Nintendo may have been late to hop on the DLC train, but I'll be damned if that train isn't a luxury trip to a land of milk and honey. The point is, there are companies that give you want you pay for, and then there's Mario Kart 8's DLC packs, which were announced way back last summer. These two DLC packs consist of (in total) sixteen new tracks across four cups, eight new rides, and six new characters, along with extra colors for Yoshi and Shy Guy if you bought both packs. All of this for a mere $12 US, though it's $8 if you purchase a pack on its own.
The first DLC pack came out in November, and it was a welcome treat, as well as a good reason to hit the track once again. Now the second DLC pack is fast approaching, releasing on April 23. Just today, Nintendo of Japan released trailers that show off every track in this upcoming pack. Have a look below. Note that this is not the exact order in which these tracks are listed in-game, and some of the new tracks are not named as of yet.
Returning Tracks
Ribbon Road (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
"Andy's coming! Finish up the race!" This was one of the more memorable tracks from the otherwise forgettable Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the GameBoy Advance. All it really had to its name was its aesthetic, and Nintendo played that aesthetic up to 11, with some extra features that couldn't have been done in the original.
Baby Park (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
If your friendship survived up to this point after a long session of Mario Kart, then Baby Park is the final gauntlet that tests how much you can take before you tear the plug out of the wall socket. This track is 7 short laps of pure mayhem, blood, sweat and tears. But have fun, y'know?
Neo Boswer City (Mario Kart 7)
It's time to have a race IN THE FUTURE! Take those tight future turns, throw your future items, jump off those future ramps, pull off some future tricks, and win future first place! IN THE FUTURE!
Cheese Land (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
You'd gouda be kidding me. I feta brieng some extra green shells, in queso emergency. There's no whey I'm not playing this edam track on day one, because it's looking grate!
New Tracks
Animal Crossing
"I gotta win this race. I put down 10,000 bells on myself. If I don't win, I won't be able to pay Tom Nook and he's gonna have the Nooklings adorably break my legs!" In all seriousness, though, this track actually has four variations, one for each season. However, there is not a dynamic clock system, which would be impractical anyway. Who would want to wait a year just to see the winter version of this track?
Subway
Where the hell is my five dollar footlong? Oh, right. This track seems to have an aesthetic based on the London Underground. Expect a lot of tight corners, small corridors, and hectic item battles in this cramped course.
Woods
Wood you kindly not burn the forest down while you have your race? Kay thanks. This track seems to have a Shy Guy theme, which would coincide nicely with previous tribal iterations of the character from games like Paper Mario or Yoshi's Island. It's very vertical, with a lot of high-flying jumps involved. In truth, it reminds me of the wooded tracks from the original Sonic Riders. Am I the only one? ...Yeah? I... I liked that game... Oooh, speaking of futuristic racing games!
Big Blue!
Jiminy Cricket, Nintendo! The only way you could show more love for F-Zero would be for you to actually make a new F-Zero game! This appears to be one more addition to the game's few linear tracks, consisting of three segments rather than three laps. Like Mute City before it, this track takes full advantage of the gravity mechanic, providing some of the sickest jumps and viewpoints in Mario Kart history. I think Nintendo is just laughing at us at this point. Or perhaps they're getting us hyped up for something special in coming times. We'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, see you all on the race track in a week!
