How Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's DLC Paved the Road for Nintendo Switch 2's New Mario Kart

This morning, Nintendo Switch 2 was announced, alongside a brand-new entry in the Mario Kart series. As of this writing, details about the game are slim, but the announcement alone is a pretty big deal. Mario Kart 8 first released on Wii U in 2014, so this will be the first wholly new game in the series in more than a decade, outside of a pair of spin-offs. It’s been a long road for Mario’s new racing game, and today’s announcement reinforces what a good decision it was for Nintendo to focus on DLC over the last few years.

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on Switch shortly after the system’s launch. The game was an enhanced port of the Wii U title, offering some new features. For years, fans hoped to see a brand-new Mario Kart released on Switch, with rumors constantly circulating. Instead, Nintendo surprised fans in 2022 with the announcement of the Booster Course Pass. Rather than releasing a new Mario Kart, the company opted to add 48 more tracks, as well as new racers. The DLC greatly bolstered the amount of content available, and it gave fans of the game something to look forward to as each wave was released. In essence, the move kept the game alive and in the public discussion.

the mario kart 8 deluxe booster course pass added real-world locations

Nintendo has always been careful with the Mario Kart series. The company knows that the games tend to have long shelf lives, and each Nintendo platform usually only gets one game in the main series. This decision really frustrated fans that bought Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, as many felt cheated that Switch wouldn’t get a Mario Kart to truly call its own. However, Nintendo could hardly be blamed for the business decision; Mario Kart 8 only sold 8 million copies on Wii U, but the Deluxe version managed to sell more than 64 million on Switch.

The Booster Course Pass proved to be a nice compromise for Switch owners. As a result, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe got a bunch of content that wasn’t in the Wii U version, and fans had something to fill the void left by a new game in the series. While many of these tracks had appeared in previous games (such as Mario Kart Tour), some were wholly original. Many of these new additions have been embraced by fans, and the sheer number of tracks has made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the most definitive Mario Kart experience to date.

mario kart 8 deluxe had a huge impact on the super mario bros. movie

It’s been a long wait for a new Mario Kart, but today’s Switch 2 announcement made a lot of sense. While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe started on Wii U, it’s one of the games most closely associated with the Switch era. The game has arguably elevated the status of Mario Kart far beyond what it once was. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a great example of this. The animated film featured multiple direct references to that game specifically, not just the vague Mario Kart franchise as a whole. That says a lot about its cultural impact, and it was a wise move to let the game grow over time, and continue to find new fans. Showcasing this new game alongside the new hardware has gotten the whole internet talking today.

We’ve never had a Nintendo system launch with a new Mario Kart game, and we don’t necessarily know that will happen with Switch 2. However, if ever there was a time to do so, it’s now. Over 60 million people bought copies of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and those people are going to want to see what Nintendo does next with the franchise. This new game (which some are tentatively calling Mario Kart 9), is sure to be a system seller, in a way few other Nintendo franchises could manage. Had Nintendo skipped the Booster Course Pass and released a new Mario Kart on Switch, it would have assuredly sold well, but it wouldn’t have moved systems. And it likely would have pushed the next Mario Kart further into Switch 2’s lifespan. In a time where everyone is wondering if Nintendo can keep its momentum from the Switch era going, it seems likely that Mario Kart will convince a lot of people to upgrade.

Are you happy that Mario Kart is finally getting a new game? Do you think the Booster Course Pass was a good idea? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!