Nintendo has sent out an update for Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, and it adds an on-screen map to the game. The lack of a map was one of my biggest complaints about the game, so I’m very glad to see it has now been added. Here’s a look at it:
I noticed one other small change to the game as well. In Grand Prix mode, the first and default option after a race is to continue on to the next race. Before, the default option was to view the replay. That was also something I complained about before. Even though it wasn’t a big deal, it’s nice to see Nintendo is listening.
But the biggest addition in this update is the new shop. For now, you can currently download a free pack that contains three Mercedes-Benz vehicles: GLA, W 25 Silver Arrow, and 300 SL Roadster.
Future paid DLC packs are also on the way. One is Zelda themed and one is Animal Crossing themed.
The Zelda pack is coming out in November, and it includes three new characters (Link, Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach), four new vehicles (including the Blue Falcon from F-Zero), and eight new courses.
The Animal Crossing pack will be out in May 2015, and it lets you race as Isabelle, Villager, or Dry Bowser. It will also contain four new vehicles and eight new courses.
The two packs will cost $7.99 each, or you buy them both for $11.99. If you pre-order them both, you get eight color variations you can use for Yoshi or Shy Guy right away.
I’m generally not a big fan of paid DLC, but these DLC packs will be too hard to resist for me. Sixteen new courses is a significant addition, and Mario Kart is one of my favorite game series. Not to mention, Zelda and Animal Crossing are two of my favorites as well.
There is one thing I’m not a big fan of, however. The character select screen and track select screens already show the racers and cups which are locked and unavailable.
I know they’re trying to convince people to pre-order the DLC packs, but it makes you feel like you don’t have access to the whole game. I can see some people getting upset by this, especially people who don’t plan on buying the DLC packs, or people who may have just shelled out $60 for the game. Seeing one-third of the game as unavailable and requiring a purchase to unlock is something you’d expect to see in a free phone/tablet app. There’s no reason for those cars and tracks to be displayed on the selection screens; keep it in the shop section until a player buys them.
As for my progress in the Mario Kart 8 Grand Prix mode, I have now won gold medals on all cups. I’m working towards getting three-star ratings on all of them, but I have a ways to go still.