Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

This article is about the Nintendo Switch port of the Mario Kart 8 game. For the game's original version, see Mario Kart 8.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
North American box art of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo EPD
BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc.
Publisher Nintendo
Tencent Games (China)
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch
Release date Japan April 28, 2017
USA April 28, 2017
Mexico April 28, 2017[1]
Europe April 28, 2017
Australia April 28, 2017
HK April 28, 2017[2]
South Korea December 15, 2017[3]
ROC December 15, 2017[4]
China March 16, 2020[5]
Language(s) Deutsch
English (United Kingdom)
English (United States)
Español (España)
Español (Latinoamérica)
Français (Canada)
Français (France)
Italiano
Nederlands
Português (Portugal)
Русский
한국어
日本語
简体中文1
繁體中文
1 - The global and domestic versions have slightly different localizations.
Genre Racing
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
DEJUS:L - General audience
RARS:0+ - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
CADPA:8+ - Eight years and older
GSRR:P - Six years and older
FPB:PG - Parental guidance
GCAM:3 - Three years and older
NMC:7 - Seven years and older
Mode(s) Single Player, Multiplayer, Online Play, Wireless Play
Media
Nintendo Switch:
Game Card
Digital download
Input
Nintendo Switch:

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a racing game in the Mario Kart series for the Nintendo Switch which was first released on April 28, 2017. The game is the first Super Mario game overall to be released for the Nintendo Switch. It is an enhanced port of Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. The base game contains additional content such as several new characters and an overhauled Battle Mode with new courses and modes. First teased in the Switch's announcement video on October 20, 2016, the game was formally announced as part of the Nintendo Switch presentation on January 13, 2017.

From 2022 to the end of 2023, new race courses and returning characters[6] are being added via the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass paid DLC. An edition of the game that has the Booster Course Pass activated from the start, titled the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle (Game + Booster Course Pass), is available for purchase digitally.[7]

Controls

Dual Joy-Con / Pro Controller

  •   or  /  or tilt: Steer
  •   or   up or   or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
  •   or   down: Brake/reverse
  •  / : Use horn/item
  •  / : Hop/drift/trick
  •   or  /  or tilt +   or   up or   or auto-accelerate +  / : Drift
  •  : Rear view

GameCube Controller

  •   or  : Steer
  •   or   up or   or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
  •   or   down: Brake/Reverse
  •  : Use horn/item
  •   or  : Hop/drift/trick
  •   or   +   or   up or   or auto-accelerate +  / : Drift
  •  : Rear view

Joy-Con (sideways)

  •   or tilt: Steer
  •   or   or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
  •  : Brake/reverse
  •  : Use horn/item
  •  : Hop/drift/trick
  •   or tilt +   or   or auto-accelerate +  : Drift
  •  : Rear view

Toy-Con Motorbike

  • Tilt: Steer
  •   forward tilt or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
  •  : Brake / reverse
  •  : Use horn/item
  •  : Hop / trick
  • Tilt +   forward tilt or auto-accelerate +  : Drift
  •  : Switch view

Toy-Con Car

  • Tilt: Steer
  • Pedal half press or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
  •  : Use horn/item
  • Pedal full press: Hop / trick
  • Tilt + pedal full press: Drift
  •  : Switch view

Differences from the original

 
Mario driving with Smart Steering activated, indicated by the antenna at the back of the kart

The game features most of the base and DLC content of Mario Kart 8. Content excluded includes Miiverse compatibility, stamps, and the ability to upload Highlight Reels on YouTube - all of which were discontinued on the Wii U version when Miiverse was terminated on November 7, 2017. Battle Mode has been significantly altered.

Characters that were originally unlockable or exclusive to downloadable content in Mario Kart 8 are available from the start in this game, marking the largest starting roster of any Mario Kart game.

Characters can now carry up to two items at once, even if they do not equip the first item, and the game features the return of the Double Item Box from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The game also introduces Smart Steering and Auto-Accelerate for beginners; the former makes staying on the track easier by automatically steering the vehicle away from edges on the track, while the latter makes the vehicle automatically accelerate (though this is not available in Battle Mode). If the Smart Steering mode is on, the player's vehicle will have a black antenna sticking out of its rear end; this antenna blinks yellow and bends when Smart Steering is in effect. Smart Steering and Auto-Accelerate can be toggled on and off individually for each player in the vehicle part selection menu and in the pause menu. There is also an additional level of Mini-Turbo, called Ultra Mini-Turbo, denoted by purple (pink in the British English version) sparks that appear after the orange sparks. This new level of Mini-Turbo can only be used if Smart Steering is off.

200cc engine class for Time Trials has been added (separately recorded from the 150cc Time Trials). There are new staff ghosts for 200cc, while some of the 150cc staff ghosts have slightly different times compared to the original.

The game also features an in-game guide, directly accessible from the game's menu; this guide explains various techniques, Battle Mode, and the functions of each item.

The vehicle parts that are exclusive to downloadable content in Mario Kart 8 (i.e. parts included within the Mercedes-Benz × Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8, and Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 add-on packs) are now accessible in the base game and are randomly unlocked by collecting coins during gameplay.

There are more individual character weight classes when compared to the Wii U game, with several returning characters having different statistics, thus resulting in fewer characters having the same stats as each other. Similarly, the statistics of some vehicle parts have been altered, and certain physics elements, such as the speed increase per stat and the acceleration tiers, have been adjusted.

Red Shells and Spiny Shells are now slower when they lock onto their target, meaning players are able to outrun them in 200cc when they have any kind of speed boost.

The overall game difficulty has been reduced, as CPUs slow down closer to the player when compared to the original version, and do not charge Mini Turbos or Super Mini Turbos as quickly. The default speed of the CPUs in the Normal and Easy difficulties has also been reduced. CPU players now have a chance to obtain Triple Red Shells from Item Boxes, but this primarily only happens in the Shells Only item setting.

Online lobbies have been changed in that players playing Worldwide or Regional VS Races between 1000 VR and 3000 VR will be randomized either a 100cc or 150cc race, and starting at over 3000 VR, players will now be randomized a 150cc, Mirror, or 200cc race. The engine class for the upcoming race in a race lobby is now shown in the lobby as the course is selected, via a "50", "100", "150", mirrored "150" (for Mirror), or "200" icon in the bottom right of the selected course icon. This extends to online battle lobbies, which will display a symbol of a yellow balloon (for Balloon Battle), a potted Piranha Plant (for Renegade Roundup), a coin (for Coin Runners), a Shine Sprite (for Shine Thief), or a Bob-omb (for Bob-omb Blast) to denote which battle mode is about to be played. There is also an option to change character and vehicle combinations in an online lobby without having to leave; this is done by pressing   (  when playing with a single Joy-Con) during the course selection of an online lobby. The Mii characters that represent the players in online lobbies wear racing suits, unlike in the original version in which they wore their regular outfits. The Mii of the previous race or battle's winner will also wear a crown identical to the one worn by the first-place player in Battle Mode. The newly added wireless and LAN modes use a very similar lobby to the online lobby, albeit visually set in a garage rather than on a globe.

Players can now see the lap count or timer when spectating an online race or battle respectively. However, it is no longer possible to see the lap count when crossing the finish line nor the full results in multiplayer (including online lobbies) at the end of the race while watching Highlight Reels via Mario Kart TV.

The game now mostly renders in native 1920x1080 resolution in TV mode (sometimes switching to native 1728x972), and always renders at native 1280x720 resolution in Tabletop and Handheld Mode, instead of the dynamic 1280x720/1152x648 rendering resolution used in the original Wii U version. Motion blur when boosting is present in LAN and online mode, and in earlier builds, it was also present in splitscreen multiplayer.[8] The shadows present in the game are of higher quality in multiplayer.

If a Blooper is about to ink the player as they cross the finish line, the player will now still get inked.[9] This is unlike the Wii U version, where the Blooper or the ink disappeared instead. Characters also no longer verbally react when they are inked by a Blooper.

The course map color for the race courses is now white instead of blue, including the maps of all three Rainbow Roads and GCN Baby Park, which originally had multiple colors. However, the battle courses have color-shaded areas and lines on their maps to make it easier for players to determine where they are. The character icons on the course map are now slightly larger, more detailed, and of a higher resolution. In a race, the first place player no longer has a crown on their mini-map icon, though they still do in battles. When a Bob-omb or Spiny Shell explodes, its explosion is now shown on the course map. When playing with the map enabled in local splitscreen multiplayer, there will only be one map in the center of the screen, rather than each player having their own copy of the map like in the Wii U version.

All courses that feature confetti flying around the start/finish line, such as Mario Circuit, now also have confetti on the ground of the course near it.[10]

When using the rearview mirror, the character will now move their eyes slightly to the left to look back, like how they do in Mario Kart Wii; however, their eyes will stay looking to the left as long as the rearview is active, rather than switching back after a second like in Mario Kart Wii.

Inkling Girl, Isabelle, and Link now appear on the loading screen, and the game also has reduced loading times when compared to the Wii U game; as a result, the second set of characters that originally appeared on the loading screen are almost never seen before the game finishes loading.

When playing with teams, flags colored to correspond to the teams are added behind the vehicles. If Smart Steering is on, then the Smart Steering antenna serves as the pole of the flag. These flags do not appear in Balloon Battle nor Bob-omb Blast, as the color of the balloons show the teams in these modes.

Battle Mode

 
Inkling Girl, Link, Mario, and Isabelle in Battle Stadium.

The biggest change made between Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the original release of Mario Kart 8 is the Battle Mode. Battle Mode now returns to the arena-based battle and unlike previous games, each player starts with five balloons, as opposed to three. Another addition to Battle Mode is that the character in the lead now wears a crown, unlike in Mario Kart 8 where the crown is displayed only on the HUD map. Additionally, players now start out with zero points instead of Mario Kart 8's default three points, and their balloons do not serve as the remaining three points. Returning from Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 is the ability to respawn after all balloons are popped; this causes the player's total score to halve and the player respawns with three balloons instead of five. A new addition to this mode is the feature to tell exactly which character hit whom, which appears on the bottom of the screen. Furthermore, after getting hit, players now have about 1.5 seconds of invincibility frames, unlike in Mario Kart 8. The item options also appear to have been updated; alongside the "Frantic Items" option, which chooses powerful items more frequently, a "Skilled Items" option is also available for selection; in this option, powerful items appear less frequently, similar to Mario Kart Wii's "Strategic" ("Basic" in the British English version) item option.

There are five different Battle Mode types:

  • Balloon Battle: The classic mode where players use items to pop opponents' balloons or steal them in order to score points. This mode now uses the point-based set-up seen in Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7, rather than the survival set-up of Mario Kart 8 and earlier installments prior to Mario Kart Wii.
  • Renegade Roundup: A new mode in the vein of "cops and robbers", with the racers being divided into two teams. One team, known as "The Authorities", has to use Piranha Plant items (which are permanently attached to the front of their vehicle and only serve to capture the opposing team; they do not operate like the regular item) in order to capture players from the other team, known as "The Renegades". Captured Renegades are placed into one of several jail cells floating above various points on the stage. Remaining Renegades can free their teammates by driving over a key switch placed below the jail cells. The Renegades win if at least one member is still running free when time runs out, and the Authorities win if all of the Renegades get captured. All Authority team members also temporarily lose their ability to capture after being hit by an item and Renegades receive a speed boost and temporary immunity when they are freed from the cells.
  • Bob-omb Blast: A returning mode from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, in which players attack one another using Bob-ombs to score points and can carry up to 10 Bob-ombs. This version follows nearly all of the same rules as Balloon Battle, the differences being these: the only items are Bob-ombs, players cannot be hurt by their own Bob-ombs exploding, and Bob-ombs thrown forward explode instantly.
  • Coin Runners: Originating in Mario Kart Wii, this mode was last seen in Mario Kart 7. Players must collect Coins scattered across the course in order to have the most by the end of the match. Plays more akin to the Mario Kart Wii version of the mode, with players having no limit to the amount of coins they can collect, as opposed to the 10-coin limit in the Mario Kart 7 version.
  • Shine Thief: Another returning mode from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, one player must retrieve a Shine Sprite and keep hold of it for about 20 seconds, while the opponents use items against whoever has the Shine to force that player to drop it. The driver holding the shine sprite has a slightly reduced top speed. In Team play, one team must collectively manage to hold on to the Shine for about 30 seconds.

There is also the option to randomly select one of the five available modes by choosing "Random Battle".

Characters

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Character select screen at launch (top) and with Gold Mario unlocked and all current DLC characters downloaded (bottom)

All base and DLC characters from Mario Kart 8 are present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Additionally, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features characters not present in Mario Kart 8. Of these, returning characters include Bowser Jr., King Boo, and Dry Bones, who were last playable in Mario Kart Wii, Gold Mario (as a variant of Metal Mario), who was previously playable in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, Birdo, who was added with the fourth wave of the Booster Course Pass, Petey Piranha and Kamek, who are set to be added with the fifth wave of the Booster Course Pass, and Wiggler, who is also set to be added with the fifth Booster Course Pass wave and will be playable in the series for the first time since Mario Kart 7. At least two additional returning characters will be available in the sixth wave.[6] In addition, two new non-Super Mario characters are included, being the Inklings from Splatoon. Players can choose either the Inkling Girl or Inkling Boy, and they include three selectable colors each; additionally, the two Villagers have also been separated, after being present in the same character slot (with the female Villager being considered a variant of the male one) in Mario Kart 8.[11] Excluding character variants, there is currently a total of 43 playable characters in this game.

There is only one unlockable character in this game, that being Gold Mario. He is unlocked by clearing all cups of the 200cc Grand Prix. Additionally, the version 1.6.0 update added a new variant for Link based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. When Gold Mario is unlocked and Breath of the Wild Link is downloaded, they become the default variations of their character, while Metal Mario and Skyward Sword Link are relegated to alternate costumes. Despite the Breath of the Wild Link being treated as an alternate costume for Link in menus and in promotional material, he is actually treated as a separate character in-game, as both Links can appear in races or battles as CPU simultaneously even if neither has been selected.

Characters, variants, and Mii Racing Suits playable in this game that were not playable in the original Mario Kart 8 are listed in italics.

Mario Luigi Peach Daisy Rosalina Tanooki Mario Cat Peach Birdo (DLC, Wave 4)
               
Yoshi Toad Koopa Troopa Shy Guy Lakitu Toadette King Boo Petey Piranha (DLC, Wave 5)[12]
               
Baby Mario Baby Luigi Baby Peach Baby Daisy Baby Rosalina Metal Mario Pink Gold Peach Wiggler (DLC, Wave 5)[12]
               
Wario Waluigi Donkey Kong Bowser Dry Bones Bowser Jr. Dry Bowser Kamek (DLC, Wave 5)[12]
               
Lemmy Larry Wendy Ludwig Iggy Roy Morton ???
               
Inkling Girl (new) Inkling Boy (new) Link Villager (Male) Villager (Female) Isabelle Mii ???
               

Alternate costumes

With the exceptions of Link and the Inklings, the displayed name of the character changes based on the costume that is selected.

 
Yoshi
Light-blue Yoshi Black Yoshi Red Yoshi Yellow Yoshi White Yoshi Blue Yoshi Pink Yoshi Orange Yoshi
               
 
Shy Guy
Light-blue Shy Guy Black Shy Guy Green Shy Guy Yellow Shy Guy White Shy Guy Blue Shy Guy Pink Shy Guy Orange Shy Guy
               
 
Metal Mario
Gold Mario*  
Link
Link (Champion's Tunic) (version 1.6.0)*
   
 
Inkling Girl
Inkling Girl (lime green) Inkling Girl (magenta)  
Inkling Boy
Inkling Boy (purple) Inkling Boy (teal)
       
 
Birdo
Birdo (Light Blue) Birdo (Black) Birdo (Red) Birdo (Yellow) Birdo (White) Birdo (Blue) Birdo (Green) Birdo (Orange)
               

* - This costume is used as the select icon for the base character on the main select screen once it is available.

Mii Racing Suits

Normal Suits
Normal Suit (Red) Normal Suit (Orange) Normal Suit (Yellow) Normal Suit (Light-green) Normal Suit (Green) Normal Suit (Blue)
File:Mii Racing Suit Red.png File:Mii Racing Suit Orange.png File:Mii Racing Suit Yellow.png File:Mii Racing Suit Light Green.png File:Mii Racing Suit Green.png File:Mii Racing Suit Blue.png
Normal Suit (Light-blue) Normal Suit (Pink) Normal Suit (Purple) Normal Suit (Brown) Normal Suit (White) Normal Suit (Black)
File:Mii Racing Suit Cyan.png File:Mii Racing Suit Pink.png File:Mii Racing Suit Purple.png File:Mii Racing Suit Brown.png File:Mii Racing Suit White.png File:Mii Racing Suit Black.png
amiibo Suits
Mario Suit Luigi Suit Peach Suit Yoshi Suit Donkey Kong Suit Hylian Suit Captain Falcon Suit
File:Mii Racing Suit Mario.png File:Mii Racing Suit Luigi.png File:Mii Racing Suit Peach.png File:Mii Racing Suit Yoshi.png File:Mii Racing Suit DK.png File:Mii Racing Suit Link.png File:Mii Racing Suit Captain Falcon.png
Kirby Suit Varia Suit Fox Suit Toad Suit Bowser Suit Wario Suit Rosalina Suit
File:Mii Racing Suit Kirby.png File:Mii Racing Suit Samus.png File:Mii Racing Suit Fox.png File:Mii Racing Suit Toad.png File:Mii Racing Suit Bowser.png File:Mii Racing Suit Wario.png File:Mii Racing Suit Rosalina.png
Pikmin Suit Animal Crossing Suit Mega Man Suit PAC-MAN Suit Sonic Suit Splatoon Suit
File:Mii Racing Suit Olimar.png File:Mii Racing Suit Animal Crossing.png File:Mii Racing Suit Mega Man.png File:Mii Racing Suit Pac-Man.png File:Mii Racing Suit Sonic.png File:Mii Racing Suit Inkling.png

Rival order

Like in Mario Kart 8, characters have set rivals that consistently appear when racing in Grand Prix races. They are once again restricted to Grand Prix only, not appearing in single player versus or battle mode. Unlike the previous game, more characters have rivals: the twelve characters from the previous game who had rivals retain their rivals in this game, while other characters range from having one to two rivals each, or even none at all.

Rival Order
Player Opponent(s) Player Opponent(s) Player Opponent(s)
             
             
              
             
           
           
           
   
             
             
            None
            
  None         
            
  None       None

Vehicle parts

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features six additional vehicle body parts. One is the Koopa Clown, returning from Mario Kart 7. Two new vehicles are Splatoon-based ATVs; the Splat Buggy and Inkstriker. These three change their colors for certain characters: the former for the Koopalings, and the latter two for all Inkling variations. Version 1.6.0 adds the Master Cycle Zero, Ancient Tires, and Paraglider. In total, there are 41 vehicle bodies, 22 tires, and 15 gliders, resulting in up to 13,530 different combinations.

Computer-controlled characters now choose from a wider variety of kart parts than in the original version, such as the Flame Rider and the Sports Coupe. However, they are still restricted to a set amount of body parts per character. A CPU Baby Daisy has the tendency to use the Wild Wiggler with Wood tires, for example.

Available parts

The parts available are listed here in the order shown in the vehicle customization screen, with the following notation:

  • Bold = Part is available at the start.
  • * = Changes color, depending on the character.
  • ** = Changes color for the Koopalings.
  • *** = Changes color for Daisy, Baby Daisy, Rosalina, and Baby Rosalina.
  • **** = Changes color for the Inklings.
  • (DX) = Part is not available in the original Mario Kart 8.
  • (NEW) = Part is introduced in this game.

The "8" logos on the parts are replaced with the driver's emblem, except on the Gold Standard and Gold Glider.

Karts

Standard bikes

Sport bikes

ATVs

Tires

Gliders

CPU combinations

All characters in the game except for variants (besides Champion's Tunic Link) and Miis can be used by CPUs. Each of these characters have four different combinations of vehicle parts that they can use as CPUs. These combinations are listed below.

AI Combinations
Player Combination 1 Combination 2 Combination 3 Combination 4
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 

Drivers' and vehicle parts' statistics

For the in-game tables from which these values were derived and for the tables to translate those values into the actual statistics used by the game, see Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in-game statistics.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features different statistics with respect to Mario Kart 8.

Statistics shown in the vehicle customization screen

Just like Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, the game uses "points" ("PT") which are conferred by characters and vehicle parts to determine the final values of the game's statistics. In each statistics, the points given by the character, body, tires, and glider are summed to obtain a final value called "Level" ("Lv") which is then used by a table to convert the level into appropriate physical parameters used by the game. There are a total of 8,064 different stat combinations. The Level of five statistics is displayed in the vehicle customization screen:

  • Speed: The top speed of the vehicle on land with normal gravity.
  • Acceleration: How fast the speed increases when holding the acceleration button until top speed has been reached.
  • Weight: The weight of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher weight knock away vehicles with lower weight.
  • Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle on land with normal gravity. A higher stat means vehicles turn sharper, and will continue turning normally for longer before automatically initiating a drift.
  • Traction (Grip in the British English version): The grasp of the vehicle to the ground while off-road. Vehicles with higher traction slip less on certain terrain and can stay stable on the road better. Not to be confused with handling.

Said Level is represented through bars by adding three points to the sum of points, then dividing the result by four, resulting in values ranging from 0.75 to 5.75. As an example, the process through which the statistics of a certain combination of character and vehicle parts are calculated and displayed is shown below:

 
A combination consisting of Dry Bones, Flame Rider, Standard Tires, and Super Glider.
Element Points conferred
Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction
 
Dry Bones
2 5 1 8 4
 
 Flame Rider
2 5 1 4 5
 
 Standard Tires
2 4 2 3 5
 
 Super Glider
1 1 1 1 1
Final values Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction
Level 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 =
7
5 + 5 + 4 + 1 =
15
1 + 1 + 2 + 1 =
5
8 + 4 + 3 + 1 =
16
4 + 5 + 5 + 1 =
15
Value shown in the vehicle customization screen (7 + 3) / 4 = 10 / 4 =
2.5
(15 + 3) / 4 = 18 / 4 =
4.5
(5 + 3) / 4 = 8 / 4 =
2
(16 + 3) / 4 = 19 / 4 =
4.75
(15 + 3) / 4 = 18 / 4 =
4.5
 
The values actually shown in the vehicle customization screen, matching the values calculated.

Drivers' statistics

Drivers are still grouped into small groups of characters sharing the same statistics, the number of groups has been increased with respect to Mario Kart 8.

In addition to the statistics shown in the vehicle customization screen, there are the following statistics:

  • Water Speed: The top speed of the vehicle while driving underwater.
  • Air Speed: The top speed of the vehicle while gliding.
  • Anti-Gravity Speed: The top speed of the vehicle in anti-gravity mode.
  • Water Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle while driving underwater.
  • Air Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle while gliding.
  • Anti-Gravity Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle in anti-gravity mode.
  • Mini-Turbo: The length of the vehicle's mini-turbo speed boosts and how fast mini-turbos can be charged. Also affects the length of jump boosts from tricks.
  • Invincibility: The length of time the vehicle is invincible after spinning out. Added in v2.2.0.[13]

Just like in Mario Kart 8, Miis can be Light, Medium, or Heavy, depending on their height and weight.

The statistics are shown in points.

Drivers' Statistics
Vehicle size Character Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction Mini-Turbo Invincibility
Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity
Small    1 1 1 1 4 0 10 10 10 10 5 5 6
   1 1 1 1 5 0 9 9 9 9 3 5 6
     2 2 2 2 5 1 8 8 8 8 4 5 6
    3 3 3 3 5 2 7 7 7 7 2 4 5
    3 3 3 3 4 2 8 8 8 8 5 4 5
    4 4 4 4 4 3 7 7 7 7 4 4 4
Medium     5 5 5 5 4 3 6 6 6 6 3 3 4
     6 6 6 6 3 4 5 5 5 5 3 4 3
    6 6 6 6 3 5 5 5 5 5 1 3 3
    7 7 7 7 2 6 4 4 4 4 2 3 3
   7 7 7 7 2 6 5 5 5 5 1 3 3
    8 8 8 8 1 10 3 3 3 3 1 1 1
Large      8 8 8 8 1 7 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
    9 9 9 9 1 8 2 2 2 2 0 1 1
   10 10 10 10 0 9 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
    10 10 10 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Parts' statistics

The number of groups of vehicle parts sharing the same statistics has increased as well when compared with Mario Kart 8.

The statistics are reported in points. There is an unused stat for on-road traction, which can be viewed here.

Bodies' Statistics
Body Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction Mini-Turbo Invincibility
Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity
   3 3 3 3 4 2 3 2 3 3 3 5 3
  3 3 3 3 4 2 3 2 3 3 3 5 4
  1 3 1 1 6 1 5 4 2 4 4 6 2
   1 3 1 1 6 1 5 4 2 4 4 6 1
   3 3 4 5 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 5 4
  3 3 4 5 3 3 2 2 2 4 4 5 3
   4 5 0 2 1 4 1 5 1 1 3 3 6
  4 5 0 2 1 4 1 5 1 1 3 3 5
   2 2 4 3 5 2 4 2 4 3 3 6 3
 * * 2 2 4 3 5 2 4 2 4 3 3 6 2
    5 1 2 4 1 3 1 1 0 2 1 2 6
   5 2 1 3 0 4 0 1 0 1 5 1 7
  5 2 1 3 0 4 0 1 0 1 5 1 6
  4 3 3 3 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 4 5
 * * 4 3 3 3 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 4 3
   0 1 1 2 7 0 5 4 4 5 4 7 0
  1 5 2 0 6 0 4 5 3 2 6 6 1
  1 5 2 0 6 0 4 5 3 2 6 6 2
  4 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 0 4 5
  4 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 0 4 4
 * 4 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 0 4 3
   2 2 3 4 5 1 4 3 3 4 5 5 2
  2 2 3 4 5 1 4 3 3 4 5 5 1
  2 2 3 4 5 1 4 3 3 4 5 5 3
  4 2 3 4 3 0 2 3 1 5 3 4 4
  4 2 3 4 3 0 2 3 1 5 3 4 3
  2 4 3 3 2 3 4 4 3 3 7 4 4
   2 4 3 3 2 3 4 4 3 3 7 4 3
Tires' Statistics
Tire Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction Mini-Turbo Invincibility
Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity
   2 3 3 2 4 2 3 3 3 3 5 4 3
  2 3 3 2 4 2 3 3 3 3 5 4 4
   2 2 1 2 2 4 0 1 1 0 7 3 5
  2 2 1 2 2 4 0 1 1 0 7 3 4
   0 3 3 0 6 0 4 4 4 4 4 6 0
    3 2 2 4 2 2 4 4 4 3 1 3 4
   4 0 0 4 1 3 2 0 1 2 0 1 4
  4 3 2 1 0 4 2 2 0 1 2 1 5
  4 3 2 1 0 4 2 2 0 1 2 1 4
   1 2 2 2 5 0 3 3 2 4 3 5 2
   3 4 1 2 3 3 1 1 2 2 6 2 6
  3 4 1 2 3 3 1 1 2 2 6 2 5
  1 1 4 1 4 1 2 1 3 2 6 5 3
  1 1 4 1 4 1 2 1 3 2 6 5 5
Gliders' Statistics
Glider Speed Acceleration Weight Handling Traction Mini-Turbo Invincibility
Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity Ground Water Air Anti-Gravity
    1 1 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
     0 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 2 1 1 2 0
     1 0 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
     0 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 2 0

*sport bike

Unlocking criteria

Gold Mario

The only unlockable playable character in this game is Gold Mario, who is unlocked by winning all twelve base-game gold cups at 200cc. Once unlocked, he replaces Metal Mario on the character select screen. Metal Mario is from then on treated as a color variant of Gold Mario. The two differ only in their color scheme and the voice clip used when selecting them. Their other voice clips, horn sounds, animations, and statistics are identical.

Vehicle parts

A vehicle part is randomly unlocked every 30 coins. Once reaching 450 coins this changes to every 50, and once reaching 1500 coins this changes to every 100. Eventually, the last non-gold vehicle part is unlocked on reaching 3100 coins.

Special parts

Special gold parts are unlocked with the following criteria:

  • Gold Standard: Unlocked by achieving at least 1 star ranking on all base-game Mirror Cups.
  • Gold Tires: Unlocked by defeating all 48 base-game staff ghosts in 150cc Time Trials.
  • Gold Glider: Unlocked by collecting 5000 coins.

Alternate title screens

Additional title screens can appear when hovering over the single player and multiplayer options on the main menu. These are unlocked by obtaining a gold trophy in every base-game cup in Mirror and 200cc, after which the title screens used are randomly selected. These alternate title screens can appear on start-up, which causes a different voice clip to play corresponding to the character shown on the screen, replacing the usual clip of Mario yelling "Mario Kart 8!"

Courses

There are 48 race courses in the base game (including all four cups that were DLC in the original Mario Kart 8), these being the 25 courses introduced in the original game and 23 classic courses, which includes two courses from Super Mario Kart, three courses each from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii, and four courses each from Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Mario Kart 7. It is also the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64 to have all courses available from the start.

In the British English version of the game, Toad Harbor is spelled "Toad Harbour", Bone-Dry Dunes is formatted "Bone Dry Dunes", and 3DS Music Park, 3DS Piranha Plant Slide, and 3DS Neo Bowser City are respectively known as 3DS Melody Motorway, 3DS Piranha Plant Pipeway, and 3DS Koopa City.

 
Mushroom Cup
 
Flower Cup
 
Star Cup
 
Special Cup
 
Egg Cup
 
Crossing Cup
           
           
           
           
 
Shell Cup
 
Banana Cup
 
Leaf Cup
 
Lightning Cup
 
Triforce Cup
 
Bell Cup
           
           
           
           

Booster Course Pass

Main article: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC, which includes 48 additional courses (mostly classic courses), will release in six waves of eight courses each from March 18, 2022 to the end of 2023, increasing the game's total number of courses to 96. Currently, the classic courses in the DLC include one course each from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, two courses from Mario Kart 64, three courses from Mario Kart 7, four courses each from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii, and eleven courses from Mario Kart Tour (making Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the first game in the series to feature classic courses of a Mario Kart game released after it), which increases the total number of courses from each game to three courses from Super Mario Kart, five courses from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, six courses from Mario Kart 64, and seven courses each from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7. Sky-High Sundae and Yoshi's Island, both new courses to the Mario Kart series, are also included, increasing the number of new courses to 27.

In the British English version of the game, 3DS Rock Rock Mountain and Wii DK Summit are known as 3DS Alpine Pass and Wii DK's Snowboard Cross respectively.

 
Golden Dash Cup
 
Lucky Cat Cup
 
Turnip Cup
 
Propeller Cup
 
Rock Cup
 
Moon Cup
           
           
           
           
 
Fruit Cup
 
Boomerang Cup
 
Feather Cup
 
Cherry Cup
 
Acorn Cup
 
Spiny Cup
           
           
           
           

Battle courses

Eight battle courses are present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, five new and three classic, replacing the repurposed race courses used for Battle Mode in the Wii U version.

Similar to regular races, a course introduction scene is now added at the start.

       
       

Ghosts

150cc Staff Ghosts

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the times for staff ghosts in 150cc are slightly different from the original Mario Kart 8. Also, unlike the original game, players will not unlock any stamps if they beat the ghosts.

Course Staff Name Country Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Mario Kart Stadium Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:53.191 Mario Sports Coupe Standard Super Glider
Water Park Nin★Massim Italy 2:02.186 Baby Luigi Mr. Scooty Roller Super Glider
Sweet Sweet Canyon Nin★Fausti France 2:07.205 Baby Peach Teddy Buggy Wood Peach Parasol
Thwomp Ruins Nin★Sophia Germany 2:12.125 Donkey Kong Standard ATV Monster Super Glider
Mario Circuit Nin★Sho Japan 2:08.501 Mario Standard Kart Standard Super Glider
Toad Harbor Nin★Alice United States 2:29.282 Toadette Cat Cruiser Retro Off-Road Plane Glider
Twisted Mansion Nin★Mark Netherlands 2:14.615 Luigi Mach 8 Slim Super Glider
Shy Guy Falls Nin★Frank United Kingdom 2:21.804 Shy Guy Flame Rider Off-Road Super Glider
Sunshine Airport Nin★Leonel United States 2:20.447 Rosalina Circuit Special Standard Super Glider
Dolphin Shoals Nin★Skip United States 2:14.832 Wendy Landship Wood Bowser Kite
Electrodrome Nin★Yuya Japan 2:21.023 Larry Sport Bike Monster Super Glider
Mount Wario Nin★Elena Russia 2:03.483 Waluigi The Duke Monster Wario Wing
Cloudtop Cruise Nin★Maria Portugal 2:19.568 Baby Rosalina Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
Bone-Dry Dunes Nin★Elena Russia 2:15.338 Morton Tri-Speeder Monster Super Glider
Bowser's Castle Nin★Polly United Kingdom 2:21.980 Bowser Badwagon Standard Super Glider
Rainbow Road Nin★Mizuho Japan 2:25.267 Pink Gold Peach Comet Slim Super Glider
Wii Moo Moo Meadows Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:41.846 Daisy Varmint Hot Monster Super Glider
GBA Mario Circuit Nin★Rie Japan 1:44.593 Baby Mario Yoshi Bike Standard Super Glider
DS Cheep Cheep Beach Nin★Massim Italy 2:06.314 Koopa Troopa Steel Driver Metal Parachute
N64 Toad's Turnpike Nin★Alice United States 2:08.966 Toad Standard Bike Standard Parachute
GCN Dry Dry Desert Nin★Maria Portugal 2:26.614 Peach Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
SNES Donut Plains 3 Nin★Frank United Kingdom 1:35.564 Lakitu Pipe Frame Monster MKTV Parafoil
N64 Royal Raceway Nin★Skip United States 2:18.307 Peach Prancer Wood Peach Parasol
3DS DK Jungle Nin★Rie Japan 2:20.006 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Waddle Wing
DS Wario Stadium Nin★Mizuho Japan 2:09.171 Wario Tri-Speeder Off-Road Wario Wing
GCN Sherbet Land Nin★Fausti France 2:20.174 Lemmy Sneeker Standard Super Glider
3DS Music Park Nin★Sho Japan 2:19.675 Baby Daisy Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
N64 Yoshi Valley Nin★Mark Netherlands 2:23.688 Yoshi Wild Wiggler Standard Flower Glider
DS Tick-Tock Clock Nin★Sophia Germany 2:06.485 Iggy Standard Bike Monster Super Glider
3DS Piranha Plant Slide Nin★Polly United Kingdom 2:21.321 Ludwig Jet Bike Slim Super Glider
Wii Grumble Volcano Nin★Yuya Japan 2:16.524 Roy Badwagon Off-Road Super Glider
N64 Rainbow Road Nin★Leonel United States 1:33.981 Metal Mario Standard ATV Monster Super Glider
GCN Yoshi Circuit Nin★Adrien France 2:07.557 Red Yoshi B Dasher Standard Super Glider
Excitebike Arena Nin★Pedro Spain 1:58.808 Mario Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
Dragon Driftway Nin★Mitsu Japan 2:05.957 Lakitu Varmint Monster Cloud Glider
Mute City Nin★Laura United States 2:10.167 Mario Blue Falcon Roller Super Glider
Wii Wario's Gold Mine Nin★Pit Germany 2:22.119 Wario Standard Kart Monster Super Glider
SNES Rainbow Road Nin★Anne Netherlands 1:40.711 Cat Peach Cat Cruiser Retro Off-Road Super Glider
Ice Ice Outpost Nin★Pavel Russia 2:09.427 Tanooki Mario Tanooki Kart Monster Super Glider
Hyrule Circuit Nin★Mitsu Japan 2:08.616 Link Master Cycle Triforce Tires Hylian Kite
GCN Baby Park Nin★Joost Netherlands 1:16.561 Baby Mario Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
GBA Cheese Land Nin★Aracel Spain 2:06.316 Orange Yoshi Pipe Frame Monster Parafoil
Wild Woods Nin★Akira Japan 2:05.396 Villager (Boy) Streetle Leaf Tires Paper Glider
Animal Crossing Nin★Marie United States 1:53.584 Isabelle City Tripper Slim Paper Glider
3DS Neo Bowser City Nin★Rui Portugal 2:13.138 Dry Bowser Bone Rattler Metal Super Glider
GBA Ribbon Road Nin★Giulia Italy 2:07.152 Villager (Girl) Teddy Buggy Button Super Glider
Super Bell Subway Nin★Juliet France 2:06.487 Pink Shy Guy City Tripper Slim Super Glider
Big Blue Nin★Dylan United Kingdom 1:37.316 Mario P-Wing Blue Standard Super Glider
Tour Paris Promenade Nin★Adrien France 2:07.401 Peach Standard Kart Slim Peach Parasol
3DS Toad Circuit Nin★Sho Japan 1:33.670 Toad Mr. Scooty Azure Roller Super Glider
N64 Choco Mountain Nin★Massim Italy 2:08.949 Koopa Troopa Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
Wii Coconut Mall Nin★Skip United States 1:58.401 Baby Mario Sneeker Metal Super Glider
Tour Tokyo Blur Nin★Yuya Japan 1:36.317 Blue Inkling Boy Splat Buggy Blue Standard Super Glider
DS Shroom Ridge Nin★Frank United Kingdom 2:09.148 Bowser Bone Rattler Off-Road Super Glider
GBA Sky Garden Nin★Pedro Spain 1:42.267 Lakitu P-Wing Retro Off-Road Cloud Glider
Ninja Hideaway Nin★Fausti France 2:20.813 Black Shy Guy Standard ATV Standard Super Glider
Tour New York Minute Nin★Leonel United States 1:34.573 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
SNES Mario Circuit 3 Nin★Mark Netherlands 1:46.806 Mario B Dasher Standard Super Glider
N64 Kalimari Desert Nin★Pit Germany 1:40.363 Dry Bones Standard Kart Monster Super Glider
DS Waluigi Pinball Nin★Chris United Kingdom 2:36.450 Waluigi The Duke Monster Super Glider
Tour Sydney Sprint Nin★Rie Japan 2:16.617 Baby Mario Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
GBA Snow Land Nin★Maria Portugal 1:46.763 Tanooki Mario Tanooki Kart Standard Super Glider
Wii Mushroom Gorge Nin★Massim Italy 1:50.666 Toadette Teddy Buggy Wood Super Glider
Sky-High Sundae Nin★Akira Japan 2:07.380 Rosalina Circuit Special Standard Super Glider
Tour London Loop Nin★Frank United Kingdom 2:20.500 Mario Comet Slim Super Glider
GBA Boo Lake Nin★Rie Japan 1:36.212 King Boo Circuit Special Monster Super Glider
3DS Rock Rock Mountain Nin★Fausti France 2:24.730 Morton Pipe Frame Monster Super Glider
Wii Maple Treeway Nin★Pavel Russia 2:36.581 Daisy Prancer Off-Road Super Glider
Tour Berlin Byways Nin★Sophia Germany 2:11.001 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
DS Peach Gardens Nin★Marie United States 2:19.534 Peach Prancer Wood Super Glider
Merry Mountain Nin★Elena Russia 2:09.693 Shy Guy Flame Rider Off-Road Super Glider
3DS Rainbow Road Nin★Mizuho Japan 1:52.015 Rosalina Circuit Special Standard Super Glider
Tour Amsterdam Drift Nin★Mark Netherlands 1:48.580 Daisy Prancer Wood Super Glider
GBA Riverside Park Nin★Frank United Kingdom 1:34.480 Toad Standard ATV Standard Super Glider
Wii DK Summit Nin★Fausti France 2:22.680 Donkey Kong Varmint Monster Super Glider
Yoshi's Island Nin★Skip United States 2:20.116 Baby Mario Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
Tour Bangkok Rush Nin★Yuya Japan 1:54.995 Blue Inkling Boy Inkstriker Monster Super Glider
DS Mario Circuit Nin★Pit Germany 1:50.550 Mario B Dasher Standard Super Glider
GCN Waluigi Stadium Nin★Maria Portugal 2:16.894 Waluigi The Duke Monster Super Glider
Tour Singapore Speedway Nin★Alice United States 2:08.954 Bowser Badwagon Monster Super Glider

200cc Staff Ghosts

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features a new option for players to race in Time Trials in the 200cc engine class. This option also features entirely new staff ghosts for each of the courses. TC - Used in the Tencent Chinese release[14]

Course Staff Name Country Time Character Vehicle Combination
Body Tires Glider
Mario Kart Stadium Nin★Sophia Germany 1:21.984 Gold Mario Gold Standard Gold Tires Gold Glider
Water Park Nin★Yuya Japan 1:22.799 Baby Mario Biddybuggy Standard Super Glider
Sweet Sweet Canyon Nin★Alice United States 1:40.972 Peach Prancer Wood Peach Parasol
Thwomp Ruins Nin★Skip United States 1:31.436 Bowser Badwagon Standard Bowser Kite
Mario Circuit Nin★Joost Netherlands 1:23.243 Pink Gold Peach Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
Toad Harbor Nin★Adrien France 1:43.003 Toad Sports Coupe Standard Super Glider
Twisted Mansion Nin★Rui Portugal 1:38.244 King Boo Wild Wiggler Sponge Flower Glider
Shy Guy Falls Nin★Anne Netherlands 1:40.698 White Yoshi Standard ATV Retro Off-Road Parafoil
Sunshine Airport Nin★Sho Japan 1:45.437 Luigi Jet Bike Metal Plane Glider
Dolphin Shoals Nin★Polly United Kingdom 1:38.911 Ludwig Steel Driver Blue Standard Bowser Kite
Electrodrome Nin★Laura United States 1:40.943 Roy The Duke Cushion Parafoil
Mount Wario Nin★Massim Italy 1:37.266 Wario Standard ATV Crimson Slim Wario Wing
Cloudtop Cruise Nin★Giulia Italy 1:44.120 Bowser Jr. Koopa Clown Cyber Slick Cloud Glider
Bone-Dry Dunes Nin★Pavel Russia 1:39.330 Dry Bones Pipe Frame Wood Plane Glider
Bowser's Castle Nin★Mark Netherlands 1:40.953 Dry Bowser Flame Rider Slim Bowser Kite
Rainbow Road Nin★Pedro Spain 1:55.767 Rosalina Mach 8 Blue Standard MKTV Parafoil
Wii Moo Moo Meadows Nin★Leonel United States 1:09.980 Baby Daisy Sneeker Cyber Slick MKTV Parafoil
GBA Mario Circuit Nin★Pit Germany 1:10.475 Baby Luigi Sport Bike Slick Parachute
DS Cheep Cheep Beach Nin★Mizuho Japan 1:25.089 Lakitu Landship Metal Cloud Glider
N64 Toad's Turnpike Nin★Rie Japan 1:21.156 Toadette Sports Coupe Slick Super Glider
GCN Dry Dry Desert Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:45.087 Lemmy Tanooki Kart Off-Road Super Glider
SNES Donut Plains 3 Nin★Mizuho Japan 1:11.794 Koopa Troopa Streetle Monster Flower Glider
N64 Royal Raceway Nin★Dylan United Kingdom 1:43.120 Baby Peach Circuit Special Cyber Slick Parafoil
3DS DK Jungle Nin★Polly United Kingdom 1:46.758 Yellow Yoshi City Tripper Hot Monster Paper Glider
DS Wario Stadium Nin★Massim Italy 1:39.724 Waluigi Varmint Hot Monster Wario Wing
GCN Sherbet Land Nin★Sophia Germany 1:34.370 Iggy Bone Rattler Monster Bowser Kite
3DS Music Park Nin★Mitsu Japan 1:36.529
1:38.847TC
Daisy Badwagon GLA Tires
Off-RoadTC
MKTV Parafoil
N64 Yoshi Valley Nin★Yuya Japan 1:35.628 Green Shy Guy Comet Slim Super Glider
DS Tick-Tock Clock Nin★Elena Russia 1:32.483 Larry Standard Kart Sponge Paper Glider
3DS Piranha Plant Slide Nin★Frank United Kingdom 1:48.454 Wendy Mr. Scooty Metal Peach Parasol
Wii Grumble Volcano Nin★Maria Portugal 1:44.284 Morton Standard Bike Cushion Parachute
N64 Rainbow Road Nin★Fausti France 1:08.128 Mario Tri-Speeder Monster Super Glider
GCN Yoshi Circuit Nin★Elena Russia 1:38.869 Light-blue Shy Guy P-Wing Slick Parachute
Excitebike Arena Nin★Akira Japan 1:29.202 Inkling Girl Inkstriker Leaf Tires Super Glider
Dragon Driftway Nin★Aracel Spain 1:34.873 Purple Inkling Boy Splat Buggy Blue Standard Super Glider
Mute City Nin★Sho Japan 1:34.273 Metal Mario Blue Falcon Azure Roller Parafoil
Wii Wario's Gold Mine Nin★Alice United States 1:41.168 Waluigi Standard Bike Retro Off-Road Wario Wing
SNES Rainbow Road Nin★Marie United States 1:12.762
1:12.696TC
Tanooki Mario GLA
Pipe FrameTC
GLA Tires
StandardTC
Parachute
Ice Ice Outpost Nin★Juliet France 1:32.435 Cat Peach Sneeker Off-Road Peach Parasol
Hyrule Circuit Nin★Mark Netherlands 1:40.394 Link Master Cycle Triforce Tires Hylian Kite
GCN Baby Park Nin★Leonel United States 0:59.765 Baby Rosalina Teddy Buggy Cyber Slick Waddle Wing
GBA Cheese Land Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:41.248 Donkey Kong Streetle Roller Flower Glider
Wild Woods Nin★Mitsu Japan 1:27.555 Villager (Girl) City Tripper Leaf Tires Paper Glider
Animal Crossing Nin★Fausti France 1:23.417
1:23.491TC
Villager (Boy) 300 SL Roadster
StreetleTC
GLA Tires
StandardTC
Super Glider
3DS Neo Bowser City Nin★Massim Italy 1:37.526 Bowser Bone Rattler Standard Super Glider
GBA Ribbon Road Nin★Maria Portugal 1:31.220 Isabelle Cat Cruiser Crimson Slim Paper Glider
Super Bell Subway Nin★Skip United States 1:23.304 Blue Yoshi Yoshi Bike Blue Standard Super Glider
Big Blue Nin★Rie Japan 1:13.516
1:13.200TC
Luigi W 25 Silver Arrow
Blue FalconTC
Slim Plane Glider
Tour Paris Promenade Nin★Joost Netherlands 1:27.101 Rosalina Comet Slim Super Glider
3DS Toad Circuit Nin★Aracel Spain 1:03.969 Toadette Prancer Wood Super Glider
N64 Choco Mountain Nin★Alice United States 1:31.715 Tanooki Mario Tanooki Kart Monster Super Glider
Wii Coconut Mall Nin★Polly United Kingdom 1:29.009 Baby Luigi Yoshi Bike Slick Parachute
Tour Tokyo Blur Nin★Aracel Spain 1:07.560 Inkling Girl Inkstriker Metal Super Glider
DS Shroom Ridge Nin★Akira Japan 1:37.626 Morton Standard Bike Cushion Parachute
GBA Sky Garden Nin★Rui Portugal 1:13.606 Ludwig Steel Driver Blue Standard Bowser Kite
Ninja Hideaway Nin★Giulia Italy 1:37.815 Black Yoshi Teddy Buggy Standard Super Glider
Tour New York Minute Nin★Sho Japan 1:07.562 Yoshi Sports Coupe Standard Super Glider
SNES Mario Circuit 3 Nin★Giulia Italy 1:17.075 Luigi Mach 8 Slim Super Glider
N64 Kalimari Desert Nin★Juliet France 1:10.511 Dry Bowser Bone Rattler Monster Super Glider
DS Waluigi Pinball Nin★Pavel Russia 2:00.942 Morton Pipe Frame Monster Super Glider
Tour Sydney Sprint Nin★Giulia Italy 1:37.367 Bowser Jr. Koopa Clown Standard Super Glider
GBA Snow Land Nin★Leonel United States 1:21.826 King Boo Circuit Special Monster Super Glider
Wii Mushroom Gorge Nin★Chris United Kingdom 1:21.194 Toad Standard ATV Standard Super Glider
Sky-High Sundae Nin★Mitsu Japan 1:30.777 Peach Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
Tour London Loop Nin★Alice United States 1:38.896 Red Yoshi Sports Coupe Standard Super Glider
GBA Boo Lake Nin★Joost Netherlands 1:09.576 Dry Bones Standard Kart Monster Super Glider
3DS Rock Rock Mountain Nin★Juliet France 1:39.664 Bowser Landship Wood Super Glider
Wii Maple Treeway Nin★Sho Japan 1:58.543 Wario Tri-Speeder Monster Super Glider
Tour Berlin Byways Nin★Skip United States 1:35.467 Toad Standard ATV Standard Super Glider
DS Peach Gardens Nin★Aracel Spain 1:39.851 Toadette Teddy Buggy Button Super Glider
Merry Mountain Nin★Mark Netherlands 1:31.642 Luigi Mach 8 Slim Super Glider
3DS Rainbow Road Nin★Dylan United Kingdom 1:19.545 Waluigi The Duke Monster Super Glider
Tour Amsterdam Drift Nin★Rie Japan 1:19.135 Shy Guy Flame Rider Off-Road Super Glider
GBA Riverside Park Nin★Elena Russia 1:13.455 Bowser Jr. Koopa Clown Slim Super Glider
Wii DK Summit Nin★Massim Italy 1:53.372 Rosalina Circuit Special Standard Super Glider
Yoshi's Island Nin★Polly United Kingdom 1:40.731 Yoshi Wild Wiggler Standard Super Glider
Tour Bangkok Rush Nin★Leonel United States 1:24.201 Wario Standard Kart Monster Wario Wing
DS Mario Circuit Nin★Sho Japan 1:24.282 Peach Standard Bike Slim Super Glider
GCN Waluigi Stadium Nin★Aracel Spain 1:43.781 Luigi Mach 8 Slim Super Glider
Tour Singapore Speedway Nin★Mizuho Japan 1:32.160 Mario Comet Slim Super Glider

New items

The Boo and Feather items make a return in this game, functioning as they had previously. All other items from the Wii U version return as well. Also, the item distributions have been altered beside the addition of the new items.

Items found on the track

 
Cash
The equivalent of a coin, used for Urchin Underpass. They replace coins in the item roulette and in the track.
 
Yoshi Coin
The equivalent of a coin, used for Yoshi's Island. They replace coins in the item roulette and in the track.

New Items

 
Boo
Allows the player to become invisible to other racers for 10 seconds. While invisible, players will also be granted immunity to items and obstacles. Activating the item will also allow Boo to steal an item from a randomly selected racer in front of the player. If there are no items to steal, Boo will bring back a single Mushroom by default. If Boo steals a multiple usage item or a timed item, it will be returned to the player fresh. Boo cannot steal Crazy 8's, or Piranha Plants and Bullet Bills already in use. Only one Boo can be in play at a time; once it brings back an item, another can appear in item boxes again, even while the other player is still invisible. Players who are under the effect of a Super Star or even a Boo are not immune to Boo's item stealing.
 
Feather
Causes the player to spin and leap in the air, providing a small speed boost upon landing, akin to a regular trick (characters will also perform a trick animation during the jump). When used near an opponent, the player steals a balloon, 3 coins, or the Shine Sprite from them, depending on the mode; however, the player needs to touch the opponent to steal from them, either by touching them upon use, or upon landing. Can be used on trickable places to gain more height, though does not grant more height if used while airborne, and cancels the gliding immediately. Exclusive to Battle Mode.

New course elements

All of the course elements from the original Mario Kart 8, including enemies and obstacles, are retained in this game, along with several elements exclusive to the Booster Course Pass courses.

Characters and elements
Character/element Location Description
 File:MK8D Kalimari Desert Arrow Field.png
Arrow field
Tour Paris Promenade
Tour Tokyo Blur
Tour New York Minute
N64 Kalimari Desert
Tour Sydney Sprint
Tour London Loop
Tour Berlin Byways
DS Peach Gardens
Tour Amsterdam Drift
Tour Bangkok Rush
Tour Singapore Speedway
Large, holographic, floating arrows that point in the direction that the players should go and change position each lap (or only in the last lap in Tour Paris Promenade and DS Peach Gardens), altering the path of the course. If the player goes past them, they will be considered out of bounds and taken back onto the track by Lakitu. In multiplayer, the arrow fields are independent to each player, meaning that if multiple players are on different laps, the arrow fields will be different for each of them to match what lap they are on. Arrow fields are red in most of the city courses and DS Peach Gardens and are turquoise in N64 Kalimari Desert and Tour Bangkok Rush, though this is simply a visual difference.
 
Bumper
DS Waluigi Pinball Obstacles that bounce players and metal balls that touch them away from themselves. Some are stationary, while others move in circles.
 
Ceiling Needles
Ninja Hideaway Giant shuriken stuck to broad ceilings that slowly rise and fall at set intervals, serving as obstacles for players on the course's lower route, while the ceilings themselves serve as platforms for players on the upper route, with a ramp on one of them.
 
Fire Piranha Plant
DS Mario Circuit Piranha Plant variants that shoot fireballs that bounce across the course, causing racers to spin out.
 
Flipper
DS Waluigi Pinball Large obstacles that can swing back and forth and push back metal balls that collide with them. Players who collide with them are knocked over.
 
Goal Ring
Yoshi's Island A decorative item that appears near the finish line.
 
Goonie
Yoshi's Island Spectators who appear in the background during the volcano ascent.
 
Half-pipe
Wii Maple Treeway
Merry Mountain
Wii DK Summit
GCN Waluigi Stadium
Vertical ramps that allow players to jump off the side of a course and perform a Jump Boost to gain a speed boost upon landing. They resemble Antigravity Panels and briefly put the player into anti-gravity mode while they are airborne.
 
Huffin Puffin
Yoshi's Island Enemies who wander around near the starting line, occasionally onto the track. Players who collide with them will stop but not spin out.
 
Mecha Piranha Plant
GCN Waluigi Stadium Large retracting obstacles that act like moving walls and stop any players who run into them.
 
Metal ball
DS Waluigi Pinball Giant spherical obstacles that roll throughout the course and knock over players they collide with. In the pinball table section at the end of the course, they are bounced around in different directions by bumpers and flippers.
 
Mushroom Platform
Wii Mushroom Gorge Large, green mushrooms with white spots. Though shaped identically to Mushroom Trampolines, they are functionally different in that they act like regular surfaces rather than bouncing players into the air. A Jump Boost can be performed when driving off the edge of a Mushroom Platform.
   
Mushroom Trampoline
GBA Sky Garden
Wii Mushroom Gorge
3DS Rainbow Road
Large mushrooms that bounce the player into the air, allowing them to perform a Jump Boost. They are red with white spots in GBA Sky Garden and Wii Mushroom Gorge and are white with multi-colored spots in 3DS Rainbow Road. Wii Mushroom Gorge also contains one Mushroom Trampoline that is blue with white spots and functions differently to the others: it bounces the player upwards and activates their glider on contact, also giving them an opportunity to perform a Jump Boost. In GBA Sky Garden, there are also leaves that have the same properties of bouncing the player into the air as regular Mushroom Trampolines.
 
Penguin
GBA Snow Land Enemies that either waddle or slide on their bellies around the course. Players who collide with them spin out.
 
Ptooie
GBA Riverside Park Enemies that walk around the course. They are shown to be carrying Mushrooms and Bananas which they will drop if hit with another item.
 
Shy Guy (Ninja)
Ninja Hideaway Shy Guys clad in ninja outfits. They stand in place and act as hazards, causing players who collide with them to spin out. They will also occasionally transform into either a Banana or a row of coins. There are also Shy Guys that fly with kites during the glider section and touching one will cause the player to lose their glider, making them fall.
 
Stilt Guy
Yoshi's Island Enemies that slowly move back and forth across the track at the beginning of the course. Touching them causes the player to spin out.
 
Snowboarding Shy Guy
Wii DK Summit Shy Guys that snowboard across the snow and perform tricks on half-pipes. Driving into them will cause the player to spin out.
 
Train
N64 Kalimari Desert A moderately fast train which follows a set railway. Hitting it on impact results in the player spinning out.
 
Water Geyser
Tour New York Minute
Tour Singapore Speedway
Yoshi's Island
Geysers that occasionally burst out from the ground for a few seconds before disappearing. Coming into contact with one boosts the player upwards, at which point they can perform a Jump Boost. In Tour New York Minute, they emerge under manhole covers, which function as platforms.
 
Whomp
Tour Berlin Byways Enemies that stand in gaps in the Berlin Wall. They slam their faces onto the track and flatten any players caught under them, but their edges can then be used to perform Jump Boosts before they get back up.
 
Wiggler
Wii Maple Treeway
DS Mario Circuit
Enemies that walk around at a slow speed with occasional stops. Driving into them results in the player spinning out.
 
Winged Cloud
Yoshi's Island An item that appears during the second glider section. When touched, it bursts and causes a red bridge shortcut to appear.

New amiibo compatibility

 
Some of the Mii Racing Suits and amiibo that can be used to unlock them in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

In addition to all of the compatible amiibo in Mario Kart 8 with their respective Mii Racing Suits, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe adds compatibility with amiibo from the Splatoon line, which unlock a Mii Racing Suit based on Splatoon. Additionally, more amiibo can be used to unlock the returning Mii Racing Suits, as all Animal Crossing related amiibo being compatible and unlocking the Animal Crossing Mii Racing Suit, and the Pikmin amiibo unlocking the Pikmin suit.

Update history

Note that in order to play online, players must have downloaded the most recent software update.[15]

Ver. 1.1.0

An update was released on May 17, 2017. The following changes were made:

  • Opponents’ names are displayed in the rear view mirror view in online matches.
  • Invincibility period after a spin-out or crash is longer in online matches.
  • Up to two players can spectate a friend group while they wait to join.
  • Worldwide and Regional modes add players to Mirror and 200cc matches less often.
  • Can now properly create a friend lobby when you have 100 or more friends.
  • Inkling Girl’s animation has been adjusted.
  • The starting positions in online races now properly reflect the order in which the players join.
  • Driver Mii characters now properly showing facial expressions.
  • The Tournament clock now properly reflects real-world time.
Note

Ver. 1.2.0

An update was released on June 28, 2017. The following changes were made:

  • Players can use Pikmin-themed amiibo to unlock a Pikmin Suit for the Mii driver.
  • Race rules and course name are now displayed on loading screens for online and wireless play, as well as Mario Kart TV.
  • Players who are behind in online matches will receive items geared toward catching up more frequently.
  • In online matches, no more than two Piranha Plants will be granted as items at the same time.
  • Controls are no longer unresponsive when the timer runs out when choosing a Mii racing suit for online matches.
  • When a player uses an item right after the Super Horn in online matches, that item will now remain available for other players.
  • Item wheel no longer spins continuously in online matches.
  • Online matches now end as intended 30 seconds after the first place racer finishes.
  • The Boomerang now returns to the first slot, if possible, after a player catches it.
  • Items shown in a player’s item slots now display correctly when holding an item behind them.
  • No longer possible to use an item after it has been used to block an attack.
  • Communication errors no longer occur frequently while spectating or after spectating online matches.

Ver. 1.2.1

An update was released on August 9, 2017. The following changes were made:

  • Corrected an issue that prolonged the time to return to the lobby after races near the start and end times of online tournaments.

Ver. 1.3.0

An update was released on October 18, 2017. The following changes were made:

  • Video capture compatibility added. Hold the Capture Button to capture up to 30 seconds of the previous footage.
    • The system must be updated to Ver 4.0.0 or higher to use this feature.
  • Now more difficult to float down using the glider when Smart Steering is ON.
  • Blue Shells no longer hit the second place player when the first place player hasn't yet crossed the finish line.
  • Extended the invulnerability period after spinning out or crashing.
  • Changes made to Online Play prior to Ver.1.2.1 now apply to Wireless Play and LAN Play as well:
    • When further back in a race, will receive better items to help catch up to other players.
    • No more than one Piranha Plant will appear at a time.
    • Updating to Ver 1.3.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on Ver.1.2.1 or lower.

Ver. 1.4.0

An update was released on December 12, 2017. The following changes were made:

  • Language support for Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean has now been implemented.
    • Players can change languages in Settings on the console.
  • An issue has been resolved that prevented background music from playing after you reach the finish line.
  • When you download update data (Ver. 1.4.0), you will no longer be able to engage in local play or LAN play with those still using Version 1.2.1 or earlier.

Ver. 1.5.0

An update was released on June 25, 2018. The following changes were made:

  • Now supports the use of the Toy-Con Motorbike from Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 01 VARIETY KIT.
    • You can now set whether or not to use the Toy-Con Motorbike from the Toy-Con settings in the top menu.
    • At the screen right before the game begins, please set the Joy-Con inside the Toy-Con Motorbike.
    • When using the Toy-Con Motorbike, the camera will look over the character’s shoulder, increasing immersion.
    • Press the downward directional button to play with normal view again.
  • Addressed an issue where, after setting up a tournament, the “Search by code” feature would stop functioning.
  • Addressed an issue that made it impossible for a player to proceed after colliding with a Star Thwomp.
  • The latest update data is needed to play matches online.
  • Once you have downloaded the latest update data, you will no longer be able to play “Local Wireless” and “LAN Play” matches with other players who have not downloaded this data.

Ver. 1.6.0

An update was released on July 19, 2018. The following changes were made:

  • New character added: Link (Champion's Tunic)
  • New vehicle added: Master Cycle Zero
  • New tires added: Ancient Tires
  • New glider added: Paraglider
  • Update includes revisions to improve gameplay, as well as some content not listed here.

Ver. 1.7.0

An update was released on September 19, 2018. The following changes were made:

  • Now compatible with Toy-Con Car in Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit.
    • Players can select which Toy-Con to use from “Toy-Con” settings in the main menu.
  • Now compatible with the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app.
    • If the application is running on any device when you enter an online match, you will automatically receive a prompt on your smartphone asking if you would like to join a voice chat with your opponent.
    • Worldwide, Regional, Friends, and Tournaments allow you to use this function.

Ver. 1.7.1

An update was released on January 23, 2019. The following changes were made:

  • Fixed an issue that caused the game to become unresponsive to any input except for the HOME Button.
    • You will need to download this update to play with others online.
    • After you download the latest update data, you will no longer be able to play over local wireless or LAN with others until they download the update as well.

Ver. 1.7.2

An update was released on May 25, 2021. The following changes were made:

  • Addressed an issue that caused tournament points to be reset.
  • Addressed an issue that caused match history with friends to be reset.

Ver. 2.0.0

An update was released on March 17, 2022. The following changes were made:

Support for DLC
  • Now supports paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, Wave 1 (two cups and eight courses)
  • If someone in the lobby has the “Booster Course Pass,” all players can select one of the pass courses.
    • This supports “Friends,” “Wireless Play,” and “LAN Play.”
  • Starting March 21st, you can select course from the Booster Course Pass in online play.
    • Supports “Worldwide,” “Regional,” and “Tournaments.”
    • Even if the player does not own the “Booster Course Pass,” they can play courses from the pass randomly.
General
  • Shortened the time it takes for an Item Box to regenerate when it gets taken by someone else.
Fixed Issues
  • Fixed an issue where a communication error occurs when 12 people matched during online play.
    • You need to download the latest update data in order to play online.
    • If you download the latest update data, you will not be able to do “Wireless Play” or LAN Play” with other players who are using data from a previous update.
  • The update data contains fixes to issues that improve gameplay experience, and other content that is not listed here.
  • In order to download the update data, you need enough space on your system memory or microSD Card.

Ver. 2.1.0

An update was released on August 4th, 2022. The following changes were made:

Support for DLC
  • Now supports paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, Wave 2 (two cups and eight courses).
General
  • Increased the number of ghosts you can download from 16 to 32.
  • Adjusted the extent to which a vehicle is thrown, depending on its weight.
  • Further shortened the time it takes for item boxes to regenerate after another player takes them.
  • Shortened the time it takes for one player to be able to pick up a coin that another player has dropped.
  • Made it so that it is easier to face the way forward in mid-air when using Smart Steering.
  • The cars that the Shy Guys are riding in in Wii Coconut Mall now move from time to time in all modes other than the Time Trial mode.
Fixed Issues
  • Fixed issue where player could not choose a DLC course even though a player in the lobby in “Friends” has the Booster Course Pass.
  • Fixed issue where player did not receive coins even though they used the Feather in Coin Runners to steal a rival's coins.
  • Fixed issue where player could receive two items from one item box in N64 Toad's Turnpike.
Unlisted changes
  • The course icons for the Booster Course Pass Wave 1 courses are now slightly brighter than at launch.
  • Dirt marks are now left on tires when driving on Booster Course Pass Wave 1 courses.
  • An issue where sounds of a character while boosting were not properly randomized when viewing a Time Trial replay was fixed.
  • CPU drivers' speeds on 200cc on Hard difficulty have been adjusted on the Booster Course Pass Wave 1 courses on VS Races.
  • How Lakitu decides where to respawn players on the track after they fall off has been adjusted.[18]
  • An issue introduced in version 2.0.0 was fixed where CPUs would no longer replace players who disconnected in a friend room in the subsequent race when the CPU racers option was turned on.
  • This update patches a vulnerability, known as ENLBufferPwn, in the game's network code which enables hackers to take full, remote control of a user's (unmodified) Nintendo Switch system during online multiplayer sessions.[19] This same vulnerability exists in many other first-party Nintendo games, such as Mario Kart 7.

Ver. 2.2.0

An update was released on December 7th, 2022. The following changes were made:

Support for DLC
  • Now supports paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, Wave 3 (two cups and eight courses).
General
  • Added “Custom Items” to item Rules.
    • This is a feature that lets you decide which items appear.
    • This is supported in VS Race, Balloon Battle, Coin Runners, Shine Thief, Renegade Roundup, Playing with friends, Tournaments, and Wireless Play.
    • Items that have not been set to appear may still appear according to the connection environment and game situation.
  • When getting struck by lightning while gliding through the air, the glider no longer closes.
  • The period of invincibility after spinning or crashing now changes, depending on the driver or machine parts.
  • When a user cannot download any new ghost data, they can now delete all the ghost data they downloaded until then.
  • Deleted “Recommended” in Tournaments.
Fixed Issues
  • Fixed an issue where coins would not be added when touching an opponents’ Crazy Eight coin.
  • Fixed an issue where there was a communication error when using the item Boo.
  • Fixed an issue where using the Super Horn would not hit more than one opponent at the same time.
  • Fixed an issue where images in SNES Mario Circuit 3 would look distorted.
  • Fixed an issue where a player could not acquire multiple items in a row in GBA Snow Land.
  • Fixed an issue where points would not be added to a member list, when spectating an online match.
  • Fixed an issue where, when selecting a team, the COM characters that actually play in the game were not the same as shown on selection screen.
  • Fixed an issue where the warning sound was not playing when a Red Shell or Spiny Shell comes from behind.
  • Other adjustments and corrections were made to improve the gameplay experience.
Unlisted changes
  • An issue introduced in version 2.1.0 was fixed where Metal Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Tanooki Mario, and Cat Peach no longer appeared as a driver's rivals in Grand Prix.[20][21]

Ver. 2.2.1

An update was released on December 21st, 2022. The following changes were made:

Fixed Issues
  • Fixed issue where, when playing online in Berlin Byways, the image would get choppy.
  • Fixed issue where, when playing in London Loop, player is carried in by Lakitu after falling off of course and they were not returned to the appropriate location.

Ver. 2.3.0

An update was released on March 8th, 2023. The following changes were made:

Support for DLC
  • Now supports paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, Wave 4 (two cups, eight courses, and one character, Birdo).
General
  • Improved the performance of some characters and vehicle customizations.
  • Made it so that the player can see the rear view mirror when spinning, crashing, or changed into Bullet Bill.
  • Made it so, if the player uses a Super Star or Boo at the same time that they are hit by Lightning, their kart will not crash or become small.
  • Made it so, when jumping from a Whomp in Tour Berlin Byways, karts can leap over the fence.
  • Added Golden Mushroom to Custom Items in Renegade Roundup.
  • Added “Booster Course Pass” button to main menu. If a player does not have the Booster Course Pass, a link to the Nintendo eShop will be displayed.
Fixed Issues
  • Fixed an issue where, when the player’s kart became small after being hit by lightning, it would slip into the ground.
  • Fixed an issue where, when the player’s kart ran into a wall, they would be carried over by Lakitu even though they had not left the course.
  • Fixed an issue where the player character would not be able to hit an opponent with a red shell when that opponent was jumping on a half-pipe.
  • Fixed an issue where the player character could not drift after jumping and landing in a half pipe.
  • Fixed an issue so that the player can use another item other than Boo right after using Boo.
  • Fixed an issue where the player could not throw a Boomerang after catching it and it entered the second item slot.
  • Fixed an issue where, when a player character hit the Blooper in an opponent’s Crazy 8, they would have ink squirted on them even though they are using the Super Star.
  • Fixed an issue where, when the player stops looking at the rear view mirror, the ink would disappear momentarily even though they had Blooper ink on them.
  • Fixed an issue where, when player is hit with a red shell at the same time as changing into Bullet Bill, they would go off the course.
  • Fixed an issue where, at the escalator in Wii Coconut Mall, there would be a communication error when a character could not move forward.
  • Fixed an issue when changed into Bullet Bill in N64 Kalimari Desert,[22] where the character would slip into the ground.
  • Fixed an issue where the character would get stuck on the bridge posts right before and after the starting line in Tour London Loop.
  • Fixed an issue where, on wavy floors in 3DS Rainbow Road, the character could be pushed way off the course.
Unlisted changes
  • Every driver — except for Metal Mario, Gold Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Roy, Wario, Dry Bowser, Bowser, Morton, and Heavy Mii — has had their Ground, Water, Air, and Anti-Gravity Speed statistics increased by a value of 0.25 (1 point).[23]
  • Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Dry Bones, Light Mii, Toad, Shy Guy, Larry, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Mario, Ludwig, Medium Mii, Luigi, and Iggy have had their Mini-Turbo statistic increased by a value of 0.25 (1 point).[23]
  • Every vehicle body — except for Pipe Frame, Varmint, City Tripper, Biddybuggy, Mr. Scooty, Landship, Streetle, Standard Bike, Flame Rider, Wild Wiggler, and W 25 Silver Arrow — has had their Mini-Turbo statistic increased by a value of 0.25 (1 point).[24]
  • Every tire — except for Roller, Azure Roller, Button, and Leaf Tires — has had their Mini-Turbo statistic increased by a value of 0.25 (1 point).[25]
  • The timer glitch in Time Trials rounding the times of some courses to the full frame has been fixed. This affected section courses (Mount Wario, N64 Rainbow Road, Big Blue, and 3DS Rainbow Road) and courses that have the drivers cross the finish line backwards (Tour Paris Promenade, Tour Sydney Sprint, Tour Berlin Byways, and DS Peach Gardens).
  • When using the rear view mirror, the screen no longer "hops" when the player hops.
  • The flags in Tour Berlin Byways no longer respawn the player upon being touched.[26]

Official tournaments

Main article: List of official Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournaments
 
Promotional image for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship Cup 2022 invitational, held at PAX West 2022

Nintendo has sponsored many Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournaments, held either online or at special events, with prizes ranging from virtual My Nintendo points to physical merchandise and memorabilia. Nintendo's online tournaments are restricted to one country or region, and may be recurrent on a weekly, monthly, or seasonal basis as part of a named series. Tournament series include the Mario Kart North American Open, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Seasonal Circuit (held in European countries), and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: AU/NZ Grand Prix (held in Australia and New Zealand).

Pre-release and unused content

Early Booster Course Pass course designs

Some of the courses in the Booster Course Pass had several differences between promotional material and their final release, some of which made the courses better resemble their Mario Kart Tour counterparts:

  • In the Wave 1 launch trailer, Tour Paris Promenade had simpler detailing overall, particularly in the lighting, trees, and the road. At the left turn that leads to the Luxor Obelisk at the end of the track, the right path, which is used in the final lap, is blocked by fences, some of which have arrows, rather than the backside of a metal ramp like in the final version. The ramp in front of the Eiffel Tower, though still functioning like a Glide Ramp, had the appearance of a normal ramp, similar to Paris Promenade 3.
  • Prior to Wave 1's launch, the sand in 3DS Toad Circuit was a very dark yellow color, as opposed to the bright sand-like color in the final version.
  • Prior to Wave 1's launch, Wii Coconut Mall's exterior was a bright, pale peachy color, but in the time between its reveal and release, it was updated to be a more vibrant orange. This also applied certain parts of the interior. Likewise, the stone floor in the center of the mall was originally gray, while it was changed to orange in the final version. The reflections on the windows had also been changed during this time. However, the results screen following a Grand Prix or a VS match uses an image of the old design.
  • When DS Peach Gardens was shown in the September 2022 Nintendo Direct, the loop at the beginning of the course lacked the barriers blocking off the right side, similar to previous iterations of the course, and even had at least one Coin present. The first flowerbed shortcut was also much smaller, and the route used to turn around on lap three also appears to be absent, with no visible gap in the hedge.

Original order of courses in Waves 3 and 4

In version 2.1.0 and onwards, the internal file names for some of the courses in the Booster Course Pass suggest that the release order in their respective cups differs from the originally-planned order. For Wave 3, the Rock Cup was intended to feature Tour London Loop, DS Peach Gardens, GBA Boo Lake, and 3DS Rock Rock Mountain, while GCN Waluigi Stadium was set for the second slot of the Moon Cup. Further evidence appears in an unlisted advertisement for Wave 3 posted by Nintendo of America on YouTube, which displays the courses in this order, albeit with Wii Maple Treeway (whose internal file name suggests that it was to be the second course of the Acorn Cup) in place of GCN Waluigi Stadium.[27] In the final release, GBA Boo Lake and 3DS Rock Rock Mountain were each moved back a slot, with Wii Maple Treeway at the end of the Rock Cup, and DS Peach Gardens taking the place of GCN Waluigi Stadium. For Wave 4, the non-Tour courses of both the Fruit Cup and Boomerang Cup were in an entirely different order, and Tour Singapore Speedway was set as the first course of the Boomerang Cup, with Tour Los Angeles Laps as its final. In the final release, Tour Bangkok Rush (initially set to be the first course of the Cherry Cup) and Tour Singapore Speedway took these respective slots, and GCN Waluigi Stadium appeared in place of another currently unknown GCN course.

Wave 3 (Pre-release) Wave 3 (Final)
Tour London Loop Tour London Loop
DS Peach Gardens GBA Boo Lake
GBA Boo Lake 3DS Rock Rock Mountain
3DS Rock Rock Mountain Wii Maple Treeway
Tour Berlin Byways Tour Berlin Byways
GCN Waluigi Stadium DS Peach Gardens
Merry Mountain Merry Mountain
3DS Rainbow Road 3DS Rainbow Road
Wave 4 (Pre-release) Wave 4 (Final)
Tour Amsterdam Drift Tour Amsterdam Drift
Wii DK Summit GBA Riverside Park
DS Mario Circuit Wii DK Summit
Yoshi's Island Yoshi's Island
Tour Singapore Speedway Tour Bangkok Rush
GCN ??? DS Mario Circuit
GBA Riverside Park GCN Waluigi Stadium
Tour Los Angeles Laps Tour Singapore Speedway

Gallery

Reception

Critical reception

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been received with universal acclaim, garnering higher aggregate scores than the original Mario Kart 8. The game has been praised for being well-suited to the Switch's portability, the increased performance, and particularly the redesigned Battle Mode, although several reviews noted Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would not be as appealing of a proposition to players who already own Mario Kart 8 and its downloadable content.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo Switch Laurely Birba, Jeux Actu 18/20 While purists may accuse Mario Kart 8 of being a opportunistic rehash, Nintendo's goal was to give the Switch a racing game that is fun, polished, filled with content, and able to showcase the Switch's hybrid nature. These four objectives are mostly accomplished, and the game will have no problem seducing newcomers considering how well the formula has been mastered.
Nintendo Switch Kallie Plagge, GameSpot 9/10 Even if you didn't really care about Battle Mode, the smallest changes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe refine an already great racing game. But the huge overhaul to the original's afterthought of a Battle Mode is a chaotic, varied opportunity to play very differently than in Grand Prix mode and well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch.
Nintendo Switch Matthew Sainsbury, Digitally Downloaded 4.5/5 Thanks to substantial DLC releases, Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U went from being a game with plenty of content, to one with an overload of it. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch has all of that, plus the return of the battle mode (which should never have left), and while it won't be a new game as such for the people who actually bought a Wii U (we're a special club), having this game on a portable console is reason enough to buy it all over again.
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 92
GameRankings 92.39%

Sales

In the United Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe debuted at No. 1 on the sales chart, making it the first Nintendo game to be No. 1 in the UK since 2011's Pokémon Black and White, and the first Super Mario game to place such since Mario Kart Wii.[28]

The game sold 459,000 copies for its US launch day, making it the fastest-selling Mario Kart game in the US and meaning 45% of US Switch owners purchased the game.[29]

As of December 31, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold 7.33 million units worldwide. On March 31, 2018, it reached 9.22 million units, exceeding the original Mario Kart 8's 8.42 million and making it the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch behind Super Mario Odyssey.[30] As of January 31, 2019, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold 15.02 million units worldwide, exceeding Super Mario Odyssey's sales and making it the best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch.[31] By June 30, 2021, the game had sold 37.08 million units worldwide.[32] By September 30, 2021, the game had sold 38.74 million units worldwide, surpassing Mario Kart Wii as the best-selling game in the series.[33] By December 31, 2021, the game had sold 43.35 million units worldwide, making it the single best-selling game in the Super Mario franchise, surpassing Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System.[34] By December 31, 2022, the game had sold 52 million units worldwide.[35]

Awards and acknowledgements

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was nominated for the "Best Family Game" and "Best Multiplayer" awards at The Game Awards 2017.[36] However, it won neither, losing the former to Super Mario Odyssey and the latter to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.[36]

References to other games

References in later games

Staff

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe staff

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Kart 8 media.
  Battle Stadium theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-BattleStadium-music.oga
  Sweet Sweet Kingdom theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-SweetSweetKingdom-music.oga
  Dragon Palace theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-DragonPalace-music.oga
  Lunar Colony theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-LunarColony-music.oga
  3DS Wuhu Town theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-3DS-WuhuTown-music.oga
  GCN Luigi's Mansion theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-GCN-LuigisMansion-music.oga
  SNES Battle Course 1 theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-SNES-BattleCourse1-music.oga
  Urchin Underpass theme
File infoMedia:MK8D-UrchinUnderpass-music.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese マリオカート8 デラックス
Mario Kāto 8 Derakkusu
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Chinese (simplified) 马力欧卡丁车8 豪华版[37]
Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē 8 Háohuábǎn
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition

Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐賽車8 豪華版
Mǎlìōu Sàichē 8 Háohuábǎn
Mario Racing 8 Deluxe Edition

Korean 마리오 카트 8 디럭스
Mario Kateu 8 Direokseu
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

External links

References

  1. ^ Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe para la consola Nintendo Switch. Nintendo.com (in Spanish).
  2. ^ http://www.nintendo.com.hk/software/switch/
  3. ^ Official Nintendo website (Korea). Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  4. ^ Official Nintendo website (Taiwan). Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  5. ^ Tencent Nintendo Switch website
  6. ^ a b Business Wire (February 8, 2023). Metroid Prime Remastered Rolled out in Latest Nintendo Direct, Available Now for Nintendo Switch. Business Wire. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  7. ^ Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe Bundle (Game + Booster Course Pass). nintendo.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023. (Archived January 28, 2023, 06:38:50 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  8. ^ Screenshot of the starting boost in a four-player split-screen VS RaceMedia:MK8D 4-Player Gameplay Screenshot.png.
  9. ^ Nintendo World Report (January 14, 2017). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Wario's Gold Mine - Nintendo Switch Off-Screen Footage. YouTube. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  10. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F2djsuZuTg&feature=youtu.be&t=3m50s
  11. ^ GameXplain (April 10, 2017). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - New Pink Sparks, 200cc Trial Mode, & All Characters Unlocked!. YouTube. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c Nintendo of America (June 21, 2023). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass Wave 5 - Nintendo Direct 6.21.2023. YouTube. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  13. ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1W3G9ih4aBHCjItIFCakWnbw7ATivIUibZmTVUkecS4s/htmlview#
  14. ^ @zachruff (May 22, 2022). "So it turns out that there are 4 staff ghosts in the Tencent Chinese version of MK8D that are actually different to the global version. It seems that they really did not like the Mercedes car parts so any ghost that used them had to be redone." Twitter. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  15. ^ https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26098/~/how-to-update-mario-kart-8-deluxe
  16. ^ Brian (May 17, 2017). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe patches out offensive Inkling Girl gesture with version 1.1. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  17. ^ Frank, Allegra (May 18, 2017) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe patch edits out obscene gesture. Polygon. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  18. ^ https://twitter.com/Zachruff/status/1555721005603110913?s=20&t=INSDP1_ux99JYsXbK37N9w
  19. ^ PabloMK7, Rambo6Glaz, and Fishguy6564 (December 22, 2022). ENLBufferPwn (CVE-2022-47949). GitHub. Retrieved March 4, 2023. (Archived December 25, 2022, 02:58:08 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  20. ^ @azuraPKM1542 (October 18, 2022). Twitter. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  21. ^ @azuraPKM1542 (December 8, 2022). Twitter. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  22. ^ Before it was corrected, the course was originally referred to as "N64 Dry Dry Desert", a mistranslation of the course's Japanese name.
  23. ^ a b Mario Kart Blog (March 8, 2023). マリオカート8 DX キャラクター性能. Mario Kart Blog. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  24. ^ Mario Kart Blog (March 8, 2023). マリオカート8 DX フレーム性能. Mario Kart Blog. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  25. ^ Mario Kart Blog (March 8, 2023). マリオカート8 DX タイヤ性能. Mario Kart Blog. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  26. ^ Daniel MK Moments (March 21, 2023). Wave 4 Changed The Fall Out Zone From The Flags 😊👍. YouTube. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  27. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBCHkZ15MUM
  28. ^ Dring, Christopher (April 30, 2017), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is Nintendo's first UK No.1 since 2011, GameIndustryBiz
  29. ^ Brian (May 1, 2017) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sells 459,000 copies in the US on launch day, fastest-selling Mario Kart game. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved May 1, 2017
  30. ^ IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units. Nintendo. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  31. ^ GameXplain. (February 1, 2019) Nintendo's Financial Report - 30 Million Switches Sold Worldwide, Doubled Software Sales, & More! YouTube. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  32. ^ Nintendo (n.d.) Top Selling Title Sales Units. Nintendo Japan. Retrieved August 5, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021.
  33. ^ Nintendo (November 4, 2021) Top Selling Title Sales Unites. Nintendo Japan. Retrieved November 8, 2021. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021.
  34. ^ Nintendo (February 3, 2022) Top Selling Title Sales Unites. Nintendo Japan. Retrieved February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022.
  35. ^ Nintendo (August 3, 2022) Top Selling Title Sales Unites. Nintendo Japan. Retrieved August 3, 2022. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022.
  36. ^ a b Awards - The Game Awards 2017. The Game Awards. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  37. ^ http://bbs.ngacn.cc/read.php?tid=13046281&rand=773