Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass - Wave 1

 Switch
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. DarkZero
    Mar 23, 2022
    70
    It is a promising start for this huge expansion, with a varied selection of tracks, some straightforward, some complex. It does seem weird the order they are in when it comes to the cup progression, and I do question why we need tracks that are designed as openers in the old games. If Booster Course Pass Wave 1 is the opener, I’d imagine as we get further into the release schedule, those selected will begin to showcase the bigger, larger and more complex tracks, and that makes me stoked. The expansion itself is easily worth it for Mario Kart fans. We are talking about doubling the number of tracks that were in the original Mario Kart 8 Deluxe release, meaning that we get to experience the fantastic Mario Kart 8 gameplay across a whole game worth of new tracks. With the price being as cheap as it is, it is a no brainer that Mario Kart fans should pick this up. A good first wave, so let’s see what Booster Course Pass Wave 2 brings.
  2. Hey Poor Player
    Mar 22, 2022
    70
    For me, though, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pack has been a wonderful reminder of how much I love this game. That on its own makes it well worth the price of admission, especially when it promises to keep giving me reasons to come back for most of the next two years. Hopefully, I’ll see you on the track.
  3. Cubed3
    Mar 21, 2022
    70
    There is no doubt that the Booster Course Pass is going to heralded as "must-have", but so far Wave 1 hasn't set the track on fire. The runaway winners of Wave 1 are the three courses featured from Mario Kart Tour, but that is not to say the other courses are bad, but are lacking in imagination compared to other retro-courses featured in the base game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The lack of anti-grav and some questionable graphical decisions also mount up to disappointment and it is interesting to see if Nintendo are going to address this with the remaining 40 courses. However, in the grand scheme of things it is great to have new courses to race on and is certainly thoroughly recommended for all Mario Kart fans.
  5. Destructoid
    Mar 21, 2022
    70
    If none of these tracks really tickle your fancy, you’re probably better off just waiting for the next proper entry in the Mario Kart series. For me, I’m cautious but optimistic the rest of the Booster Course Pass will be worth the $25 entry fee once all is said and done. Obviously, there are some great tracks included already with Wave 1, but if Toad Circuit’s inclusion is any indication, I shouldn’t completely dismiss the possibility of some stinkers getting through too.
  6. Nintendo Life
    Mar 18, 2022
    70
    Overall, Wave 1 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is enjoyable and gives a modern classic a thrilling new spark of life. After blasting through the race classes, it's likely the itch will be back and we'll be back in the online lobbies once again, eagerly awaiting the five further waves to come between now and the end of 2023. That's the key takeaway we took early on while sampling the Booster Course Pass — you can't go far wrong with 'more Mario Kart'.
  7. Het Nieuwsblad
    Mar 31, 2022
    60
    Unfortunately, the quality of the new tracks varies: Toad Circuit feels like a rush job, while Paris Promenade perfectly captures the wonderful chaos of Mario kart. In summary, we're happy for more Mario kart, yet we're a little disappointed that the first part of this expansion doesn't reach the towering level of the original.
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  1. Metro GameCentral
    Mar 18, 2022
    If it wasn’t for the change in graphics this would get an unequivocal recommendation and even with that issue, we can’t imagine anyone that already enjoys Mario Kart 8 not thinking this isn’t worth getting as well.

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 33
  3. Negative: 6 out of 33
  1. Narann
    Mar 24, 2022
    0
    Art is bad. Paris promenade is boring, Coconut Mall is less enjoyable than original. Most tracks seems "off". Ninja Hideway is the onlyArt is bad. Paris promenade is boring, Coconut Mall is less enjoyable than original. Most tracks seems "off". Ninja Hideway is the only interesting track because of how technical it is, but the rest looks like asset pushed in Unity with global illumination (Coconut Mall is such a disaster). More love should have been pushed is those tracks. Please don't do this again Nintendo!… Full Review »
  2. EightSix7
    Oct 10, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Okay. Just okay. The only real complaint I have about this is the texture difference between the base game and these tracks. I understand porting from Tour is convenient, but when you remember Tour’s assets are just downgraded from 8 it doesn’t seem to make sense. They did this for a reason, though, as 8 Deluxe’s version of Coconut Mall reappears in Tour, and Sky-High Sundae was later released a few days before it’s inclusion in Tour. I do find it interesting Nintendo’s simultaneously developing tracks for both games, and while that makes Tour’s tracks a step up in quality, it brings 8 Deluxe’s new tracks down a bit.

    The track selection isn’t perfect- they wasted a 3DS slot by putting Toad Circuit in with those god-awful Tour textures- but the addition of Mario Kart Tour tracks is a milestone for the series that holds up well- Tokyo Blur, for example, combines each of the track variations into one per lap. Since Tour tracks have different layouts on the same map (as opposed to totally different tracks with the same name in Super Mario Kart), it creates this unique lap-changing experience for the city tracks in Tour that adds replay value. Coconut Mall, Choco Mountain, Shroom Ridge and Ninja Hideaway are my personal favorites of this wave.

    The concept of DLC for 8 Deluxe I feel is better than a new Mario Kart, as 8 Deluxe is, to say the least, a huge money maker for the Switch. Since the experience of that game is the most refined out of the series, it makes sense to give us DLC to bide our time for the new console’s next-generation Mario Kart. And at 52 cents per track it’s a steal regardless of personal preference, since over half of the series’ tracks will be remade there’s sure to be something for everyone. So while the graphics are off-putting and the selection for this wave is… alright, it’s still a decent launch that should point to better waves in the years to come.    … Full Review »
  3. ebellumat
    Aug 26, 2022
    0
    The word that can define this DLC is: Laziness. The graphics and quality of this tracks are below the base game. It's the first DLC in myThe word that can define this DLC is: Laziness. The graphics and quality of this tracks are below the base game. It's the first DLC in my entire life that changed the original graphics to something worse. And the graphics is not the only problem. No one of these tracks have the main mechanic of the MK8, the anti-grav thing. All the tracks are messy ports from the Mobile game. The Nintendo Switch is not a smartphone, please don't to it again.… Full Review »
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