Unleashing the Ultimate Power-Ups: Discover the Top Contenders for Mario Kart 8's Wave 6 Racing Lineup!

Highlights

The Booster Course Pass in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has players buzzing with excitement as they eagerly await the highly anticipated final update. One burning question on everyone's mind is which two characters will be joining the roster in Wave 6. To add to the anticipation, the character selection screen teasingly displays placeholder question marks, giving players a glimpse of the upcoming additions.

Various characters from the Donkey Kong series, including Funky Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., have made appearances in previous installments of Mario Kart games. It is possible that they might be included in the upcoming Wave 6 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Additionally, Wave 6 has the potential to introduce characters who have previously only appeared once in the Mario Kart series, such as Paratroopa and the Honey Queen, or even bring in characters exclusive to Mario Kart Tour. Another potential DLC character could be R.O.B. from Mario Kart DS.

In anticipation of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's final update, players are speculating about the two characters that will likely be added as part of Wave 6 in Nintendo's Booster Course Pass. Previous waves focused on bringing back older tracks, but Wave 4 saw Birdo joining as a playable character. Wave 5 introduced three new racers, and the character selection screen for the last wave teased two more characters with placeholder question marks.

However, there are still several characters from previous Mario Kart games that haven't been added to the latest installment. This leaves players uncertain about which specific characters will make the final cut. The general agreement is that Diddy Kong, who has appeared multiple times in the Mario Kart series, will likely be one of the last DLC characters. However, the large pool of potential candidates has others feeling unsure. For instance, when characters like Kamek were only featured in Mario Kart Tour after being removed from Mario Kart 64, it suggests that Wave 6 might surprise everyone's expectations.

Donkey Kong Racers Could Come From Several Mario Kart Games

Mario Kart has always had a connection with the Donkey Kong Country series, with many characters from the series being playable drivers. While Donkey and Diddy Kong have appeared multiple times, other members of the Kong family have also joined the racing fun. Funky Kong was introduced as a playable character in Mario Kart Wii and recently returned in Mario Kart Tour. Although he may not be as memorable as Diddy Kong, Funky Kong's expertise as a mechanic makes it likely that he will be added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Wave 6.

However, Funky Kong is not the only Kong to have appeared in Mario Kart. Donkey Kong Jr. made his debut as a playable character in the original Super Mario Kart. Similar to Funky, Donkey Kong Jr. also returned in Mario Kart Tour, making it possible for him to be added as DLC. Since Mario Kart already features characters racing against their baby counterparts, there would be no concern about Donkey Kong Jr.'s inclusion. If his classic appearance from Mario Kart Tour is retained, he would be a suitable choice for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a tribute to the series' first game.

New Racers Might Have Appeared Only Once Before

However, the DLC has thus far introduced characters that have previously appeared in both Mario Kart Tour and at least one other game in the series. However, there are other potential candidates who should not be dismissed for Wave 6. Take for instance, in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Koopa Troopa was added as a potential recurring character, but in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, they were not introduced alone. As a variation of Koopa Troopa, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could potentially see the return of Paratroopa to the series after being absent for twenty years.

Unlike Wave 5, which exclusively added Super Mario enemies such as Petey Piranha, Wiggler, and Kamek, Wave 6 could balance things out with a less antagonistic character. Therefore, the Honey Queen, who recently appeared in Mario Kart 7 but was overlooked in Mario Kart Tour, could be an ideal character to join through DLC. Not only would she offer a new "good guy" heavy character to the roster, but her inclusion in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could also bring more tracks inspired by Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2.

New Racers Could Be Exclusive To Mario Kart Tour

Similar to Donkey Kong Jr., Nintendo might consider bringing back another classic character from Mario Kart's DS history as a DLC character. Although R.O.B. has already been an important part of Super Smash Bros., this toy-turned-character also made an appearance in Mario Kart DS. What makes R.O.B. unique is not only their age, which is as old as Paratroopa, but also their recent inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This recent appearance in the popular game could make R.O.B. a distinctive choice for returning to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as they are still fresh in players' minds and visually different from the other characters.

However, while it is possible that these additional DLC characters for Mario Kart may originate from the mainline games, there is also a chance that characters previously exclusive to Mario Kart Tour will now make their debut in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo has a pool of at least ten characters who have only appeared in Mario Kart Tour, and they could surprise players by selecting an unexpected character from the mobile game. Some characters, like Peachette and Captain Toad who have striking resemblances, or the Hammer Bros and Chargin' Chuck as additional Super Mario enemies, are less likely options. However, there are several other characters with higher chances of being chosen.

Dixie Kong, like the rest of the Kong family, is quite popular among players and is potentially more well-known than Funky. However, Nintendo might be compelled to include both Dixie Kong and Diddy Kong in Mario Kart if she were to make a comeback due to their association. Alternatively, other familiar Super Mario characters like Pauline from Super Mario Odyssey, King Bob-omb, Monty Mole, or Nabbit, who all made appearances in Mario Kart Tour, could replace Dixie Kong. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can currently be enjoyed on the Nintendo Switch.