Mario Kart World Atones for MK8 Deluxe’s Booster Course…

One of the most iconic parts of the Mario Kart series is its tracks, which are set to be framed in a whole new way as Mario Kart World takes the franchise open world for the first time. While the ability to go off-road and discover secrets hidden around Mario Kart World's map is an enticing prospect, the core gameplay of racing along unique courses seems to be just as exciting. Among the new courses confirmed for Mario Kart World are several returning ones that haven't been seen in the series for some time.

Mario Kart World is in the tough position of having to both carry the first-party titles for the Nintendo Switch 2's launch and follow up on the massive amount of content contained within Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its Booster Course Pass. Not only did Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feature the DLC for the game's Wii U release, but it also received 48 additional courses in the Booster Course Pass for a total of 96 tracks. Even with a good mix of new and returning tracks, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still left out some of the series' best courses, which are finally seeing modern re-releases in Mario Kart World.

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By Carla Carmona

Mario Kart World is Filling in the Gaps Left By MK8 Deluxe

Even with the Booster Course Pass, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Was Missing Some Iconic Tracks

It's tradition at this point for the Mario Kart series to bring back popular tracks with new coats of paint for some of the later cups in an entry. The base game for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe featured iconic retro tracks like Moo Moo Meadows from the Wii, Cheep Cheep Beach from the DS, and the ever-chaotic Baby Park from the GameCube. In total, there were 23 tracks returning from previous Mario Kart entries in 8 Deluxe's base game.

The Booster Course Pass added even more returning tracks, both from mainline Mario Kart games and the mobile title Mario Kart Tour, for a total of 65 returning tracks between the base game and the DLC. However, even within this expansive list of courses available for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players to enjoy, there were still some classic tracks that hadn't made the cut. Luckily, it seems Mario Kart World is righting the wrongs of the Booster Course Pass and adding some of the remaining tracks in need of a modern remastering.

Returning Tracks Confirmed for Mario Kart World

Desert Hills (DS)
Shy Guy Bazaar (3DS)
Wario Stadium (N64)
Airship Fortress (DS)
DK Pass (DS)
Sky-High Sundae (Tour)
Wario Shipyard (3DS)
Koopa Troopa Beach (SNES)
Peach Beach (GCN)
Dino Dino Jungle (GCN)
Moo Moo Meadows (Wii)
Choco Mountain (N64)
Toad's Factory (Wii)
Mario Circuit (SNES)

Out of these returning tracks, only Moo Moo Meadows, Choco Mountain, Wario Stadium, and Sky-High Sundae were available in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This means Mario Kart World is going out of its way to include retro courses that never made their way to the previous entry in an effort to fill in some of the remaining gaps left by the Booster Course Pass. While some fans may have been worried that the sheer number of courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would make its successor feel repetitive, it seems that Mario Kart World will be steering clear of repeat retro tracks for the most part.

Mario Circuit 3 (SNES) is available in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but Mario Kart World's version of Mario Circuit (SNES) seems to be a new mashup of all three versions of the track from the original SNES game.

It's very promising to see that, despite the shift in focus to Mario Kart World's open-world exploration, the game is still catering to longtime fans of the series with the return of underrepresented retro tracks. In particular, fan favorites like Double Dash's Peach Beach and Wii's Toad's Factory are pleasant surprises, as are more 3DS tracks like Shy Guy Bazaar and Wario Shipyard. There is also the possibility that even more retro tracks return in future DLC for Mario Kart World, too.

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