Mario Kart 8 DLC Wave 4 Review Story-level

Starring Birdo

downloadable content for mario kart 8 deluxe really steps up with Wave 3, dropping the best courses we had seen on the Booster Course Pass. From the brilliantly simple reinvention of Boo Lake to the enchanting Christmas outing that is Merry Mountain, it was going to be hard to top what Nintendo brought gamers on that wave.

Depending on who you ask, Booster Course Wave 4 might just be the best set of tracks yet.

mario kart 8 deluxe booster course pass wave 4 (switches)
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: March 9, 2023
MSRP: $24.99 (or part of Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack)

Featuring an all-new track inspired by one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, Wave 4 has several standouts in its collection, including two beautiful tracks from Mario kart ride and a mario kart ds charming that I had honestly completely forgotten about. So, as I did with waves 1, 2 and 3, I go through and rank each track from the fourth wave of mario kart 8 DLC, covering the Fruit Cup and the Boomerang Cup. And because it’s finally making its Deluxe debut, this review will be All about Birdo.

8. Amsterdam Drift (mkt)

We start with an upbeat track set in the city of Amsterdam without the Red Light District of Mario kart ride. As we’ve seen with most other real-world city-based tracks, Amsterdam Drift combines three different versions of the mobile app track into its three-lap race. A quick drive around the track will show you that this course contains just about everything we stereotypically associate with Amsterdam, including tulips, windmills, and canals, all of which make up a large part of the second lap of this race. In general, Amsterdam Drift is a good track, although not exceptional. It’s certainly better than a couple of others. journey tracks that have made the leap to mario kart 8 deluxeespecially at higher speeds, but there are higher ones to be found in Wave 4.

7. Riverside Park (MK:SC)

There are probably better clues Mario Kart: Super Circuit to choose Riverside Park, but I have to give credit to the developers for the wonderful job they did with their conversion to 3D. This short jungle course has plenty of tight turns and little jumps to contend with, but the big feature of the track comes at the end with a big 360-degree turn up a mountain and waterfall.

On GBA, this was a flat turn and not too special. By revisiting the track, the developers have transformed this final twist into an excellent piece that really allows the track to stand on its own. Still, Lakeside Park would have been the better of the two to bring to the Booster Course Pass. Fingers crossed he appears in one of the last two waves.

6. Bangkok Fever (mkt)

Bangkok Rush is a wonderful addition to Mario kart ride which offers some of the most challenging twists I’ve seen yet in this DLC collection. Like all courses in the city, it offers some lovely recreations of real Bangkok locations, including the famous Chao Phraya River and Talat Rotfai.

The way the developers have incorporated these features into the race is brilliant, but what’s absolutely amazing about this track is how it offers players so many different routes they can take. Each turn will allow players to go up or down in certain sections, and there are benefits to both. Staying low gives you a lot more room to work, but going high could help you win the race if you can master those tight corners and aisles. This track is going to be an absolute blast online and I can’t wait to see how players find the best route through it.

V Summit DK (mkwii)

For many, DK Summit is one of the highlights of mario kart wii. This reinvention of double hyphen‘s DK Mountain as a downhill slalom sends riders hurtling down a snowy snowboard course complete with halfpipes, moguls, and other skiers to get in their way. It’s an absolute stunner in 200cc, and I’d probably rank higher here if my brain stopped comparing it to Mount Wario, which takes the concept of alpine skiing and takes it places this track never could.

Still, I appreciate the changes the developers have made to the track, including reducing the width at many points, because, like many of the tracks in mario kart wii, the original was too wide. That being said, I do wish the snow in the final section had kept its original size because now it’s too easy for players to skip the half-pipe entirely.

4. Mario Circuit (MKDS)

Are there other clues mario kart ds Would you rather have seen on this wave? Of course. We still don’t have Aircraft Fortress or Plaza Delfino. But before going through this in Wave 4, I had completely forgotten what Mario Circuit looked like in that game. It’s a very forgettable track, which is why I’m so impressed with the shine it got from its appearance on the Booster Course Pass.

The best features of the track are still here, namely the fireball-spitting piranha plants, but an entire section of this course has been reimagined as a serene forest. It’s really amazing to race at this track, and I love the addition of the sleeping Wiggler waking up and starting to stomp on the last lap. Maybe I’m being too generous with this location, but there’s something so relaxing about this track that I can’t help but love it.

3. Singapore Expressway (mkt)

Singapore Speedway is the opposite of relaxing. This is high-speed racing with an incredible sense of verticality that will see players glide across the neon-lit cityscape. As with Bangkok Rush, the way the track incorporates views of the city into the race is impressive. On the first lap, you’ll fly to the top of the Marina Bay Sands resort and compete in the rooftop pool.

Lap two features an impressive, drift-friendly course through a glittering Chinatown, while the final lap sends racers hurtling into the city’s Gardens by the Bay. I would have rated this track one spot higher, but the last lap takes a little longer than it should with a second trip to Chinatown. But other than that, this is one of the best. Mario kart ride clues to jump mario kart 8 deluxe.

2. Waluigi Stadium (MK: DD)

As with Mario Circuit, there are other tracks that I would have preferred to see Mario Kart: Double Race in this wave of DLC, including the prominent Wario Colosseum or Mushroom City. But that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see Waluigi Stadium back on my TV screen. In fact, the changes made to the field improve it over its previous appearances in double hyphen and as a classic track in mario kart wii. Waluigi’s Stadium has seen some much needed renovations and the new night setting is exactly what this field needs. The addition of two elevated sections, one at the end of the halfpipe and one just before the final jump of the course, creates new opportunities for players to take the lead in extremely close races. It’s a solid addition, and I’m glad we didn’t have to wait for it to show up in Mario Kart Tour before adding it here.

1. Yoshi’s Island (MK8Dbcp)

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Not every track gets its own article written by Chris Carter. But when a track is that good, it deserves to be celebrated as much as possible. Yoshi’s Island is easily the best track we’ve seen in the mario kart 8 deluxe Reinforcement course pass. It’s a brilliant reinvention of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island as a Mario Kart The way the developers have incorporated so much from that game and its sub-series sequels into the run should be celebrated. In fact, my jaw dropped for a good 45 seconds when I first realized that I could activate the secret red path at the end of the track and jump through the ring of flowers. It’s a brilliant design with so many wonderful little features that I can’t help but love it. In both design and personality, Yoshi’s Island is a winner.

And hey, if we can get a track based on this Mario spin-off, maybe we can get a track based on one of the Wario titles. I mean, can you imagine warioware either Wario Land: Shake It Up! as a Mario Kart tracks?

_{[This review is based on a retail version of the DLC purchased by the reviewer.]}