Home > Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: What You Need To Know
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is speeding onto Nintendo Switch this Friday! With all the content in this version of the previous Wii U game, is it still worth buying? We have a full rundown of the new (and old) features and content headed to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, to hopefully convince you of getting this game.
About the Game: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an enhanced port of Mario Kart 8 from the Wii U to the Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 which was originally released for Wii U on May 30, 2014 is well known for the high-adrenaline racing action it has to offer, especially with the new 200cc. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is no different, offering even more racing and battle options to choose from. You can even carry two items instead of one now!
Controller Options: With the Nintendo Switch, there are now plenty of different options to pick from! You can play the game in any of the three modes for the Switch (TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode) whether using a Pro Controller, the Joy-Con attached to the system for handheld mode, or even the Joy-Con detached from the system for Tabletop mode. There will also be new steering wheel releasing which is similar to the Wii Wheel. Instead, you can now put your Joy-Con controllers into the wheel. A set of two Joy-Con Wheels comes at an MSRP of $14.99.
For younger or inexperienced drivers who are new to the Mario Kart series, there will also be a Smart Steering option which adds an antenna to the back of your vehicle. This option will help guide those who may have trouble stay on track, making sure you don’t fall off a track or hit a wall.
Characters: Why would you want a new Mario Kart game without any new characters? Previous Mario Kart characters making their return in this game include King Boo, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr. The popular Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl from the Splatoon series will also be making their Mario Kart debut. Gold Mario will be new to rookie Mario Kart players, as he has only appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX.
Items: While all the previous items from Mario Kart 8 are returning, there will also be two new ones added to the mix. The Boo item will steal items from other players, while the Feather item can be used to jump over small walls. However, the Feather will only be available in battle mode.
Battle Mode: With many not liking Mario Kart 8’s battle mode options, it was an obvious choice to fix the battle mode in this game. There will now be five different battle modes to choose from:
- Balloon Battle: Unchanged from previous versions, this will see players trying to hit each other with projectiles to pop others’ balloons, collecting as many points as possible.
- Renegade Roundup: A new Mario Kart style of Cops and Robbers. The Authorities act as the ones trying to catch other players to put them into the jail. The Renegades will be avoiding The Authorities, trying to also free their own team from the jail.
- Bob-omb Blast: Bob-ombs ahoy! Your only means of attack are Bob-ombs, trying to get points from each hit on a player.
- Coin Runners: Just like in Mario Kart Wii, players drive around the battle map, and will try to collect as many coins as possible, while avoiding other player’s assault of items.
- Shine Thief: Returning from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, everyone will be competing to get a hold of the Shine Sprite. Whoever has the Shine Sprite when the time runs out, wins!
With these new battle modes, also comes new battle stages. With five new stages and three retro stages, they are all sure to be fun.
- Battle Stadium
- Sweet Sweet Kingdom
- Dragon Palace
- Lunar Colony
- Urchin Underpass
- Wuhu Town (3DS)
- Luigi’s Mansion (GCN)
- Battle Course 1 (SNES)
amiibo: amiibo will work the same as it did in Mario Kart 8, with a few new options. Splatoon amiibo, Animal Crossing amiibo, and Zelda amiibo will now unlock new racing suits for your Mii to wear.
DLC?: Nothing to worry about!... At least, not for right now. While there may be future DLC down the line, we currently do not know any plans about this. However, all DLC from Mario Kart 8 will be in the game right from the start! This will include DLC packs 1 (Zelda) and 2 (Animal Crossing), as well as the Mercedes-Benz cars.
So what do you say? You interested yet? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch releases this Friday, so expect some fun racing on the go with your Switch. Need more still? You can check out the site here, and the trailer for the game from the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 this past January.
