Birdo will be added as a playable character, along with Yoshi’s Island as a brand-new playable course.
In Wave 4 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass on Switch, you will not only get to race on an all-new course, but you will also be able to play as a previously unavailable character. Announced in today’s Nintendo Direct, you will soon be able to access eight new courses, including the all-new Yoshi’s Island course, which has never been seen before in a Mario Kart title.
Additionally, you will be able to select Birdo as a playable racer, with a variety of colors to choose from. Wave 4 is going to be available this spring, with no confirmed release date yet.
Although all the other courses are yet to be announced, the Yoshi’s Island course looks bright and colorful, just like the games it is based on. Hitting a floating question mark cloud can open up a new path on the course as you avoid unchained Chomps to hop on flying Koopa Troopas. Fans of the Yoshi’s Island games are sure to recognize the Huffin Puffins and Clawdaddies walking and sidestepping around the 3D racetrack.
It’s hard to believe that Birdo was not a playable character in Mario Kart 8 until now. The first time she was a playable racer was back in 2003’s Mario Kart Double Dash. More recently, Birdo was added to Mario Strikers: Battle League along with Bowser Jr. in its last update on December 12 of last year. Birdo originally appeared as a stage boss with three different forms in the 1988 NES title Super Mario Bros. 2. It would appear from the Direct that she will share the color choices of the Yoshi racers.
This announcement was made shortly after it was revealed that Gameboy Advance titles will be coming to the Switch as well. Among these games will be Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the first Mario Kart game developed for a portable system.
Switch owners who have the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass membership have access to the GBA title as of this Direct. Their Mario Kart 8 Deluxe games will update as soon as they play when Wave 4 becomes available. The Mario Kart Booster Course Pass DLC can also be purchased a la carte for players who did not pay extra for NSO+EP membership.
