150cc has always been the sternest test in the Mario Kart series. Right from the launch of Super Mario Kart, this expert racing class represented the very best the franchise could offer: incredible speed and tough, skilled rivals.
However, during today's Nintendo Direct a bombshell was dropped - 150cc is no longer the best of the best. Let that sink in for a moment.
On April 23rd, Mario Kart 8 will receive a DLC update which blesses it with a 200cc mode. Needless to say, this higher rank will be even faster and harder than its forerunner, and will test your drifting skills to the very limit. Amazingly, Nintendo is offering this new mode entirely free of charge.
Comments 56
I'm not gonna lie, this scares the life outta me! Not sure I'll be able to handle it...
Still not as fast as "F-Zero" fast... but I welcome the extension of the whole "Mario Kart 8" package.
Nice to see MK8 getting free updates nearly a year into it's lifespan. 200cc mode looks like something that will be fun to play with, especially as I know all of the courses off my head right now.
Wow, this looks fast! And I thought 150cc was tough!
Yes! This is exactly what recent Mario Kart titles have been missing and was the biggest issue I had with MK8, the lack of speed. This looks like it might help bring that back a little.
@A01 Agreed.
It's really too bad Nintendo throttles Youtube, as this + the DLC coming out that day really could revitalize MK8 in that space if people felt they could post freely about it. I imagine it really could have gotten people talking again and boosted sales if popular Youtubers had revisited the title to explore the new content.
And adding in 200cc IS a lot of new content. Even though I imagine it was fairly easy to program and implement, it's 33% more game, as each cup now has to be beaten on that difficulty setting as well if you want to 100% the game.
Gotta go fast! There it just had to be said
At first I thought it was specific battle stages... (I'm personally ok overall with the current battle mode, but it would've been nice)it looks like it will be pretty interesting and fun doing 200cc though.
The Mute City stage will be a blast in 200cc mode, that's the first thing I'm gonna try when this releases.
Yessss. I love it!
As if Mario Kart wasn't chaotic enough already. This is going to be insane!
This is great. I love 1p mode, so anything to extend that makes me happy.
I hope this mode is available online.
Because 150CC was always a walk in the park...
200cc Mode is finally a good thing out of all the post-release additions, but a good idea won't save a flawed concept.
Best part of the ND for me. They moved up the May tracks I paid for last Nov into April. And 200cc is nice but I can barely do 150cc as I only play steering w/ the Gamepad. And the new costumes, from the amiibo maybe, can't recall, a very full 48 minutes.
Now they should release a new disc version - "MK8 Complete" - and junk the old discs. I know Nitneod's never done that before, but they've never had paid DLC before either.
Awesome news but doesnt Mario Kart 64 randomly go superfast playing on multiplayer.
That really looked fast! Hopefully I can handle it.
I've been saving the second batch of dlc for a serious Mario kart revisit anyway so this is great for me. More to do =)
Man I love Mario Kart! Nintendo's dlc/support has been pretty great for this title. Now if I can just find a captain falcon amiibo so I can use the captain falcon Mii to drive the blue falcon cart on the mute city track I can live out my HD f-zero fantasies.
I LOVE THIS!!! MK8 was so easy, but this mode and all the DLC will make the replay value MUCH worth it.
I can barely handle 150cc. =P
I'm sure it'll be insanely fun in multiplayer though.
@JaxonH oh boy. I didn't even think of that. Nintendo delivers the fan service yet again.
Definitely a cool edition! Although it could be frustratingly difficult. I wonder if the 200cc mode will be available for online races...
The best part for me though was learning the DLC is coming out April 23rd instead of the planned May release! This is great! My only real complaint was that they ONLY showed us the Animal Crossing course. But it's not a huge deal, as we'll be racing on all 8 in roughly 3 weeks anyway. I'm suspect they'll be rapidly releasing trailers for the new courses over the next few weeks as well.
Also, I wonder how the DLC will work online now? Are they going to split up the communities even more? Because there's probably a few people that only bought pack 1 or only bought pack 2... Maybe now you will have to own both packs in order to race any of the DLC tracks online? Hmmm...
@TheLobster Uh...the whole nintendo partnership program or whatever is a huge misunderstanding, if that's what you're referring to. One of the youtubers against it (I think it was ZackScottGaming or something?) started posting Nintendo videos again a few months ago, after not having posted anything in weeks.
There are a few more examples but yeah that's the most public one...
Given how hard 150CC is, I was pretty much terrified when I realized what was happening and thought to myself, "Oh, God no! No more pain!".
Man Iwata faked me out big time with this announcement. I was absolutely confident as they were going through the old clips of Mario Kart that they were going to say "battle mode" and we were going to get a real battle mode announcement.
Love it! Fingers crossed they add a quick select option for 200cc online rather than custom games. And the fact that its free, Nintendo aced MK8 (well aside from battle mode..) along with its dlc.
As soon as I saw this, I was blown away both by the speed AND by how the game could maintain a solid frame rate. Looks cool!
YES. I WANT FASTER KART SPEEDS! FASTER! FASSSSSSTEEEEEEERRRRR!
Seriously, though. This is great. This automatically increases the replay value of MK8. This is awesome!!!!
This is gonna be fun.
HOLY. I watched it again and just realized how fast it truly is.
This was my favorite part of the direct.
My body isn't ready... o_o
The speed in this mode looks to be insane! Seeing as I often find 150cc to be a bit on the easy side I am going to enjoy pushing my Mario Kart skills to the limit in this mode!
no 200cc mirror? I am dissapoint...
how about scrap 200cc and make it 200cc mirror? hmmm?
I have yet to master 100cc. Can't remotely imagine being anywhere other than last place in 200cc.
How not to end a direct. Talk about ending the show with a fizzle....
Most amazing news I couldn't have imagined.
Bring it on!!! I won 150cc already!
@A01
Hmm, I don't recall that being mentioned in the direct.. I'll have to go back and watch it again.
As for the DLC online, what I mean is, are we going to be able to select both packs plus the base 32 for online play? Naturally all I want is to be able to race all 48 tracks online. I'm very happy right now with being able to race the base 32 and the current 8 DLC online. I don't want this to be ruined now..
Also, are the people who only have pack 1 or only have pack 2 split off from those of us who have both packs? That's what is confusing to me.. If that happened you would have the online community split up in 4 different segments:
1. Those who have both DLC packs(which admittedly will probably make up the majority of the online community anyway).
2. Those who only have the Zelda pack.
3. Those who only have the Animal Crossing pack.
4. And those poor souls who don't have either DLC pack...
That's a lot of splitting up there. Worries me a bit.
DL content done right
Man some of you are ungrateful. It's free, what do you want?
I can't express how excited I am for this new mode. I love you Nintendo
This is gonna be awesome. I'm going to play it a lot now.
This is an awesome surprise!
@Shiryu Now I can picture an F-Zero 2000 cc mode...
YESSSSSSSS
This was actually the best news on the direct! Very, very excited about this, MK8 is by far the game I play most on my WiiU, and with the DLC and this news, that trend will continue. One big fat hooray for hearing this awesome news, on my birthday!
I've not finished 150cc yet and there's mirror mode. 200cc - this is brilliant news! Plus more Amiibo support and the new DLC. Soooo happy right now 😃
I wonder if Nintendo are holding out on some unlockables in that free upgrade? U know, for getting gold and unlock some new kart parts or characters maybe? You'd have thought they'd have announced it but gotta leave some surprises right?
#wishfulthinking
I love Nintendo
Posted on Nintendo's site it mentions the following amiibo will be supported with suits in Mario Kart 8 with an update on 4/23:
Toad
Bowser
Wario
Rosalina
Villager
Olimar
Sonic
Mega Man
PAC-MAN
150cc is no big deal nowadays. 200cc, although, an awesome addition, will make the already short courses feel like a 1 lap race. With 200cc, Nintendo could also give the player the option to add more laps to the library of courses, or just automatically give them a set amount of laps in this new difficulty.
Awesome Nintendo, I love ya. But if we could get some REAL battle mode courses...
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