Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Additional Courses Pass: our impressions

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Additional Courses Pass

On March 18, the first contents of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Additional Courses Pass were added, which between now and the end of 2023 will bring another twelve trophies - no less than forty-eight tracks - into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. These circuits will be integrated into the main online mode starting March 22; between friends, however, are playable already now. The Pass is free for anyone with the Nintendo Switch Online Add-on Package, and can be purchased separately for 24.99 Euros. At the moment two trophies have been added, the Scatto Dorato Trophy and the Gattofortuna Trophy (they seem a bit on the tight side with the nomenclatures, yes).

Before going into the description of the individual tracks, some general considerations. This Additional Paths Pass draws heavily from the Mario Kart Tour catalog, which Nintendo considers to all intents and purposes a main chapter, and without it it would hardly have existed (on the other hand, without the mobile iteration we would have already had the new Mario Kart for consoles). We are not referring only to the tracks extrapolated from that context: even those from past eras, such as Giardino Nuvola, have arrived on Switch through the Mario Kart Tour version.

Isn't that clear enough? We elaborate further. Giardino Nuvola is a track born on Game Boy Advance, and has been revived on Mario Kart DS (one of the best in the game, by the way). From there it came to Mario Kart Tour and from Mario Kart Tour directly to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In short, these tracks, unlike those of the original game, are not redone specifically for the eighth episode: they are direct adaptations of the mobile version. For stylistic commonality, we imagine that even those not yet appeared on Mario Kart Tour, such as Colli Fungo, will arrive soon (after all, the game catalog is constantly expanding).

The most obvious consequence of this choice involves the visual impact. They are not direct transplants from mobile to Switch, Nintendo has improved the resolution and some textures (especially those of the terrain), however the quality is very far from that of the original tracks. To tell the truth, even on a stylistic level: Mario Kart Tour is more sketchy and less realistic, not only technically less advanced. The gap between the graphic quality of these tracks and those of the past is therefore evident, and obviously in the negative. The background music, on the other hand, received privileged treatment: it was arranged and played with the same richness as the original Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. function ready (fn) {if (document.readyState! = 'loading') {fn ()} else {document.addEventListener ('DOMContentLoaded', fn)}} ready (function () {window.addEventListener ('message', function (event) {let target_origin = 'https://aff.netaddiction.it'; if (event.origin! == target_origin) return; if (typeof event.data == "object" && event.data.hasOwnProperty ( "type") && event.data.type == "embaff") {let embed_id = event.data.embed_id; if (embed_id == '599') {document.querySelector ('#_ aff_embed_599'). setAttribute ('height ', event.data.embed_size);}}}, false);}) From the point of view of level design, coming directly from Mario Kart Tour, antigravity is absent. Except for rare cases (and leaving out the scenographic aspect) nothing particularly worrying: there were already some slopes without this feature. The problem arises only when it seems possible to run on a wall, and instead crashes into it: the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe player is used to being able to go (almost) anywhere, and for this reason there are two / three moments in which, in the new tracks, is misled.

These are the characteristics and criticalities of the Additional Paths Pass: for the rest, the quality of the circuits seemed very good to us and we finally have new tracks to run in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. If you love the game, an opportunity not to be missed (it is also useless to write it, perhaps). Now our analysis of the circuits.

Golden Snap Trophy

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: the Promenade of Paris, our favorite track among the new The first track of this Trophy is the Promenade of Paris, coming from Mario Kart Tour (like all city circuits extrapolated from reality, after all). Well, this track is great. Music with the accordion, the Parisian atmosphere with its cafes, the Arc de Triomphe. Not only that, the path is really intriguing. It has many alternatives, and initially it is not difficult to end up in the worst one, or even find yourself in the wrong direction; the last lap offers a great variation, which makes it totally different from the first two. It is a rich and varied track, our favorite of these new tracks. Rating: 8.5

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Toad's Circuit, with Pink Floyd's "flying pig" mushroom The second stage of the Trophy is the Toad's Circuit, from Mario Kart 7 for Nintendo 3DS. A course for beginners, without infamy and without praise: pleasant but not scratchy, it has the - not obvious - quality of being entirely on the track, so it is "clean". The curves are gentle, the duration rather short. Generally a pleasant track, but with little personality. Rating: 6.5.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Cioccocanyon, a Mario Kart 64 track Cioccocanyon is the third race of the Trophy, and comes directly from Nintendo 64 (passing, as specified in the introduction, through the version for Mario Kart Tour). While funny, like many Mario Kart 64 tracks it doesn't work at its best on this episode: in that chapter it was essential a strategic use of weapons, and also not to make mistakes (do not go off the track, do not crash, do not fall into the ravines). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is much (much) more refined as a driving system, but also less punishing. The cliffs (and the mountains) therefore do not scare as in the past. Despite this, it is a fun track, with the finish marked by various ups and downs. Watch out for the bats, inside the cave. Ah, at 200cc it's one of those very difficult tracks to tackle, it blends badly with the high speeds of the displacement. Rating: 7.5.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Outlet Cocco, which many will remember on Wii The last track of the Trophy originally appeared on Mario Kart Wii, and is Outlet Cocco: it is set in a center commercial, and is full of large curves and escalators, which can alternatively favor or disadvantage the driver. The final part is outside the structure, and has various unexpected events (albeit reduced compared to the original), and at 200cc it is almost possible to fly over it all with the glider. Precisely on this track there are some curves that in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe we are used to going in antigravity, and here instead they involve an accident: maybe you will have to get used to them. Rating: 7.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Tokyo Neon, another street circuit Another street circuit opens the Trophy, the Tokyo Neon (from Mario Kart Tour, of course): it will probably be a constant of this Pass Additional Paths. You were wondering, yes, in Mario Kart Tour there are already eight such circuits and no, there is not yet one set in Italy. The Tokyo track is not as beautiful as the Paris one, but it is still appreciable: clean, full of crossroads, it has small variations lap after lap. Quite wide, and without really technical moments. The music - in our ear - is less characteristic of the original country than the French one, but we could be wrong. A track that will please everyone, without exalting anyone. Rating: 7.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: watch out for the cars in the Curves of Mushroom Hills You know the Toad Highway? Here, take that concept and apply it to a winding mountain path. The result is Colli Fungo, a very beautiful track, very technical, and highly full of unexpected events (mainly cars to be avoided): three factors that are not often associated with Mario Kart. It is essential to learn the position of the final shortcut well, because with a mushroom at the right time it can save a lot of time; even more important is to drive smoothly and precisely, being careful not to crash into other cars. Rating: 8.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Cloud Garden, a classic of the Mushroom Hills series is followed by Cloud Garden: as already written, this track first appeared on Game Boy Advance, and then returns to Nintendo DS, where she was one of the best in the game. On Mario Kart 8 Deluxe it is very pleasant, but certainly not among the most memorable, and not only because this episode is the one with the best track design. The characters are bigger and bulky than in the past, and the track consequently seems "smaller": the same bounces on the leaves - a shortcut - are too slow, and hardly anyone will use them without mushrooms (unlike those of Vascello Nuvolante) . However, it remains an elegant track, with long straights and sharp hairpin bends, two of which to be bravely faced up to the third charge of the drift (the purple one): be careful not to touch the clouds, they are more solid than they seem. Rating: 8.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Covo Ninja, a track with many alternative routes The last track of this first wave of content is Covo Ninja, the only one to be presented as original: it is not indicated , in fact, the initial apparition. An incomprehensible choice (an error in all respects?), Given that the circuit is present, and almost the same, in Mario Kart Tour. Be that as it may, it is a layered track, full of alternative routes, full of treacherous curves , turns at right angles, and even several ravines. Beautiful and complicated: in the design of the track and also on a visual level. We did not like only the staircase at the beginning of the route: there are wooden steps, but you go up as if they were a smooth ramp (without hitches, therefore). In a Nintendo game, you rarely see such superficiality. Rating: 8 -.

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