The fifth wave of the Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pass has finally been released, leaving us with one more wave after this. The last wave came out earlier this year in March, making it a four-month wait for fans. So was this wait worth it? And how does it hold up to the previous four waves?
Like all the other waves, we got two new cups for eight new tracks. This time, there are seven returning tracks and one brand new track, Squeaky Clean. There are also three new characters to play: Petey Piranha, Wiggler, and Kamek.
Feather Cup
Let’s start by looking at the new cups, starting with the Feather Cup. The first track of this cup is Athens Dash. Athens Dash manages to be a standout from the Tour lineup. Racing through the ancient ruins of Athens is fun and an original theme for Mario Kart. Athens Dash has great verticality while climbing through the Colosseum and flying over the ancient city. There are just enough jumps and shortcuts to give players the right speed and adrenaline while racing.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Feather Cup
The next track is the return of the fan-favorite Daisy Cruiser from Double Dash. Daisy Cruiser is just as much fun as it was on the GameCube. Racing around the cruise ship is perfect for those summertime vibes. Driving through the pool and dodging the moving tables in the dining hall add some nice character to the course. On top of that, the music and the scenery create a great atmosphere while racing. And who can forget the hatch shortcut that brings you below the ship and then shoots you out through a pipe?
The third track for the Feather Cup is Moonview Highway. Originally on Mario Kart Wii, Moonview Highway is yet another city track. There is nothing original about this course. Another dark city at night with cars the player has to avoid crashing into. So many tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have this same theme, and Moonview High manages to be one of the most boring out of the lot. The Bomb-bombs that drive along the track are interesting and are the only thing that makes this track different; however, there is little difficulty on this track.
The final track is the brand-new course Squeaky Clean. This is the only original track for this wave of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, and it is a great addition. Squeaky Clean takes place in a gigantic bathroom filled with various Mario references. This course is filled with so much charm it can be hard to focus on the race, trying to look at every detail. Driving through a sink and going into a bathtub drain is excellent fun. There are plenty of little jumps for a boost and some shortcuts and alternate routes to take that keep it interesting.
Cherry Cup
The Cherry Cup starts with Los Angeles Laps from Tour. Los Angeles Laps is another city course from Tour. The variety makes this course stand out from its fellow Tour tracks. Los Angeles Laps encapsulates the multiple environments in the actual LA area. The race starts on a beach that goes through a suburban area and goes through a city. However, like most Tour tracks, it needs to be longer. The race is over before you know it, but the time spent there is enjoyable.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Cherry Cup
The second track for the Cherry Cup is Sunset Wilds. Originally from Super Circuit on the Gameboy Advanced, where things were simple. The updated visuals are beautiful; however, the track could be more varied and exciting. The only challenge that Sunset Wilds offers is oil spills and Shy Guys to dodge. What is really disappointing is that they took away the main gimmick of the course, the sunset. In the original Super Circuit version, the sun would gradually set after each lap. In this new version, the time is always at sunset, which looks beautiful; however, taking away the gradual sunset brings out how boring this track is.
Next up is Koopa Cape from Mario Kart Wii, and it is as fun as it has always been. There are plenty of tight turns to keep the adrenaline going. Racing through the rushing waters feels excellent and adds to the scenery of the course. The best part of the course, though, is the half-pipe. Going full speed and jumping off the side of the half-pipes before landing back into the water always makes me smile.
The final course for the Wave 5 DLC is Vancouver Velocity from Tour. Vancouver Velocity is another city track that gets lost in the sea of them at this point. The nighttime winter aesthetic with all the lights is lovely; however, it is just another city. The course is also very short and has a limited amount of variety. One highlight of Vancouver Velocity is the forest area during the first lap which would have been nice to see more of.
The New Characters
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 5 Characters
As mentioned before, Wave 5 also has three new characters. The first is Petey Piranha, who is a heavy class; Wiggler, who is a medium-heavy class; and Kamek, who is a medium class. All three of these characters are great new additions to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Petey Piranha is perfect for those Sunshine lovers. But the best character they added was Wiggler for the sole purpose of the ability to put Wiggler on the Wild Wiggler, which is actually a good combo.
Final Thoughts
Wave 5 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass has a mixed bag regarding the courses added. Daisy Cruiser and Koopa Cape are loads of fun. Squeaky Clean is a great new course that has a lot of charm. But then there are courses like Moonview Highway and Sunset Wilds that lack charm and have an overall boring experience (still not forgiving them for taking away the sunset mechanic). The new characters are also fun to play, with Wiggler on the Wild Wiggler being a highlight and my personal new favorite combo. Overall, Wave 5 is a good time, but there are better waves to come out of the DLC. This leaves us with one last wave, and hopefully, Nintendo will go out with a bang.
