Summary
Not only did we receive a variety of new tracks inMario Kart 8 Deluxe, but between the game itself and the Booster Course passes, a good chunk of the 96 total tracks in MK8 are remakes of older classics from previous games. Old favorites are back again, with a fresh coat of paint!
But it’s not always just the aesthetics of the tracks in Mario Kart 8 that have changed with their inclusion in the newer games - some of them have received some pretty cool upgrades tp how the tracks actually play, in addition to their glossy makeovers.
Mario Kart 8 Cup
Leaf Cup
We’re not even halfway into our list and we’ve already got another course with a couple different names: Music Park or, if you’re playing the British English version of the game, Melody Motorway. This Mario Kart track is a treat for the ears with plenty of musical sounds as you race across pianos and other assorted music-themed obstacles.
Music Park didn’t get any dramatic course changesin Mario Kart 8, but what it did receive was a whole lot of fun polish that makes it even more enjoyable than before. In total, you’ll hear five different bits of music on this course, which is easily the most of any Mario Kart 8 track. Who can resist a good theme?
Shell Cup
Following a name change from Cheep Cheep Shore in its original Mario Kart DS debut on the Nintendo DS in 2005, Cheep Cheep Beach returns in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with a refreshingly tropical appeal.Racers dash across the sandand briefly through a seaside jungle in the name of being the first to cross the finish line.
One of the biggest changes Cheep Cheep Beach received in its remake is that the tide doesn’t change anymore, which changes how the titular fish behave. Not only that, but there are additional obstacles like corals in the water and muddy patches along dirt sections to add some extra challenge.
Booster Course Pack
Wave Three
Another double-name course that’s been revamped and renamed in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Rock Rock Mountain debuted in Mario Kart 7 as Alpine Pass (which it still may be, depending on your region of the world), and if you were a fan of soaring through the air before racing across the dirt in the original game, MK8’s glossy new finish on the track brings some welcomed changes.
A healthy mix of spin boosts and dash panels line the final stretch of this course now, permitting somepretty big speed boostsinto the last section of the track. Not only that, but there are extra green pipes in the section leading up to it, offering some extra chances for big boost opportunities in mid-air.
Wave Two
Though there are many Rainbow Roads like it throughout the entirety of the Mario Kart series, there’s nothing quite like the very first Rainbow Road from Super Mario Kart on the SNES. Not only has the first of what would become the series’ most infamous series of tracks gotten a new coat of paint, but it’s got some changes to the mechanics as well.
Not only is the track wider now, making for a slight improvement in navigation, but you’ll also find more banked turns if drifting is your thing. The Thwomps around the board have also gotten a size increase to make up for this change, though, and the figure-eight section that waves leading into the final stretch of the track was reworked as well.
Egg Cup
Mario Kart loves a good gimmick if nothing else, and plopping players down onto a course shaped like everyone’s favorite green Nintendo dinosaur was too good to resist doing more than once. Yoshi Circuit tasks you with driving the outline of a Yoshi silhouette, with certain parts of his body a bit trickier to navigate on a go-kart than others.
Some of the biggest changes in Yoshi Circuit in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the appearance and navigational requirements of the area in what would be his back spines. The piranha plants are in slightly different spots now, and there’s no more blockade stopping you from jetting into the flowers and losing all your precious speed.
Bell Cup
Back in Mario Kart Super Circuit for the Game Boy Advance in 2001, Ribbon Road took place amid a selection of crafting supplies, but you’ll notice that that theme has been eschewed in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Now, the ribbon in question cuts through a child’s bedroom full of toys and decoration instead of piles of presents.
The course’s design was based on three different characters, and their impact on their given section feels pretty noticeable. You’ll begin in a pink castle made in homage to Peach before moving into a spookier section with green roads and more obstacles, which wasbased on Bowser. You’ll finish the course on blue anti-gravity ribbons made to bring the feeling of Rosalina to Ribbon Road.
Crossing Cup
Cheese Land was originally supposed to have something of a lunar feel to it in Mario Kart: Super Circuit for the Game Boy Advance in 2001 – get it, because the moon is made of cheese? In Mario Kart 8, though, Cheese Land has a much more terrestrial vibe, bringing us through a wild mountainous regions composed of different cheesy varieties.
Even outside of the massive change from the moon to the mountains, there were a few changes made to the track itself, too, instead of just the setting, with a few jumps being replaced with trick ramps or sections where you’ll need to rely on your glider. Additionally, with the addition of anti-gravity, Cheese Land is now largely driven in such a state.
Wave Four
If your introduction to Kalimari Desert was in Mario Kart 64, then you’ll find quite a few changes in store when you drop onto the starting line of the track in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! There are plenty of ramps all around the map that weave between different iterations of Kalimari Desert throughout the series’ history.
Since Kalimari Desert appeared in Mario Kart Tour, too, Deluxe found a way to weave the two courses together into one more definitive version. The train moves faster now than it ever has on any iteration of the course, and if you’re feeling brave, you’re able to even choose to drive the whole course along the train tracks.Item blocks sometimes change to doubleslater in the race, too.
Wave One
Anyone who tells you they don’t like Coconut Mall is probably lying, or just doesn’t have the same soft spot for the groovy soundtrack as we do. Maybe they were stuck to the one in Mario Kart 7, though, since Coconut Mall has been completely redesigned for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Outside just the fresh coat of paint changing the decoration of the mall, the two diverging paths leading outside for the final stretch of the course each offer a different kind of boost, so the path you pick depends entirely on player preference. Not only that, but once you get out there, the cars that used to be stationary on the course are now being driven by Shy Guys who are really into showing off how well they can do donuts on the track, which spin you out if you’re hit.
