Tom Powter reviews the first DLC pack for Mario Kart 8…
And there I thought Mario Kart 8 couldn’t get any better.
It’s a wonderful age we live in, where a developer can continue to add more to a game post-release if they see fit. It adds longevity to our favourite games and helps to broaden their appeal. It breathes new life into a series which would have stagnated in previous generations. Yes, downloadable content is often abused these days, but Nintendo, still making baby steps into this brave new world, have remained steadfast in their delivery. Mario Kart 8’s first real DLC pack is here and it’s utterly superb.
Let’s just get this out of the way – this DLC is some of the best value for money I’ve ever seen in additional content. For £7 (£11 if you buy this and the May 2015 pack together – bargain!) you get an insane amount of content. 3 characters, 4 vehicles and 8 tracks, alongside a plethora of Yoshi and Shy Guy skins could be yours. And why shouldn’t it be? The content here is nearly all excellent. Let’s begin with the characters – perhaps the DLC’s only stumble.
Three new characters make their way into the already somewhat lacklustre roster. Of course the big one is Link – the protagonist of Nintendo’s wildly popular The Legend of Zelda franchise. This marks a huge step for Nintendo and for Mario Kart in general. Never before in the main series of games (Pac-Man was playable in Mario Kart Arcade) has a character from another world crossed over to race alongside the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. So why is this so exciting? Well, it opens up the floodgates to absolutely crazy possibilities, the seeds of which we’re seeing planted here. More on that later.
It’s definitely surreal to see Link in the cast, but he’s a very welcome addition. Although he’s a little heavy for my tastes on the track, Link’s character model looks fantastic. His iconic green hat flaps in the wind and his face is very uncharacteristically happy. Of course he shouts like normal and waves the Master Sword around like a lunatic, so he’s everything you could want from the Hero of Time. In fact Link fits in so well with the rest of the cast, I simply must see more characters join the game. Bring on Villager in May!
Unfortunately, the other two characters delivered in the DLC are considerable let-downs. Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach are pure re-skins and while Tanooki Mario has some neat animations, where on earth are the likes of Bowser Jr, King Boo, Birdo and more? It definitely feels like Nintendo thought to themselves “well, we’re giving them Link, so they’ll be happy” and yes, to an extent they’re right, but it’s still a shame to see a character roster already heavy with clones become even more saturated with them.
However, that aside, it’s great to see the characters race around in the four new vehicles. Captain Falcon, of F-Zero fame, sees his Blue Falcon return and it’s a speedy little demon. It’s joined by Link’s epic looking Master Cycle (sorry Epona, I promise we do miss you) and Tanooki Mario’s jeep. The only returning vehicle is the B Dasher from Mario Kart DS. They’re all realised beautifully, with the Master Cycle and the Blue Falcon looking particularly slick.
Of course, what we’re really here for are the two new cups, bringing eight new tracks to race around. And, I just want to say – good job Nintendo. The new tracks are absolutely fantastic. The Yoshi Cup sees you race on a stunningly remastered Yoshi’s Circuit, making its return from Double Dash before following it up with three all-new tracks.
Excitebike Arena, as the name says, is based on the old Excitebike series and sees you race around a loop track. The trick here though, is that the track is basically littered with jumps, allowing you to pull off tricks at almost every step of the way. The track also changes in appearance each time you race on it, making Excitebike one of the more unique tracks we’ve seen in the game. Excitebike Arena is followed by a track original to Mario Kart, in that it isn’t based off of another series. Dragon Driftway is a brilliant track, set almost entirely in anti-gravity. You race along the back of Super Mario Galaxy 2’s Gobblegut, twisting and turning until your face turns blue. The design here is absolutely stand out and you really feel like you’re snaking along the back of a serpent.
However, the cherry on the top is the Yoshi Cup’s final track – Mute City. Based off of the F-Zero track of the same name, Mute City is hands down the best track in the DLC and one of the best tracks in the game. With a purple hue covering everything, Mute City features the now almost iconic theme music (heard many times over in Smash Bros.) and the entire track is set in anti-gravity mode. You’ll watch as you swoop and soar, going over and under roads while ringed planets hover in the background. Mute City is an incredible track and a fantastic addition.
The second cup is the Triforce Cup and I know what you’re thinking – you’re here for Hyrule Circuit. So you should be too, as it’s another great track. I don’t think it’s as good as Mute City myself – the track design itself is relatively simple and you don’t spend enough time in the castle for my liking – but Hyrule Circuit does the Zelda series proud. As soon as that tune booms at the start line, you’re in for a treat. You pick up rupees instead of coins! The ‘puzzle-solved’ fanfare plays if you unlock the secret shortcut! The track is fantastically realised from start to finish and is a joy to play.
The only remaining new track at this point is, like Dragon Driftway, a new track not based on a different series. Ice Ice Outpost is a good track, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that its general tameness is greatly overshadowed by the much better tracks that this pack has to offer. The track sees you race on two intertwining roads, which is in itself very cool, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the others. Meanwhile, two other tracks return from previous games. Rainbow Road, from the SNES game, makes its fourth return. You know what? It’s great. The music is amazing and the track is about as psychedelic as they come, with glittering Thwomps crashing down onto the track to make it wobble up and down.
Wario’s Goldmine from Mario Kart Wii also has a new lick of paint, but honestly it’s probably my least favourite of the tracks on offer here. Again, not to say it’s a bad track, but the others appeal more to me.
Mario Kart 8’s first DLC pack revitalises the core game while widening the scope, introducing some exciting new prospects to Nintendo’s popular racer. While it was a little weird at first seeing Link in the B Dasher racing around Mute City, that was really when it hit me – this is how Mario Kart should be. For years the racer has been the pinnacle of kart racing games, with absolutely nothing really coming anywhere close.
However, this is the natural evolution of Mario Kart. A way of keeping the core gameplay the same, yet refreshing the series as well. The fusion of worlds. Nintendo’s rich history worked very well for Super Smash Bros. Now, I think the same will be said of Mario Kart. Certainly there can be plenty wrong with DLC these days, however, Nintendo have proven that they do DLC right. Bring on the second pack.
Pros
– Absolutely fantastic tracks. Mute City is an excellent standout.
– The new vehicles are brilliantly realised and great additions.
– Stunning value for money.
– Link is an incredibly welcome addition to the roster…
Cons
– …but Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach are not.
Rating: 9/10
Tom Powter
