Nintendo is extending the life of Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch with a series of DLC expansions that add old courses from throughout the franchise. While that means we won't be getting Mario Kart 9 anytime soon, these new courses are much more than simple recreations of what players could find in Mario Kart 64. Instead, these are full-on remastered tracks, and while some add new features, they all look spectacular.
In our video comparing original courses with their Mario Kart 8 Deluxe versions, the upgrades are pretty clear. For instance, Choco Mountain, which first appeared in Mario Kart 64, isn't marked by the same bland brown scenery and dense Silent-Hill-esque fog. It's still creepy in Mario Kart 8, with some of that fog seeping in, along with extra spooky details, like dead trees that smatter the sides of the track. A new underground section similarly changes things up, having players drive into oncoming bats before hopping out and onto a cliffside packed with rolling boulders.
While players can expect entirely new sections in some maps, others, like Shroom Ridge from Mario Kart DS, have only been given a new coat of paint. Still, in Mario Kart 8 these tracks shine compared to their past counterparts, with clean, crisp visuals and plenty of extra details thrown in for good measure.
Choco Mountain and Shroom Ridge are just two of the eight tracks arriving with the first wave of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass. For $25, users can pick up the full pass now, which includes a whopping 48 tracks that will be added by the end of 2023. Alternatively, Switch owners can also pick up the pass by purchasing the upgraded version of Nintendo's online service, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
