Nintendo made a lot of announcements at the February 2022 Nintendo Direct, but the reveal of a huge paid expansion toMario Kart 8 Deluxewas one of the highlights. Over the next several months, players will be treated to 48 additional courses which have been lifted from previousMario Kartgames and remastered. It definitely hit the nostalgia mark for a lot of players.
At first glance, theMario Kart 8 Deluxeexpansion also appears to be a great value. The expansion will cost about $25, but 48 new courses - remastered or not - sounds more than reasonable for that price. The DLC, officially dubbed the “Booster Course Pass,” will release its first batch of courses on March 18. Not everything is coming out all at once though, and there is more than one way to get the expansion.
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How to Buy the Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pass
Nintendo is easing players into the abundance of new courses by releasing just eight at a time, over a course of six waves. It’s a smart move because 48 courses all at once might feel overwhelming, and this way players have a lot to look forward to after their initial download. Nintendo didn’t reveal how much time will pass between waves, but all six waves should be released by the end of 2023. Pre-orders are already available as of this writing.
When players buy the initial expansion pass for $25, they will automatically receive new courses as soon as they become available. Theannouncement in today’s Nintendo Directindicated that the Booster Course Pass is all-inclusive; there are no complicated tiers or individual course purchases. It’s a one-time transaction that literally doubles the number of courses in the game.
Where the Booster Course Pass Tracks Come From
Mario Kart 8’sBooster Course Pass is going all-out on nostalgia. The eight courses included in the expansion’s first wave are all remastered from previousMario Kartgames. It’s not entirely clear if all 48 courses will be remastered versions ofretroMario Kartgames, but it seems very likely. Newcomers to the series have a ton to look forward to, and veteran players have a lot of childhood memories to relive.
The eight courses in Wave 1 are divided into two new Cups, and come from a variety of old games. Some highlights include Coconut Mall, a fan-favorite fromMario Kart Wii,Choco Mountain fromMario Kart 64,and Tokyo Blur fromMario Kart Tour. The expansion pass, when completed, will include courses from a myriad of games includingSuper Mario Kart, Mario Kart Super Circuit,andMario Kart 7.
Wave 1 will include:
The arrival of theMario Kart 8Booster Course Pass isn’t great news for fans hoping to seeMario Kart 9announced at the Nintendo Direct, but the good news is that these 48 new courses will double the size of the existing game - which is the next best thing. Rumors continue to circulate aboutMario Kart 9being in development, but for now fans can look forward to revisiting a lot of amazing courses.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis available now on Nintendo Switch, and the Booster Course Pass launches on May 28, 2025.
