Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's next wave of courses will be bubbling up later this summer with another brand new course and three new characters.
Shown off in today's Nintendo Direct, Booster Course Pass Wave 5 is bringing Petey Piranha, Wiggler, and Kamek to the track alongside Squeaky Clean Sprint, a bathroom-themed course covered in soap suds, soap bars, and all sorts of cleaning products. We want that bathroom decor, just without the mess. Or the karts, even.
Petey Piranha first joined Mario Kart way back in Double Dash!!, with Wiggler making his racing debut in Mario Kart 7. Kamek has only been a racer in Mario Kart Tour up until now, so this marks the wizard's console racing debut.
We'll likely get a more concrete release date for Wave 5 fairly soon, along with a list of tracks we should expect. Plus. the trailer also confirmed that the rest of the DLC (Wave 6) is still aiming to be out by the end of the year.
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Are you happy with these character choices? What do you think of the new course? Let us know on the comments.
Comments 60
Petey! Nuff said
Was really hoping this would be a sneaky release for today.
Oh well, see you on September 22nd, I guess.
Only Nintendo can make a bathroom exciting for racing.
I really should get this game for whenever my brother comes over.
I just love Petey and the new course
But But the kong I WANT ME CHIMP BACK!
Petey and Kamek getting added are huge! Some absolute fan favorites, there. Really wish we could have seen more courses and a release date, but this probably means we'll get another trailer in early-mid July.
Very glad they're adding Wiggler, kind of been a notably glaring absence since it and Honey Queen were the only 7 characters not in 8 and I doubt anyone misses Honey Queen.
Looks like a fun track, plus the new characters are a very nice addition. I do wish we got infomation on a few more courses in this wave, but still happy with what we got.
Petey this, Kamek that, nonono: IT'S WIGGLER'S TIME TO SHINE BABY
I swear every wave of the BCP keep improving on itself because this somehow looks even more cool than Wave 4! An incredibly unique course idea AND 3 of the most requested racers in the series history!? SOMEBODY HOLD ME I'M GOING TO MARIO KART HEAVEN
bring me princess zeldaaaaaaaaa...plz....
If in this wave, they will add 3 characters, then, really there are chance to more characters as Pauline and Hammer Bros can add to rooster.
Interesting the new track!!
I hated the way the early DLC tracks were kinda just lazy ports of the mobile tracks and brought the overall quality of graphics and interactivity down. I felt it was making the game worse. But the recent trend of adding completely new tracks that are super cool, and adding more playable characters, they are really winning me over. All the new characters added so far have been great additions.
Looking forward to this, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed that there were no playable Kongs. Hope at least Diddy makes it into Wave 6.
So next we get a Mario Movie Donkey Kong course with Funky and Diddy, right?
Nice that we finally got to see the datamined bathroom track, but the real surprise were the characters: Petey (expected, but still great to see), Wiggler (who isn't even in Tour at the moment) AND Kamek (really wanted him to come to 8 Deluxe - also because of his history of unfortunately being cut - along with Pauline, really hope she'll be added in Wave 6) all at once?!
@samuelvictor
What? They are doing what they've been doing since the start of the DLC - adding retro tracks that have appeared in Tour with a few changes, alongside a "new" track that was almost certianly designed for Tour, but often appears in the DLC first due to timings.
I personally love all the DLC, but they haven't changed their approach.
@CharlieGirl Did you not mean, a squeaky release?
It is so nice to finally have Kamek in a console Mario Kart after he was axed from 64 over 25 years ago.
@lighteningbolt79 Well I haven't played Tour much (other than downloading it and trying it when it first came out, and being unimpressed) but my overall feeling from trying out the tracks and also from watching and listening to other people's opinions, was that the DLC tracks in the first wave were just ports of the mobile tracks and they were significantly more basic, sparse and kinda lazy feeling, compared to the original MK8 tracks.
However, some of the newer tracks in newer waves seemed to me to be higher quality and have more effort put into their designs, and also have a graphical quality closer to that of the originals. Perhaps I was wrong to assume these weren't also from/for Tour, I don't keep up with that game.
I was just saying that the early "wave" tracks didn't impress me at all, and I felt they damaged the overall quality of the game, and I actually prefered not having the DLC installed. But some of the newer tracks seem much better quality, and the fact they recently started adding new characters makes me feel that perhaps the DLC is actually improving the game overall, despite some of the tracks being detrimental to the game imo. I like having Birdo represented, so I reinstalled the DLC.
@samuelvictor
You uninstalled the DLC because the tracks were basic? Seriously?
You know what would be more lazy? Not having DLC at all, but including an extra 48 tracks with extra characters for just over £22 is hardly lazy.
Yes, they might be less detailed, but that doesn't make them lazy.
Really wish the world would move on from "I don't like it so it has to be lazy".
Personally, how much fun I had with them is what matters, and I had just as much fun with wave 1 as I did with wave 4.
@lighteningbolt79 48 tracks for that low price, makes it one of the best and most valuable season passes in games on any system.
I don't care if they did a bit less effort. It's 48 new tracks at 1080p/60, and they have upgraded graphics.
@Ryu_Niiyama Micro Machines did it 30 years ago!
KAMEK HYPE HYPE HYPE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s nice that Wiggler and Kamek are making their home console debuts. Finally on a big screen.
@IceClimbersMain MobDK is actually likely a Daisy Track so I doubt it…
I don´t care about more characters. I only play with Koopa Troopa. I´ve never chose another character in 250 hours of gameplay. I want the new tracks, baby!
@Karaya92 yeah they did that about two years ago!
@Rykdrew I’m not gonna lie, awesome choice
@lighteningbolt79 I don't want to argue, I'm glad you liked them and had fun. I'm autistic and sometimes stuff bothers me more than perhaps it should. I REALLY loved Mario Kart 9 on Wii U. Its my second favourite kart racer ever, I happily bought all of the DLC and for years it almost single handedly justified my purchase of the Wii U.
I felt dissapointed but I understood when it came to Switch at full price with what felt like barely any changes, to me (i've never really enjoyed battle modes in Mario Kart). I was very happy to hear we'd be getting a huge amount of new courses, but then was bitterly dissapointed by the fact they were so lack luster, and it felt especially insulting to the game considering how it was many years old by this point. Adding new tracks means those are the ones the most people are going to be playing - and if those trakcs are less interesting and have worse graphics, and taken from a mobile game I already didn't like? Maybe you can see why I'd feel that the game I loved so much freakin 9 years ago was being bled dry rather than properly respected...
Again, as I said, I'm autistic and sometimes overly passionate, I apologise if that seems like an over reaction. I am truly happy for those that like those tracks and have fun with them. I don't want to take that from anyone. I was trying to express that I was happy for the new characters and that some of the new tracks seemed like ones I'd actually enjoy
KAMEK FINALLY COMES TO A REAL MARIO KART GAME AAAAAAH
After having been denied his slot in both Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart 8 on Wii U (and base game Deluxe), he's finally here through the Booster Course Pass and seeing it made me super happy! Even if this was the only thing in the entire Direct that appealed to me I still wouldn't have minded honestly. XD
Still expecting a "complete" version for the Switch 2 launch, then MK9 maybe a year or 2 later.
If I didn't already own the game on Wii U...
Kamek being added is awesome, I can't wait to play as him.
Glad to see Petey is back! He’s a new main for sure. I’m also happy to see Kamek get justice even though I’m a Donkey Kong fan. He was out of the series for FAR too long outside of Tour. I still want to see another Kong like Diddy or Funky but it’s likely not going to be both now.
@JohnnyMind I'd love Pauline to be added! She was always on my wishlist alongside Diddy, Dixie, Tom Nook (we have Isabelle, so why not? ), Pac Man (he's in the arcade games!) and Kirby (we had Zelda and Animal crossing DLC, surely Kirby should be next?).
Of course, I'd knaw someone's arm off for Sonic characters too. I don't think thats likely to happen unless for MK9 they do a full "Smash Bros" style adding characters from all kinds of games from different companies. Certainly seems possible given Mario and Sonic team up in other games, though Sega might not want that if they plan on keeping releasing their own Kart racers from time to time.
Overall I have liked the DLC track a lot with just a few duds. I like th characters they've added hwre too. Still waiting for my Wii main, Diddy though. Lol.
I actually thought Kamek would get added. Was surprised by Wiggler. Petey Piranha, I thought was possible but wasn't sure he'd actually be in.
@Ryu_Niiyama there was a bathroom track in the original micro machines on the megadrive.. still have the gameboy port.
@samuelvictor Unfortunately doubt we'll see characters from other series as just like the courses these are also from Tour (with the exception of Wiggler, but I'm sure it's eventually coming to that) while Pauline and Diddy are definitely possible, fingers crossed for them!
For the next game yeah, more characters from other Nintendo series and possibly beyond would be the dream!
Bathroom track is a bit random but I dig the design, gave me micro machine flashbacks
@MarioFan432 Many, me included, expected Petey because the track Piranha Plant Cove is based on him while Wiggler in particular since it isn't even in Tour currently and Kamek (so three characters in total, thought we'd get only two in this wave) are quite the surprise and a really pleasant one!
Ah i see petey in piranha cove.. so that’s a lock too i guess
@JohnnyMind Yes it seems more likely that it will happen with Mario Kart 9 - at least a more "Nintendo Kart" style thing adding more Nintendo characters... but then as I said we already have Link and Isabelle who broke that rule (not to mention their tracks) so it wouldn't be breaking too many rules to add Tom Nook, Kirby... more Kongs etc.
I know Pac Man seems an out-there choice but as I said he's in all the Mario Kart arcade games, so its "in universe" so to speak. And if they go so far as adding non-Nintendo characters then that obviously opens the floodgates. Personally if they do that, I hope they mostly stick to "cartoony" characters though, for me, Smash Ultimate has a few too many realistically proportioned human characters and it loses some of the appeal of the earlier lineups because of it.
@Megayoshi96 It made me think of Micro Machines as well. I'd love more "IRL locations but you are shrunken" style tracks. My favourites in the Micro Machines games were the pool tables.
@JohnnyMind I still wasn't sure on him but I did see it being possible. Kamek though, I thought he's one of the characters people really want a lot and it makes sense to include him. I thought the PM:tOK, MP:SS, SMP trend would get added here.
I never played Tour though. It looks good for a mobile game. I'm also surprised they gave 3 characters in one go, it's a nice move.
might main petey over waluigi now or wiggler on wiggler
It really took Nintendo 25 years to return Kamek back to Mario Kart. 25 years, that's how long I live to see the impossible possible.
You guys are never gonna guess my new main!
@samuelvictor The thing is, we got Link etc. as part of the 8 DLC while they specifically mentioned characters from previous games in the series if I recall correctly other than obviously taking them from Tour just like the tracks so unfortunately we'll almost surely have to wait until the next game for more of those.
That said, I totally get you about Pac-Man, I know about the arcade Mario Kart games and luckily enough got to play one of them (although unfortunately without the actual controls, they installed it on a normal cabinet)!
@Serpenterror I remember seeing those portraits in the screenshots of previews in magazines back in the day, back when it was still called "Mario Kart R". Around the same time as Wave Race being futuristic boats, rather than people on jetskis! Those early days waiting for info about the "Ultra 64" were SO exciting to me and I ate up any and all info I could find. I had a vhs where I'd recorded a TV show previewing Mario 64 at the Shoshinkai show in 1995, and I rewatched the tape so often it literally wore thin and broke!
All in all I'm glad that they added Donkey Kong instead of Kamek, but I remember wishing they kept him and had both of them. Its great to finally have him back in 🥰
@JohnnyMind Yes I tend to agree with you that keeping them til the next game is the most likely thing. For now though, it just leaves this weird awkward phase inbetween where we have Isabelle, Link, and the Inklings (I forgot about them in my previous replies!) as odd ones out in an otherwise 100% Mario universe game. But its smart to save a wider character roster for MK9 on whatever the next hardware is, that would really raise a lot of hype.
PPPEEEETTTTTEEEY! MY LOVE <3
Captain Falcon Mii Suit, you have served me well.
Now MK8 is perfect.
Petey is perfect. His pants are perfect.
Yes, Kamek is finally playable! (in console)
This package just gets better and better
Petey Piranha!!!!!
@Ryu_Niiyama Micro Machines says Hi!
@samuelvictor @JohnnyMind I wouldn't hold my breath for Pac-Man. He and Taiko only got in as easter eggs because the arcade games were developed by Namco for Nintendo.
@Narrator1 Yes, I was aware of that, but it at least means that there's an existing precident both for them working together (not to mention him being in smash too) and also him being in multiple existing Mario Kart games. I'm sure they are on good terms and if Nintendo wanted to include him, Bandai Namco would bend over backwards to make it happen for the prestige (and rpesumably cash).
I find the whole arcade thing fascinating - those games run on the "Triforce" arcade board, so called both because its extremely similar to the Nintendo Gamecube architecture (and therefore you can play all the games on a Wii or Wii U very easily without emulation! ) but also because it was a joint venture between 3 companies, Nintendo, Sega, and Namco. If you'd have told me in the 90s that those 3 companies would develop a platform together and start making games for each other (Sega developing the F Zero games, Namco doing the Mario Karts, etc!) I would have never believed you.
@Serpenterror tour is an official mk, they wouldnt port tour tracks if it wasnt.
Nintendo knows a lot of Switch gamers play in the bathroom anyway.
This is a big year for Kamek. Perhaps he's the next spinoff character? 😂
Now I will be seeing Wiggler on a Wiggler bike. Can't make this stuff up.
@Narrator1 Of course, but if we get more characters from other franchises in the next Mario Kart I wouldn't be surprised if they included Pac-Man because of Nintendo and Bandai Namco's relationship which has got only better since the arcade games more than his inclusion in those (although it would be cool if they at least acknowledged it)!
@samuelvictor Didn't know about the arcade board for those games, interesting!
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