Gaming There Will Be Blue Shells: Mario Kart (8 Deluxe)

Yeah I gave the tracks a spin with Link and all the Master Cycle components.

Overall, the Egg Cup impresses a lot- the DS Yoshi track, the amazingly fun Excitebike track, the very cool dragon themed track and the awesome Mute City level (loved the musical touch at the start and the regen/coin mechanic.

Triforce Cup is cool but not as impressive: Wario's Gold Mine is fine but it's still too familiar from its heavy play on MK Wii. SNES Rainbow Road is sweet (weird to have be ground visible below but it's still eerie) and still has some of the deadliest turns in the franchise. The Ice themed level is kind of a dud- though the intermixing dual tracks might be neat in some races- it just seemed a bit too straight forward despite that. Hyrule is pretty cool though- even including the one "puzzle" (and rupees instead of coins was a cool touch).

Probably my only complaint is they're using a generic trophy for both cups- only swapping out the logo and rim decals. Not a huge deal but given how cool the different trophy models were in this game (I still want a real set made!), I was kinda hoping they'd make new ones.

 

The Hyrule Master Sword ramp activates if you tag all three crystals in the preceding hallway.

 

DLC 2 is out now! I've only had time to give the new tracks a single spin but there are some really fun ones in this set. The toy room, Animal Crossing, Neo Bowser City & Big Blue being the stand-outs. Cheese Land being the weakest. And Baby Park kinda loses something by not having the Double Dash mechanic in place.

Not sure what pack the Mach-1-looking car came in but its as fast as you'd think it is, though Dry Bowser looks pretty imposing with his glowing shell and beast of a vehicle.

 

Nintendo hinting at new DLC on the way, sweet!

 

Splatoon or Mario Maker would seem the most logical, though I wouldn't rule out Fire Emblem either.

Kid Icarus would fit quite well but if it's only one DLC pack I would think they'd go with a higher profile franchise.

Star Fox or Metroid would split the difference.

 

Proper Battle maps! Returning items and new racers as well No indication of new tracks yet beyond the previous DLC ones and new Battle ones.


EDIT- More details:

-Miis might not be returning (which is curious, given they were the Amiibo functionality of the game).
-New characters are Inkling Boy/Girl, King Boo and Bowser Jr.
-Returning items include the Feather and Boo
-They've brought back the Double Dash-like two-item inventory system.
-They've added a driving assist option for younger players so that they don't drive off the edge as much.
-1080p resolution when docked, Wii U-equaling 720p when undocked.
-4-player Batle Mode (so far)
-8-player grand prix mode via local wifi with other Switches.

 

Fan mod where Waluigi races on foot. Yes, it is the greatest thing ever.

 

This Boundary Break episode covers Double Dash. One little bit of trivia I found interesting- DK Jr. actually makes an appearance in the game! He's only n the background crowd in Waluigi Stadium [and Toadsworth is in there too!], but that's still a fun little detail that you would never notice playing the game. He's also been redesigned in a DKC style as well.

Apparently, at one point, he was going to be in the game but was swapped out for Diddy.

 

So, we're about to get double the number of tracks over the next 2 years, with the first wave dropping March 18th...





48 remastered courses (and the way they treat it here, makes me wonder if Tour is being retconned as MK9), with the stand-alone pass for $24.99 or for free with the Expansion Pass subscription for NSO.

In case the image doesn't load (damn you, webp!), Wave 1 will be:
—Golden Dash Cup:
——Paris Promenade (Tour)
——Toad Circuit (3DS)
——Choco Mountain (N64)
——Coconut Mall (Wii)
—Lucky Cat Cup:
——Tokyo Blur (Tour)
——Shroom Ridge (3DS)
——Sky Garden (GBA)
——Ninja Hideaway (Tour)

Coconut Mall will probably be the one I'm looking forward to the most. But, at the same time, I'm also looking forward to the Tour tracks (and with proper MK controls) since I couldn't get it to really run right on my phone last I tried (though I upgraded recently, so maybe it'll work now). And seeing how they upgrade more GBA (and, eventually, SNES) tracks should also be a treat.

And going by the Wave release plan image, it looks like we can expect the following cups for each (minus any "Lucky"-like adjectives they might add):

Booster Course Pass Wave 2: Turnip Cup & Propeller Cup.
Booster Course Pass Wave 3: Rock Cup & Moon Cup.
Booster Course Pass Wave 4: Apple Cup & Boomerang Cup.
Booster Course Pass Wave 5: Feather Cup & Cherry Cup.
Booster Course Pass Wave 6: Acorn Cup & Blue Shell Cup (so, yes, there will be blue shells after all! ).

 

Nintendo has usually been very good with its DLC pricing. The first two DLC packs for MK8 were fairly well-priced (I think they were $7 each, or cheaper if you bought both together) and those totaled 16 courses + new characters. But they're definitely able to keep it on the cheaper side since they want to use it to entice sign-ups for the Expansion Pass, so they get more money from people in the long-run.

Anyways, I decided to spend a couple hours putting together a track tracker for what tracks are in, or now confirmed to be in, MK8D. I've bolded what tracks have not appeared in MK8D yet and bold-italicized tracks that have not returned in a 3D Retro Cup since they began them with Mario Kart DS. I'm going to edit this into the opening post and try to keep it updated as the other waves' cups are announced.

It's a lot of data to correlate, so if I missed something, let me know and I'll fix it.


Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Track Tracker

Mario Kart 1 - Super Mario Kart (SNES)
-Nitro: (18/20 Remain; 11 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Mario Circuit 1
——Donut Plains 1
——Ghost Valley 1
——Bowser Castle 1
——Mario Circuit 2
—Flower Cup:
——Choco Island 1
——Ghost Valley 2
——Donut Plains 2
——Bowser Castle 2
——Mario Circuit 3
—Star Cup:
——Koopa Beach 1
——Choco Island 2
——Vanilla Lake 1
——Bowser Castle 3
——Mario Circuit 4
—Special Cup:
——Donut Plains 3
——Koopa Beach 2
——Ghost Valley 3
——Vanilla Lake 2
——Rainbow Road

Mario Kart 2 - Mario Kart 64 (N64)
-Nitro: (11/16 Remain; 1 Never-Return)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Luigi Raceway
——Moo Moo Farm
——Koopa Troopa Beach
——Kalimari Desert
—Flower Cup:
——Toad’s Turnpike
——Frappe Snowland
——Choco Mountain
——Mario Raceway
—Star Cup:
——Wario Stadium
——Sherbet Land
——Royal Raceway
——Bowser’s Castle
—Special Cup:
——D.K.’s Jungle Parkway
——Yoshi Valley
——Banshee Boardwalk
——Rainbow Road

Mario Kart 3 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
-Nitro (Super Circuit Tracks): (17/20 Remain; 11 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Peach Circuit
——Shy Guy Beach
——Riverside Park
——Bowser Castle 1
—Flower Cup:
——Mario Circuit
——Boo Lake
——Cheese Land
——Bowser Castle 2
—Lightning Cup:
——Luigi Circuit
——Sky Garden
——Cheep-Cheep Island
——Sunset Wilds
—Star Cup:
——Snow Land
——Ribbon Road
——Yoshi Desert
——Bowser Castle 3
—Special Cup:
——Lakeside Park
——Broken Pier
——Bowser Castle 4
——Rainbow Road

-Retro (Extra Tracks):

Spoiler

—Extra Mushroom Cup:
——Mario Circuit 1 (SNES)
——Donut Plains 1 (SNES)
——Ghost Valley 1 (SNES)
——Bowser Castle 1 (SNES)
—Extra Flower Cup:
——Mario Circuit 2 (SNES)
——Choco Island 1 (SNES)
——Ghost Valley 2 (SNES)
——Donut Plains 2 (SNES)
—Extra Lightning Cup:
——Bowser Castle 2 (SNES)
——Mario Circuit 3 (SNES)
——Koopa Beach 1 (SNES)
——Choco Island 2 (SNES)
—Extra Star Cup:
——Vanilla Lake 1 (SNES)
——Bowser Castle 3 (SNES)
——Mario Circuit 4 (SNES)
——Donut Plains 3 (SNES)
—Extra Special Cup:
——Koopa Beach 2 (SNES)
——Ghost Valley 3 (SNES)
——Vanilla Lake 2 (SNES)
——Rainbow Road (SNES)

Mario Kart 4 - Mario Kart: Double Dash (GCN)
-Nitro: (13/16 Remain; 5 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Luigi Circuit
——Peach Beach
——Baby Park
——Dry Dry Desert
—Flower Cup:
——Mushroom Bridge
——Mario Circuit
——Daisy Cruiser
——Waluigi Stadium
—Star Cup:
——Sherbet Land
——Mushroom City
——Yoshi Circuit
——DK Mountain
—Special Cup:
——Wario Colloseum
——Dino Dino Jungle
——Bowser’s Castle
——Rainbow Road

Mario Kart 5 - Mario Kart DS
-Nitro: (12/16 Remain; 4 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Figure-8 Circuit
——Yoshi Falls
——Cheep Cheep Beach
——Luigi’s Mansion
—Flower Cup:
——Desert Hills
——Delfino Square
——Waluigi Pinball
——Shroom Ridge
—Star Cup:
——DK Pass
——Tick-Tock Clock
——Mario Circuit
——Airship Fortress
—Special Cup:
——Wario Stadium
——Peach Gardens
——Bowser’s Castle
——Rainbow Road

-Retro:

Spoiler

—Shell Cup:
——Mario Circuit 1 (SNES)
——Moo Moo Farm (N64)
——Peach Circuit (GBA)
——Luigi Circuit (GCN)
—Banana Cup:
——Donut Plains 1 (SNES)
——Frappe Snowland (N64)
——Bowser Castle 2 (GBA)
——Baby Park (GCN)
—Leaf Cup:
——Koopa Beach 2 (SNES)
——Choco Mountain (N64)
——Luigi Circuit (GBA)
——Mushroom Bridge (GCN)
—Lightning Cup:
——Choco Island 2 (SNES)
——Banshee Boardwalk (N64)
——Sky Garden (GBA)
——Yoshi Circuit (GCN)

Mario Kart 6 - Mario Kart Wii
-Nitro: (9/16 Remain; 9 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Luigi Circuit
——Moo Moo Meadows
——Mushroom Gorge
——Toad’s Factory
—Flower Cup:
——Mario Circuit
——Coconut Mall
——DK Summit
——Wario’s Gold Mine
—Star Cup:
——Daisy Circuit
——Koopa Cape
——Maple Treeway
——Grumble Volcano
—Special Cup:
——Dry Dry Ruins
——Moonview Highway
——Bowser’s Castle
——Rainbow Road

-Retro:

Spoiler

—Shell Cup:
——Peach Beach (GCN)
——Yoshi Falls (DS)
——Ghost Valley 2 (SNES)
——Mario Raceway (N64)
—Banana Cup:
——Sherbet Land (N64)
——Shy Guy Beach (GBA)
——Delfino Square (DS)
——Waluigi Stadium (GCN)
—Leaf Cup:
——Desert Hills (DS)
——Bowser Castle 3 (GBA)
——D.K.’S Jungle Parkway (N64)
——Mario Circuit (GCN)
—Lightning Cup:
——Mario Circuit 3 (SNES)
——Peach Gardens (DS)
——DK Mountain (GCN)
——Bowser’s Castle (N64)

Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
-Nitro: (11/16 Remain; 11 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Toad Circuit
——Daisy Hills
——Cheep Cheep Lagoon
——Shy Guy Bazaar
—Flower Cup:
——Wuhu Loop
——Mario Circuit
——Music Park
——Rock Rock Mountain
—Star Cup:
——Piranha Plant Slide
——Wario Shipyard
——Neo Bowser City
——Maka Wuhu
—Special Cup:
——DK Jungle
——Rosalina’s Ice World
——Bowser’s Castle
——Rainbow Road

-Retro:

Spoiler

—Shell Cup:
——Luigi Raceway (N64)
——Bowser Castle 1 (GBA)
——Mushroom Gorge (Wii)
——Luigi’s Mansion (DS)
—Banana Cup:
——Koopa Troopa Beach (N64)
——Mario Circuit 2 (SNES)
——Coconut Mall (Wii)
——Waluigi Pinball (DS)
—Leaf Cup:
——Kalimari Desert (N64)
——DK Pass (DS)
——Daisy Cruiser (GCN)
——Maple Treeway (Wii)
—Lightning Cup:
——Koopa Cape (Wii)
——Dino Dino Jungle (GCN)
——Airship Fortress (DS)
——Rainbow Road (SNES)

Mario Kart Tour (Mobile)
-Nitro: (9/11 Remain; 9 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

——New York Minute
——Tokyo Blur
——Paris Promenade
——London Loop
——Vancouver Velocity
——Los Angles Laps
——Merry Mountain
——Berlin Byways
——Ninja Hideaway
——Sydney Sprint
——Singapore Speedway

-Nitro Variants: Not included for the purposes of this list.
-Retro: Not included for the purposes of this list.

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
-Nitro: (0/16 Remain; 0 Never-Returns)

Spoiler

—Mushroom Cup:
——Mario Kart Stadium
——Water Park
——Sweet Sweet Canyon
——Thwomp Ruins
—Flower Cup:
——Mario Circuit
——Toad Harbor
——Twisted Mansion
——Shy Guy Falls
—Star Cup:
——Sunshine Airport
——Dolphin Shoals
——Electrodome
——Mount Wario
—Special Cup:
——Cloudtop Cruise
——Done Dry Dunes
——Bowser’s Castle
——Rainbow Road

-Retro:

Spoiler

—Shell Cup:
——Moo Moo Meadows (Wii)
——Mario Circuit (GBA)
——Cheep Cheep Beach (DS)
——Toad’s Turnpike (N64)
—Banana Cup:
——Dry Dry Desert (GCN)
——Donut Plains 3 (SNES)
——Royal Raceway (N64)
——DK Jungle (3DS)
—Leaf Cup:
——Wario Stadium (DS)
——Sherbet Land (N64)
——Music Park (3DS)
——Yoshi Valley (N64)
—Lightning Cup:
——Tick-Tock Clock (DS)
——Piranha Plant Slide (3DS)
——Grumble Volcano (Wii)
——Rainbow Road (N64)

-DLC Wave 1: The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8

Spoiler

—Egg Cup: (0/4 Remain; 0 Never-Returns)
——Yoshi Circuit (GCN)
——Excite Bike Arena
——Dragon Driftway
——Mute City
—Triforce Cup: (0/4 Remain; 0 Never-Returns)
——Wario’s Gold Mine (Wii)
——Rainbow Road (SNES)
——Ice Ice Outpost
——Hyrule Circuit

-DLC Wave 2: Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8

Spoiler

—Crossing Cup: (0/4 Remain; 0 Never-Returns)
——Baby Park (GCN)
——Cheese Land (GBA)
——Wild Woods
——Animal Crossing
—Bell Cup: (0/4 Remain; 0 Never-Returns)
——Neo Bowser City (3DS)
——Ribbon Road (GBA)
——Super Bell Subway
——Big Blue

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)
-Booster Course Pass Wave 1:

Spoiler

—Golden Dash Cup:
——Paris Promenade (MKT)
——Toad Circuit (3DS)
——Choco Mountain (N64)
——Coconut Mall (Wii)
—Lucky Cat Cup:
——Tokyo Blur (Tour)
——Shroom Ridge (DS)
——Sky Garden (GBA)
——Ninja Hideaway (MKT)

(The Following TBD)
-Booster Course Pass Waves 2-6:

Spoiler

—Turnip Cup:
—Propeller Cup:
—Rock Cup:
—Moon Cup:
—Berry Cup:
—Boomerang Cup:-
—Feather Cup:
—Cherry Cup
—Acorn Cup:
—Blue Shell Cup:

If my counts there are correct (and I think at least one of them is off by 1, but I'll figure that out later), then that leaves us with about 100 courses not in or already confirmed for MK8D. Out of 171 total tracks across the series. 61 of those 100 tracks have not returned in a 3D Retro Cup.

And we have 40 Booster Course Pass tracks left to go. So we're still going to have about 60 left over keeping this shy of being a "Mario Kart Ultimate".

I would speculate that we'll probably see at least 3 or 4 of the 5 remaining Rainbow Roads included (one per most remaining waves), as well as the 9 remaining MKT levels (with sometimes 1, sometimes 2 per wave like we see here with wave 1).

Wario Stadium being the sole remaining N64 track to have not appeared in later versions makes me think it'll get included. Likewise, Luigi's Mansion will likely make a comeback due to LM3's semi-recent release. I'm personally also hoping for Yoshi Falls from DS, as that was a very solid course.

And the number might be a stretch but I'm thinking we'll see up to 5 SNES levels reworked to represent almost one of each type of level in that game (depending on if they count current levels as being representative, or if reusing assets from the existing levels will make them easier to port).

The rest I would assume would favor the remaining (but not all of the) Wii & 3DS levels, since they would be the easiest to update, with only select tracks from the other games.

 

Alright, between the first wave being out and data miners, we have the names for all the cups plus a banner showing some future tracks:

• Turnip Cup
• Propeller Cup
• Rock Cup
• Moon Cup
• Fruit Cup
• Boomerang Cup
• Feather Cup
• Cherry Cup
• Acorn Cup
• Spiny Cup

– Sydney Sprint (Tour)
– LA Laps (Tour)
– New York Minute (Tour)
– Koopa Cape (Wii)
– Maple Treeway (Wii)
– Mario Circuit (SNES)
– Vanilla Lake (SNES)
– Rainbow Road (3DS)

Dataminers have also extracted prefix codes that seemingly indicate the systems that all of the other tracks are from (though these could just be placeholders or garbage data).