Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe first wave of DLC tracks released this morning and despite being out of town on a work trip, I wanted to make sure that I could at least try out each track and talk about it. There are two new cups equaling at 8 new tracks, so let’s jump in and see what there is to see!

Keep in mind that these are solely first impressions and my opinion is likely to change.

Golden Dash Cup

Paris Promenade (Mario Kart Tour)

The first track makes Paris canon in Mario Kart, so I’m not sure how to feel about that. The course itself is fairly straightforward, at least until the last lap. There’s really only one spot I kept crashing into the side of the map near the end but they have enough arrows that I was never really lost. That being said, the third lap takes you around a totally separate route which totally messed me up. I know in Mario Kart Tour there are some alternate routes in certain tracks, but I didn’t think they’d combine them into one race. That part was a pleasant surprise!

Rating: 4/5

Toad Circuit (3DS)

I remember when I got Mario Kart 7 for my 3ds. It was so exciting that I was going to be playing Mario Kart on the go and Toad Circuit was that very first track you played. (Fun fact: I’m pretty sure this course is also the practice track when you download new data in Mario Kart Tour)

The track itself is straightforward, as originally the course was an intro to the game. It looks pretty, although as detailed as the road is, the audience is still a little pixelated but didn’t detract from the overall experience, especially since I was playing in handheld mode.

Rating: 3/5

Choco Mountain (N64)

Choco Mountain was one of my favorite tracks in Mario Kart 64. The boulders falling, the falling and having to redo the lap….this new version is also pretty similar to the Mario Kart Tour version of the same track, with the big jump over a void and the bats flying out. Again not hateful but you can definitely see the similarities. They did add a gap and a guard rail to the course so you don’t have to worry about falling off as much.

One thing I didn’t care for were the couple of places where there was a high gap and there were around 10-15 paratroopas….just staring at us. Menacingly.

Rating: 3/5

Coconut Mall (Wii)

I don’t know if anyone else is seeing a trend here …. but did anyone play the Mario Kart Tour version of Coconut Mall? It’s not 1 to 1, but I think that it’s influenced. One thing that’s different is that the cars at the end DON’T MOVE! They’re also piloted by Shy Guys instead of Miis, so I don’t feel bad that my Mii PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN!

I also know some people were irritated by the arrows on the escalators but that doesn’t bother me. It helps me know why I’m struggling to go up/down.

Rating: 3/5

Lucky Cat Cup

Tokyo Blur (Mario Kart Tour)

I think I missed the part of MKT when this track was live. It was nifty. Like Paris Promenade, the course changes a lot. In fact, this one changes course each lap. I’m not sure how to feel but it did make it interesting when I thought I knew where I was going and the arrows said NOPE. The thwomps were a nice touch and it was another reminder that I still eventually want to visit Tokyo. Also Tokyo is canon in Mario Kart now.

Rating: 4/5

Shroom Ridge (DS)

Shroom Ridge is next. The course was neat and had some cool tricks you can perform if you’re feeling daring (and maybe have a mushroom). The aesthetic is very Mushroom Kingdom-y and blocky but I loved it in terms of upscaling a DS track.

Rating: 4/5

Sky Garden (GBA)

So confession: I’ve never played Mario Kart: Super Circuit, so I came into this course blind. I loved the sky aesthetic of it all and the option to bounce off mushrooms and leaves was fun. This was another course with paratroopas staring at me as I drove by. *shudders*

Rating: 4/5

Ninja Hideaway

Okay so this one I’d not heard of. Doing some research previously links this to Mario Kart Tour. The premise of this is you’re driving through a place and basically infiltrating the shy guy encampment. The cool part of this track is the multiple routes you can take, from driving on the roofs to avoiding shurikens and shy guys who disappear and leave behind bananas. Are Shy Guys part of the Yiga Clan? 🤔

Rating: 5/5

All in all this first wave was okay. I was happy to see some new, refreshing courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I’m hoping that the rest of the DLC will be this solid. I’m also hoping for Waluigi Pinball, which given the amount of tracks that were also in Mario Kart Tour, I have hope.

What did you think of the first wave of DLC tracks? Let me know in the comments or let’s talk about it in my Discord Server!