Mario Kart 8 DLC Coming In November, Features Zelda, F-Zero And Animal Crossing

Well now I'm sad.

So very sad.

Beginning of the end.

Getting it. GETTING IT!!

Im happy!

WHAT

Deff getting it.

Pretty awesome!...but now we got 3 Mario's and 3 peachs...next we get Dr.Mario....

Smash Kart?

They hype is real!!!!!

Holy... What in the.... Shock. Utter shock.

New courses?! Oh hell yeah!

This way it's going to be Nintendo Kart in the future...

But, why mario and peach clones?

I'm usually against DLC.

But if they offer good prices, it can be a way to lengthen the game's life, specially with those extra cups. I hope you can play them online too.

Now, this is some real DLC!

I WANT FOR NA!!!!! I was hopin we get link!

@IxC Care to explain why, or are you just whining for the sake of whining ?

I was going to bed, now this Eventhough we always hoped for something like this, but this came across pretty unexpected! Though I love the fact that we get new courses and cars and the fact that I will get it on day one, I don't know if I want characters from outside the mushroom kingdom to be honest.

@IxC Why are you sad?

Oh noooo... Nooo... Not DLC... Not DLC... Not paid DLC that adds characters and things that can't be unlocked through regular play... If Smash does this, I'm done. So done.

I can't wait! I will definitely be getting both packs!

@Einherjar

I don't like DLC.

It's that simple.

I'm throwing money at the screen but nothing's happening!

It Begins!! o_0

Wow, May 2015 for the second pack, that's so far away! But this was to be expected of course. I'm glad that they are going to include characters from other Nintendo franchises. New courses are even better!

Wow! This is great! Definite buy!

I agree with what Nintendo Force has said. This is the Year of Crossovers!

Holy crap! Omg I'm in shock! Yes!!

Why can't this come out now? I can't wait!

I'm experiencing a mix of shock and sheer excitement! Did not expect to see Link. Can't wait for the new tracks. Owning a Wii U just keeps getting more and more awesome.

@IxC @JulienIsTheMan
So you guys rather dont have more content at all ?
You do realize that this stuff was created AFTER the games release right ?

Well, you dont have to get it Your choice.

What the...!!, XD, Well, In my opinion, this DLC is some, "curious", but, well, for me, Is very funny! ^.^

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love to see Link and Ganondorf in a Mario Tennis game. In numerous Legend of Zelda games the final battle turns into a tennis match.

I wonder if Villager will be both a male and female one. I can only see a male one in the picture.

I'm sold. Link... awesome, plus 8 new courses??? AWESOME!!!!

Though I am now wondering if we will ever have another Mario Kart game. It might be Nintendo Kart as it is no longer just Mario

@NapalmOmega

don't like the clones? Don't buy then, simple as that.

@IxC

then don't buy it. If you then won't buy the games on the console, then go to a new console... oh wait.... they do DLC too... you better just quit gaming all together.

>We want Mario Kart DLC!
>Nintendo gives Mario Kart DLC
>NOOOO!! I HATE DLC NINTENDO!!

I loooove the internet.

Should have gone the whole way and made a Super Smash Kart. That would have been incredible.

@Einherjar

You have no proof of this contents development schedule.

Yes, I'd rather there was no extra content at all.

A game should be released complete.

Ok... feel great about it although a little confuse... is like want it, but really so mixed? Exciting hear about new cups & tracks though.

@IxC Then don't buy it. Problem solved! And you're also saying that developers shouldn't continue working on the game after release?

Well this sure as heck came out of the blue. It's so much more exciting than that obviously bogus Smash leak

YES. So we know DLC for Mario Kart 8 is real and happening.

And yes this is all exciting, these new additions look great.
New courses are always welcome and so is expanding the pretty lame existing roster of characters. It'll be cool to race as Link!

But if we're going to add new characters, why Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach? They just seem like an odd choice when we're still missing fan favorites like Diddy Kong and Bowser Jr. You would think we'd be good with Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach as it is. Not to mention there's so many other interesting and unique characters to pull from the Mushroom Kingdom and add to the Mario Kart roster that something still feels lacking. I'm just being honest here.

There's also the Battle Mode that needs to be expanded, but the reality of Nintendo doing DLC for this game gives me hope that it'll be addressed sometime in the future.

I'm mixed about what we see right now but I'm excited for future DLC possibilities for this game and of course I'll probably be buying both of the packs shown here, given that they're priced correctly.

Lmao at peeps against DLC. Clearly if this was on-disc DLC, those hackers we heard about would have easily found it. Chill out, their extending the longevity of the game. As long as it's not like microtransactions, we're golden.

I can't contain my excitement this is exactly what I wanted.

@IxC The game is complete... They're just adding more content to a completed game.

Mario Kart 8.5!

Are people seriously complaining.

@SockoMario

Then it's not complete is it.

You can't add to something that is complete. That is the definition of "complete".

@SockoMario and i love you for bringing that up
Thats how i feel about some people on here in general

@IxC Uhm...the game WAS complete when it was released. This is EXTRA content. Whats so hard to understand about it ?
If developers have new ideas after a games launch, should they just throw them out the window ?
DLC is a great way to expand on a game. I personally hate cut content DLC, pre order stuff etc. But extending a game later is perfectly fine.

@Emaan The source in the article shows each pack as £7.

Really excited for this especially due to Wario's Gold Mine returning from Mario Kart Wii!

I was happy to see Mario Kart DLC (Because seriously why not, especially with Link and Villager being in it!), and then I realized two things.

1. Still not a thing on the Battle Mode that could desperately use arenas, which makes me pretty sad considering how much I want traditional battle mode in the game.

2. They added another Mario and Peach before Bowser Jr, Birdo, Dry Bones, or Diddy Kong. I mean come on, adding Link and Animal Crossing stuff is one thing, but adding additional suits of characters we have if frustrating. I mean come on shouldn't those above be priority considering they were in Wii?

Regardless still going to buy it, which I guess says a lot about me...

Wut. It's cool but its so random lol

Proper battle mode courses?

Claiming full credit for discovering this

@IxC so, according to your logic, a games development time should be around 426 years, till EVERY possible idea a developer comes up with can be implemented, otherwise, its not complete right ?
Youre a looney.

where is birdo, diddy kong, funky kong, dixie kong bowser junior, king boo, hammer bros, dry bones

Sigh...well, looks like Egadd isn't in the DLC-you know what, screw it! WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 22 CHARACTERS IF YOU COUNT THE MULTICOLORED SHYGUYS AND YOSHIS! THIS IS F'ING AWESOME!

This is awesome fun candy!

Okay... Cups and characters, fine, but non-Mario characters? What is this, Super Smash Kart?

I'm really excited for this, I'd just prefer if the new characters were Mario characters that everybody's been asking for. Link riding a motorcycle is just kind of...odd.

Nice!

@IxC Yes you can actually. You can a complete a story arc, then add some extra content to the story later. "Complete" does not mean unchangeable or unaddable...

@IxC they released a complete game. No one can argue against that. They're adding extra content and you don't have to buy it. I'm happy Nintendo are doing DLC. This helps keep the games fresh! It looks freaking awesome.

This is excellent news! Nintendo bringing out some real fan service DLC/AOC! Cannot wait to play as Link.

Also is that an Excitebike track?

Wow.

@Einherjar

No.

Remember all those millions of games released to date that don't have dlc? Those are complete games. And their development time was not 426 years.

Stop being ridiculous. Why are you arguing with me anyway? We're not going to agree.

I would just like to point out that months ago, I said they should add other Nintendo characters into it as DLC. I got responses which mostly complied of "That will never happen" To them, I simply point, and laugh.

WOWEE ZOWEE!

@IxC: Why do you hate the idea of extra content?

SMASH KART CONFIRMED! OMG!

This is the best thing ever.

There is not enough YES for this situation.

_{We need no insults here -Lz}

Now I really want Olimar playable with a Pikmin race track!

@WaLzgi

I want to pay one price for my games, once, and having access to that entire game. You know, the way we've done it since games began.

How will we play these courses in 10+ years when the Wii U is taken offline? You might say "nintendo will release a complete edition". True, they might. But they also might not. And the complete edition should've just been the standard game anyway.

I can't understand how nobody else objects to dlc on the grounds that most of this content will be unplayable once these consoles are taken offline.

THIS IS AWESOME!!! Eff yeah!! Getting both packs!

BUT
This fixes nothing, Nintendo.
GIVE US A NEW F-ZERO!

@AdmiralThrawn

The word you're looking for is "opinion". My opinion is entertaining you.

@Undead_terror Maybe we can get Dry Bones!

Well the release dates tell me this DLC was started after the game was shipped so atleast the anti-dlc squad will be appeased. Who am i kidding they will complain anyway.

Hopefully the pricing is reasonable for both, new race tracks do it for me.

Wait link, villager and isabelle? I cant deny that i always wanted mario kart to take the smash bros route. Lack of Kirby and the fact that Link doesnt ride his trademark horse seems like missed opportunity.

Yes YES and YES PLEASE!!! Its about time other franchises made an appearance.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beautiful! It's... It's just SO BEAUTIFUL!

YES! I was hoping for DLC courses even for just retro courses but this is a million times better.

Do we really need versions of characters we already have with costumes added?

This made my yeaaaar! MK8 is my favorite game of 2014 so far and knowing all of this just makes me scream of happiness! LINK PLAYABLE OMFG! Never on my wildest dream I imagine that TBH.

Mario Kart 8 will have a happy christmas this holiday.

THIS IS MARIO KART!!!! NOT MARIO X ZELDA X ANIMAL CROSSING X INSANE KART!!!

Nintendo, Why? do we have all this stuff but no real battle maps?
At least make Super Smash Kart

Oh yes! Now gimme... BIRDO!

@3DSfan134 Mii's and Dry Bowser got to do for now

Nintendo! You have outdone yourself again!
Totally buying the DLC!

YEEEEES! ISABELLE!
FZERO STUFF! YES!!!
MUST GET NOW!
Thats months away yet.

FINALLY! Nintendo gets DLC right. Very happy for Nintendo for finally recognizing how important DLC is and how much its fans want them to do it. "TAKE MY MONEY!" Is what you'll keep hearing if you do more things like this. Now don't forget u have dozens of games that you can do DLC like this for and make even more money all while keeping your fans happy:). YES! YES! YES!

Omg does anyone else see the F-Zero themed race track

/hype

God, I wonder what's next.. Samus in Style Boutique? Captain Falcon in Cooking Mama?
Shoving Link in there is just like turning Silent Hill into a party game - it ridicules the character's and their origins.

Well, that means no more online for me from November onward. I'm not putting up with that joke.

They should release all the classic MK characters that are missing in this game (Diddy Kong, Birdo, Funky Kong, King Boo, Dry Bones, DK Jr.) or some actually new and creative characters (not just different 8 colors, 3 disguises or ages for the same old characters) from the Mario universe (Pauline, Wart, Nabbit, E.Gadd, Piantisimo, C. Syrup) before bringing characters from completely unrelated series

OMG! GUYS. THE HYPE IS REAL!!!

Amiibo racers confirmed!

Well this is way better than the Mercedes DLC but two things...

1. At this point Nintendo might as well just do a proper full Nintendo Kart/Racer imo, which I would have absolutely no problem with whatsoever.

2. This Blue Falcon DLC means either they're doing this because there's no F-Zero in development for Wii U, which means this is just a token gesture for all the frustrated F-Zero fans out there, or there is an F-Zero game in development and this is a little nod to that (which I would be so happy about). Sadly, I expect it's probably the former.

Going to be picking this up when it comes out. This is how you do good DLC.

WHAT'S GOING ON!?

First the Smash leaks, then Pokken Tournament, and now THIS!?

Nintendo, you know how starve wallets.

£7 each is very good value for 2 cups + extras. Bc when you think about it that adds up to £28 for 8 cups which is less than you would be paying if they released a follow up sooner instead. Well done Nintendo I will be buying for sure.

I LOVE YOU NINTENDO, THANK YOU....... On a side note, now add Bowser Jr, Diddy Kong, etc...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheersdyrgfusjrbdhbddj- I can't put into words on how much this excites me!

@IxC

Stop complaining for sake of complaining. This is amazing news - they are listening to fans. Sorry, but you are in the minority on this one. You want Ninty to go the way of the dodo by keeping to the same ol ways? It's called getting with the times AND DOING IT RIGHT. DLC can be handled the right way, and they have done it right so far with other releases.

I don't want characters outside the Mushroom Kingdom in Mario Kart. What is this Mario & All-Stars??

Only eight Yoshis? I guess either Purple and Orange or Black and White are being ditched (my guess is the former). Still, it'll be awesome to race as eight kinds of Yoshi. That's one for every day of the week!

people complaining about DLC, You know who you are.. shouldn't ever run a software business. You have no clue what it's like to maintain customer satisfaction. "the game should be released complete." That argument makes no sense. You have to set the amount of content you're going to put into a final product for many reasons. Final shipping date, bug testing, etc. For this game, the amount of tracks was 32. Can't simply keep saying "we can put more in there." 3 million people bought this, not everyone is still content with what they purchased, thus the DLC.

Simple. Nothing wrong with this at all.

nice!

But I would pay more for a DLC that changes the coin item for something actually useful.

I hoped Nintendo would release new courses via dlc but didn't expect them to. Thumbs up. To the complainers, mario kart 8 was released with just as much content if not more than previous installments so quit whining about it already.

Ah those release dates are sooo far away! At least the link one comes out sooner!

I'll likely buy them but it truly saddens me that Nintendo has definately embraced these practices :___(

Hot damn, yea!!!

THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER, EXISTED EVER ON ANYTHING EVER

There's nothing wrong with these awesome packs, but in other hand I hope the upcoming "fix" for flawed battle mode isn't paid. Give us the classic arenas for free and I'll have no reasons to complain about MK8 DLC packs. Ever.

Simply amazing. A track set in the Zelda world has me excited.

@IxC

I am perfectly content with a 32 race Mario Kart and will play it till my Wii U dies.......The DLC is not needed for me to enjoy this game......Having said that I will buy both of these when they come out in NA and it will add to an already great game.

I assume new games will incorporate all Nintendo Universes moving forward if for nothing else but to add to the variety of tracks.

So cool, but I wish they were more creative with Pack 1's characters. Link is awesome, but Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach. That's 4 versions of each of them. It's a bit ridiculous. Still, I'm glad this game is getting more content, it certainly needed it.

I feared this day would come... Mario Kart has become Nintendo Kart. sigh

This is possibly the best news I've heard in ages. I'm excited...

@booker_steve - I won't forget ya for bringing the news to me first.

I'm interested by the inclusion of Animal Crossing characters in the May pack. Put there as a promotion to a future AC Wii U game perhaps?

This is GREAT news. Looking very much forward to seeing which courses are revealed. Retro courses from previous Mario Kart games? Themed tracks from other Nintendo franchises (like Hyrule's Castle/Death Mountain/Kokiri Forest, F-Zero's crazy outer space tracks, Metroid's subterranean environments, Advance Wars or Fire Emblem's battlefields, etc.). More third-party guest racers/tracks ala' Smash Bros. (Sonic, Mega Man, Solid Snake, etc.)?

LOTS of possibilities. And while some may argue such DLC would deviate too much from the Mario Kart formula, it's also been suggested for some time that the series could use more fresh ideas. And the Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing series has proven that such crazy-sounding concepts can be AWESOME if done right (seriously, pick those games up if you've never tried them; the Afterburner, Skies of Arcadia, Golden Axe, and Panzer Dragoon tracks in particular are standouts and make you REALLY wish Sega still had a console out there!).

@IxC Eh, to each his own I guess. But your thinking is a bit outdated now...

@daveh30 What's the problem with that? It's a dream come true.

Fantastic Idea by Nintendo, a great way to keep people like myself playing! Hopefully the "bundle" is a season pass type deal where you get both for a a few bucks cheaper than what it would be together

i am sold. that is all

i am sold. that is all

@MrWalkieTalkie To me it's a nightmare. Mario Kart is losing its identity.

I...I...I...y....you win Nintendo, you win. Now shut up and take my money!

this is amazing i never expected new courses until the next mario kart and link being included? amazing

This is AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!!! Finally they're gonna have DLC for a MK game!!!! LINK!!!!!! F-ZERO!!!!!

@IxC
And go ahead and only pay for it once. That's your call. Just know that many people out there, myself included, feel the game was perfectly fine at release and felt complete. This is only ADDING TO THE GAME. I don't wanna hear your bs answers on whether it was finished or not. Doesn't matter. Like someone else said before, how do you know this stuff wasn't done post-release? Just as you're claiming to someone saying it was done prior to release. No one knows. And unless you worked on this game, no one can say otherwise.

Link in Mario Kart = All my money.

@DestinyMan Mega Man in the Sneaker would be my main.

@daveh30

I can't fathom why you would consider this a bad thing, other than it meaning they're probably not going to bother with separate games in the likes of the F-Zero franchise going forward but they weren't doing that anyway so that's hardly a loss at this point.

I'd love a new F-Zero game but if Nintendo simply isn't going to bother giving us one then I think it would be a great idea just to make a single Nintendo Racer going forward and let us select between different franchise characters, different courses and even different racing styles. It would mean cutting down on the amount of time and resources required to make two totally separate racing games/franchises, which means Nintendo can work on more new games in other franchises etc, but still give racing fans a little bit of everything they're craving for from a Nintendo racing franchise perspective.

Given that there seems to be no signs of a new F-Zero game coming down the line I actually hope they add a whole bunch of F-Zero themed courses and even a whole bunch of the F-Zero cars too. Assuming/presuming there's no new F-Zero game coming down the line of course...

A Nintendo Racer could be exactly the right way for Nintendo to go going forward, if it's handled right.

I'm not against this, but I would rather have more character diversity. Mario, Metal Mario, and Tanooki Mario is a bit too much. But nothing to complain about it.

This will definitely get me to play the game again.

PLEASE...
COME...
TO...
NA!!!

@WaLzgi

That doesn't mean it's wrong.

I'm genuinely surprised so few people have a problem with it to be honest.

Somebody else above suggested I quit gaming if I can't cope with dlc. That's looking quite likely to be honest. I don't see seem to be cut out for gaming in the current generation. Everythings gone horribly wrong.

Nothing I can do about it. Everybody else seems to like it. It's not going to stop if that's the case.

I'm just sad.

OMG i thought they joking on Miiverse!

This is really great and all, but this does not mean im happy about not having an f-zero game!! The blue Falcon should be in that game!

@Spartacus3765

I never speculated when this content was developed. I've no idea. Could be during main development or post. I just stated that someone claiming it was done post game couldn't know that.

What will happen to the online mode?
Will they create two groups, one for those who bought the extra tracks and another for those who didn't?

YESS!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!!

I actually can't wait to see that fully realised F-Zero circuit in all it's glory (that one tiny blurry image has me stoked)...

@IxC Beginning of the end? That would imply that Nintendo has never don this before, which would imply that things like the e-cards, Pokemon, Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, etc. didn't exist.

Nintendo, and other gaming companies for that matter, have been selling us incomplete games since long before DLC existed in its current form. I'm not disagree with you about DLC, just saying that this sort of thing has been common place for awhile.

Has been said before, but I want to reiterate:
BATTLEARENAS plzzzzz, they don't have to be new ones, just re-use the old ones ... they were fine, actually they were darn great. * throwing money at the screen *

@marc_max I'd assume we'll find that out tomorrow as some people will have downloaded the Mercedes DLC and some won't.

About time Mario Kart evolved into Nintendo Kart.

@IxC Seriously dude. You can't expect people to drop the argument if you don't give them any lee-way WHATSOEVER.

NINTENDO KART FTW!

@IxC So you have no points and really you don't have to buy this so why even complain it is extra content.

@IxC

Pretty easy. You'll turn on your Wii U and play the courses because they've been downloaded to your Wii U.

You understand the concept of downloading something, right?

This news made my day, it was speculated with the DLC in Mario Golf 3DS that this would be the way Nintendo would add content to the game. I will gladly buy both and any future packs. Take my money Nintendo! For those not interested simply don't purchase the DLC and keep playing what you have. Mario Katy Wii touched on add on content with weekly contests online, but this is way way better.

WHERE THE HELL IS PIKACHU?!? POKEMON DASH MUST LIVE ON!!! AND THE ABSENSE OF KIRBY IS SADDENING. NEED ANOTHER AIR RIDE!

Seriously this is epic news all of the proportions.

Super Smash Kart CONFIRMED!!

@Coldpancakes

And when you buy a Wii U 10+ years from now, from the "Retro" section of the game store?

How will you get the DLC then?

Much like you can buy N64's now. The Wii U will be retro one day. And people will buy it. And they will not be able to access any DLC for it.

@IxC I agree with you up to a point. For example, I refuse to buy any of the Resident Evil Revelations DLC on Wii U, because it was cut from the game, and released just a few weeks after the game came out. However, if it's new, extra content coming out later for a game, which many agree was complete before, then I don't see much problem with it. It depends on whether you feel this makes the original release incomplete. I think this DLC is okay, but I'm not going to insult you for your opinion, I can definitely see your point.

OMFG Nintendo! Shut up and take my coins and rupees!

@BensonUii Don't forget Bell. Xp

A-am I dreaming?

Link racing in Mario Kart. Weirdest thing I've ever seen. I like it! And I like the addition of Animal Crossing characters and new tracks! Too bad they don't add Captain Falcon as a playable character...

Anybody notice that tiny picture of an F-Zero track?

Some other disappointing characters though. I was hoping for Silver Diamond Tanooki Luigi, Platinum Gold Baby Wario, and 20 assorted colors of Yoshis.

Yipes... total randomness....
Link? VILLAGER?
OK, then

@RainbowGazelle

I feel it does make the original game incomplete. If it's possible to have less content for the game than someone else, then that copy of the game is incomplete. Thats how I define it anyway.

I didn't even realise there was any Resident Evil Revelations dlc. I'm going to agree that dlc cut from a game is worse than newly developed content. But I don't like either.

Thank you for being conversational about it though, rather than just insulting me. Makes things much easier.

"May 2015"

Oh my that's a long wait.

@Undead_terror Four Marios and Peaches if you count the babies...

This is random. I'll probably download both packs.

HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE!

Villager! I have a new reason to get your Amiibo!

No king boo, but we get another mario and peach clone? Bah! I'm lukewarm to non-mario family being in the game, but that's ok. In spite of this being the internet, I'm not going to rage about something like that. Perhaps a sign of amiibo implementation?

Still will pick it up and enjoy it as I think high quality is going to be a given. Good to see warrio mines that's a good track IMHO.

@IxC
Its not that DLC is bad. Its how you use it. Street Fighter X Tekken did a terrible job with DLC stating that all the DLC content was on the disc and made you pay for it. If this is free Nintendo might add more.
You can still get the DLC if Nintendo doesn't remove the DLC on the Wii U. N64 didn't have DLC in the first place

@IxC
Wanna see bad DLC? See EA games and the recent Resident Evil games. Your ideology I understand is very traditional and that's well and fine. And I also understand your point because I loathed how these other companies were treating DLC by announcing it before the games even came out. But believe me, they can do this right. I believe they're listening to demands (all the baby characters, really?) and because we're in this generation of gaming, things like this can be done.

@IxC Your point is quite contradictory. Games now have so much more content than "complete" games back in the day. As the others have said, your argument is purely the fact that you don't like it and you don't exactly back it up very well aside from "I just don't like it". So with that said, I'm not ever going to see your point

@ModestFan93
Is that from Animal Crossing? sorry I've never played one. Anyway I was like:

WAT

@mariovslink62

The issue is that the Wii U will be taken offline in less than 10 years.

So when the Wii U is a retro system, like the N64, SNES, and even Gamecube these days. It will be impossible for 'newly' (obviously they'd be preowned) purchased consoles to get access to any DLC content.

dry bowser and link!

Damn it, this is NOT SMASH KART! Bring more Mario characters instead. Exited for Dry Bowser and Exitebike( I aprove tracks, at least) though.

@IxC Fair enough. I also agree with your point on not being able to get the complete game in many years' time. Right now, I'm annoyed that I can't get all the content for some DS games I bought recently, because of their online turning off. Lastly, you're welcome. I don't see any point in hurling insults around.

OK . . Normally I'm not very happy about paid DLC, BUT this is something I wished for since MK8 launched and I really don't care if it is paid DLC as long as it dosn't cost another 60€. I normally don't like the Idea of DLC, because most of them are more or less requierd to get the full expirience (It feels that way in certain titels) but in case of MK8 I have the feeling that as long as it dosn't totoly unbalance the game with really op characters or carts it's an OK.

Oh boy, I don't even have MK8 yet and I'm happy about this. Super Smash Kart is actually happening!
I just hope these DLC packs don't cost too much in the states.

@IxC Then by your logic no game is complete, ever! You can always add something else to a game, even if it is jam-packed with content. You have to call it finished at some point, but you can add a few extra things later on, too. The extra things aren't necessary, so don't worry about them if you don't want them. I'll enjoy them, though. These are pretty good extras, if you ask me, and I'm not one for DLC, myself.

Also, I think Toon Link would fit better...

Wait a minute, Is Isabelle driving a licensed car?

@IxC You have a point but don't diss DLC already.
Its better DLC than Mercedes Bendz

@IxC
I'm sorry but who told you Nintendo won't ever make a "complete edition" after they're done with all the patches and DLCs?

characters from outside the mario universe and even as DLC. i dont like this

16 new courses? Link? Villager?

Guys, this is awesome.

Wow i never though they would do that! Im so hyped for this!

@RainbowGazelle

I wasn't aware any DS games had DLC? Or do you just mean online play?

Yes I can't wait to race as link.

@IxC Even if the WiiU is taken offline in 10 years, you still have one of the finest racers, with 32 amazing tracks, a full roster, and several playing modes. DLC is EXTRA content, things that you don't need, and weren't expecting, but are getting anyway. If I give you an Ice cream, and you like it and eat it, and then I give you a tootsie roll would you act like a jerk and say the ice cream was incomplete?

@Crimzonlogic

No.

By my definition, every game ever released, that doesn't have DLC, is complete.

Super Kart Bros. I like it.

@IxC Well, like the extra dowloadable puzzles in the Layton games, or extra missions in Solatorobo. They are free, but already on the cartridge, and need to connect to the internet to unlock.

Sweet mother! Can't wait!

It's a smart move to release this around the holidays, it'll definitely help boost sales for MK.

@IxC
Then if they made DLC for those older games that you consider complete, they would cease to be complete? Doesn't really make sense to me...

@IxC
See it this way. Pay $20 for both DLC and enjoy it for quite some time; or go out for a night (Club etc.) - You will pay much more money on it for a single night.
The enjoyment you will get out of the DLC last a lot longer and is much cheaper. lol
[=== Just an example ===]

@IxC So by your logic, 99.99% of the games today is incomplete? Even though the games have much more content than say games that were released 20 years ago with 2 times the cost (including inflation and whatnot)?

_{No insulting -Lz}

@Various

I'm sorry, there are too many comments to reply to now. But all your questions and arguments have been answered in other comments.

My objections mainly boil down to wanting the game to be complete and the uncertainty of the availability of the dlc in the long term.

I can't really explain more than that. So please do stop insulting me.

im disapoint about this =w=" i wouldnt have even cared if it was just characters but i kinda feel like im losing out on content now that more tracks are being made...

@Hy8ogen also not looking for a fight here, but maybe you could try not giving him any attention instead?

@Crimzonlogic

Yes. That is my opinion.

"Dab ab ab ab ab" I- How- What-. HUH? WHAT did I just read?

I actually agree with the "no insults" part...

Oh wow, best DLC ever! This is seriously great, 16 new tracks, 8 karts (plus 3 Mercedes), 6 characters, new Yoshi and Shy Guy colours, only £14! So cheap!
Hopefully this is a long term thing and Nintendo keeps adding DLC 'til MK10 on Wii 3.
(How about a MK7 update for DLC as well Ninty?)

@AtlanteanMan Agreed, Sonic Racing Transformed is off the chain, so much innovation and content, finally glad to see that Nintendo is taking notes from that game.

@RainbowGazelle

I never played the Layton series or Solatorobo. So I didn't know about that.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, THAT IS SOOOOOO AWESOME!!!!!

Seriously, what's wrong with you people? Nintendo gives things for a cheap price and maybe for free, and you complain. Bunch of ungrateful hooligans.

Proof that Nintendo loves me! They can have all my money, I don't even care. I will buy it all.

@IxC
I wasn't trying to insult you, so I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just don't understand what you meant.

Some oddies here but either way Awsome!

@Crimzonlogic

I'm aware. I wasn't referring to you.

This is fantastic. There's the Dry Bowser I was looking for.

Also one of those tracks looks to be on top of a tree!

Huh, I didn't expect to see this when I opened up my web browser.

Anyways, my initial opinions are that this is pretty neat. However, my final opinion will hinge on the answers to the following three questions;

1. How expensive are these DLC packs? To me, $10 US would be an absolutely perfect price.
2. How balanced are the extra characters and karts? Because if they crush the standard characters and karts, then Nintendo would accidentally convert Mario Kart 8 into a pay-to-win game.
3. How are the DLC courses being handled in online play? Because if the new courses boot those who didn't buy the DLC, then Nintendo would have emulated the worst aspect of multiplayer games that have tons of DLC. (See; the Call of Duty and Battlefield series.)

@IxC
Just making sure. I hate making people mad at me.

I would've loved luigi circuit from the wii to get included. That track was insanely fun online.

@IxC

The standard game IS complete (well, ignoring the lack of proper battle arenas, but that's more about a slightly stupid design decision than the game missing content) and this is really just more extra/additional content coming out at a later date.

What you are complaining about is kinda like saying F-Zero X on N64 was "incomplete" because Nintendo decided to add a vehicle and track editor later on via the N64 DD expansion pack.

In this day and age you just can't reasonably expect every single game to be forever locked as it is from the second it's released and that's it (like it was back in the glory days of the NES and SNES era for example). I think that's a case where you are actually being the unreasonable one rather than the other way around.

As long as the initial game feels like a full, complete and satisfying product (whatever game it may be) then I certainly don't see a genuine problem with some good DLC coming down the line at a slightly later date (as long as that DLC is handled with respect too).

Sweet! I don't mind paying for extra DLC if it's truly extra. Mario Kart 8 gave us the standard 32 courses and plenty of character selection and kart customization. The only thing that was lacking was the battle mode, which I'm still hoping they will release a free patch for at some point.

How are people complaining? Mario Kart 8 is a completed game. It has more than enough content to justify a $60 purchase. Millions of sales prove that.
Now, Nintendo is allowing people who enjoyed the game to buy more characters if they like. In fact, DLC is just allowing people to buy part of a game cheaper to see if they like it, rather than have them spend $80 initially which is very off putting.

_{This is all you had to say -Lz}

What an amazing surprise!!!! This is awesome news!!! Saying that I am super stoked is an understatement.

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started asking years ago for Nintendo to cancel Mario Kart and make Nintendo Kart instead. FINALLY, it seems they've realized how much better Mario Kart could be if it wasn't just Mario.

Now, if the next gen Kart game doesn't have a half-assed cruddy roster of multiple forms of Mario and Peach, but instead uses something along the lines of a Smash Bros. roster, I'll be thrilled.

Captain Falcon and Marth need to be confirmed too! But instead, we get Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach. Really?

@Hy8ogen

I'll try to explain my position a little better.

I consider a copy of a game incomplete unless it has 100% of content available for it.

So, for example, if I have my bare bones copy of Mario Kart 8 with no extra content. And you have your copy of MK8 with all this new DLC. My copy is incomplete. Because there is other content that I don't have. It doesn't matter that its classified as "extra" or whatever. It's content for the game that I am missing. My copy is incomplete.

I consider this the case with every game. So it's not that 99.9% of games are incomplete. It's more that a percentage of the copies of most games these days are incomplete.

I hope that clarifies my opinion a little better.

The only thing that could get me more excited is if they add Samus and some legitimate battle courses such as the block fort from N64.

Excuse me...? Someone please pinch me...ow!...oh my gosh, it's real!!! WHAT THE CRAP?!? Count me in if I have the cash!!

Where is Diddy... Wait a minute. Tracks based off of Excitebike, F-Zero and Animal Crossing. Link playable? Blue Falcon returns? Wohoo! I still hate paid DLC since I'm so cheap, but I can't possibly pass this up.

DLC is perfect for a game like Mario Kart. It adds to the longevity of the title since Mario Kart is (thankfully) not a yearly release type game. I loved the Mario Golf World Tour DLC too so I'm definitely looking forward to this.

Side note: Link in Mario Golf, please.

@IxC Everyone's free to their own opinion, but I really do believe that Nintendo is doing everything they can to do right by their fan base. They have not thus far pulled content that was obviously meant to be part of the base game out and charged extra for it. They're not pulling any funny business with multiplayer unlock keys or garbage like that. Mario Kart 8 was released as a complete game, with the standard 32 tracks and plenty of characters. What is wrong them adding additional content for people who want to pay extra for it? I think it's a really smart move for them financially and so long as they continue to operate in good faith I will continue to support them. EA, on the other hand, can go to hell.......

I'd love to see at least a couple of those courses to be some different and/or better remade courses from N64.

@Damo you should know that both DLC packs are apparently sold out atm.

@IxC I'm sorry, but did you want Nintendo to wait 8 months to sell MK8, and basically leave the Wii U to die? I think you can make an exception here.

SWEET MOTHER OF MERCY

@IxC I suppose it's similar to the downloadable items in Animal Crossing or Tomodachi Life that are only available for a few weeks; if you miss them, that's them gone, unless you someone else who can give you one. But in the DS games, you can't get the extras from other people.

I just got hyped for MK8 all over again. O_O

@PvtOttobot: Dang. Guess we'll have to wait for the second wave...wait a second...

@WaxxyOne

I'm aware they're trying to do it right. They've said several times they're wary of how to do DLC correctly and they must make sure they do it properly.

It's just that my opinion is that there is no properly. I'm glad they're not doing the shadier side of it, cutting content and all that stuff like EA and so many others do. But I'd rather they didn't do it at all.

@SphericalCrusher The only unused track from MK64 is Wario Stadium.

A Blue Falcon Kart and an F-Zero course? Nintendo stop trolling and release a new F-Zero game already! It’s obvious you haven’t forgotten about the series.

@RainbowGazelle

Thats unfortunate. Hopefully you're not missing out on too much content.

This is my concern that I'm raising here, which is largely falling on deaf ears. By the time the 3DS gets taken offline. There's going to be plenty of content thats inaccessible. Much more than for DS.

I will get the 2 expansions, that is awesome, on a side note please release the 3 Mario Kart arcade games on a disk please

@IxC What if a game was complete...then some time later the developer decides to add something extra. Technically it was still complete when you bought it

Wait...am I missing something here? Will you be able to download it straight from the e-shop?

Now we know what those cup icons that were discovered by some hackers are intended for. Makes you wonder if the actual DLC course data isn't already on the disc too

This is pretty awesome. Seeing Link in there. Actual tracks. Perfect DLC and I will buy.

@sketchturner
Great ideas. Samus fits less than Link though for my sensibilities... maybe she could have a Gunship kart though.

@lxC
You'd be a happier person if you reconsidered your stance. Did Mario Galaxy 2 make Mario Galaxy "incomplete"? Just think of it as a sequel. Or a way to break up the game into smaller parts.

Consider this. If Nintendo decided to make a Mario Kart 9 for the Wii U, we'd have a long wait and some of the best features might be what these DLC packs are offering. This way, we don't have to wait for those features and if individual parts don't thrill us we don't have to pay for them.

If you had to wait for Mario Kart 9 for a year or three and then buy it with a bunch of stuff you didn't care for that would be better?

I'm of the mind that if the product is worth the price to you (as Mario Kart 8 is to many, many people) adding DLC options later can't be making it less valuable (or less complete) and it is only going to sell to those who want it anyway. This is especially true in a game like Mario Kart that has no story.

Be happy man. Your flower needs a smile.

@Prof_Clayton

Well I can't really comment on the Wii U's struggles, or Nintendo's release schedule. But there are other games coming out before, during and after the release of the DLC packs. So I don't think they'd be leaving the Wii U to die by not releasing them.

Awwww YEAAAH! Definitely getting this!

@MasterWario: I guess? But Nintendo of UK is doing the pointless preorder digital content...

@aaronsullivan: You need to post more often

@MasterWario I hope so, otherwise this would be the dumbest move ever.

@Retro_on_theGo Right on

@WaLzgi

Well that is the very definition of DLC really isn't it. If something extra is added months after a games release. That's just what DLC is. Or did I misunderstand your question?

@IxC really easy solution: keep your Wii U.

@IxC Yeah, that is a very good point. The only thing I could suggest in defence is that the (now incomplete) game would be cheaper years later, so you're paying less for less content. If it loses its value that is.

This is how I like my DLC managed, in packs instead of microtransactions and with the same or better value than the content on the original disc. That, and it will be impossible to criticize the roster with LINK in it.

Link driving a Mercedes... uh oh. Here come the trolls.

What in gods name happened? This is amazing they are going to make me play mario kart 8 for the rest of the year screw smash bros and bayonetta 2 online.Nah i love them both but this blew my mind.

@RainbowGazelle

A valid point.

I just think it would be nicer for the possibility of missing content to just not apply. I think that would be better. Clearly everyone disagrees though. Some disagree with baffling vitriol.

@IxC
It is a shame that future gamers might not have access to these tracks and costumes, but it will be available to those who purchased it ten years before.
The same can't be said for online play. Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS will never be the same since the online play shut down. Does this make them lesser games? No, it's just that they are now in the past. You will never be able to see the original Star Wars in its original theatrical run. So in some ways, anytime you watch the movie, your experience is "incomplete."

DLC does not make the original release of the game incomplete. It's like a book receiving a sequel. You can choose to buy it and place it next to the original on your shelf, or you can choose to ignore it and enjoy the story contained in the first.

Claiming that gamers in the future won't be able to play the new courses is simply inaccurate. Used Wii U's might be sold as "Containing the Mario Kart 8 DLC." It will be harder to track down, but dedicated Nintendo fans of the future will be able to do it. Heck, maybe hackers will even make it possible. But the online portion of the game? One day that is all going away, and that experience to me is more sad than a handful of bonus tracks.

Besides, each entry in the Mario Kart series largely replaces the previous. No new 3DS user, after playing Mario Kart 7 for a long time, is likely to go back and buy Mario Kart DS. It would be a graphical downgrade with no online. For example I never played Mario Kart DS but I am not planning on it now, because Mario Kart 7 would be a superior replacement/alternative. So in the future, interest in MK8 is likely to be about at the level of current interest in Double Dash. Not much.

@IxC impermanence is a fact of life.

Smash Kart is upon us! YES!

@IxC Dude, your opinion is completely valid and is actually one shared by many (but not me). You've explained yourself enough, so cross out this tab, ignore these people, and go do something else.

SEE THIS IS WHY I LOVE NINTENDO!!! Dropping surprises like bombs!!! Smash leaks i got an idea lets hit them in the head with a surprise then an SSB direct with more stuff no one knew!!! I dont care about people complaining this right here is OFF THA HOOK!!!

@Coldpancakes Profound truth right there. Seriously.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!

Smash leaks, Pokken Tournament, and now Mario Kart 8 DLC Packs?!?!?!

THE HYPE TRAIN HAS NO BRAKES!!!!!!!

Where's my Pikachu???

@IxC I see. I apologize for my rude remarks. However I still disagree. The definition of "complete" is very vague. What is complete? Developers have been doing this for a long time with a different name called "Expansion Packs". Now with the advanced online infrastructure we have today, they can just release their expansion packs as DLC.

As you may know, games are getting more expensive to make and the game devs are still charging the same amount of money as they were 10 years ago. That is why they are loving DLCs so much because they can re-coup their loses.

Now I'm not saying that I'm a big fan of DLC, but I'm just neutral towards it. I've seen some greedy and horrible DLC moves *cough*cap*cough*com. But some developers are just doing it right. For instance this Mario Kart 8 DLC. It's totally optional and you buy it if you think you want it. In my optinion, the original game is "complete" enough to justify the 60 dollar asking price.

So in the end of the day ask yourself, do you want to pay 80 dollars upright for a so called "complete" game, or have the option to pay 60 dollars first and then decide later on if you want to add some more content to it? Me? I prefer the latter. Also remember, DLC enables the developers to make actually NEW content for the game after release.

DLC can be the best thing ever and can be the worst thing ever. It solely depends on how the developer approaches it. And for Mario Kart 8's DLC, it's the best thing ever. These packs are obviously made after the game is release no doubt.

if you are sad about this wats wrong with uuuu

Damn this has allot of comments, I guess it is time to call this Nintendo Kart instead. Anyway I think that this is kinda cool, I am not a fan of DLC and,especially paid DLC, but I know people asked for this and they got it.

@IceClimbers That might just be the best gif I have ever seen.

@Hy8ogen Extra content I always nice. I definitely approve of this. But couldn't Nintendo be...making...new games? Or for heaven's sake releasing Flipnote 3D?

Hell yeah! New courses!!! Nintendo actually listens!

So this is selling out? How can a digital download thingy sell out?

@Hy8ogen Pretty much spot on, some people abuse DLC's and others use them to add more content to a game that was completed anyways such as TES V Skyrim, I would definitively say that game was a complete (but buggy) game, and with DLC it added allot of additional content that would have in the past have to have been an entirely new game, that you would have paid 60$ for instead off 20 for added optional content. It purely depends on how the developer use's it.

@Kaze_Memaryu
Could you imagine Capt.Falcon with Mama serving up glasses of Punch?

Love it. Be nice if they could bring back Bowser Jr as a character and the Sneaker Bike as a new vehicle. ^^

Are people seriously complaining about this? I thought people WANTED Mario Kart DLC, in the form of new tracks, characters and vehicles. Well guess what?? Here it is!

This game (without DLC) is arguably just as big, if not bigger, than every single prior Mario Kart release in the past. And now that Nintendo has decided to prolong the longevity of the game, adding MORE tracks, characters, AND vehicles than ANY other entry in the franchise, people are complaining? Can Nintendo ever win in the eyes of their own fanbase? Or are they always going to be subject to scrutiny, even when great news like this comes out of nowhere?

This is excellent news. I for one will be more than enjoying the Mercedes DLC, and these next two DLC packs. And you know what? If you don't want this stuff, then don't buy it! It's not that complicated. It's a surprise treat from a company that loves to surprise and give robust gameplay experiences to its fans. If you don't want to take part in that, then don't.

Yes to new courses. No to branching out to other franchises. Link...hmm, I can deal with, but c'mon, the Animal Crossing characters? :/
I wish we could seperately choose to just get courses.

@Hy8ogen It wasn't a full game justifying the price. Smash Bros looks to be as was 3D World this wasn't they couldn't even be bothered doing easy normal hard versions of all the courses. The All Stars Racing Transformed World Tour was for me 100 hrs that is the competition.

(The only reason there is desire for it already is because there wasn't enough to start with).

@FlaygletheBagel Chances are the people who wanted Mario Kart DLC are not the same people who are upset about this. Chances are also that you aren't going to hear those people saying they don't want Mario Kart DLC until it's actually announced, just as those who want Mario Kart DLC won't stop asking for it until it's announced.

It's funny, the internet confuses itself sometimes...a lot of the time.

More retro tracks please, N64 Wario Stadium and some battle arena's

Oh yeah!!! I'm loving this new stuff, can't wait to get it!

What the...?! Totally unexpected, and pretty awesome! Extra tracks (including a Zelda one) and Link: Count me in!

After seeing the price: 7 pound is not 7 Euro I guess. Seems the packs are pretty expensive, so I'll wait and see.

@Hy8ogen

Expansion packs were a little different, although I wasn't keen on them either. They were different in that they came on discs. So even in 10-20 years time. It will still be possible to get a complete version of a game with an expansion pack. Original game + expansion disc = complete. Less of an issue.

Games being more expensive to make is a whole other discussion. Another one that I'm probably on the unpopular side of. Basically, I think developers are trying to go too far too soon. If it's too expensive to make games for the PS4/XBOX One, then just make games for the Wii U/PS3/360 instead. Or have the hardware take much smaller jumps in power each generation. But lets not get in to that. I don't want to start another clusterf***.

I'd rather have a higher base price, if it meant all content was there from the beginning with no DLC ever. But clearly, I'm the minority.

Thank you for being conversational! It's better this way.

Except, by your own logic, those games are not complete...

@lxC
Nintendo is a business and a business must make money... Not that Nintendo has been doing a good job of that lately.
Many people criticised the wii and now the wii u because it lacks DLC compare to the other consoles.
The majority of people are happy with DLC. It is now pretty standard in gaming.
Should Nintendo not do DLC to please a few people who hate it? Or please the majority who want it and bring in the revenue that keeps them in business?

I pretty much don't like DLC myself but it is not about me. It is about Nintendo making the choices that they believe to be the right ones to take the company out of the financial difficulty it is in.

With little third party support and having to pretty much supply the wii u software themselves I see absolutely nothing wrong with this.

This makes good business sense and that is the only sense a business needs to make.

Wow nice! So it begins...

But why more Mario and Peach variants as racers? Regular, metal/gold, and baby versions aren't enough?

Love that SNES Blue Falcon though! I'd love to see Samus's ship become a kart now; with her driving it of course.

You know, it's possible Nintendo only decided to do DLC because of how successful Mario Kart 8 ended up.

Ya know, like an encore.

This is truly amazing! Link will finally be racing with the Mario gang! As strange as it is to put Cat Peach and Tanooki Mario in and not classics like Bowser Jr, Dry Bones, or Birdo dumbfounds me, but either way these new additions are going to be brilliant.

TOLD YOU
I FREAKING TOLD YOU
They didn't need 250-300 people to make the base game of MK8!

I mean, May 2015? Really??? No.

@Hotfusion The upside of DLC you get from everyone other than Nintendo is GOTY versions. (I generally don't touch most of the 3rd party stuff until that point).

Definitely buying these. Looks like great DLC. Brilliant move by Nintendo. Also, there's no reason not to add folks to the roster of Mario Kart, a la Smash Bros.

Hope they have an Arwing-like vehicle to eventually.

Hope these aren't going to be temporary.

You guys complaining about paid DLC need to get over it and go away! It's 2014 and this is how things work now. With 32 tracks, 30 characters, free online play and more karts and configurations than any other MK entry, it's not like you guys bought an "incomplete" game.

I've vocalized my utter frustration with DLC and the Call of Duty games and how we're treated like second-class by Activision several times on other threads here at NintendoLife. Well now here's an AWESOME game that can't even be played on the other consoles and now we're getting the big DLC packs like CoD does to boot and it's all ours! When they announced the DLC that comes out tomorrow, I was happy to hear we were at least getting some DLC and it was free and all, but I was also immediately disappointed. I thought to myself "Oy, no new courses? No new characters? Just a few new karts?" Well, here we go... this proves Nintendo is listening and cares.

After both these packs come out, this is gonna be one MASSIVE beast of a Mario Kart game!

Whooo!!! I'm getting this for dang sure! That's why I have a job, so I can have things that I want! Take my money take it!!

@IxC Maybe Nintendo will make 'Nintendo selects' with all the dlc content on one disc for the people who are missing out? Who knows

OH MY.... Link in Mario Kart.... SO AWESOME

@IxC you said something like this "why don't people realize that all that DLC content will be unplayable when the Wii U is taken offline in 10+ years"
That's extremely, extremely ignorant, how can you hate DLC so much if you don't even have idea how it works???

Sign me up for some Tanooki Mario!

@Smooty

Unattainable. Once the Wii U is a retro system. The DLC will be inaccessible to new systems.

I didn't mean the content would just stop working without an internet connection.

The fact is that if the price is right then this is going to be some of the best DLC ever because 8 courses is around 6$ plus the 4 vehicles for 2$ and the characters for 3$ and that should total up to 10$ DLC!

@HyperSonicEXE What? They could have done this after the main game was done...

@Mk_II
I don't understand why people think this makes a difference. Work is work. Value is value. When it is done (or unlocked) has no bearing on the price from a consumer standpoint. If it is on the disk is it somehow less work?

@IxC Nothing is available forever. It will be available for this gen and possibly the next, by which time a new Mario Kart will be out by then, so that is more than enough time for the dlc to be downloaded and enjoyed imo.

Link in Mariokart?
WHAT?!

As a fan of crossovers, I think that's kinda silly. Having Link in Smash Bros., a game celebrating all of Nintendo's IPs, makes sense. Putting him on a go-kart as the only non-Mario character just seems kinda silly.

I'm probably going to buy these to grab the extra courses, though. Wonder what the situation online will be like now that some people will have extra courses and others won't....

EDIT: Just saw that Villager and Isabell are in too. I don't feel like those are as weird as Link. I mean, it just feels weird, putting Zelda characters in a racing game. Zelda is a franchise that should at least take itself semi-seriously.

I don't usually go for DLC, but this may be just a little too tempting!

Incredible news!!!!!!! This is a great move by Nintendo and will turn Amiibo into a force to be reckoned with..
And I hope Wii Coconut Mall is one of the DLC classic tracks..

I wonder will online players be able to play DLC tracks without buying first..?

I think this looks awesome, I'm excited! new courses, new characters, new vehicles how could it go wrong!

@IxC In theory, if they could add dlc to an older game and they knew it would sell (super hypothetical right now), does that mean that the game wasn't complete when it was released?

@aaronsullivan
Let's use this example:
Nintendo completely developed MK:DD with your upfront price of $50, including the All-Cup Tour and Petey Piranha/King Boo.
But then withheld that last part from the initial release of the $50 game, just to charge you more.

This feels like that.

@WaLzgi
I'd like proof from Nintendo of that. That's my only hesitation in getting this.

New tracks!!!!

Playing as Link will set my hype level for Zelda U off the charts. 8 NEW COURSES? 4 NEW VEHICLES? PLAYING AS LINK?!?!?!? And that's only Pack 1. ANIMAL CROSSING VILLAGER AND ISABELLE IN PACK 2? I need to lie down. My hype is just....WOAH.

@mystman12

@IxC 's opinion is absurd, but at least he admits it.

No one should have a problem with DLC, if the extra content is worth the price, and the original game was worth it's initial price.

Mario Kart 8 was a bargain at the original asking price. It was loaded with content and it's one of the best rated games of the year (press and consumers). The DLC is completely optional and adds a lot of content for a small amount of money.

@IxC If Nintendo take the two DLC packs(16 new courses and 6 new characters) and add that to returning characters and courses from Mario Kart 8 they could create Mario Kart 9... And it would be a complete game. They would/could justifiably charge full price.
By your logic MK9 would be preferable to these 2 DLC packs, which are drastically cheaper than a full priced game. I have no problem with your opinion, it just appears to not be based on a logical assessment of what's on offer.

@IxC oh... But still, for new users "in 10+" years, they will still be able to buy the mario kart 8/ nintendo DLC on the wii u, you know why? Cause even if nintendo decides to cease online functionality for wii u in some years, they wont close the ability to buy games/dlc through the eShop, just look at the Wii, you can still buy from the Shop there. You are wrong

@justinluey Loaded with content is e.g 3D World / Smash Bros Brawl not Mario Kart 8 by any definition. Compared to its competition All Stars Racing Transformed it has basically no content. (And every lap is the same so it is dull almost straight away - hence why people desire DLC already).

Awesome. Awesome. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic! 16 extra tracks for a reasonable price!!! Great value.

@unrandomsam

I agree that Mario Kart 8 doesn't offer the amount of content that those two games, but there is a lot of content there. I doubt there are many people who feel they didn't get $50-$60 worth of value.

I've been giddy since I heard this. SO AWESOME! I usually avoid DLC, but I'll happily pay for this! The price is so reasonable!

Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, and multi colored Yoshi's and Shy Guys must die.

@IxC

You make some valid points, but consider that Nintendo has a history of releasing a lot of their downloadable content on disk too (Like the luigi U game), so you might be able to either get a "DLC Disc" or a "Gold edition" of MK that contains all of these add-ons in the case of the system "going retro" as it where.

Also games releasing with additional content for payment, is nothing new. We had expantion packs as far back as doom and quake. DLC is in its propper form (Not the on disc bullpoopoodoodoocacapoopledoople) is just the modern take on this, and makes a lot more sense now seeing as making additional content to a modern game takes a lot more money and hours of work to do.

I'm fine with the DLC model, if it means i can get more content for my games and enjoy them longer.

Would your position be the same if it where free? - i would imagine so with your whole "the game is not complete" rationale?

I would be standing with my pitchfork out, yelling "burn the witches", if i felt the original game was somehow lacking and you needed the DLC to get a propper game, but as it stands, this is simply not the case.

What the what! At first glance I thought this was a fan made video/mod, now I'm just speechless (glad I can still type). The whole crossover caught me completely off-guard.

Who says that Nintendo is not full of surprises.

@noctowl Owned. You made an argument that can't be won.

funny to see the haters trying to trap N gamers as contradictory, not seeing the awesomeness and value of this howshouldbedone DLC

As for the people who complain about Pack 2 arriving in May 2015: Nintendo does this to give the game some legs. And its probably needed, seeing as releases are very sparce (though it seems this is not mainly a Nintendo problem anymore).

I hope that the new stages are of good quality. And its probably also a way of testing the waters for a Nintendo Kart game (all the franchises in one Kart game) in the future.

I know it's unethical, but I can't help but celebrate this! I can't wait to play this!

HA! Take that DLC haters! lololo.

@vonseux So far that's how I've viewed Nintendo's DLC. "howshouldbedone" I like to think that Nintendo watched all these other companies completely muck up their DLC and learned from their failures on how to do it right. The only DLC from Nintendo that I've even considered slightly lame is Fire Emblem: Awakening. Other than that, I've been really happy with it. Pikmin 3's DLC was WELL worth the $3 per pack.

@Lizuka Did you not see my edit?

@IxC

Dude just stop. You think Nintendo is worried about people buying a Wii U in 2024 from the "Retro" section??

If you don't want this then don't download it. Plain and simple.

@Dipso Problem is at the moment there are no good tracks. (Like say Nights or Burning Depths from All Stars Racing Transformed. Best player always wins).

@Spuratis Rockstar still does it better. I only bought one bit of GTAIV DLC and used it as a paid demo. NSMB2 is pretty bad as well all the good levels are in the DLC. (Makes it a £60 game).

Nintendo is a lot like Apple. They often take longer to introduce certain features, but they usually get it right when they do.

Even without DLC Nintendo has the most "evergreen" games in the industry, if they add quality DLC to the mix and a more reasonable account system, their games can sell for 10+ years.

That's what so many people (analysts and fans) miss: Nintendo is playing the long game.

What the F***!!!?

Birdo? Diddy Kong? E. Gadd? Nabbit? Battle arenas?

At least I can't complain about the price.

There's only one question.

Awesome! I don't really care about Characters in Mario Kart. But 16 New tracks! That's fantastic! This is how you do DLC.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY!!!!! NA RELEASE DATE, PLEASE!!!!!

Edit: Samus and human form Midna please. Since Nintendo seems to wanna Smash things up.

I'm not all to large of a fan of throwing other Nintendo characters in (betting I'll warm up) and the price seems fair, so I can be happy with this.

This has been known for a while now: http://didyouknowgaming.com/post/95673085825/mario-kart-8#disqus_thread

@IxC For me, DLC is acceptable when I'm 100% satisfied with the game and I can't feel like there's anything missing. It's a lot easier to find that something is missing in a sequel of a well established franchise. For Mario Kart 8, one aspect I was disappointed in and felt was a rush job was the battle mode. All other entries in the series had battle mode specific stages so you can definitely tell they rushed it. If Nintendo started making these battle stages as DLC and made you pay for it, then I'd be ticked off.

Then there's the character selection which was (in my opinion) very lacking. The Koopalings and Metallic characters felt like they wasted character slots and they could've used those slots for a much better variety of characters. But in this case, I didn't expect Link or Animal Crossing to be in Mario Kart in the first place so it's acceptable. I also don't care about costumes for characters I never use like Mario and Peach. But if they start making you pay for characters that were originally in the previous mario kart games, then I would be disappointed in Nintendo.

So what I'm saying right now is Mario Kart 8 isn't a complete game to me but the DLC they're releasing is more optional than necessary so there's nothing wrong with it.

LINK! LINK! LINK! LINK! LINK! OH MY YES! This is amazing! I don't care what any of you naysayers say. You won't nay me away! It's an already amazing game, getting even more amazing! Yes, I want better battle mode too, but seriously. This is stupendously awesome!

Ive never been so excited..

The characters don't interest me very much, but I'll buy the DLC for the courses.

Actually the best people to do DLC were the people who did the Witcher 2. They realised they were making money hand over fist so just added it no charge. (I suspect that amount was much less than Nintendo is getting constantly from Mario Kart 8).

Luigi gives us the death stare again in his blue falcon.

@IxC

Also, who's to say that 2-3 years from now that Nintendo doesn't release Mario Kart 8: 1 Up Edition (or some similar subtitle) which comes with all the DLC already on the disc?? Not like any game has ever done that before (Skyrim comes to mind.)

There. Your argument is now completely dead.

How can they include Link but no Epona bike???

C'mon people, it's not like there's never been a crossover between Nintendo games before.

'TLoZ: Link's Awakening' is one example.

I for one am looking forward to expanding an already complete game as it stands right now with fun add-on bonuses.

I just hope they reskin the boomerang item for Link to a Zelda themed boomerang. Oh, and can you imagine Link throwing a volley of Cuccos instead of fireballs?! Yes!

Please, Nintendo, add different items based off the new characters!

@FubumblR

I'm thinking the Hookshot needs to be added!!

But still, only 2 different franchises added in the DLC? I think these may not be the last MK8 DLC packs we hear of. But I'm down with that.

@Grumblevolcano Hmm, since course remakes started with Wii, I don't think they've remade all 16 standard MK64 courses yet. I just want to see some more, don't care if they were remade on prior games since they are my personal favorite courses (out of the remakes).

Link racing in the Blue Falcon against Villager on the Excitebike track.

@tysonfury I'm also almost certain the DLC will have to be purchased to play the new courses! Allowing anyone to play the new tracks free online would severely decrease the DLC sales. Nintendo will likely split up the community, which sucks, but luckily the MK 8 community is more than large enough for it not to make a huge difference.

Heck to the yeah. I am so pumped for "Nintendo" Kart.

@Larryislife Three franchises, don't forget f-zero carts and tracks

Awesome!!! New courses!!! That's what I'm looking at!!!!

MAN... I,M SPEECHLESS!!! SPEEEEECHLESS!!!!

@Larryislife, I was thinking the same thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they're planning to actually release 4 DLC packs in total, which would be insane considering how many courses and characters that would come out to! But Nintendo knows how long the legs of MK are. People will be playing the game for years to come and there's always just 1 Mario Kart per system. It's not like Call of Duty or something where there's a new entry every year.

There was still a lot of people playing MK Wii online until the day the severs were shut down.

@SphericalCrusher Mario Kart DS was the first game with Retro courses. Everyone seems to forget that. I can't be the only person who really liked Mario Kart Ds.

NO ONE SAW THAT COMING MAN!

And you just know at some point they're going to do Sonic DLC. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and a course based on Green Hill Zone?? I'm not even a Sonic fan but that still excites me!

2014 is the BEST YEAR OF NINTENDO! Hands down!

I can play as Link in Mario Kart ahaahhahaaahaHAAHAAA!!!

CANNOT wait to try that man!!

If this continues, I will stop buy Nintendo games at release and instead buy the "Game of Year Edition" with all of the content.

I already do this for PC games on Steam. I will wait for this DLC to go on sale before I get it (that is if I get it). I still love Nintendo, but if you give them and inch they will take a mile. Just look at Ubisoft DRM and DLC practices if you want to know the future of Nintendo.

More tracks! More fun! YEAH! Great news! This is the right way to make DLC. No day 1 DLC crapp! This is the right thing! I'm very happy!

@Klunk23 Thank you for the reminder. I totally forgot this. I own this, got it when it came out but that was a odd period of my life I guess. @Grumblevolcano is absolutely correct then. I was thinking that there were five (Since I didn't count DS) but I stand corrected. They can still bring them Moo Moo Farm into beautiful HD though!

@Klunk23

Actually Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the GBA was the first game to have retro courses. It had all the courses from Super Mario Kart, meaning it was the first game in the series to have 32 courses total.

Just saying. But yes, Mario Kart DS is great!

As excited as I am about SIXTEEN NEW TRACKS; I can't stop thinking about how this tarnishes the longevity of the game. Super Luigi Bros U was DLC but also its own game; the same can't be said for MK8 sadly. Hopefully Nintendo releases another bundle or something for the next holiday season so that this game and its additional courses can be played 30 years from now.

@Lizuka

darn. You beat me to it lol

Hmm. 8 new tracks each? Sounds like a great value. But they still need to fix battle mode.

Writer(s), you may want to add that by pre-ordering tomorrow, you can get the Yoshi colours and the Shy Guy colours instantly.

2 hours after reading this the first time and I still cant say much more than OMFG!!!!!

@Diddy_kong @Lizuka Oh Cool. Never Played Super Circuit. Maybe If it comes to Wii U virtual Console I'll pick it up.
My favorite thing to do in DS was to do a full 32 Cup race. Took a little while but it was so much fun.

WHAAAAAAAAAT!?!?! No Epona kart?

So that makes possible for C.Falcon Character DLC in the future right!?!
Dream!!

@Diddy_kong

Yeah! Great idea! Maybe Link's shells should be Cucco shaped.

DLC for Mario Kart

New tracks? I wonder what.

This is great. Hoping for retro course track packs. I would buy them all.

@SphericalCrusher
Retro Cups started in Mario Kart DS, son!

(And all the SMK courses were in Super Circuit if you want to get technical.)

Now what about Lucas DLC with Pork Bean themed kart??? AND...New Pork City TRACK WITH THE MUSIC AND STUFF!!

I love how Nintendo handles DLC. This was obviously prepared after the game was finished. Good price too and clever pre-buy campaign for discount!

@Mr-DNA Read my revised comment, son!

I like this, but I have a bad feeling this is the end of F-Zero.

Meanwhile at Nintendo HQ...

Hooray Isabelle =w=

@unrandomsam I've never played S&ASRT but shouldn't it be that the most skilled played always wins? I've heard that that game is very skill based.

I hope we can play this tracks online.

Screw you people who think DLC is lame.
Because DLC may be lame depending on how its presented. But MK8 is a complete game, so why are you complaining?