Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Wave 4 Review

Tracks from Mario Kart Tour, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and even Yoshi’s Island make their appearance with Wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. Is this fourth go-around a victory lap, or is this pass losing steam?

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Wave 4

With dozens of tracks already released, Wave 4 has some mighty big shoes to fill. While most tracks are repeats of those in other entries, this release has some of the strongest tracks to date – suited for those from all walks of Mario Kart.

Want to tour the world? The stalls of Bangkok, the tulips of Amsterdam, and the sights of Singapore await. Got a thing for the rollicking antics of Waluigi? Mario Kart: Double Dash’s Waluigi Stadium makes its return from the GameCube days. Even tracks like Mario Kart: Super Circuit’s Riverside Park have received a noticeable glow-up to the point that they are barely even recognizable.

Much like previous packs, these tracks now feature flourishes like underwater segments, gliding portions, and even zero-g segments. It really changes things up, and helps tracks that are decades old feel fresh and new. Even graphical flourishes like forest canopies and snowstorms add a bit of HD flair to their SD origins.

Perhaps the biggest new addition to Wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is the inclusion of a new track – Yoshi’s Island. Based off of the Super Nintendo game of the same name, this track transports players into a pastel world full of Shy Guys, Chain Chomps, and charm.

It’s not just for show either; this track has a number of twists and turns that will no doubt make it a fan favorite. Question cloud bubbles open up new paths, coins make sound effects similar to the platformer, and there are even different opening and closing jingles. It’s easy to tell that a fair amount of work went into this track to make it true to the original, and while it does not have the scribble design of the 16-bit platformer, it does more than enough to make a lasting impression.

Outside of these eight new tracks, Super Mario Bros. 2’s Birdo also makes an appearance. While this character is somewhat of an odd choice, this also promises a number of new characters in the form of question marks on the character select screen. What is present is most certainly welcome, but the promise of something more is the real showstopper.

Wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is arguably the best to date, featuring serious glow-ups to fan favorites. The inclusion of the new Yoshi’s Island track would have been more than enough to steal the show, but the rest of its roster this go-around most certainly strives for greatness.

This review of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Wave 4 was done on the Nintendo Switch. The pass was purchased digitally.