What Mario Kart's 'DLC Booster Course Pack' Could Mean For Mario Kart 9

The first wave released on March 18th 2022, with the second wave likely appearing in the Summer (June - July). These waves will continue to release until some point towards the end of 2023.

The last Nintendo Direct was quite a significant one, with dozens of major titles ranging from Xenoblade Chronicles 3, to a new Mario Strikers game being put on display. Some of these you could probably see coming, but there were plenty of announcements that were quite a shock to say the least.

One of those surprising reveals was the existence of new, paid Mario Kart DLC. The Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pack introduces 48 newly remastered race tracks, releasing in multiple phases, with eight courses per phase. The first contains iconic levels such as Mario Kart Wii's Cocunut Mall and N64's Choco Mountain.

The proclamation of this DLC comes after continuously fantastic sales for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (MK8D). Despite releasing almost five years ago, it remains to be the highest grossing game on the Switch by quite a margin, as of December 2021, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/index.html

To be blunt, the announcement of this expansion pack is long overdue. Not only does it gurantee more sales, it doubles the amount of content the game has to offer while also giving players who may not have played previous titles in the franchise to experience some of the most iconic race tracks in the series.

All of this for a surprisingly cheap price of £22.49 ($30). The final phase of the DLC will release towards the end of 2023, and by that point, MK8D will have 24 grand prix cups containing 96 race tracks in total, easily cementing it as the standout kart racer on the market even further.

They may not have the same visual quality as the ones in the base game, but the new races have definitely had a lot of work put towards them, and the fact that there's still 40 more to go is very exciting.

As good as this is though, it does raise a couple of interesting questions. Many fans, myself included, were not expecting more DLC, but instead hoping to hear news of the longly anticipated 'Mario Kart 9', which is still supposedly in development - though at this stage, only rumoured to be.

Until we get that confirmation though, what does this booster pack mean for the future of the series? Personally speaking, I can come up with three different scenarios that, while in some ways intertwine with each other, all have their own major implications regarding the lifespan of the franchise.

Scenario 1: A New Mario Kart in the Distant Future (Possibly Alongside Next Nintendo Console)

Starting with the most likely scenario, a new Mario Kart game releasing in the distant future instead of coming out within the next year or two makes a lot of sense from a marketing point of view.

This can be said for two reasons. The first, we've already mentioned: MK8D's exceptional sales figures that show no signs of stalling. Why spend a load of money making a new game when the old one is still bringing in plenty of cash?

MK8D's online population is still holding strong, as the game continues to sell. Finding a lobby rarely ever takes longer than a few seconds. The number of terrifying Mii characters is also holding unnervingly strong.

The second reason involves taking a look at the series' history. With every Nintendo console, there has been one Mario Kart game to go along with it. While the original Mario Kart 8 did release on the Wii U, the Deluxe is only available on Switch, and it's selling more here than it ever did on its original console.

Once you've thrown the booster pack into the equation, you have a game that's starkly different from its previous version. If it's true that there is another Mario Kart game in development, then it's likely that Nintendo is scheduling it to release alongside their next console, as it would very likely encourage a lot of people to purchase the two together.

Just when some of us were starting to doze off Mario Kart 8, they go ahead and bring back Coconut Mall. Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing with that. All they need to do now is bring back DK Mountain...

Releasing DLC for MK8D allows them to fill in the gap between now and then, while also guaranteeing prolonged growth in sales figures. Unveiling the content in multiple waves stretched across an almost two year timespan serves as an added bonus.

Whatever Nintendo choose to do next, the booster course pack will certainly increase MK8D's sustainability from a profit standpoint while also giving fans more content to invest in until their next game arrives. A win-win scenario for both sides.

Scenario 2: No New Mario Kart Games; “Nintendo Kart”

An unlikely, somewhat radical, but still potentially possible scenario is that Mario Kart as we know it will completely transform into something entirely different. It's an idea that's been toyed with in the past; however, due to Mario Kart 8's inclusion of other Nintendo characters, the topic is becoming more and more interesting to talk about.

That idea is a 'Nintendo Kart' game designed in a similar vein to Super Smash Bros, essentially being a racing counterpart. It would involve characters from a variety of iconic Nintendo games, with race tracks taking place in the worlds of these different franchises.

We already have Link, Villager, Isabelle and the Inklings, as well as a map dedicated to each of them. If they're willing to tease, there's no reason why they wouldn't be willing to fully commit to a full fledged title.

This concept comes with its own ups and downs. On the plus side, the idea is plausible. There would be plenty of opportunities to incorporate gameplay features from other Nintendo franchises, whether that be in the form of items, vehicles, or other unique mechanics.

If pulled off correctly, it would have the potential to be one of Nintendo's most standout titles in recent years; in the long run, possibly overtaking MK8D. It would not only attract fans of Mario, but also from the rest of their franchises. The idea is certainly profitable.

On the down side, however, you are essentially pulling the plug on an iconic franchise that has such a massive following, and expecting them to be okay with it. While some in that group might be alright with the change, it's fair to assume that a large chunk of it would not.

Mario Kart has had a a life span of just over 20 years. Very few franchises that have lasted that long still feel as fresh as this one does. | Thumbnail Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43mR6zb9AO0

It would also be a huge risk on Nintendo's part. It would have to be leagues better than any of their karting games that came before to justify the significant change in direction. If it backfired, it probably wouldn't be catastrophic for the company, but you'll have a lot of angry customers whose respect for you has just turned sour.

Is it likely that this scenario will happen? Depends who you ask, but in my opinion, the answer is no. I would be surprised if Nintendo hasn't considered it at some point, but at the end of the day, molding one of their most successful franchises into something else might be a bit too much for them.

Then again, it's not the first time the company has completely disregarded their fans, so in reality, it's likely a 50/50 chance. Unpredictable corporate decision making is so fun!

Scenario 3: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Continues to Update: More Passes

Remember when I said how these scenarios have the potential to intertwine with each other?

The last potential scenario is certainly an interesting one, but it depends entirely on how successful the booster course pack ends up being. It's difficult not to note the absence of new characters being introduced alongside this pass. There's also no new battle maps. Or new kart pieces.

Nintendo are being pretty generous by giving us 48 newly remastered race tracks, and it would be understandable if they left it there... but what if they didn't?

Once we've reached the end of 2023, and the rest of the new courses have been released, what's stopping Nintendo from releasing another pass? More race tracks might be a bit much, but they could certainly capitalise on those other areas previously mentioned, and it would make a lot of sense for them to do so, especially if the first one sells well.

When it comes to characters, MK8D is missing a few fan favourites, such as Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, and Birdo. A character pass would be the perfect opportunity to bring those in. Since Tour tracks are now a part of the game, they could easily bring characters across from there as well.

Hey Nintendo, please bring back Birdo. Pretty please. Thank you.

A kart pass also makes a lot of sense, since they've released kart DLC in the past, before Deluxe came out. While it may not be as tempting as the other two, having more customisation options can hardly be construed as a negative, and it's difficult to see how it wouldn't sell.

Then there's MK8D's battle mode, which often feels like it's been left on the wayside. Having 96 races and only 8 battle maps seems a bit unbalanced to me. Personally speaking, I'd love to see more battle maps, especially some from Mario Kart Wii like Block Plaza and Delfino Pier (Wii is my favourite, so yeah, I'm biased).

Mario Kart Wii undoubtedly had the best roster of battle mode maps, and it would be brilliant to see some of these remastered in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It would help give the current battle mode that extra bit of life. | Thumbnail Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyRD-1pbTWI

It's worth noting, however, that this scenario could just as easily happen alongside either of the other ones, and as long as MK8D's sales continue to rise, Nintendo has every reason to continue to release content for it, while another team works on the next big title. Regardless of what ends up happening, I'd be pretty happy if this scenario came into effect.

In Conclusion

Making predictions is never easy, especially when it comes to video games, and while the scenarios I have talked about all have some sense to them, there's a good chance that it'll end up completely different to what I've theorised.

Regardless of whatever the future of Mario Kart is, I think it's important to reflect on just how far the series has come. Starting on the SNES in 1992, and releasing on every major Nintendo console since then, each game has brought a twist to the formula and stands out in its own way, something that many game franchises struggle to achieve.

Pictures like this remind you how much Mario Kart has grown as a series. Who would've thought that this game would mark the beginning of one of the most well-known video game franchises.

We are rapidly approaching the series' 30 year anniversary, on August 27th, and it still continues to succeed. It brings friends and families together, tests relationships for some, but brings enjoyment to all. Even if Mario Kart is changing into something else, it will not ruin what came before: a series that helped define a genre and impact the entire world.