Quick Links
Everything Available from the StartHow To Unlock Mii Costumes
How to Unlock Vehicle Parts
How to Unlock the Gold Vehicle Parts
How To Unlock Alternate Title Screens
How to Unlock Gold Mario
Mirror Mode And 200cc - Is It Included?
Booster Course Pass
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe stands out as the top-selling installment in the esteemed Mario Kart series, proving its exceptional performance on the Nintendo Switch. It is worth noting that despite being a re-release/port of the Wii U game, it has achieved this remarkable accomplishment.
Similar to its predecessors, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers numerous unlockables that possess varying requirements, with some being less apparent than others. To provide clarity, here is a comprehensive guide detailing every unlockable in the game and the steps to obtain them.
Updated July 26th, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe presents an incredibly tempting package, encompassing all DLC content from the original Wii U version while refining various aspects. One notable improvement is the enhanced Battle Mode included in this repackage. Unlockable items have been simplified, granting immediate access to nearly everything in the Switch version. Nevertheless, there are a few enticing new additions that players can strive to unlock in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, such as previously unmentioned alternate title screens. The Booster Course Pass, available exclusively online, brings in a plethora of additional characters, karts, and other exciting features. Therefore, it is high time to update this article, providing a comprehensive overview of all the unlockables in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Everything Available from the Start
In an effort to cater to players who had previously purchased and experienced the game, Nintendo decided to incorporate a vast majority of Mario Kart 8's content right from the beginning. This encompassed a wide array of playable characters and all the exhilarating racetracks, which even included the ones that were originally offered as downloadable content when the game was available on the underperforming Wii U console.
Characters Available From The Start
The following roster of characters are available to players the moment they begin their karting escapades:
Weight Classes | Every Character In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe |
Very Light | Baby Daisy, Baby Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby Rosalina, Lemmy, Dry Bones, Mii. |
Light | Koopa Troopa, Lakitu, Larry Koopa, Shy Guy, Toad, Toadette, Wendy, Isabelle, Bowser Jr, Mii. |
Medium | Princess Daisy, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, Villager, Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, Mii. |
Medium Heavy | Mario, Luigi, Ludwig, Iggy, Mii. |
Heavy | Donkey Kong, Metal Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Rosalina, Roy Koopa, Waluigi, Link, King Boo, Mii. |
Very Heavy | Bowser, Wario, Morton, Dry Bowser, Mii. |
Racetracks Available From The Start
Mushroom Cup | Flower Cup | Star Cup | Special Cup | Egg Cup | Crossing Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mario Kart Stadium | Mario Circuit | Sunshine Airport | Cloudtop Cruise | Yoshi Circuit | Baby Park |
Water Park | Toad Harbor | Dolphin Shoals | Bone-Dry Dunes | Excitebike Arena | Cheese Land |
Sweet Sweet Canyon | Twisted Mansion | Electrodrome | Bowser's Castle | Dragon Driftway | Wild Woods |
Thwomp Ruins | Shy Guy Falls | Mount Wario | Rainbow Road | Mute City | Animal Crossing |
Shell Cup | Banana Cup | Leaf Cup | Lightning Cup | Triforce Cup | Bell Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moo Moo Meadows | Dry Dry Desert | Wario Stadium | Tick-Tock Clock | Wario's Gold Mine | Neo Bowser City |
Mario Circuit | Donut Plains 3 | Sherbet Land | Piranha Plant Slide | Rainbow Road | Ribbon Road |
Cheep Cheep Beach | Royal Raceway | Music Park | Grumble Volcano | Ice Ice Outpost | Super Bell Subway |
Toad's Turnpike | DK Jungle | Yoshi Valley | Rainbow Road | Hyrule Circuit | Big Blue |
How To Unlock Mii Costumes
Don't forget to update the game to the latest version to get a fresh costume for Link. He will be dressed in his Champion's Tunic from the popular and groundbreaking Nintendo game, Breath of the Wild. Additionally, the revamped Battle Mode and the 200cc engine class will be accessible right from the beginning.
From the onset, players can choose the Miis, which are personalized avatars that debuted with the Nintendo Wii, however, they will initially be limited to their typical racing outfits. To acquire the array of Mii costumes, players must possess the corresponding amiibo figure.
There are a total of 20 Mii costumes available, each one representing a different Nintendo character or a guest star. To acquire these costumes, players can use the corresponding amiibo by selecting the amiibo symbol on the main menu and tapping their figure on the NFC touchpoint on the controller.
Below is a list of the 20 themed costumes and the required amiibo to unlock them:
Themed Costume | Needed Amiibo to Unlock |
---|---|
Mario | Mario (Classic Colors) or Mario (Modern Colors) amiibo from the Mario 30th Anniversary Collection |
Mario or Dr. Mario Amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. Collection | |
Super Mario Mario amiibo | |
Super Mario Odyssey Wedding Mario amiibo | |
Luigi | Super Smash Bros. Luigi amiibo |
Super Mario Luigi amiibo | |
Peach | Super Smash Bros. Peach amiibo |
Super Mario Peach amiibo | |
Super Mario Odyssey Wedding Peach amiibo | |
Yoshi | Super Smash Bros. Yoshi amiibo |
Super Mario Yoshi amiibo | |
Green Yarn Yoshi, Pink Yarn Yoshi, Light-Blue Yarn Yoshi, or Mega Yarn Yoshi from the Yoshi’s Woolly World Collection | |
Donkey Kong | Super Smash Bros. Donkey Kong amiibo |
Super Mario Donkey Kong amiibo | |
Turbo Charge Donkey Kong or Turbo Charge Donkey Kong Dark amiibo from Skylanders Superchargers | |
Link | Link (Archer) |
Link (Link’s Awakening) | |
Link (Majora’s Mask) | |
Link (Ocarina of Time) | |
Link (Rider) | |
Link (Skyward Sword) | |
Link (The Legend of Zelda) | |
Link (Twilight Princess) | |
Toon Link (The Wind Waker) amii bo from the The Legend of Zelda Collection | |
Link, Toon Link, or Young Link amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. Collection | |
Captain Falcon | Super Smash Bros. Captain Falcon amiibo |
Kirby | Super Smash Bros. Kirby amiibo |
Kirby Collection Kirby amiibo | |
Samus | Samus or Zero Suit Samus amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. Collection |
Metroid Samus amiibo | |
Fox | Super Smash Bros. Fox amiibo |
Toad | Super Mario Toad amiibo |
Bowser | Super Smash Bros. Bowser amiibo |
Super Mario Odyssey Wedding Bowser amiibo | |
Super Mario Bowser amiibo | |
Skylanders SuperChargers Hammer Slammer Bowser amiibo | |
Wario | Super Smash Bros. Wario amiibo |
Super Mario Wario amiibo | |
Rosalina | Super Smash Bros. Rosalina & Luma amiibo |
Super Mario Rosalina amiibo | |
Pikmin | Super Smash Bros. Olimar amiibo |
Pikmin amiibo from the Pikmin Collection | |
Animal Crossing | any Animal Crossing amiibo |
any Animal Crossing amiibo card from series 1 – 4 | |
any Animal Crossing: New Leaf amiibo card | |
any Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Sanrio Collaboration Pack amiibo card | |
Super Smash Bros. Villager amiibo | |
Mega Man | the Super Smash Bros. Mega Man amiibo |
Pac-Man | the Super Smash Bros. Pac-Man amiibo |
Sonic the Hedgehog | the Super Smash Bros. Sonic amiibo |
Splatoon | Callie, Marie, Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, Inkling Squid, Octoling Girl, Octoling Boy, or Octoling Octopus amiibo from the Splatoon Collection |
Super Smash Bros. Inkling amiibo |
How to Unlock Vehicle Parts
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers players the freedom to personalize their vehicles, whether it's a kart, bike, or ATV, by choosing from a variety of options for the body, wheels, and glider. Based on the selected parts, the vehicle's statistics will be altered, providing players with the choice of a well-rounded option or one that excels in specific areas such as speed or handling.
Most of these parts can only be obtained by collecting coins during races. These coins can be found scattered throughout the racetracks or inside item boxes, allowing players to naturally collect them. The coins not only serve to increase a racer's top speed but also contribute towards unlocking different parts.
However, there is no in-game shop where players can directly spend the collected coins. Instead, the coins are tallied up to a total, and at certain milestones, players are rewarded with randomly selected parts. Initially, parts will unlock for every 30 coins collected. As the coin count reaches 450, parts will unlock for every 50 coins, and once the total reaches 1500 coins, parts will only unlock for every 100 coins collected.
All Karts (23)
In order to unlock (almost) every part, a total of 3,100 coins is required. It is important to note that any vehicle parts that were originally offered as downloadable content (DLC) for the original Mario Kart 8 game are now included in the base game and will be naturally unlocked. Surprisingly, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe does not offer any paid DLC options, which can be seen as a wasted opportunity.
Standard Kart, Pipe Frame, Mach 8, Steel Driver, Cat Cruiser, Circuit Special, Tri-Speeder, Badwagon, Prancer, Biddybuggy, Landship, SneekeSneakerts Coupe, Gold Standard, GLA, W 25 Silver Arrow, 300 SL Roadster, Blue Falcon, Tanooki Kart, B Dasher, Streetle, P-Wing, Koopa Clown,
All Bikes (17)
All Tires (21)
Vehicles:1. Standard Bike
2. The Duke
3. Flame Rider
4. Varmint
5. Mr. Scooty
6. Master Cycle Zero
7. City Tripper
8. Comet
9. Sport Bike
10. Jet Bike
11. Yoshi Bike
12. Master Cycle
13. Standard ATV
14. Wild Wiggler
15. Teddy Buggy
16. Bone Rattler
17. Splat Buggy (new)
18. Inkstriker (new)
Standard, Monster, Roller, Slim, Slick, Metal, Button, Off-Road, Sponge, Wood, Cushion, Blue Standard, Hot Monster, Azure Roller, Crimson Slim, Cyber Slick, Retro Off-Road, Gold Tires, GLA Tires, Triforce Tires, Ancient Tires, Leaf Tires,
All Gliders (14)
Super Glider, Cloud Glider, Wario Wing, Waddle Wing, Peach Parasol, Parachute, Parafoil, Flower Glider, Bowser Kite, Plane Glider, MKTV Parafoil, Gold Glider, Hylian Kite, Paraglider (new), Paper Glider, and
How to Unlock the Gold Vehicle Parts
.Unlocking three special Gold vehicle parts can be quite challenging. Among them, the Gold Glider is comparatively easier to obtain, as it only requires collecting more coins. However, it will take a considerable amount of time to reach the required total of 5,000 coins.
On the other hand, the remaining two parts are significantly more difficult to unlock. The Gold Standard body can be obtained by achieving a one-star ranking (minimum 54 points) on all 12 Grand Prix Cups in Mirror Mode. In Mirror Mode, the racetracks are flipped vertically, and the AI opponents are tougher, making this task even more time-consuming.
As for the Gold Wheels, players must conquer all 48 staff ghosts in 150cc Time Trials. While competitors don't have to fret about interference from other racers, those determined to obtain every vehicle part must excel at drifting, familiarize themselves with the racetracks extensively, identify the optimal shortcuts, and strategically utilize the limited Mushrooms granted at the beginning, which grant a brief burst of speed.
How To Unlock Alternate Title Screens
One neat little easter egg is the ability to unlock a handful of somewhat unique title screens when performing certain tasks.
Players can unlock the characters Bowser, Link, Luigi, Rosalina, Peach/Yoshi, Villager (male)/Isabelle, Baby Rosalina/Baby Mario/Baby Luigi, Koopalings, and Mario/Bowser by earning Gold Trophies in both the Mirror Cup and 200cc races. Once unlocked, these characters will appear on the title screen.
How to Unlock Gold Mario
Excluding the Booster Course Pass, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers only one unlockable character. This new addition, absent from the original Mario Kart 8, is essentially a variation of Metal Mario known as Gold Mario. Apart from its distinct color, Gold Mario shares the same statistics as Metal Mario.
Players must achieve victory in every Grand Prix Cup at 200cc, the highest engine class, in order to unlock him. Racing at 200cc can be quite challenging as it is easy to lose control. Therefore, ample practice is required. The good news is that there is no need to attain a star ranking; all that matters is securing the first place overall without worrying about reaching a minimum point threshold.
Mirror Mode And 200cc - Is It Included?
Previously, players had to achieve a Gold in every engine class within the Grand Prix Cup to unlock Mirror Mode. This mode offers a unique twist by flipping each stage and introducing additional challenges. However, with the release of patch 4.1 in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, both Mirror Mode and the fast-paced 200CC mode are automatically accessible from the start of the game.
Booster Course Pass
The Booster Course Pass, which is a DLC content that was added recently, is available for purchase at a price of $25. This pack consists of six waves of courses that will be released gradually starting from March 2022 until the end of 2023. Alternatively, members of the Switch Online Expansion Pack can access this content without any additional cost. The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass provides both new and previously released courses, along with the inclusion of returning Mario Kart characters to participate in the races.
The following courses have been released as part of the current Booster Pass:
Golden Dash Cup | Lucky Cat Cup | Turnip Cup | Propeller Cup | Rock Cup | Moon Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paris Promenade | Tokyo Blur | New York Minute | Sydney Sprint | London Loop | Berlin Byways |
Toad Circuit | Shroom Ridge | Mario Circuit 3 | Snow Land | Boo Lake | Peach Gardens |
Choco Mountain | Sky Garden | Kalimari Desert | Mushroom Gorge | Rock Rock Mountain | Merry Mountain |
Coconut Mall | Ninja Hideaway | Waluigi Pinball | Sky-High Sundae | Maple Treeway | Rainbow Road |
Fruit Cup | Boomerang Cup | Feather Cup | Cherry Cup | Acorn Cup | Spiny Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amsterdam Drift | Bangkok Rush | Athens Dash | Los Angeles Laps | ? | ? |
Riverside Park | Mario Circuit | Daisy Cruiser | Sunset Wilds | ? | ? |
DK Summit | Waluigi Stadium | Moonwiew Highway | Koopa Cape | ? | ? |
Yoshi's Island | Singapore Speedway | Squeaky Clean Sprint | Vancouver Velocity | ? | ? |
"?" coming later in 2023
Booster Pass Battle Courses
Battle Stadium, Sweet Sweet Kingdom, Dragon Palace, Lunar Colony, Wuhu Town, Luigi's Mansion, Battle Course 1, Urchin Underpass
Booster Pass Characters
The following characters were added through the Booster Course Pass: Birdo (Wave 4), Petey Piranha (Wave 5), Wiggler (Wave 5), Kamek (Wave 5)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available on Nintendo Switch.