Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 4 - Review

We´re over the halfway point!

Console: Nintendo Switch

It´s that time again. Time to talk about the latest wave of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass! Earlier than I expected, I was thinking more along the lines of April for this fourth wave to hit, but I'm not complaining. Maybe that'll mean the 6th and final wave will launch before December? October perhaps? Then again, wave 1 launched in March last year so maybe not.

That's purely speculation that won't stay current anyway so I digress. There are more pressing matters to discuss, like the wave itself. The courses and what sets it apart from waves 1, 2 & 3: the inclusion of a brand new racer to the roster.

Without further ado, let's dive in! 

In wave 4 we have Amsterdam Drift (Tour), Riverside Park (GBA), DK Summit (Wii) and Yoshi's Island (New) in the Fruit Cup and Bangkok Rush (Tour), Mario Circuit (DS), Waluigi Stadium (Double Dash) and Singapore Speedway (Tour) in the Boomerang Cup.

The 8 tracks in this 4th wave.

Going into wave 4, I wasn't all that happy with the track variety on display. It had 3 tour tracks, the weakest courses across the DLC in the 1st three waves and the plainest Mario Kart DS track to boot? Call me pleasantly surprised though as none of this is really the case. Yes, the Tour tracks still aren't the greatest. They were made for a mobile title and when translated to a full-fledged console release they come out short. Very basic and very similar to one another with pretty flat textures.

Even so, the three in this wave are pretty neat. I like Amsterdam Drift for its water sections, Bangkok Rush has quite the atmosphere and Singapore Speedway works better as the Cup's final track than I thought it would. Mario Kart Circuit is also better, and more involved than I remember. It's still not a very exciting track when you see the layout but the HD facelift makes it rather beautiful in places, especially in the forest area. Gives that section a different atmosphere and I welcome it.

The brand new track, Yoshi's Island, is a very good one. I've never played a Yoshi game so I don't know half the stuff they're referencing but I appreciated the little touches like the coins having Yoshi's face on them. It's a big track that immediately captures your attention with that big mountain, that giant-to-small guy, perspective. The waves standout, out easily.

I don't know who that guy in the sea is, but I do know I've seen it on the Yoshi's Island boxart. 

I don´t really see the river in ´Riverside Park´ but that´s the only complaint I´ve got. It´s a nice, more relaxed, track that´s not all that involved but better off for it. Like the twilight setting too. Makes it feel more unique compared to similar tracks.

DK Summit is a bit of a letdown. It´s not bad but I feel like I´ve seen it before, you know? Waluigi Stadium, the 2nd 'Waluigi' course we're getting after wave 2's Waluigi Pinball, isn't a favourite of mine either. There's a lot going on, from the obstacles to the upper layer of racetracks, but I feel too boxed in. Not a lot of room to manoeuvre which can be fun with friends I guess. 

New in wave 4 is the addition of a brand-new character. Everybody's favourite discount Yoshi, Birdo, is back, head ribbon and all. Birdo isn't a particularly memorable member of the Mario cast but I'm happy she's here anyways. Adding new characters to the game through the DLC not only adds more value but makes this DLC just a lot more fun and fresh.

And there is still a lot to look forward to in this department Just by looking at the character selection screen you can tell Nintendo is planning to drop 5 more characters. Why would there be five empty character slots otherwise? That would stuff the last 2 waves with quite a few racers, but I can also see them drop a racer in-between waves. A shadow drop to surprise and keep a bit more interest between the waves.

Who do you think those 5 mystery characters are?

Also, and this is very important, my dream of the addition of Pauline (alongside a New Donk City track) is alive once more folks!

Conclusion

Wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is another success. While not my favourite, it's on the same level as wave 3 to me, it's a solid set of tracks that manages to surprise me by being more varied, quite frankly better, than I thought it would be. The tour tracks are some of the better ones, the returning tracks are all done well and the brand-new Yoshi's Island was made with love.

Add in Birdo and the promise she brings for more new racers and you have a good start to this DLC's 2nd Cup!