Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass Reviews

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
Unscored
Jul 13, 2023

Feather Cup is one of the best selections in the whole of the DLC line-up, while Cherry Cup is one of the worst. That term is always relative when it comes to Mario Kart, though, and even the most boring course is still fun if you’re playing with other people.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
Unscored
Mar 9, 2023

Whether Nintendo intendeds to reuse it for the inevitable Mario Kart 9 is impossible to say, but perhaps there might be some hint as to their future plans once the Booster Pass finally ends. Knowing Nintendo, they’ll more likely keep their secrets to the last moment but it really doesn’t matter because combined with all this DLC it’s difficult to imagine how anything could better Mario Kart 8.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
Unscored
Dec 7, 2022

There’s not a dud here and while it’s still odd that none of these courses really have anything to do with Mario Kart 8, they’re still just as fun to play and represent great value for money. Given the DLC schedule is only now at its halfway point there’s at least a year to go before we get any sign of Mario Kart 9 but these, and the other courses to come, should keep you happily entertained until then.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
Unscored
Aug 5, 2022

If the course pass was more expensive it’d be easier to take umbrage with that, but at less than 50p a track it’s very hard to see this as anything other than another welcome excuse to replay Mario Kart 8 and some of the series’ best courses.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
Unscored
Mar 18, 2022

If it wasn’t for the change in graphics this would get an unequivocal recommendation and even with that issue, we can’t imagine anyone that already enjoys Mario Kart 8 not thinking this isn’t worth getting as well.

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6 / 10.0
Jul 18, 2023

Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2023

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

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8.5 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2022

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 8, 2022

Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 21, 2022

Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

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Unscored
Mar 18, 2022

As you play more, I’m sure it’s a tonal difference that will fade as you get used to it, but it does slightly undercut what Nintendo are selling and makes it feel like these were intended for another game – Mario Kart Tour, if this suspicion holds true. Then again, it’s hard to complain when there is such a huge wealth of circuits coming to the game through the Booster Pass’ six waves. It’s the gameplay that matters most, and the sheer variety of circuits that Nintendo are throwing into the mix is huge. They’re doubling the amount of tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and it means that I and millions of others are sure to come back to the game and enjoy what it offers all over again.

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10 / 10.0
Dec 1, 2023

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still the best kart racer out there, and with double the tracks thanks to the Expansion Pass it's now better than ever.

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9 / 10
Nov 17, 2023

When analysed individually, the six waves included in the Booster Course Pass have sometimes been a mixed bag, and it's easy for thoughts to linger on the past tracks that weren't revisited. However, the overall package is a generous and exciting one that's absolutely worth the asking price - we have zero qualms in recommending the Booster Course expansion to fans and newcomers alike. It doubles the number of tracks already available in the base game and adds in some excellent new racers, making it a near-essential purchase for all who own Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

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7 / 10
Nov 9, 2023

Judged on its own, the final wave for the Booster Course Pass is another perfectly fine, if slightly uneven addition to the expansion. The Tour courses remain reasonably good fun, but are ultimately forgettable, while Daisy Circuit stands as one of the most boring tracks in the entire game. Nintendo could have just adapted Airship Fortress instead, y'know? That said, there's still a lot to enjoy here, including four great new character additions, making Wave 6 a solid finale to the Booster Course expansion.

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7 / 10
Jul 12, 2023

Overall, Wave 5 is another good wave, though not a great one. Squeaky Clean Sprint, while perfectly decent fun in itself, can't quite match the heights of something like Yoshi's Island, and tracks like Moonview Highway and Sunset Wilds make us feel like Nintendo just isn't quite giving its all when it comes to this DLC. Still, the positives outweigh the negatives, and we're confident that once the final wave lands later this year, the Booster Course Pass will prove an essential purchase for Mario Kart fans.

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9 / 10
Mar 9, 2023

All in all, Wave 4 features quite comfortably the best set of tracks so far from the Booster Course Pass, with only one proving to be a bit underwhelming. We’re loving the Tour additions, and Yoshi’s Island is destined to be an all-time great. If Nintendo keeps this up, then we’ll be in a great position for Waves 5 and 6.

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Liked-a-lot
Dec 13, 2022
Custom Items Are AMAZING! - Wave 3 Review (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) - YouTube video thumbnail
8 / 10
Dec 7, 2022

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 3 is the best update yet to the base game. The tracks on offer here are mostly stellar, and with the addition of customisable item loadouts in ‘VS Race’ modes both online and offline (which is available to all players, regardless of whether you have the Booster Course Pass), Wave 3 is a triumph and a great way to mark the halfway point of the Booster Course Pass.

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GameXplain
Top Critic
Liked-a-lot
Aug 5, 2022
Sky-High Sundae Kinda Sucks! - All Tracks Reviewed in Wave 2 video thumbnail
6 / 10
Aug 4, 2022

Ultimately, Wave 2 Of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doesn't quite knock it out of the park. We know we've been bashing these courses left, right, and centre, but when it comes to Mario Kart, we have pretty high standards, you know. However, none of the tracks on offer are straight-up bad; most of them just feel like "b-side" filler when compared to the main tracks created specifically for Mario Kart 8. There's still a great deal of fun to be had here, particularly when you crank up the difficulty to 200cc. We have to keep reminding ourselves of the bigger picture, too; we've now got sixteen new courses for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and we're not even halfway through yet. We've still got a ways to go.

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