Mario Kart 8 Deluxe receives update as Wave 4 tracks added, more characters soon

Today sees the launch of Wave 4, part of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s long-running DLC rollout of new content, the Booster Course Pass.

To tie in with this, the popular Switch title has also been updated, with a suite of small tweaks and bug fixes.

Chief of which is ‘improved performance’ of select vehicles and characters. Although these are not detailed, it sounds like a revision to the Balance of Performance from a more serious racing title, although, in Mario Kart parlance.

In addition, you can now jump over the railing on the Berlin Byways venue and there’s an way to access the Booster Course Pass additional content from the main menu if you have not purchased it already.

Meanwhile, there are a host of small issue fixes. Wave 4 includes two new cups, seven returning tracks from previous Mario Kart titles, one all-new circuit (Yoshi’s Island) and Birdo as a playable character.

Five more characters in the future

After updating the game, players will now notice that there are five question marks in the character select screen. While not present now, these hint towards further new characters on the way to sit alongside Birdo.

The Booster Course Pass will continue throughout the year, so we expect more playable icons soon.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Version 2.3.0 changelog

Support for DLC

• Now supports paid DLC: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, wave 4 (two cups, eight courses and one character, Birdo).

General

• Improved the performance of some characters and vehicle options.
• Made it so that the player can see the rearview mirror when spinning or crashing or when transformed into a Bullet Bill.
• Made it so that, if the player uses a Super Star or Boo item at the same time that they are hit by lightning, their kart will not crash or become small.
• Made it so that, when jumping off a Whomp in Berlin Byways, karts can jump over the railing.
• Added Golden Mushroom to Custom Items in Renegade Roundup.
• Added a “Booster Course Pass” button to the main menu. If a player does not have the Booster Course Pass, a link to Nintendo eShop will be displayed.

Fixed Issues

• Fixed an issue where, when the player’s kart became small after being hit by lightning, it would slip into the ground.
• Fixed an issue where, when the player’s kart ran into a wall, they would be picked up by Lakitu even though they had not left the course.
• Fixed an issue where the player character would not be able to hit an opponent with a Red Shell when that opponent was jumping on a half-pipe.
• Fixed an issue where the player character could not drift after jumping and landing in a half-pipe.
• Fixed an issue so that the player can use another item other than Boo right after using Boo.
• Fixed an issue where the player could not throw a boomerang after it was caught and entered the second item slot.
• Fixed an issue where, when a player character hit the Blooper in an opponent’s Crazy Eight, they would have ink squirted on them even when using the Super Star item.
• Fixed an issue where, when the player stopped looking at the rearview mirror, Blooper ink on their screen would disappear momentarily.
• Fixed an issue where, when the player was hit with a Red Shell when transformed into a Bullet Bill, they would go off the course.
• Fixed an issue where, at the escalator in Coconut Mall, there would be a communication error where a character could not move forwards.
• Fixed an issue when transformed into a Bullet Bill in Dry Dry Desert where the character would slip into the ground.
• Fixed an issue where the character would get stuck on the bridge posts right before and after the starting line in London Loop.
• Fixed an issue where, on wavy floors in the Nintendo 3DS version of Rainbow Road, the character could be pushed way off the course.

Source: Nintendo