The sixth and final wave of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass was released on the Nintendo Switch on Nov. 9. This wave added eight new races to the game, as well as four new racers, 17 racing suits that can be used with Miis and a jukebox feature where players can select any music from the game to play. Here are all eight races reviewed.
Rome Avanti (Tour): 3.25 out of 5 stars
The first race of the new wave is Rome Avanti, hailing from Mario Kart Tour, the mobile Mario Kart game. For all 12 cups introduced in the booster course pass, the first track is based on a real-life city and from Mario Kart Tour. Unfortunately, almost all of these races suffer from the fact that they feel very similar and lack the fun, goofy aesthetic that Mario Kart popularized. Rome Avanti does not escape this fault, but it is one of the better city tracks as its nighttime setting and use of iconic structures like the Colosseum help make the race feel memorable.
DK Mountain (GCN): 3.5 out of 5 stars
DK Mountain is the second Donkey Kong-themed race added in the booster course pass, following DK Summit (Wii), which was added in the fourth wave. While DK Mountain is a fun race that capitalizes on its mountain theme with a fun cannon, boulder obstacles and a twisty bridge at the end, it is the inferior Donkey Kong Race to DK Summit. DK Mountain suffers from strangely oversimplified graphics that look worse than the rest of the races.
Daisy Circuit (Wii): 3.75 out of 5 stars
Hailing from Mario Kart Wii, Daisy Circuit is the perfect example of a simple race that works because it pairs clever track design with strong visuals. Although the course is relatively simplistic, the addition of hidden shortcuts and some sharp turns make this race a good balance between being fun and challenging. Furthermore, the statue of Mario and Daisy at the center of the track is sure to stun viewers and perhaps make Peach jealous.
Piranha Plant Cove: 3 out of 5 stars
The last race in the acorn cup is Piranha Plant Cove, an original race just for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. Unfortunately, Piranha Plant Cove is one of the weakest courses in the wave because it is a little too confusing, as the blue and green color scheme makes it hard at points for racers to discern which parts of the track are on and off road. What saves the race from being terrible, however, is the fun underwater physics that makes the track feel different than its land counterparts.
Madrid Drive (Tour): 2.5 out of 5 stars
The worst race in the booster course pass and first race of the spiny cup is Madrid Drive. Like Rome Avanti, Madrid Drive is a city-based course and suffers because it feels remarkably similar to races like London Loop and Berlin Byways. Furthermore, the Tour races have an interesting mechanic where each lap is different, which ultimately becomes frustrating because it is difficult to get comfortable with the map. The only saving grace of Madrid Drive is that the race ends with a portion of the track that goes through a football pitch, which is pretty cool.
Rosalina’s Ice World (3DS): 4 out of 5 stars
Rosalina’s Ice World is an excellent addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe because it perfectly captures the icy feeling of Rosalina. The highlights of the track are trying to navigate narrow and slippery turns that may frustrate even the most experienced racers, yet are still incredibly fun as you try to knock your friends off of the track. Rosalina’s Ice World would probably be even higher rated, but it is very similar to Sherbet Land, a track from the original Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Bowser’s Castle 3 (SNES): 4.5 out of 5 stars
The penultimate track of the booster course pass is one of the best races in the whole booster course pass. Bowser’s Castle 3 takes racers around Bowser’s Castle as they terrifyingly navigate lava, thwomps and castle gates. Although the layout of the track is essentially just a circle, the obstacles and tension created by the lava makes this track the perfect combination of intense and fun.
Rainbow Road (Wii): 5 out of 5 stars
For many who grew up playing Mario Kart Wii, Rainbow Road was the definitive track of Mario Kart as its colorful aesthetic and lack of guard rails made it one of the most entertaining races. The updated version lives up to the original, making the smart choice to change very little, for why fix something that’s not broken? Rainbow Road is certainly the best course in this wave of the booster course pass and perhaps one of the best in the whole game.