Did you know that Mario Kart 8 is turning 10 years old soon? That’s crazy, right? First launched on the 29th of May 2014 on the Wii U, it has since been re-released on the Nintendo Switch in 2017 and is still popular to this day. In 2022 the Booster Course Pass DLC appeared, adding many new cups, tracks and characters to the twisting and turning karting game. We will tell you all about them and what you can expect from the additions in this article, as well as how you can easily afford the DLC and/or full game if you don’t have them yet. Ready, set, go!
What is the Mario Kart Booster Course Pass DLC?
There are only so many times you can race on the same Rainbow Roads before things start turning grey. So, to power up their game, Nintendo released the Booster Course Pass. In total, the DLC adds 48 new tracks, doubling the amount of courses from the base game + 8 new characters, bringing the total amount of racers to 50! The tracks range from old classics from previous Mario Kart entries to shiny new courses. As for the characters, there are some long-awaited veterans, as well as new faces. We’ll tell you more about them in a bit.
When does the Last Wave of the Booster Course Pass release?
The Booster Course Pass was split into 6 waves – each wave releasing 2 Grand Prix, or 8 tracks. The first wave was originally released on the 18th of March 2022 and the last and 6th wave, was released on the 9th of November. Now you can play the full DLC without having to wait. The excitement and sound of engines roaring is loud!
How much does the Booster Course Pass DLC cost?
There are currently two ways to play the Booster Course Pass. Either by directly purchasing the DLC for unlimited access (prices listed below) or by subscribing to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. The latter grants you access to the DLC with many other features for 12 months. Once your subscription expires, you cannot play the tracks anymore.
Prices in the UK
£72.48 – Full Game + DLC
£22.49 – DLC Only
Prices in the USA
$84.98 USD – Full Game + DLC
$24.99 USD – DLC Only
Prices in Europe
€84.98 – Full Game + DLC
€24.99 – DLC Only
Prices in Canada
$112.98 CAD – Full Game + DLC
$32.99 CAD – DLC Only
Buying Mario Kart 8 – Booster Course Pass DLC for less
How much is Mario Kart 8 + DLC? Well, quite a bit – It wouldn’t be a Nintendo game, if it wasn’t priced like one for years! But you can actually buy them for cheaper by getting a Nintendo Gift Card from dundle at a discounted price and without service fees. Additionally, you also save dundle Coins, which you can later exchange for free gift cards. Get yours today and enjoy the same product for less money!
Do I need to buy the DLC to play the tracks?
If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you don’t necessarily need to purchase the Booster Course Pass DLC to experience all tracks. Should you have the patience, in online multiplayer, the DLC courses occasionally get added to the random track selection. However, to freely play locally by yourself or with friends, you’ll need to buy the Booster Course Pass.
Which Characters are new in the Booster Course Pass DLC?
There are a total of 8 new characters on the starting lineup. Some long-awaited faces finally make a comeback, while others have their first appearance in the game (if you don’t consider Tour part of the mainline).
From left to right based on the picture above, we listed them below:
Birdo: Last appearance in Mario Kart Wii, and can be driven in 9 different colors!
Petey Piranha: Last appearance in Mario: Kart Double Dash!!
Diddy Kong: Last appearance in Mario Kart Wii
Pauline: New in the series!
Wiggler: Last appearance in Mario Kart 7
Kamek: New in the series! Originally planned for Mario Kart 64, but was replaced by Donkey Kong.
Funky Kong: Last appearance in Mario Kart Wii
Peachette: New in the series! A mix between Peach and Toadette
Which Tracks are in the Booster Course Pass DLC?
The 48 currently available tracks all come from different platforms. If you’re curious, we’ve counted them all together. 16 tracks come from Mario Kart Tour, 8 from Mario Kart Wii, 5 from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, 4 from Mario Kart DS, 4 from Mario Kart 7, 2 from Mario Kart 64, 3 from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, 2 from Super Mario Kart and only 4 tracks are entirely new to Mario Kart 8.
Below, you can find all the tracks by each wave that they were released in.
Wave 1 Tracks
Golden Dash Cup
- Paris Promenade (Mario Kart Tour)
- Choco Mountain (Mario Kart 64)
- Toad Circuit (Mario Kart 7)
- Coconut Mall (Mario Kart Wii)
Lucky Cat Cup
- Tokyo Blur (Mario Kart Tour)
- Shroom Ridge (Mario Kart DS)
- Sky Garden (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- Ninja Hideaway (Mario Kart Tour)
Wave 2 Tracks
Turnip Cup
- New York Minute (Mario Kart Tour)
- Mario Circuit 3 (Super Mario Kart)
- Kalimari Desert (Mario Kart 64)
- Waluigi Pinball (Mario Kart DS)
Propeller Cup
- Sydney Sprint (Mario Kart Tour)
- Snow Land (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- Mushroom Gorge (Mario Kart Wii)
- Sky-High Sundae (New track)
Wave 3 Tracks
Rock Cup
- London Loop (Mario Kart Tour)
- Boo Lake (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- Alpine Pass (Mario Kart 7)
- Maple Treeway (Mario Kart Wii)
Moon Cup
- Berlin Byways (Mario Kart Tour)
- Peach Gardens (Mario Kart DS)
- Merry Mountain (Mario Kart Tour)
- Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 7)
Wave 4 Tracks
Fruit Cup
- Amsterdam Drift (Mario Kart Tour)
- Riverside Park (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- DK's Snowboard Cross (Mario Kart Wii)
- Yoshi's Island (New track)
Boomerang Cup
- Bangkok Rush (Mario Kart Tour)
- Mario Circuit (Mario Kart DS)
- Waluigi Stadium (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
- Singapore Stadium (Mario Kart Tour)
Wave 5 Tracks
Feather Cup
- Athens Dash (Mario Kart Tour)
- Daisy Cruiser (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
- Moonview Highway (Mario Kart Wii)
- Squeaky Clean Sprint (New track)
Cherry Cup
- Los Angeles Laps (Mario Kart Tour)
- Sunset Wilds (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- Koopa Cape (Mario Kart Wii)
- Vancouver Velocity (Mario Kart Tour)
Wave 6 Tracks
Acorn Cup
- Rome Avanti (Mario Kart Tour)
- DK Mountain (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
- Daisy Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)
- Piranha Plant Cove (New track)
Spiny Cup
- Madrid Drive (Mario Kart Tour)
- Rosalina’s Ice World (Mario Kart 7)
- Bowser Castle 3 (Super Mario Kart)
- Rainbow Road (Mario Kart Wii)
Now you’re karting the wave!
There you have it – Everything about the Booster Course Pass DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. There are so many great additions to the game, it’s bound to spice up any party! Twice the tracks of the base game, and lots of new faces on the circuit, therefore, it is and stays one of our highest recommendations for the Nintendo Switch. We wish you a lot of fun karting, and good luck dodging all the Blue Shells out there!
