Mario Kart 8 DLC: Why the Booster Course Pass Makes Your Switch Feel Brand New Again
06.02.2026 - 03:22:54
You know that moment when you fire up a game you love… and feel absolutely nothing? The track intro rolls, the same music kicks in, and your brain goes, "Oh, this one again." Every shortcut feels automated, every drift line etched into muscle memory. Comforting, yes—but not exciting.
Thats where a lot of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players found themselves. Its one of the best kart racers ever made, but after years of the same circuits, even Rainbow Road starts to feel like the morning commute.
What you really want isnt a new console or a full-price sequel. You want that feeling you had the first time a blue shell ruined a friendship. Surprise. Chaos. Discovery. Something that makes your Nintendo Switch feel like it just got upgraded overnight.
Enter Mario Kart 8 DLC: the Booster Course Pass.
The Solution: Mario Kart 8 DLC That Actually Changes the Game
The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is Nintendos big answer to the Ive played every track a thousand times problem. Instead of a small map pack, it drops a staggered flood of 48 remastered and reimagined courses into the game, bundled in themed waves.
These arent lazy reskins. Many tracks are lovingly lifted from classics across the Mario Kart seriesSuper NES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Wii, 3DS, and the mobile game Mario Kart Tourand upgraded to fit Mario Kart 8 Deluxes faster pacing and modern visuals. Over the life of the pass, Nintendo also added extra characters and gameplay tweaks via free updates to keep things feeling fresh.
The result? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe stops being a game youve "finished" and turns into a living, evolving racer again.
Why this specific model?
There are plenty of kart racers and expansions out there, but the Mario Kart 8 DLC: Booster Course Pass hits a rare sweet spot: huge content, low friction, and pure nostalgia packaged for the present.
Heres what makes it stand out in the real world, not just on paper:
- 48 additional tracks: This isnt a minor add-on. It literally doubles the number of courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, spread across new cups like Golden Dash, Lucky Cat, Turnip, and more. If youve memorized the original roster, this is a hard reset on boredom.
- Global Mario Kart history in one package: You get redesigned classics from Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 7, and othersplus city tours from Mario Kart Tour that shift layouts between laps. For longtime fans, its a playable timeline of the series. For newcomers, it feels like an insanely generous best-of collection.
- Fresh dynamics, not just fresh paint: Many tracks take advantage of Mario Kart 8 Deluxes mechanicslike anti-gravity and tighter handlingeven when the originals didnt have them. That means these courses arent just nostalgic; they push you to rethink how you race.
- Online and local play fully supported: The new tracks slot neatly into the existing Grand Prix, Versus, Time Trials, and Online modes. You dont juggle separate menus or walled-off playlistsonce installed, it all just feels like part of the game.
- Value over time: Especially when it launched, the Pass was rolled out in waves, turning every new drop into an event. Even now that all content is available, it means youre getting an expansion built and tuned over time, not something rushed out and forgotten.
Compared to buying a brand-new full-price game, the DLC gives your existing copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a second life for a fraction of the cost. And since its from Nintendo Co. Ltd. (ISIN: JP3756600007), the integration and polish are exactly what youd expect from first-party content.
At a Glance: The Facts
| Feature | User Benefit |
|---|---|
| 48 additional courses (Booster Course Pass) | Effectively doubles the track count in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, making the game feel new again and extending replay value for years. |
| Courses from multiple past Mario Kart titles and Mario Kart Tour | Combines fan-favorite retro tracks and modern city tours in one place, appealing to both longtime fans and new players. |
| Integrated into existing modes (Grand Prix, Online, Local) | No separate lobbies or menus; you just select new cups alongside the originals and jump straight into racing. |
| Playable on Nintendo Switch family systems | Runs on standard Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, and OLED models, so any current Mario Kart 8 Deluxe owner can upgrade. |
| Optional access with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack | Some subscription tiers include access without direct purchase, adding value if youre already in Nintendos ecosystem. |
| Digital add-on via Nintendo eShop | Instant download, no physical cartridge required, and content is tied to your account for easy access. |
| Support for multiplayer with mixed ownership online | If one player owns the DLC, others can still race the courses online when they come up in rotations, keeping communities together. |
What Users Are Saying
Across community hubs like Reddit and gaming forums, the sentiment around the Mario Kart 8 DLC: Booster Course Pass has settled into a clear consensus: its a huge win on content and value, with a few caveats that mainly matter to graphics purists.
What players love:
- Massive variety: With 48 extra tracks, online play feels wildly more varied. Youre no longer stuck seeing the same few fan-favorites in every lobby.
- Nostalgia hits hard: Longtime fans rave about seeing classics like Wii and DS-era tracks recreated, often with modern shortcuts and tighter handling.
- Great value: Many users describe it as one of the best DLC purchases on Switch in terms of hours-per-dollar, especially for families and party setups.
- Local multiplayer revival: People talk about the DLC becoming the new go-to for game nights, especially when introducing non-gamers to the chaos.
Common complaints:
- Visual inconsistency: Some players point out that certain Booster Pass tracks have a slightly different art style or lower detail than the original base-game courses. It doesnt affect gameplay, but aesthetic purists notice.
- No brand-new mechanics: If you were hoping for entirely new items or wild system overhauls, this is more of a content expansion than a mechanical reinvention.
- Overwhelm for casuals: With so many tracks, newer players sometimes feel lost or struggle to remember layoutsthough fans of challenge see this as a positive.
Overall, the community sentiment leans heavily positive: if you still play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at all, the DLC is often described as "hard to skip" or "basically required" once youve tried it.
Alternatives vs. Mario Kart 8 DLC
If youre shopping around, you do have options: rival kart racers, other DLCs, even waiting for a hypothetical next Mario Kart. But stack them up, and the Mario Kart 8 DLC: Booster Course Pass still comes out ahead for most players.
- Buying a different kart racer: There are plenty of competitors on Switch and other platforms, but few match Mario Karts physics, accessibility, and massive player base. Switching games entirely means leaving behind the friends and family who already own Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- Waiting for the next Mario Kart: You could hold out for a future entry, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the flagship racer on Switch, and the Booster Course Pass was designed to extend its lifespan. If youre playing now, theres no practical reason to wait.
- Sticking to the base game: If you only boot it up a few times a year, maybe you can live without the new content. But if Mario Kart is your go-to party or family game, the difference in variety and freshness online and offline is dramatic.
- Other DLC models: Many games sell bite-sized map packs or cosmetic-only DLC. By contrast, the Booster Course Pass is unapologetically about playable content that changes how often and how long you want to race.
In simple terms: if you already own Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and enjoy it, the Booster Course Pass is the most impactful upgrade you can buy short of a new console.
Final Verdict
The Mario Kart 8 DLC: Booster Course Pass doesnt try to reinvent Mario Kartit does something smarter. It takes the game you and your friends already know how to play, already love, and injects it with 48 coursesdecades of Mario Kart historycarefully adapted for the Switch era.
If Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been gathering dust because youve seen everything it has to offer, this DLC is the excuse youve been waiting for to pick it back up. If its still a staple at your house, the Booster Course Pass is less of an optional extra and more of a long-term investment in keeping those nights interesting.
No, its not a brand-new Mario Kart. But thats exactly the point. You dont need to start over. With one download, your existing game becomes bigger, louder, more varied, and a lot closer to the ultimate Mario Kart compilation.
If you own Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and plan to keep playing itonline, on the couch, or boththe Mario Kart 8 DLC: Booster Course Pass is an easy recommendation. It doesnt just add content; it gives your Switchs best party game a whole new lease on life.
