For nearly a full year the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass has been the gift that keeps on giving. We’ve now reached the halfway point of the DLC with 24 of the 48 upcoming tracks added to the game. While it was originally believed that it would only be previous courses added, Nintendo dropped the pleasant surprise of two brand new tracks.
So far almost every track has been exceptional. The Mario Kart Tour additions have far exceeded my expectations and the brand new tracks are dramatically improved over the original Mario Kart 8 courses.
When the Booster Course Pass was first announced I presented five tracks that were absolutely mandatory to make the cut, which can be found here. Nintendo hasn’t taken all of my suggestions, but I won’t fly to Japan to make it happen just yet.
To celebrate the halfway point, here are five more tracks that deserve to make their appearance in the second half of the DLC.
Daisy Cruiser
Look at Daisy. Now back at me. We’re on a boat.
The beauty of Daisy Cruiser comes from the uniqueness of the obstacles and elevation. There’s not many tracks that have the player dodge sliding dining tables before going underwater inside of a boat. The elevation helps keep the track fresh and the player makes satisfying turns up and down winding staircases. The early symmetry of the course and the branching shortcut gives the player multiple solid options on how they want to tackle the race.
If Daisy Cruiser does make they cut, hopefully they create a hybrid between the Tour and 3DS versions. The Tour version has stationary dining tables, which makes the track feel less interesting in my opinion.
Dino Dino Jungle
Similar to Daisy Cruiser, obstacles truly shine on this track. What’s not to love about dodging the stomp of a dinosaur? The best aspect of Dino Dino Jungle is that it rewards mechanically gifted players in back to back segments. This track features two perilous bridges before throwing the player along the ledge of a cliff. The quicker of the two bridges features a boost pad and the cliffside is full of constant trick opportunities.
The safe player can take the longer (and still dangerous) bridge and pull off less tricks along the cliff, but they’ll be left in the dust. Talented players who take the risks and hit every trick show how much of a skill gap Dino Dino Jungle has to offer.
Airship Fortress
Airship Fortress is a track that really sells the atmosphere. Beyond the convincing view, this course thrives off of sexy turns and obstacles focused on displacement. From the massive Bullet Bills to the Monty Moles and fire coming from the ceiling, all the player has to do is keep their wits about them on this mechanically relaxed track.
The main highlight of this track is the satisfyingly long drift down a winding spire that the player gets to hold as they close out the lap. Given that Airship Fortress made a recent appearance in Mario Kart Tour, it seems likely that this track is due to make an appearance.
Peach Beach
Peach Beach boasts a healthy balance of being a joyride while keeping the player on their toes. While the track is simplistic at its core, there’s constant wrinkles being presented through the water and Cataquacks. The water in particular deserves the spotlight because it’s one of the largest cycle-dependent obstacles in the entire franchise. This cycle rears its ugly head when unsuspecting players take the early shortcut ramp only to land in water.
Besides the sneaky Cataquacks, Peach Beach also shows an interesting use of terrain types. During the beach segment there’s boostable water terrain on the left and a thin stone path along the right. Skillful players will use both to their advantage, especially to use the stone path to create a powerful turn before the final stretch. Few tracks are more enjoyable than Peach Beach and I pray to see it make the cut.
Bowser’s Castle 3
Out of everything that’s been released with the DLC, one course type has been strangely absent: Bowser’s Castle. While there’s plenty of options to choose from, Bowser Castle 3 is far and away the frontrunner. Players should be able to immediately notice its unique feature: every turn is a 90 degree angle. While the geometry is interesting, the majority of the track is an easy ride.
That is, until the stretch of death. Halfway into the course players are greeted with a long path where they must jump over five lava pits while dodging fireballs. Players that learn to navigate this stretch as well as the potentially pace-altering Thwomps are able to feel pure satisfaction as they dominate Bowser’s Castle 3.