Buckle up, Mario Kart fans! Nintendo has announced the imminent arrival of a fresh dose of adrenaline-pumping action in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In the company’s latest Nintendo Direct, fans got the first taste of Wave 5 of the Mario Kart 8 DLC Booster Pack, set to speed onto the scene this summer with eight new tracks and three returning characters to the racing roster.
Prepare to leave your opponents eating dust as you zip around Squeaky Clean Sprint, an entirely original track set in an oversized, sudsy bathroom. It’s time to put the pedal to the metal across slippery tile floors, through bathtubs, and down towel-made tracks. Echoing the same fresh vibe of the Yoshi’s Island track launched in the last wave, Squeaky Clean Sprint isn’t just a nostalgic remake but an inventive addition to the game’s landscape.
As if new tracks weren’t enough to fuel the excitement, the DLC will also welcome back three familiar faces. Petey Piranha, who made his first appearance in Mario Kart: Double Dash, and Wiggler from Mario Kart 7, are making a much-anticipated return. Kamek, initially planned for Mario Kart 64 but replaced by Donkey Kong, and currently playable in Mario Kart Tour, will also be joining the racing roster for the first time on a console version.
What’s more, keen observers may have noted from the character select screen that two more characters are waiting in the wings. While Nintendo remains tight-lipped about who these mysterious characters might be, it’s clear that they are setting the stage for a thrilling climax in the final wave of DLC.
While the wait for a concrete release date continues, Nintendo’s assurance that Wave 5 is due this summer suggests that players won’t be left hanging for too long. The Booster Course Pass, priced at $25 on the Nintendo eShop or included in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscription at $50 per year, will bring the total number of tracks added to a whopping 48 across six waves.
As we hurtle toward the finish line with just one more wave left after this release, it’s clear that Nintendo is pulling out all the stops to keep the momentum going for its best-selling game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which had shifted over 53 million copies as of March 31, 2023. With the promise of more racetrack thrills and spills on the horizon, the race to the end of this year promises to be an exhilarating one for fans. The big question now is: who will be joining you on the starting grid this summer?
