Massive Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC Wave 5 Shocks Fans with Trio of New Characters!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to expand its already extensive roster with the addition of three new characters. These new additions are part of the Booster Course Pass DLC, which was recently announced.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the latest and best-selling installment in the beloved Mario Kart franchise, is an enhanced version of the original game released on the Wii U. It includes all of the DLC content from the original game, as well as additional characters. Despite the game's widespread critical acclaim since its initial release in 2014, it faced criticism for having a roster that some felt was filled with unnecessary characters, such as the Babies and Koopalings. This issue was further exacerbated by the original DLC, which resulted in Mario and Peach having four different versions each. However, the Deluxe port has made efforts to address this concern by reintroducing beloved characters from previous games.

Wave 5 of the DLC is currently in development, as revealed in the latest Nintendo Direct. While no additional tracks were unveiled, a new track called Squeaky Clean Sprint was introduced. This unique track is set inside a lavatory designed for a colossal character. However, the most significant aspect showcased by Nintendo was the inclusion of three veteran characters from various Mario Kart games. This is a notable improvement from Wave 4, which only added one character. The three veteran characters joining the roster are Petey Piranha, who first appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and made a recent comeback in Mario Kart Tour, Wiggler, who was previously playable in Mario Kart 7, and Kamek, a character originally planned for Mario Kart 64 but finally making their appearance in Tour.

Although the release date for this wave has not been announced, it is confirmed to be expected during the summer of this year, potentially between June and September. Considering the past release patterns, it is reasonable to anticipate a reveal of the complete track selection in the near future, similar to what happened with Wave 4. As seen in previous waves, it is also likely that some tracks from the mobile game Mario Kart Tour will be carried over to this DLC.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can only be played on the Nintendo Switch console.