Is the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Worth It? Absolutely.

As an avid Mario Kart player since the early 90‘s, I can definitively say the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC is worth buying for most gamers. With 48 classic tracks from past Mario Kart titles rebuilt and remastered in HD, a reasonable price point, and staggered content releases to keep things fresh, the Booster Course Pass proves well worthwhile.

Let’s dive deeper on what exactly you’re getting across these six upcoming DLC waves:

Breakdown of Tracks: A Nostalgic Blast From Mario Kart‘s Past

The Mario Kart franchise first raced onto the scene in 1992 and has delivered iconic tracks across 10 core entries and numerous spinoffs. The Booster Course Pass resurrects 48 total tracks from that rich history:

Highlights for me include Coconut Mall, the high intensity Wii track the community has clamored for years to return. And who doesn’t love the chaotic baby park with its 7 laps of nonstop action? But variety wins out – repping 10 unique entries ensures some new flavors in this Mario Kart sundae. I’m particularly jazzed to hit the mean streets of New York Minute lifted from mobile title Mario Kart Tour.

So how do these retro recreations hold up?

Visual Upgrades Bring New Dimension to Classic Tracks

Far from cheap ports, returning courses see full graphical overhauls breathing vibrant new life into their layouts. Touchups range from minor environmental boosts like smoother textures to more dramatic alterations of camera angles, lighting, effects, and track side additions that refresh their look and feel.

Coconut Mall gleams with new tiles, plants, and window displays inside while flashy new cityscapes stretch across the nighttime drive of Tokyo Blur. New animations give personality to things like dancing spotlights in Shy Guy Beach while increased draw distances reveal previously unseen details for distant landmarks. Most importantly, the rock-solid 60fps ensures buttery smooth performance even on frantic split-screen multiplayer.

It’s clear the level design teams analyzed these stages from top to bottom to crank embellishments to 11 while carefully preserving what made fans fall in love with them originally. No easy feat, but the care towards getting fan favorites right comes through strongly.

Great Bang For Your Buck

Let’s break down why the Booster Course Pass represents such a killer value:

• 48 remastered tracks for $24.99
• Comes out to ~$0.52 per track
• Significantly cheaper than past Mario Kart DLC packs
  • Mario Kart 8 on Wii U charged $12 for 16 new tracks ($11.25 when bundled)
  • Mario Kart 7 on 3DS offered 16 tracks for $7.99
• Currently discounted to $22.49 (£19.99 in the UK)

Stacking the Deluxe version’s sizable collection alongside permeations of returning favorites that rival the full selection in early franchise entries? For under 25 bucks? Hard to beat from a pure content standpoint matching both quality and quantity.

Ongoing Updates Mean Long-Term Value

I especially appreciate how the Booster Pass doesn’t frontload everything immediately. With courses doled out across 6 separate waves, we gain incentive to regularly revisit Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Rather than gorging ourselves on the full slate then peacing out after a month, staggered releases spaced 3-4 months apart keeps multiplayer lobbies buzzing with anticipation for what‘s around the next corner flag. With 24 courses still upcoming, late 2023 promises surprises that’ll keep me locking back in routinely just as I have been for nearly a decade now since the Wii U original arrived.

Fleshes Out Already Rock-Solid Package

Even excluding the DLC, Deluxe standalone represents a hallmark of the franchise featuring 48 meticulously crafted tracks. This expansive offering mixes lighting fast 200cc races, innovative anti-grav sections, and the same polished signature mechanics that landed the base entry on many best-of lists for the Wii U.

The booster material only diversifies the dynamic driving further. Acclaimed by enthusiastic players, wave 1 and 2 reviews cement that the dev teamServiceReference to Nintendo developers. avoids redundancy. Instead, they introduce delightful throwbacks while packing in new gameplay ideas matching the core game’s creative spark.

Critics and buyers alike back up that verdict, with Deluxe sales still going gangbusters half a decade post-launch:

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe lifetime sales: 45+ million copies
• Currently #15 best-selling game ever
• Second biggest Switch title behind only Mario Odyssey
• Active player base of over 2 million players monthly in 2022 per Nintendo

Additional Perspectives As An Avid Gamer

I’ve experienced every Mario Kart dating back to sprawling carpet play sessions downing Surge soda with middle school friends in the 90’s. So I’ve seen firsthand how hit-or-miss additional packs tend to turn out.

The Booster Pass impresses me more than any previous add-on content drop across the entire franchise other than maybe DS‘s stellar Mission Mode. I‘m stunned by the consistency in quality here – rather than leaning on filler, they vetted top tier selections that knocked it out of the park both in nostalgia and freshness.

While Mario Kart 8 undoubtedly deserved DLC extensions as a flagship entry, I worried they’d grow stale quick by repeating the same tricks that had already carried Deluxe this far. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Who Will Get The Most Value?

• For the Mario Kart diehards who have sunk endless hours powersliding already, this is 100% mandatory as fan service to replay time-tested memorable tracks. Breathing life into past battlegrounds scratches an itch for nostalgia while delivering new dimension.
• For parents seeking fun family entertainment, this only sweetens an already appealing package to throw on during game nights when you’ve got company over. More content means less chance kiddos get bored replaying the same rainbow road for the 100th time!
• Occasional gamers on the fence may want to wait for sale unless you frequently have gaming get-togethers craving multiplayer. But quality and variety here still make it probably worth full price.

Looking Ahead: What’s In Store for Unannounced Waves?

While Nintendo hasn’t spilled the oil barrels about upcoming courses, evidence points to exciting possibilities on the horizon.

Datamining of game code references tracks like Waluigi Pinball and Peach Gardens we haven‘t raced since Mario Kart DS glory days. We could see more retro revival of console classics on the N64 and Gamecube. Staples like DK Mountain or Bowser’s Castle seem ripe for a modern overhaul!

Wave four also sneakily introduced empty character slots into the roster, hinting new racers could start vying for the winner’s pedestal soon. Kamek seems a likely candidate after his long-requested promotion to action in Deluxe and other Switch entries.

We may even see newcomers from recent franchise trips make their debut to diversify rosters. Pauline or Funky Kong seem plausible choices fitting nicely alongside the family-friendly mayhem.

While complete speculation, signs point to more awesome things around the bend that’ll undoubtedly floor expectations all over again.

The Verdict: An Absolute Win For Fans

The last seven years cemented Mario Kart 8 as my most played Switch title by far, even with no substantial DLC before now. That’s why I had sky high hopes for this Booster Pass that could’ve turned ugly if mishandled by less experienced teams.

Luckily veteran leadership ensured this exhilarating expansion hit the ground running full throttle to critical and community acclaim alike. For the cost of a single takeout dinner you secure dozens of hours of dynamic action embracing nostalgia while never getting solely lost reveling in former glory.

Doubters may have questioned the need to return to the well rather than focusing efforts on an elusive Mario Kart 9. But just as with Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s similarly large scale DLC adventures, Nintendo stuck the landing to deliver a must-play package for any fan of Mushroom Kingdom kart racing antics.

Simply put – if you even mildly enjoy chaotic multiplayer magic that is Mario Kart, do yourself a favor adding this high quality blend of classic competition to your on-demand library.