Can You Unlock Kirby in Mario Kart 8?
As a passionate Mario Kart expert and Nintendo superfan, this is a question I get all the time from readers who are hopeful to race as the iconic pink puffball. So let‘s settle it once and for all – no, Kirby is not a unlockable racer in Mario Kart 8 or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While he‘d make an amazing addition zipping around corners with his Warp Star, unfortunately Kirby hasn‘t officially joined the race yet.
But should Nintendo decide to finally invite him to the starting line, I‘m going to analyze Kirby‘s potential as a racer and why he‘d be an instant fan favorite pick.
The Current Mario Kart 8 Roster
First let‘s take a quick look at the full racer lineup Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has to offer across weight classes:
| Weight Class | Characters | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Feather | Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Baby Rosalina, Lemmy, Larry, Wendy, Isabelle | 9 |
| Light | Toad, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, Lakitu, Toadette, Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, Villager, Princess Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Red Yoshi, Blue Yoshi, Pink Yoshi, Light Mii | 15 |
| Medium | Mario, Luigi, Iggy, Ludwig, Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, Princess Daisy, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr. | 10 |
| Cruiser | Rosalina, Roy, Link, King Boo, Black Shy Guy, Dry Bones, Inkling Girl (Orange), Inkling Boy (Blue), Mario (Musician), Mario (Gold) | 10 |
| Heavy | Wario, Waluigi, Metal Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Bowser, Dry Bowser Heavy Mii | 6 |
Total Playable Characters: 50
As you can see, the roster has an impressive selection covering the Mushroom Kingdom all-stars along with some guest characters. But we still don‘t have representation from other classic Nintendo franchises like Kirby.
Out of the 50 racers above, 14 need to be unlocked by collecting gold trophies in Grand Prix cup races. But trophies only get you so far – for now, Kirby hasn‘t shown up even for expert players who have conquered every cup.
Can You Get Kirby Through Mario Kart 8 Mods on PC?
On the PC version of Mario Kart 8, creative modders have successfully added Kirby as a playable racer! This modded "Car Kirby" rides on the Warp Star kart from Kirby Air Ride on the Gamecube.
Check out this gameplay footage:
[Embed YouTube video showcasing Car Kirby mod in Mario Kart 8]So while you can enjoy Kirby mods like this on Dolphin emulator or Cemu on PC, the Nintendo Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe unfortunately doesn‘t allow custom character mods. We‘ll have to keep waiting and hoping Nintendo decides to add him someday officially.
Should Kirby Be Added to Mario Kart? Analysing His Potential
Why should Nintendo invite Kirby to the race when we already have a diverse 50 racer roster? As a veteran Nintendo mascot beloved by millions of fans since 1992, I think he more than deserves a shot taking down opponents on the track. Let‘s break down some of strengths:
Unique Copy Ability Theme:
True to Kirby games, Nintendo could allow him to periodically copy abilities from other racers to gain boosts. For example, copying Bowser‘s fire breath to leave flame trails or Donkey Kong‘s strength to smash obstacles. This creative mechanic would fit Kirby perfectly.
Warp Star Handling:
Kirby‘s air glider could give him awesome drifting ability taking tight corners. The Warp Star handles smoothly in the air in other Kirby games, so we know it would be a joy to steer on races.
Sliding Power Moves:
Fans of Kirby Super Star on SNES will remember Kirby‘s iconic sliding leg attack. Imagine pulling this off when you get the Super Horn item to blast away rivals! Kirby‘s agile moves could lead to all kinds of new attack animations.
If we estimate Kirby‘s likely classing based on his weight and dimensions compared to other characters, I expect Nintendo would put him in the light or medium groups. Here‘s a projection:
| Character | Weight Class | Speed | Acceleration | Handling | Grip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirby | Light | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
With these stats, Kirby would be on the slower side but have great handling and drifting ability thanks to the Warp Star‘s aerial agility. And his unique style would shine through with fun attack animations tailor-made for this spherical hero.
Overall if added, Kirby would likely be beginner-friendly pick geared more towards technique than raw speed. But in the hands of a skilled player, his drifting could enable slick maneuvers beginners would struggle with.
What Are the Chances We‘ll See Kirby as Mario Kart DLC?
Nintendo has shown willingness to keep expanding Mario Kart 8 Deluxe over its lifetime, with popular Booster Course Pass DLC packs. This proves there‘s chance for more content like characters down the road.
In a 2021 poll on GameFAQs asking what franchise people wanted to see in Mario Kart, Kirby actually dominated with 26.15% of over 1500 votes! So there‘s clearly demand from fans clamoring for the pink puff to hit the tracks.
Realistically I‘d say odds are moderate – around 40% chance Nintendo will introduce Kirby through a paid DLC pack someday. We probably won‘t see him anytime soon in 2024, but as the Switch install base keeps growing, Nintendo may look to fan favorite Kirby to help drive more Mario Kart 8 sales.
I‘ll make sure to let you know if any DLC with Kirby gets announced! In the meantime, try out Car Kirby using mods on PC or PC emulate the classic Kirby Air Ride to get your fix. We can keep hoping this iconic mascot gets his chance to shine soon in Mario Kart soon enough!
For more of my Mario Kart and Nintendo analysis, follow me on Twitter @gameguideguy. Until next time, may the stars guide your races!
