plenty more gaming-related articles here on the website. Happy gaming!

All titles listed above are the copyright of their respective studio, developer, and/or publisher. Some screenshots and promo artwork courtesy of IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct – reaction

Thu 18.02.21Mon 21.11.22Dennis

Nintendo struck gold with their Nintendo Direct broadcasts a few years ago, advertising their upcoming games straight to their biggest fans. Nintendo Direct broadcasts have become one of the premiere events in games marketing, and the format has been emulated by a number of other companies – especially with the pandemic forcing the cancellation of big events like E3.

Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct was the first major broadcast that the company has done in some time, though. Over the last year or so, Nintendo Directs have focused either on third-party titles being ported to the Switch or on single games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This one promised to be different, showing off Nintendo’s plans for the first half of 2021.

The pre-Direct spiel sounded interesting.

2021 is an interesting year for Nintendo. The company has often used the anniversaries of major releases as the springboard for themed events, and this year marks a number of such anniversaries. The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, making this year the series’ 35th anniversary. Additionally, it marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Nintendo 64 – along with the 25th anniversaries of such classics as Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Wave Race 64, and even Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. As you may recall, I’ve never been all that interested in the Zelda series, but I was very curious to see if there would be any mention of the Nintendo 64’s anniversary.

2021 is also the 20th anniversary of the launch of the GameCube – and with it such titles as Luigi’s Mansion and Super Smash Bros. Melee. The Wii launched in 2006, making this year the console’s 15th anniversary… so you get the picture. There are potentially a lot of anniversary-themed events coming from Nintendo!

It’s *Mario Kart 64′*s 25th anniversary later this year.

My most recent experience with a Nintendo game was underwhelming. Super Mario 3D All-Stars was fine… but not great. Nintendo’s approach to only release the game for a limited time meant that I rushed to pre-order it, but on reflection I wish I hadn’t. The version of Super Mario 64 contained in that package is actually worse in some ways than either the original or emulated versions – it has a weird aspect ratio meaning that, whether you play in handheld mode or docked, you’re stuck with thick black bars on all four sides of the screen. It’s really offputting.

But we’ve drifted off-topic! I went into yesterday’s Nintendo Direct with cautious interest but no plans to rush into a purchase or pre-order. However, with Nintendo’s predilection for anniversaries and the rumours of news about Mario and/or Zelda, plus the fifty-minute advertised runtime, I was expecting at least something of note.

Senior Nintendo manager Shinya Takahashi presented yesterday’s Nintendo Direct.

There were a few points of interest, but nothing that blew me away. This kind of “event” broadcast can be a double-edged sword for Nintendo, because on the one hand there was a lot of hype and interest over the last couple of days – but that hype can come crashing down if expectations are not met. And while I would say that, from my point of view, what was shown off was perfectly fine, there was nothing spectacular or that felt like an immediate must-buy. Fans expecting to hear about Breath of the Wild 2 or a big Zelda or Mario event will have certainly come away disappointed.

So let’s get into the announcements that were of interest to me. First, Fall Guys is finally making its way to the Switch! I suggested way back in August when I first played the game that it would be an absolutely perfect fit for the Switch, and I’m so glad to see developers Mediatonic agreed. The Switch has an install base of some 60+ million players, many of whom are interested in this kind of fun, pick-up-and-play title. I’ve recently got back into playing Fall Guys just in the last couple of weeks, and I’m seriously considering getting the Switch version too. The only downside is that Fall Guys will require Nintendo’s paid Switch Online service.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a number of Super Mario-themed items. This is something that fans of the game had been expecting; a Mario crossover had been teased as early as last year. But from what we saw in the broadcast the items look like fun, and they’re all very much on theme! Earlier Animal Crossing titles had Nintendo- and Mario-themed items included, so this is one more missing feature that has been re-added rather than something altogether new – but that’s been a pattern with New Horizons since it was launched. My first impression was that the items look very similar to those in Super Mario 3D World – the remaster of which has just been released for Switch. Perhaps that is not a coincidence!

I’ve never tried the Splatoon games, though they’ve always looked like fun. Nintendo opted to use Splatoon 3 as the broadcast’s big finale – I’m not sure how well that worked given that the game isn’t coming until 2022, and that it’s very much a second-tier series in the Nintendo library. But it looks like more of the same – another fun game in what is held up as a fun series.

*Splatoon 3* was announced… but it isn’t going to be released for a while yet.

Speaking of 2022, there were several titles discussed or shown off that were coming either much later this year or not till next year. Ordinarily I wouldn’t remark on something like that, but the pre-broadcast statement (which you can see above) said explicitly that what would be shown off were games coming in “the first half of 2021.” Why set that expectation only to break it? If they had said “coming soon,” or something like that, there’d be no reason to comment. It just struck me as a little odd.

A notable port was that of battle royale first-person shooter Apex Legends. I’m not convinced Apex Legends will find a huge Switch audience, but if it allows players to sign in using their existing account then perhaps being able to play on the go will prove popular – as it has with other titles already. Hades, one of the best indie titles of last year, was already available digitally on the Switch but is now getting a physical release too. Hades was already a great fit for the Switch, and Nintendo’s console with its cartridge system is the one remaining place in gaming where physical copies of games are still widely popular!

Indie game *Hades* is getting a physical release.

Mario Golf: Super Rush is the latest in a long line of Mario sports titles, and looks like fun. Its Wii-like motion controls (using the Joy-con controllers) will surely win it some praise, and these arcade-style sports games are usually well-received, especially on Nintendo hardware. That was the only new Mario title announced. As for the Zelda series, after the director sought to reassure fans that Breath of the Wild 2 is coming along nicely, the Zelda series was treated to a remaster of Skyward Sword – which originally released in 2011. Not sure how well its mapping of the Wii’s motion controls to the Switch’s thumbsticks will work – but the option to retain the motion controls using the Joy-con controllers will still be present.

There was a strange re-release announced of 2005 Xbox/PlayStation 2 game Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse. I vaguely remember that game from the Xbox era – it has a fun premise but, if I recall correctly, was little more than average. So I was surprised to learn it’s being re-released not only for the Switch but also for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One!

*The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword* can be played using motion controls.

And that’s it really. There were some updates and new characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Hyrule Warriors, as well as updates announced for a couple of other titles. Nothing in yesterday’s Nintendo Direct was bad, but nothing really leapt out at me as being fantastic or a wonderful surprise. It was just… okay.

Therein lies the danger with hyping up an event like this. Nintendo hadn’t done a proper Direct broadcast in a while, so expectations were high for what may be announced. The pandemic has certainly slowed work in Japan – just as it has everywhere else – so it’s no criticism that they haven’t got more to say. That’s something I feel most people will understand. But given that there really wasn’t that much to say – and that some of what was shown off isn’t coming any time soon – perhaps there was a better way to do it than by hyping up a big broadcast like this one. I have no doubt that some Nintendo fans – especially those invested in Zelda and expecting something big – came away at least a little disappointed.

All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective developer, publisher, and/or studio. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

You can watch the full Nintendo Direct broadcast below:

Ten more games I’d remaster (if I could)

Sat 12.09.20Tue 24.10.23Dennis

A little while ago I looked at ten games from years past that I wish would be remastered and brought up-to-date. That list was fun to put together, but I ended up leaving off a number of titles that I had considered including. This new list will make up for that!

The same methodology applies as last time: more recent titles – which I’m defining as anything from this console generation or the one preceding it – are excluded by default. And the rest are games that I’ve personally played… albeit I haven’t touched most of them in years or even decades. Remember that this isn’t me saying that these games will be remastered. I’m just saying that, if I had unlimited resources, I’d like nothing more than to bring them up to date and give a new generation of players a chance to experience them.

Number 1: Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1992) and/or Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64, 1997)

I’d love to replay the classic tracks of the first two Mario Kart titles using the more modern engine used for Mario Kart 8. A few of the tracks from these two titles have reappeared in recent Mario Kart titles, but not all of them and the two games have never been remastered in their entirety complete with all of the tracks and the same roster of characters.

Super Mario Kart was one of the first games I bought for myself in the early ’90s; I think I’d played a demo of it in a shop and desperately wanted my own copy! Mario Kart 64 is probably my personal favourite entry in the series; it had such an amazing set of tracks. If you want to see some of the best racetracks from these titles and others that I think would be great for the next Mario Kart title, I have an article all about that. With 2022 being the 30th anniversary of the series – and with Nintendo’s love of anniversaries – they could certainly take that opportunity to bring one or both of these titles fully up-to-date!

Number 2: Space Harrier (Arcade, 1985)

On my first list I didn’t include any pre-1990 titles. Partly that’s because I haven’t played all that many games from that era, but partly because a lot of older games were rather basic. Space Harrier is undeniably in that category; it’s an on-rails shooter without any real story, the only objective is to shoot at aliens and creatures. But there aren’t many games like that in 2020, and perhaps with a major visual overhaul it could offer something different to players. The other option would be to take its main character, settings, and alien races and expand on them – turning Space Harrier from a run-and-gun shooter into something more like a story-driven action/adventure title in a unique sci-fi setting.

I never had the chance to play Space Harrier in a real arcade. The closest I got to that experience was playing it in Shenmue – that’s where I first encountered the title. But nostalgia is a big deal these days, and perhaps some people would be tempted to see a reworked version of this classic.

Number 3: Spirit of Speed 1937 (Dreamcast and PC, 1999)

Racing games are a lot of fun, and some modern titles do make an attempt to include older vehicles – classic cars from the golden age of motor racing. I could be wrong, but I don’t think there’s been another game like Spirit of Speed 1937, though, which was set in that era and exclusively featured pre-war vehicles.

I played the Dreamcast version of this game, and it was a lot of fun. It was also something wholly unique among racing games that were either fun but un-serious kart racers in the vein of the Mario Kart series, or modern-day racers and rally games featuring up-to-date cars. I believe that niche still exists today, and it would be a lot of fun to have a classic racer like this to fill it!

Number 4: Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force

I’ve had an article in the pipeline for a while that I haven’t knocked into shape yet looking at the state of Star Trek video games. To make a long story short, while a number of them have been pretty good, practically none reached out beyond Star Trek’s preexisting fandom. Elite Force was different, and some fans of first-person shooters who didn’t give a hoot about Star Trek played and enjoyed the game when it released in 2000. Its multiplayer mode in particular was something gamers at the time appreciated.

Elite Force had a great single-player campaign too, which included down time in between missions where the player character – Ensign Munro – was able to explore parts of the ship. The story was perfectly Star Trek in its theme, and Voyager would even go on to use a vaguely similar premise for an episode called The Void which aired about six months after the game was released.

Number 5: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Xbox and PC, 2002)

It would have been hard to imagine in the 2000s, but there hasn’t been a game released in the Elder Scrolls series for almost a decade. Though Bethesda have promised us that The Elder Scrolls VI is in development, it seems years away. The company has remastered Skyrim several times and ported it to every platform under the sun, and while we continue to wait for The Elder Scrolls VI, why not bring Morrowind up to date?

Morrowind is undoubtedly my favourite game in the series. It massively expanded on previous entries, with a huge variety of quests and styles of play. It was possible to be a wizard, sneaky assassin, warrior, and all manner of other things. Beginning with its sequel, Oblivion, Bethesda actually began cutting content, and the most recent Elder Scrolls titles have far fewer NPCs, weapon types, factions, and so on. While we can argue about which game is “better” and get nowhere – such things are subjective, after all – for my money Morrowind offers players the biggest choice of things to do. It’s been eighteen years since I first played it, and I still haven’t completed every quest!

Number 6: Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996)

I kept this title off my first list because there had been rumours floating around of a remaster being worked on. Sadly, as I noted when I looked at Nintendo’s lineup for Mario’s 35th anniversary, Super Mario 64 was only included in its original form as part of a bundle. But replaying this amazing game in the Super Mario Odyssey engine is something I really want to experience, and with the game’s 25th anniversary coming up next year, perhaps Nintendo will finally bring Super Mario 64 up-to-date.

I first played Super Mario 64 when it was released; it was the first Nintendo 64 game that I owned. I’m not sure if it was the first ever true 3D game I played, but it was certainly one of the earliest titles I got to enjoy that wasn’t 2D. It has a special place in my heart as “my” Mario game – I played the SNES versions of classic Mario titles, but even at the time they were “old” games, and Super Mario 64 was the first that I got to play when it was new.

Number 7: Medieval: Total War (PC, 2002)

Medieval: Total War is almost certainly my most-played game of the early 2000s. It followed on from the also brilliant Shogun: Total War, but took the setting from feudal Japan to the more-familiar western Europe. It was a game that was very easy to mod – I remember opening up the game’s files in Notepad and editing things like the year the game began, which factions controlled which province, and even the names of provinces! I loved the dual gameplay, which was unique among strategy games at the time – both a grand strategy game that required detailed faction management and real-time battles were present in the same title.

The Total War series is still going strong in 2020, and recent titles like Total War: Warhammer and Total War: Three Kingdoms are carrying the flag for the franchise on a massively improved engine. Medieval II: Total War did bring the series back to this setting in 2006, but even that game is rather outdated compared to the latest entries, and it would be amazing to see a remake of Medieval: Total War using the technology at the franchise’s disposal today.

Number 8: TimeSplitters 2 (GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, 2002)

Out of all the games I’ve ever played, TimeSplitters 2 may have the best ever multiplayer mode! It was certainly something that was a huge amount of fun to play on the original Xbox, with its goofy time-travel narrative taking players from Prohibition-era Chicago to futuristic Toyko and beyond. The TimeSplitters games were never going to be on par with other first-person shooter titles like Halo or the Call of Duty series, but the series had heart and did what it did incredibly well.

The recent remake of Destroy All Humans shows that there is a market for early/mid 2000s games with a sense of humour to be remastered, and I’d absolutely love to welcome back TimeSplitters 2 after all this time.

Number 9: The Simpsons: Hit and Run (Multiplatform, 2003)

Talk to anyone who was a gamer in the mid-2000s and I bet they’ll remember The Simpons: Hit and Run with a sense of nostalgia! I didn’t actually own this game for myself at the time (being a broke student) but a friend did and we played it regularly when I was at university. The game is basically a Simpsons-themed Grand Theft Auto-clone, playing on the popularity of that sub-genre in the wake of Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City, and while fans of Grand Theft Auto will find the more extreme violence of that series decidedly toned-down and cartoonish, it’s a solid game nevertheless.

Recent games have steered away from tie-ins with films and television shows, and the days of a big-budget game based on a popular series are all but gone. There was a time when many popular titles got video game adaptations, and while as a whole tie-in games picked up a (not undeserved) reputation for being pretty poor, there are some real gems too. The Simpsons: Hit and Run is absolutely one of them!

Number 10: Operation WinBack (Nintendo 64, 1999)

Despite languishing in relative obscurity in 2020, Operation WinBack – known as WinBack: Covert Operations in the United States – is an incredibly influential title. Doom was the father of the first-person shooter, and similarly Operation WinBack is the instigator of the cover-based third-person shooter genre. Titles like Gears of War and Mass Effect would not exist without Operation WinBack, and while its cover system – which was so unique at the time it debuted – is now a standard feature, there are still plenty of reasons to bring back this fun spy adventure.

Operation WinBack had a good story, one that would be at home in films like the Mission: Impossible or James Bond series. 2016’s Doom has proved that there’s an appetite among gamers for going back to the roots of established genres, so it could be time to return to the world of Operation WinBack.

So that’s it. Ten more titles that are – in my opinion – worthy of a remaster in 2020. Will any of them ever get one? Let’s just say if I were a gambler I wouldn’t put any money on it! Well… maybe one or two? Some of the biggest companies in the games industry have recently put lots of money into remakes and remasters, and some games that I’d never have expected – like Destroy All Humans and Command and Conquer – have been brought up-to-date. So there’s a chance. There’s always a chance!

Though several of these games are undoubtedly out of print, each one is worth playing in its original form if you’re able to track down a copy, and even though it’s been years or decades since I got to play some of them, I recommend every title on this list!

All titles listed above are the copyright of their respective developers, studios, and/or publishers. Some screenshots courtesy of IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Some interesting Mario projects for the franchise’s 35th anniversary

Sun 06.09.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

The Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary Nintendo Direct.

I don’t usually watch Nintendo Direct presentations, at least not unless I’m eagerly anticipating a title. I only own a handful of Switch games, as they often remain expensive even years after release. When I have a stack of unplayed PC games, spending £50 on a Switch game feels wasteful! This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Mario franchise, as Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1985. Though a 35th anniversary is hardly one of the “big ones”, rumours had been swirling for months that Nintendo would take the opportunity to do something significant in celebration of their most famous character and mascot.

Super Mario All-Stars, which features the original Super Mario Bros. as well as its first three sequels, was one of the first games I owned when I had a SNES in the early 1990s. I enjoyed playing through those games, and while the Mario series has never been my biggest fandom, it’s one that’s usually offered fun and well-made titles. Though I skipped the Mario Galaxy games, I’ve played many of the other mainline entries, including the recent Super Mario Odyssey.

*Super Mario Bros.* was released in 1985 – 35 years ago.

The main reason why I tuned in, though, was because there had been rumours of a remastered Super Mario 64 – perhaps my favourite entry in the series. I was at least a little disappointed that it hasn’t received an upgrade, as seeing that game with the visual style of Odyssey would have been spectacular in my opinion! But Mario 64 is coming back in its original form, bundled with Mario Sunshine and the first Mario Galaxy game as part of a collection called Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

The collection looks like a lot of fun, and being able to replay Mario 64 will be great. I’ve also only played Mario Sunshine once, in like 2002, so it’ll be fantastic to have a proper look at that game for the first time in a long time too. And as someone who’s never played Galaxy, perhaps now’s the time to give that one a try! But Super Mario 3D All-Stars comes with a stupid and artificial limitation – in true Nintendo style. I criticised Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the arbitrary decision to prohibit players having more than one save file per console, despite there being no reason for such a limitation. And Super Mario 3D All-Stars deserves all the criticism it gets for its forced scarcity business model.

*Super Mario 64* might be my favourite Mario title.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars will only be available for six months. At the end of March next year it will be removed from sale – both physically and digitally. I’ve never heard of such nonsense as a digital download game being removed from sale. It’s arbitrary and it’s clearly designed to drum up as much support as possible by playing on gamers’ fears of missing out. Many people, myself included, choose not to buy games at launch because they’re often discounted (or available pre-owned) a few weeks or months later. Super Mario 3D All-Stars, thanks to its unnecessary removal from sale, won’t be in that position, and thus the only way for players to get a copy is to snap it up as quickly as possible. This is a scummy tactic from Nintendo – a company that, despite its family-friendly façade, is no stranger to them. Resellers will be loving this – copies of Super Mario 3D All-Stars will go for big money in six months’ time, and even Switch consoles with the game pre-installed will sell for a packet. Just look at how scalpers have been making money selling iPhones with Fortnite installed since the Epic Games/Apple fight. Something similar will happen in this case too.

It’s one of those difficult situations. I want to like this game, and I’m interested in playing it, but at the same time I don’t want to endorse or support a company that uses such an unfair and anti-consumer business model. Though I felt the same way with Animal Crossing: New Horizons I did ultimately buy the game… and I guess I will be one of the suckers who buys this one too. But I want to register my protest at its business model – which is so incredibly stupid. Nintendo won’t even see most of the benefit, as resellers and scalpers will take the profits. It’ll just screw over ordinary gamers.

It’ll be great to replay *Super Mario Sunshine*.

As it costs £100, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a bit beyond my budget! But the concept is fun, and I can see this becoming a must-have Christmas toy this year. Augmented reality is a neat idea, but the applications I’ve seen of it have always felt like little more than gimmicks. And usually the nature of augmented reality either necessitates every participant using a single platform or makes the experiences one-person things. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is basically just a remote control car with a camera strapped to it and a few gateways to drive through, but the Mario Kart branding, and being able to race around courses in the real world, hold some appeal.

The only drawback I can see is that it’s very much a one-trick pony. And considering most people don’t have huge homes, there will be limited options for setting up a racetrack. Once those options have been expended, the toy will perhaps be cast aside in favour of others, and while that is the nature of toys, £100 for something that looks like a day’s worth of interest at best from the average child means it feels like poor value. Some of Nintendo’s gimmicks are just there for the sake of it, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, the single-use nature of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit feels like it would be offputting except for Mario fanatics and wealthy parents.

*Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit* looks gimmicky, but fun.

It’s encouraging to see Nintendo making use of the Mario Kart brand, though. I’m still hopeful we’ll see Mario Kart 9 on the Switch before too long; I even made a list of tracks that could be included a little while ago. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit shows that Nintendo is still making use of the brand, and that raises expectations – at least a little – of a new game perhaps being in development. The original Super Mario Kart was released in 1992; with Nintendo making a big fuss about anniversaries, 2022 will be that series’ 30th so perhaps that could be a good time for a new iteration? I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

The other big announcement was a port of the Wii U game Super Mario 3D World, which will bring with it what looks to be a new expansion pack titled Bowser’s Fury. I played this a few years ago, when I was one of about fourteen people who owned a Wii U, and while it was okay and I enjoyed the cat suits the characters can wear, I’m not in a mad rush to replay it so soon after its launch on that console. Nintendo have released some solid Switch titles since 2017, but they’ve also put a disproportionate amount of time into porting Wii U titles to the new system, and the result is that some franchises haven’t got the attention they deserved. Even Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a port – there are a few extra characters and the DLC included, but nothing about the game is substantially different to the Wii U version. The Bowser’s Fury expansion for Super Mario 3D World may make the game worth a second look, but we didn’t see a lot of it in the direct and while it absolutely could be great, it could also turn out to be insubstantial and a bit of a let-down.

*Super Mario 3D World* is getting an update and a re-release.

The final game worth mentioning is a very strange one – Super Mario Bros. 35 is a multiplayer competitive version of the classic game, played with 35 players in homage to the title’s 35th anniversary. Defeating an enemy will send it into another player’s game, and it looks like whoever racks up the most points per level wins. Or something. I’m struggling to see how this will be all that fun – Super Mario Bros. simply isn’t designed for something like this, and if the game sticks with the original level design I think players could be overwhelmed with enemies. I know multiplayer isn’t usually my thing to begin with, but even with that caveat this doesn’t seem like a game that will be a lot of fun!

So my dreams of playing Super Mario 64 in the engine used for Odyssey will have to wait for another day! The 3D All-Stars collection is tugging me in both directions right now: it looks like fun, but I’m upset at its crappy anti-consumer sales tactic. Otherwise, despite the pandemic, Nintendo has managed to pull out several fun surprises to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary. Not all of them will be to everyone’s taste, but even a casual Mario player should be able to find at least one title that they’re interested in.

The Super Mario franchise, including all titles listed above, is the copyright of Nintendo. Some screenshots courtesy of press kits on IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Some great Mario Kart racetracks (that would be perfect for Mario Kart 9)

Thu 02.07.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

I was very fortunate in mid-2013 to attend a press event for the Wii U game Mario Kart 8. Well before the full game would launch in 2014 I got a brief opportunity to get my hands on the latest edition of Nintendo’s genre-defining kart racer, which scored me pretty significant bragging rights at the company I was working with at the time! The game blew me away with its improved visuals while retaining the exact same feel of playing a Mario Kart game that had been present in every iteration since Super Mario Kart on the SNES. Super Mario Kart, by the way, is one of two racing games I owned back in the SNES days – the other being Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing. I wonder if anyone besides me (and presumably Nigel Mansell) remembers that one!

So I’ve been a Mario Kart fan since the series debuted, and in that time I think I’ve played every iteration of the series. I didn’t own a GameCube in the early 2000s, but I played Mario Kart: Double Dash with friends when I was at university. I think that’s the only title in the series that I didn’t own at one point.

Nintendo usually releases one Mario Kart game per console, and with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch at the moment – where it’s been one of the console’s best-sellers since it launched – perhaps there won’t be a Mario Kart 9 any time soon. But Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is really just a port of the Wii U game; it isn’t a title unique to the Switch. That provides us a tentative glimmer of hope that Mario Kart 9 may still be coming sometime soon!

Recent Mario Kart games have recreated tracks from older entries, changing and upscaling them to fit the new game’s theme. With that in mind, here are some of my favourite racetracks from past games that would be amazing to see return whenever Mario Kart 9 comes around.

Number 1: Kalimari Desert (Mario Kart 64)

Mario Kart 64 might just be my favourite game in the series. It had an amazing set of tracks, including the definitive version of Rainbow Road. But we’ll come to that in a moment! Kalimari Desert is a western-themed track, and while its skewed oval shape is pretty basic, it features a train constantly going around on its own railroad – which can be used as a shortcut if you’re willing to take a chance!

I like the aesthetic of the American west. The desert, the mesas, the cacti; it’s all here in Kalimari Desert. The track has been recreated twice already: in Mario Kart 7 on the Nintendo 3DS, and again in Mario Kart Tour.

Number 2: Vanilla Lake 2 (Super Mario Kart)

The Mario Kart series has some great snow or ice themed tracks. The first tracks to have this kind of wintry theme were the two Vanilla Lake tracks in Super Mario Kart. Vanilla Lake 2 isn’t an easy track in its original incarnation, with lots of obstacles and no clear racing line. It’s easy to fall into the large central lake with its jagged and uneven edge, and because of its basic square shape, Vanilla Lake 2 can be deceptively simple to new players.

The track was recreated once, but hasn’t been used since Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the Game Boy Advance.

Number 3: Wuhu Island Loop/Wuhu Loop (Mario Kart 7)

Beginning in Mario Kart 7, a handful of tracks were longer than others, and instead of racing three laps, players race from a start line to a finish line. For the purposes of the game, tracks like Wuhu Island Loop are still split into three sections – the sections replacing laps. Mario Kart 7 is a game I had a ton of fun with, and Wuhu Island Loop is one of its better offerings.

When I worked in a large office in the early 2010s, several colleagues and I would sometimes get together and use the 3DS’ wireless networking function to play Mario Kart 7 during breaks and downtime. It really was a blast!

Number 4: DK’s Snowboard Cross/DK Summit (Mario Kart Wii)

Another snow-themed track here, but this one is based on a winter sports resort. Toward the end of the track is a really fun section based on a snowboard half-pipe, complete with snowboarding characters and patches of deep snow to avoid! It’s brilliantly done, and while it isn’t the easiest track it’s a ton of fun.

DK’s Snowboard Cross (a.k.a. DK Summit in North America; Nintendo seem to love arbitrarily changing names!) has only been seen in Mario Kart Wii, which I think makes it overdue for a return!

Number 5: Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 64)

As I mentioned above, Mario Kart 64 truly has the definitive version of Rainbow Road. Everything about the track is perfect: its complicated layout, the clever placement of obstacles, and the starry, atmospheric background featuring characters from the Mario series lit up as neon signs. The music that accompanies the track is phenomenal too, making the whole experience strangely nostalgic.

Rainbow Road has been recently recreated for Mario Kart 8, but for some reason Nintendo cut it short and players only get to enjoy one lap instead of three. The original Nintendo 64 version remains the best, and I’d love to see it return in its true form!

Number 6: Animal Crossing (Mario Kart 8 DLC/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)

With Animal Crossing: New Horizons performing so well and becoming one of the Switch’s top-selling titles, I have no doubt that Nintendo will reference it in some way if there is to be a Mario Kart 9 this generation. However, the Animal Crossing track featured on Mario Kart 8 (originally as DLC on the Wii U) was based on Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It’s a very sweet track that really captures the essence of the sleepy Animal Crossing village perfectly.

Like the Animal Crossing village it’s based on, the track has four seasonal variations and looks different in each. It’s random which one will be chosen every time a player selects the course, which adds another small element of fun!

Number 7: Mushroom Bridge (Mario Kart: Double Dash)

Having not been a GameCube owner (I had an Xbox instead in those days) I’m less familiar with Mario Kart: Double Dash than other entries in the series. However, one track I loved to play with friends was Mushroom Bridge. Toad’s Turnpike on the Nintendo 64 introduced traffic as moving obstacles to race around, and Mushroom Bridge is in a similar vein.

Because the other vehicles on the track are moving, it can be difficult to predict where they’re going, adding an element of complexity to the race. And it’s great fun to sabotage an opponent, sending them careening into traffic!

Number 8: Toad Harbour (Mario Kart 8)

At the press event I mentioned at the beginning of the article, Toad Harbour was the track I got to play for myself. I believe there was one other track available, as well as one battle course – but I can’t remember what those were! Toad Harbour was a great choice to show off the Wii U’s greatly-improved graphics – the course is bright and sunlit, and there’s plenty of detail in its San Francisco-esque scenery.

If Mario Kart 9 opts to drop the anti-gravity racing that premiered in Mario Kart 8, Toad Harbour could be a great choice to adapt as its one anti-gravity section is optional.

Number 9: Bowser Castle 3 (Super Mario Kart)

Super Mario Kart had some very fun and interesting tracks, despite the limitations of the SNES. Bowser Castle 3 (which I always thought was called Bowser‘s Castle 3, with an -s) snakes around like a normal racetrack for the most part, but then there comes a point with the track splitting in two. The jumps lead to a number of smaller islands in the lava, and there are several possible routes across, adding an extra element to what was already a fun track.

The music for Super Mario Kart’s Bowser Castle tracks was also great! The track hasn’t been seen since Mario Kart: Super Circuit, so it’s a great candidate to bring back.

Number 10: Lakeside Park (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)

Lakeside Park is a pretty clever track. The first lap is normal, set in a jungle beside a lake. The intimidating-looking volcanoes seem like just a part of the background… until lap 2, when the sky goes dark and the volcanoes erupt! Chunks of lava then rain down the track, peppering it with additional obstacles.

Considering this was a Game Boy Advance title, there are some pretty clever things going on in Lakeside Park. The track would make a wonderful addition to Mario Kart 9.

Number 11: Peach Beach (Mario Kart: Double Dash)

When my friends and I used to play Peach Beach, we rather immaturely called it the “cock-and-balls” track… because c’mon, what else could that giant rock formation possibly look like? It’s even vaguely flesh-coloured. I’ve known many animators and developers having once worked in the games industry, and I guarantee that was done on purpose.

But we’re off-topic! Peach Beach is a fun track with some interesting obstacles and different terrains to get stuck into, and although it reappeared on the Wii I’d love to see it back again.

Number 12: Shroom Ridge (Mario Kart DS)

Another track featuring traffic, similar to Mushroom Bridge above, Shroom Ridge was one of my favourites from Mario Kart DS. Weaving in and out of oncoming traffic is difficult to master, so I think this track would be perfect for a more challenging grand prix.

It’s also one of the few Mario Kart DS tracks that hasn’t been seen since that game debuted in 2005, making it due for a comeback!

Number 13: Maple Treeway (Mario Kart Wii)

Maple Treeway is a beautifully atmospheric track with an autumnal setting. It has a fantastic musical accompaniment too, and a couple of more challenging parts. There’s nothing too tricky, however, and I just adore the setting, the music, and the whole layout of the track. It’s easily one of my favourites from Mario Kart Wii.

Mario Kart 7 brought back Maple Treeway on the 3DS, but I’d still like to see it return one more time – upscaled in full HD!

Number 14: DK’s Jungle Parkway (Mario Kart 64)

DK’s Jungle Parkway was a clever track when it debuted on the Nintendo 64 – straying off its fairly narrow track onto the grass verge would result in being hit with objects from the jungle background, further slowing you down! This feature meant it was a challenge to avoid oversteering and understeering to stay on the track – and meant it could be a lot of fun to push an opponent off!

DK’s Jungle Parkway reappeared on the Wii, but that version made a couple of changes (the objects no longer hit you when not on the track, and the big jump across the river forces you to go straight instead of taking a chance and cutting the corner) which I feel took away its uniqueness. I’d love to see it back with those features included!

Number 15: Daisy Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)

A nice, straightforward track that takes players through a town at sunrise (or sunset), Daisy Circuit is a sweet little track set to another great piece of music. There are no major obstacles to speak of, though there are two sections in the middle where a fountain and statue must be circumnavigated. It’s a nice, easy track that someone brand-new to Mario Kart could pick up and have fun with.

Daisy Circuit hasn’t been reused since it was first seen in Mario Kart Wii, which is a great reason to bring it back for Mario Kart 9!

Number 16: Shy Guy Bazaar (Mario Kart 7)

The Mario Kart series has a few recurring settings for its tracks, so it’s great when we get something genuinely different. Shy Guy Bazaar has a definite Arabian theme – almost like something from Aladdin – which is a great spin on the typical desert-themed tracks of other Mario Kart titles.

There are some unique obstacles, and the track has some narrow and wide sections, allowing for varied race strategies. It was one of my favourites from Mario Kart 7 – but I always felt it was underappreciated!

Number 17: Wild Woods (Mario Kart 8 DLC/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)

Another track that was initially available as DLC on the Wii U, Wild Woods is a ton of fun. As I mentioned above, many Mario Kart tracks follow one of a limited number of themes; Wild Woods is something altogether different with its “deep, dark woods” setting – which is reminiscent of some old levels from the Donkey Kong Country series.

Tracks from Mario Kart 8 seem like they’d be well-suited to be brought into Mario Kart 9, and I’d love to see Wild Woods back.

Number 18: Mushroom Gorge (Mario Kart Wii)

Mushroom Gorge is a gorge-ous track. See what I did there? With both an outside section and a section in a cave, there was already a lot of fun to be had, but Mushroom Gorge also introduces giant mushrooms to bounce on – getting the speed and angle right for your bounce is incredibly important, lest you fall into a bottomless pit and have to be rescued!

The track did make a reappearance on the 3DS, but its fun and unique bouncy gameplay would be great to bring back for Mario Kart 9 too.

Number 19: Choco Mountain (Mario Kart 64)

Choco Mountain in Mario Kart 64, as well as the earlier Choco Island tracks in Super Mario Kart, always seemed to be ignored by players in favour of other tracks. I’m not sure if it’s because of the fairly bland all-brown colour scheme, but that’s one possibility. It’s a shame, because Choco Mountain in particular is a clever track with some difficult sections and unpredictable obstacles.

Choco Mountain was seen in Mario Kart DS as well, but I think it’s a candidate to get an HD makeover for Mario Kart 9!

Number 20: Sunshine Airport (Mario Kart 8)

One of the tracks used to market Mario Kart 8, Sunshine Airport has a lot to offer. Mario Kart 7 had introduced gliding, allowing players to soar through the air, and Sunshine Airport takes that theme and runs with it. The airport setting has some unique obstacles, and as somewhere completely different to race around, it’s lots of fun.

I particularly like the aircraft that sometimes pass you while racing, even though I’m always worried that they’re going to crash into me!

So that’s it. A handful of Mario Kart tracks from past entries in the series that I feel would be great to see given an overhaul and an update for Mario Kart 9. This article shouldn’t be interpreted as me having any “insider information” from Nintendo that a new game is in the works! Just to be clear: I have no idea if Mario Kart 9 is in development, or if it will be released on the Switch. It’s possible that Nintendo may not release another entry in this fantastic series until they launch their next console – whenever that could be! However, I think there is reason to be hopeful of a new Mario Kart title. As I mentioned, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is just a port of the Wii U game, and aside from collating the main game and its two DLC packs, doesn’t really offer anything substantially new. Secondly, Nintendo has seemed more open to changing things up this generation, particularly where sequels to its most successful titles are concerned: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is getting a direct sequel, for example.

As long as Dry Bones – the best character in the whole Mario Kart series – is playable in Mario Kart 9, I’ll be satisfied with whichever tracks Nintendo decides to bring back!

The Mario Kart series – including all games mentioned above, as well as all individual racetracks, characters, and other properties – is the copyright of Nintendo. Screenshots courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki. They are used under the principle of Fair Dealing. For further information, see my copyright policy. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.