Mario Kart 8's Downloadable Content

[Dagger Dias]

The 2nd of 2 downloadable content packs for Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U has been released. The new material includes new racers, new vehicles, a new 200cc mode, and best of all some new cups worth of tracks.

Here is a breakdown of the new content from both packs:


The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8

Racers:
Link (The Legend of Zelda)
Tanooki Mario
Cat Peach

Vehicle Parts:
Blue Falcon
B Dasher
Master Cycle
Tanooki Kart
Triforce Tires
Hylian Kite

Egg Cup Tracks:
Yoshi Circuit (Gamecube)
Excitebike Arena (NEW!)
Dragon Driftway (NEW!)
Mute City (NEW!)

Triforce Cup Tracks:
Wario's Gold Mine (Wii)
Rainbow Road (SNES)
Ice Ice Outpost (NEW!)
Hyrule Circuit (NEW!)

Other:
More colors to choose from when you select Yoshi or Shy Guy (if you buy both packs)



Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8

Racers:
Villager (Animal Crossing) [Both Male & Female choices included]
Isabelle (Animal Crossing)
Dry Bowser

Vehicle Parts:
Streetle
City Tripper
P-Wing
Bone Rattler
Leaf Tires
Paper Glider

Crossing Cup Tracks:
Baby Park (Gamecube)
Cheese Land (Game Boy Advance)
Wild Woods (NEW!)
Animal Crossing (NEW!)

Bell Cup Tracks:
New Bowser City (3DS)
Ribbon Road (Game Boy Advance)
Super Bell Subway (NEW!)
Big Blue (NEW!)




You can also unlock 200cc mode via a new update.



The new tracks and new racers are all great additions. Playing as Link in Mario Kart and the awesome Hyrule Circuit track were more than enough reasons for me to purchase the first pack. I've been waiting patiently for the second pack and I am for the most part happy with it. The new tracks included are fun whether it be reliving memories on the older tracks or trying out the new ones. Wild Woods is beautiful. The inclusion of Ribbon Road instead of a 4th Rainbow Road track is an amusing coincidence as well. The four Downloadable cups, overall, are arguably better than the Nitro and Retro cups in my opinion.

I only have two gripes with the final product now that I have both Downloadable packs and the update(s). Once you have one or both Downloadable packs, you can no longer play every single track on random shuffle at once in the VS Mode. That was one of my favorite things to do on the Wii's Mario Kart game, so part of me was hoping to be able to random shuffle all 48 tracks. Oh well. 32 is close enough. My other problem is with 200cc. I'm sure it could be fun to play against friends, but against the computer it's dang near impossible. I'll stick to 150cc, thanks. It's worth a try, just to see what it's like. The description the game provides you isn't joking. It's really fast.

So what are your opinions on this game's new content or on Mario Kart 8 in general? Any thoughts on-topic within our forum rules are welcome.

Discuss!

 

[Барбоса]

I have not gotten the DLC yet, although I will likely treat myself come my birthday.

200cc though is one hell of a beast. It really is an impressive achievement to force Mario Kart gamers to really mix up their choice of racer and kart set up and even have to contemplate using the brake or avoiding boosts and power-sliding!

I actually tried a 200cc race (cannot remember the track) where I did not use any sliding or boosts, jump or ground, and it was by far the easiest victory I have had so far in 200cc.

I still think that Mario Kart should incorporate a far more expanded Grand Prix cup - anything up to say 20 races with each race being potentially 5 laps. I think that that could add another level of game play both off- and online, especially now with 200cc making it very hard to win frequently.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I've been tempted to get a Wii U simply for the new Mario Cart game. I loved Mario Kart Wii and still play on that game on m girlfriend's Wii console with her and her daughter, it's such a fantastic multiplayer game. I was disappointed that there was never another Mario Kart game on the original Wii, as it would certainly have been a big seller.

I got a PS4 for christmas with a couple of games, although I still haven't opened GTA V yet due to time contraints(I know, I know!), so I don't think it's worthwhile me getting the Wii U just yet, but what other great games is there for the console? Or is it worthwile getting JUST for Mario Cart 8?

 

[Барбоса]

I would say no but that is not a slight on Mario Kart. To me, no one game is worth splashing out for a console at that price.

That said, there are plenty of other games out there for the Wii U and their prices have come down quite a bit.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I just traded in my Playstation 4 for a Wii U last thursday. The best gaming decision ever for me. I have a family and maybe had about 5 minutes a day for solo gaming on the PS4. Other than that and Netflix it collected dust since I bought it. Wasn't a fan of any games that came out for it and none that are in the future appeal to me. Now with the Wii U, it hasn't gone a day without being played on. My wife and daughter are having a blast with Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. So I would say if you have a family or nothing really appeals to you with the PS4 right now or in the future, I would highly recommend a Wii U.

Didn't mean to turn this into a Wii U hype thread. As far as the Mario Kart DLC, I got the Legend of Zelda pack and love it. I legit freaked out when I saw the Blue Falcon and Mute City tracks having been a huge fan of F Zero Grand Prix on the Gamecube. Driving as Link in a Mario Kart game is a thrill in of itself and though this was already possible, I LOVE the amiibo feature of adding costumes to your Mii. It's great seeing my Mii with a Sonic outfit on.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Or is it worthwile getting JUST for Mario Cart 8?

I agree with Barbosa. Getting the Wii U console ONLY for Mario Kart 8 isn't really worth it. Don't get me wrong, it's an enjoyable game. Great visuals, great music, and fun to play when you aren't being bombarded by chaos (seriously, it comes down to luck more than anything on the highest difficulty settings). It would depend on how much you like the Mario Kart series itself. I got the Wii U for 5 games, which I purchased all at once.

Mario Kart 8
Smash Bros Wii U
Super Mario 3D World
Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (Wii U remake)
New Super Luigi U

If you like those types of games, I recommend them all. If you're looking to get a Wii U, that list (or at least the first 3 games on it) is a good place to start.

If you do get Mario Kart 8 make sure you get the DLC packs mentioned in my opening post. The game is that much better with it. You get to play as Link in a Mario Kart game, get to race on tracks inspired by Zelda or Animal Crossing, and to top it all off not one but FOUR new cups. The DLC is 100% worth it if you did get Mario Kart 8 and a Wii U.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I still think that Mario Kart should incorporate a far more expanded Grand Prix cup - anything up to say 20 races with each race being potentially 5 laps. I think that that could add another level of game play both off- and online, especially now with 200cc making it very hard to win frequently.

Double Dash is, from what I recall, the only one that did this. It had the circuit where you raced every track. DS and Wii both had it to where you could go through each track one after another in the VS mode, and I stated in my previous post I loved to random shuffle all 32 tracks on the Wii game. It was a weekly tradition during the second half of my college career each friday to do a random shuffle of all 32 tracks after my last class of the week.

Instead of 200cc they should have allowed you to play all 48 tracks on random shuffle, or maybe doing an idea similar to Double Dash's All Cup Tour by doing a gauntlet of all 4 Nitro cups. An option could be to do three separate ones. One for the Nitro cups, one for the Retro cups, and then one for the DLC cups. This keeps it at 16 tracks a piece, since all 48 might be too much to ask of the game. That'd be really fun. Maybe they'll throw that into a future update, or try it out on the next game in a few years.

 

[Барбоса]

As I mentioned in Gamers Unite, 200cc takes me back to the glory days of the original Rainbow Road. You really have to pick your moments when or even if you power slide or boost as well as your racing line and potential braking.

If you do not, it is utter carnage.

Some of the less fashionable even beginner drivers and karts have come in very handy.

 

[Dagger Dias]

200cc takes me back to the glory days of the original Rainbow Road. You really have to pick your moments when or even if you power slide or boost as well as your racing line and potential braking.

If you do not, it is utter carnage.

Some of the less fashionable even beginner drivers and karts have come in very handy.

See, that's the thing. I never drift-boost. Like, ever. It takes the fun out of the game for me. 200cc's main issue with me is how much more of a nemesis for me the tight turns become. I use the heavyweight characters. I've never liked using the lightweight racers in Mario Kart or similar games. On the SNES it was Bowser. In Double Dash it was Petey Piranha and King Boo due to them getting every "special item". For every other game up until Rosalina existed, it was Wario. I tried Link for obvious reasons when the DLC got released, then stuck with Rosalina afterwards. She's my favorite Mario character so I'll play as her in any game she's in.

Anyway, so I primarily use Rosalina in this game. She is a heavyweight. Why Rosalina is a heavyweight is beyond me, but in Mario Kart she is.... Due to using primarily heavyweights 99% of the time, tight turns are the biggest problem no matter what cc class is being played. I used the Standard Kart with Triforce Tires and the Hylian Kite up until 200cc. It made me try parts that increase my Handling stats, so I do commend Nintendo for making me look into that. I found myself using the W25 Silver Arrow with Azure Roller tires and the Bowser Kite.

As for the issue of only being able to random shuffle 32 tracks out of the full list of 48 in VS mode.... I found a way around that. I simply picked the 31 that I like the most, disregarding Rainbow Road which is always last, made a list, then random shuffle THAT list using a list shuffler, with Rainbow Road always getting to be the last track. It was either that or play the standard 32 in order so as to not risk missing a track I like, but then DLC tracks get left out. This way I ensure only tracks I don't like as much get left out while getting to play the best of the standard tracks as well DLC material like Hyrule Circuit, Dragon Driftway, Ice Ice Outpost, Wild Woods, etc.

 

[Барбоса]

See, that's the thing. I never drift-boost. Like, ever. It takes the fun out of the game for me. 200cc's main issue with me is how much more of a nemesis for me the tight turns become. I use the heavyweight characters. I've never liked using the lightweight racers in Mario Kart or similar games. On the SNES it was Bowser. In Double Dash it was Petey Piranha and King Boo due to them getting every "special item". For every other game up until Rosalina existed, it was Wario. I tried Link for obvious reasons when the DLC got released, then stuck with Rosalina afterwards. She's my favorite Mario character so I'll play as her in any game she's in.

I used to be a heavyweight chooser as the cc goes up, their benefits become more and more of a hindrance.

From there, I would be boring and just choose Mario with a Standard Kart, Mercedes Benz wheels and Wario kite. But now with 200cc, at times even Mario is not maneuverable enough so recently I have gone with the likes of Yoshi and Koopa.

On turbo boosting, there are a few tracks on 200cc where it can still be useful but on most corners, it is a disaster for the next one.

As for the issue of only being able to random shuffle 32 tracks out of the full list of 48 in VS mode.... I found a way around that. I simply picked the 31 that I like the most, disregarding Rainbow Road which is always last, made a list, then random shuffle THAT list using a list shuffler, with Rainbow Road always getting to be the last track. It was either that or play the standard 32 in order so as to not risk missing a track I like, but then DLC tracks get left out. This way I ensure only tracks I don't like as much get left out while getting to play the best of the standard tracks as well DLC material like Hyrule Circuit, Dragon Driftway, Ice Ice Outpost, Wild Woods, etc.

I would like Nintendo to introduce a full Super Grand Prix mode, complete with 20 race 'calendar' and even a time trial qualifying and being able to tinker with your kart set up in between races - like a full Grand Prix season in Formula 1.

Would it really be that hard to do as a DLC add-on for MK8?

 

[Dagger Dias]

I used to be a heavyweight chooser as the cc goes up, their benefits become more and more of a hindrance.

Up into 150cc I do not find any major issues. The only track that gives me difficulty is Yoshi Circuit in the DLC cups. Switching to vehicles that help your handling is the key to still enjoying the top speed of the heavyweights. Bowser/Wario/Rosalina are going to win against Toad/Yoshi/Peach any day of the week with the right vehicle. Most of my immediate friends use the lightweights, I beat them with Rosalina constantly.

On turbo boosting, there are a few tracks on 200cc where it can still be useful but on most corners, it is a disaster for the next one.

I simply refuse to use drift boosting. Besides, due to the addition of midair boosts on most tracks, you'll never need it anyway.

I would like Nintendo to introduce a full Super Grand Prix mode, complete with 20 race 'calendar' and even a time trial qualifying and being able to tinker with your kart set up in between races - like a full Grand Prix season in Formula 1.

Would it really be that hard to do as a DLC add-on for MK8?

So a (no pun intended) Super Circuit with 20 tracks? It may be harder to implement than it seems. If they had gone with that instead of 200cc, I would have been much happier with that. If you remove the tracks paying tribute to other games, they have exactly right amount of tracks to make your idea work in a Nitro setting with the game's new Rainbow Road track completing the gauntlet after a random shuffle of the others. Or in order if that's easier to program.


1. Mario Kart Circuit
2. Water Park
3. Sweet Sweet Canyon
4. Thwomp Ruins
5. Mario Circuit
6. Toad Harbor
7. Twisted Mansion
8. Shy Guy Falls
9. Sunshine Airport
10. Dolphin Shoals
11. Electrodome
12. Mount Wario
13. Cloudtop Cruise
14. Bone-Dry Ruins
15. Bowser's Castle
16. Dragon Driftway
17. Ice Ice Outpost
18. Super Bell Subway
19. Wild Woods
20. Rainbow Road (always last)

 

[Барбоса]

Up into 150cc I do not find any major issues. The only track that gives me difficulty is Yoshi Circuit in the DLC cups. Switching to vehicles that help your handling is the key to still enjoying the top speed of the heavyweights. Bowser/Wario/Rosalina are going to win against Toad/Yoshi/Peach any day of the week with the right vehicle. Most of my immediate friends use the lightweights, I beat them with Rosalina constantly.

I simply refuse to use drift boosting. Besides, due to the addition of midair boosts on most tracks, you'll never need it anyway.

There are a couple of the more simply tracks that on 200cc, your heavyweights would be beaten easily by a turbo-drifting lightweight, although it would require the lightweight to get the drifting perfect.

The thought of using a heavyweight like Bowser on 200cc Rainbow Road makes me feel ill.

So a (no pun intended) Super Circuit with 20 tracks? It may be harder to implement than it seems.

I could imagine it being a programming pain even though it seems relatively straight forward.

It would be excellent though. A 20 race Super Cup with time trial qualifying, changing car set ups and longer races - all the best of real life motorsport in a Mario Kart setting. Plus the potential for an epic online add-on.

 

[Dagger Dias]

There are a couple of the more simply tracks that on 200cc, your heavyweights would be beaten easily by a turbo-drifting lightweight, although it would require the lightweight to get the drifting perfect.

I don't know anyone who has that little of a life that they can get the drift boosting perfectly on 200cc, I'm sure they exist but no one that I currently race against. Peach/Yoshi with perfect drift boosting could perhaps beat Rosalina/Wario I do acknowledge this. I stick to the mid air boosts though and even ignored some boosts to get through on 200cc. I may have to give it another go, but as already stated I strongly dislike racing with lightweights no natter what the game. I much prefer 150cc though.

VS Mode at 150cc with 32 tracks (the standard 32 in order) under Frantic Mode is the funnest I have had with the game followed right afterwards by the 16 DLC tracks in order with the same rules in effect.

The thought of using a heavyweight like Bowser on 200cc Rainbow Road makes me feel ill.

Make it be under Bombs Only rules and make Bowser race on a Bike on the new Rainbow Road then you truly have a nightmare.

I could imagine it being a programming pain even though it seems relatively straight forward.

It would be excellent though. A 20 race Super Cup with time trial qualifying, changing car set ups and longer races - all the best of real life motorsport in a Mario Kart setting. Plus the potential for an epic online add-on.

It does sound very fun. Whether it be your idea in its entirety or just 16 to 20 Nitro tracks with 5 laps a piece. Baby Park has more than 3 laps, so the other tracks should be able to implement this.

 

[Dagger Dias]

So there's been primarily discussion on 200cc.... I want to know what everyone's thoughts are on the new tracks. Here's my breakdown now that I have had to time to play through each one several times.


GCN Yoshi Circuit
Hate this one. Always have. The turns seem even worse in this version of it.

Excitebike Arena
This one's really fun. There's a ridiculous amount of places where you can do mid-air boosts.

Dragon Driftway
Some of the turns are tough but the awesome design more than makes up for that.

Mute City
Odd that we didn't get Captain Falcon as a racer alongside this track, it's fun though. Also really like the special music it has when the points are counted after the race.

Wii Wario's Gold Mine
I liked the original, but this one's inclusion was a bit odd. Getting a boost instead of spinning out when you hit the mine-karts is a welcome revision.

SNES Rainbow Road
Mixed feelings here. Love its inclusion, but this version's music is a step down from any of the other versions this track has had. The original wasn't a happy victory lap at the end of the Special Cup like most Rainbow Roads, this track in its original form was a true evil final boss. The music isn't as good as the one from the 3DS version, they should have just used that again.

Ice Ice Outpost
Really fun. I like the icy scenery and really think this would have done well as one of the main Nitro courses.

Hyrule Circuit
This might be my favorite track in the whole game. Love the music, love the coins being replaced by rupees, the "puzzle solution sound" getting used when the secret ramp gets unlocked, the track is perfect.

GCN Baby Park
Ugh.... Why would they bring this one back? It was stupid in Double Dash and it's still stupid now.

GBA Cheese Land
Nice to see this back although the turns are tougher in this version than I recall it being in the original.

Wild Woods
BEAUTIFUL. Goodness, I really like the scenery here. The 2nd best of the new tracks following the Zelda one.

Animal Crossing
While I didn't play the Animal Crossing games, this track is fun due to you getting one of four different ones based on the four seasons. I like the Summer one best. Different coins, much like the change to rupees in the Zelda level. You also get a nice little tune afterwards that's exclusive to this stage.

3DS New Bowser City
Neutral on this one's inclusion. I do not dislike the track, but why bring this back when there are better options?

GBA Ribbon Road
This one is much better than the original, which was good to begin with, so I'm glad it got brought back. I also find it funny that we get RIBBON Road as opposed to a 4th Rainbow Road track. Coincidence or not, that's amusing. This should have been the final track in the DLC cups, it would have been a perfect fit for that.

Super Bell Subway
Nothing really sticks out about it, but it's fun.

Big Blue
Ok, I do not dislike this track but it bugs me for two reasons. Why are there two Captain Falcon tracks but no Captain Falcon as a racer? Also, why is this the final DLC track? Ribbon Road or a 4th Rainbow Road should have been last. You get the cool music afterwards again, at least.


I would like to have seen a few other tracks come back instead of a few of the ones we got. I'd also replace a couple of the regular Retro tracks as well. I didn't like the inclusion of DS Wario Stadium or GCN Sherbet Land in the first place. I'd rather have seen the Wario Stadium from Mario Kart 64 be brought back instead of the DS one. I would also have liked to see other great tracks like DS Peach Gardens, Wii Coconut Mall, and Wii Maple Treeway get used instead of some of the odd choices for older tracks to bring back. As far as arguments against Peach Gardens or Maple Treeway being retro tracks again, other tracks have been brought back more than once and SNES Rainbow Road is not the only one that they have done this with.

All in all, after many times of playing through all the new cups I am still happy with the overall product.