Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC: Booster Course Pass release date on Nintendo Switch, tracks included - and price

New courses for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were announced as part of a Nintendo Direct livestream in February.

The Booster Course Pass for the racing game - which remains popular almost a decade after its initial release and features a roster of characters from the Super Mario series - will bring 48 tracks to the game, across six waves.

This writer for one is looking forward to the drop: having played Mario Kart 8 for years now, I’ve mastered each of its courses and every shortcut and secret they have to offer.

Playing against family members and friends has become a tedious conveyor belt of wins.

Now the playing field has been levelled somewhat - and my familial rivals are starting afresh as am I - maybe I might actually lose a few races?

Unlikely. But it could happen....

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

First released in 2013 for Nintendo’s ill-fated Wii U console, Mario Kart 8 received a 2017 re-release in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch.

The newer bundle includes all of the content from the base game, as well as a handful of new features.

Otherwise, the game has remained relatively untouched for almost a decade, but remains one Nintendo’s most popular offerings, having sold over 43 million units on the Switch alone.

So why make a new game when you can just add to the one that’s already selling like hotcakes?

What is the Boost Course Pass?

That’s exactly what Nintendo are doing with the game’s new Booster Course Pass, which will add new remastered tracks to Mario Kart Deluxe over the next two years.

In total, the Pass will give players 48 new tracks, remastered from past iterations of the Mario Kart series, like Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Double Dash.

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC tracks will be available to play both locally and online.

Which tracks are included?

In Nintendo’s own, slightly esoteric way, the Japanese gaming company has not yet revealed the full list of 48 tracks that will be included in the Pass.

However, they have announced the first wave of new, remastered Mario Kart tracks, which will make up the new Golden Dash and Lucky Cat Cup.

The Golden Dash Cup is set to see the return of Paris Promenade from Mario Kart Tour, Toad Circuit from Mario Kart 3DS, Choco Mountain from Mario Kart 64, and Coconut Hall from Mario Kart Wii.

Meanwhile the Lucky Cat Cup will see Tokyo Blur from Mario Kart Tour, Shroom Ridge from Mario Kart DS, Sky Garden from Mario Kart Advance, and Ninja Hideaway from Mario Kart Tour.

The remaining 40 remastered tracks to come in the Booster Course Pass have not yet been revealed, but could see the return of Mario Kart fan favourites, such as Peach Beach, Boo Lake, Waluigi Pinball, Maple Treeway, and DK’s Jungle Parkway.

How much does it cost?

Delivered in waves through to the end of 2023, the Booster Course Pass will be available for free to those who already have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

The DLC costs £22.49 if you don’t have a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

And that’s a one-off cost, which will get you access to every wave of tracks as they're released until the end of 2023.

When can I play the new tracks?

The first release of remastered Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks will arrive on Friday 18 March.

As for what time the new tracks will be available to play from, most Nintendo releases are released at midnight on the respective launch dates.

However, it looks as if an Australian release time of 10am on Friday 18 March has been confirmed down under; if the new courses are getting a simultaneous release worldwide - likely given the online popularity of the game - that would actually equate to 11pm UK time on Thursday 17 March.

Further releases are set to be delivered in five more waves of eight tracks between now and the end of 2023.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.