Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

This article is about the Nintendo Switch port of the Mario Kart 8 game. For the game's original version, see Mario Kart 8.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a racing game for the Nintendo Switch, and the first Mario game overall for the console. It is a port in the Mario Kart series, being a port of Mario Kart 8 from the Wii U. It has additional features such as several new characters and features more options for Battle Mode. First teased in the Switch's announcement video on October 20, 2016, the game was formally announced as part of the Nintendo Switch presentation on January 13, 2017.

Controls

Dual Joy-Con / Pro Controller

• leftstick or left/right or tilt: Steer
• A or rightstick up or Y or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
• B or rightstick down: Brake/reverse
• L/ZL: Use horn/item
• R/ZR: Hop/drift/trick
• leftstick or left/right or tilt + A or rightstick up or Y or auto-accelerate + R/ZR: Drift
• X: Rear view

GameCube Controller

• : Steer
• or up or or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
• or down: Brake/Reverse
• : Use horn/item
• or : Hop/drift/trick
• : Rear view

Joy-Con (sideways)

• Stick or tilt: Steer
• jc-right or jc-left or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
• jc-bottom: Brake/reverse
• SL: Use horn/item
• SR: Hop/drift/trick
• Stick or tilt + jc-right or jc-left or auto-accelerate + SR: Drift
• jc-top: Rear view

Toy-Con Motorbike

• Tilt: Steer
• joy-con-r forward tilt or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
• A: Brake / reverse
• ZL: Use horn/item
• R: Hop / trick
• Tilt + joy-con-r forward tilt or auto-accelerate + R: Drift
• left: Switch view

Toy-Con Car

• Tilt: Steer
• Pedal half press or auto-accelerate: Accelerate / Rocket Start (press and hold when the countdown hits 2)
• R: Use horn/item
• Pedal full press: Hop / trick
• Tilt + pedal full press: Drift
• X: Switch view

Differences from the original

Mario driving with smart-steering activated, indicated by the antenna at the back of the kart.

The game features most of the base and DLC content of Mario Kart 8. Content excluded includes Miiverse compatibility, stamps, and the ability to upload highlight reels on YouTube - all of which were discontinued on the Wii U version when Miiverse was terminated on November 7, 2017. Battle Mode has been significantly altered.

Characters that were originally unlockable or exclusive to downloadable content in Mario Kart 8 are available from the start in this game, marking the largest starting roster of any Mario Kart game.

Characters can now carry up to two items at once, even if they do not drag the first item, and the game features the return of the Double Item Box from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The game also introduces Smart Steering and auto-accelerate for beginners; the former makes driving and staying on the track easier, while the latter makes the vehicle automatically accelerate. If the Smart Steering mode is on, the player's vehicle will have an antenna sticking out of its rear end; this antenna blinks and bends when Smart Steering is activated. There is also an additional level of Mini-Turbo, called Ultra Mini-Turbo, denoted by purple (pink in the British English version) sparks that appear after the orange sparks. This new level of Mini-Turbo can only be used if Smart Steering is off.

200cc engine class for Time Trials has been added (separately recorded from the 150cc Time Trials). There are new staff ghosts for 200cc, while some of the 150cc staff ghosts have slightly different times compared to the original.

The game also features an in-game guide, directly accessible from the game's menu; this guide explains various techniques, battle mode and the functions of each item. There is also an option to change character and vehicle combinations during an online lobby without having to leave; this is done by pressing Y (jc-left when playing with a single Joy-Con) during the course selection screen of an online lobby. The game also has reduced loading times when compared to the Wii U game.

Some of the vehicle parts that are exclusive to downloadable content in Mario Kart 8 (i.e. parts included within the Mercedes-Benz × Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8, and Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 add-on packs) are now randomly unlocked by collecting coins during gameplay.

There are more character weight classes when compared to the Wii U game, with several returning characters having different statistics, thus resulting in fewer characters having the same stats as each other. Similarly, the statistics of some vehicle parts have been altered, and certain physics elements, such as the speed increase per stat and the acceleration tiers, have been adjusted.

Red Shells and Spiny Shells are now slower when they lock onto their target, meaning players are able to outrun them in 200cc when they have any kind of speed boost. The pathing and drifting patterns for the CPU racers have been adjusted to accommodate for the 200cc engine class.

CPU players now have a chance to obtain Triple Red Shells from item boxes. However, this primarily only happens in the Shells Only item setting.

Online lobbies have been changed in that players playing Worldwide or Regional VS Race between 1000 VR and 3000 VR will be randomized either a 100cc or 150cc race, and starting at over 3000 VR, players will now be randomized a 150cc, Mirror, or even 200cc race.

Mii characters in the original Wii U version would wear their normal outfits in online lobbies. However, in the Nintendo Switch version, they wear racing attire instead.

The game now mostly renders in native 1920x1080 resolution in TV mode (sometimes switching to native 1728x972), and always renders at native 1280x720 resolution in Tabletop and Handheld Mode, instead of the dynamic 1280x720/1152x648 rendering resolution used in the original Wii U version. Motion blur when boosting is present in LAN and online mode, and in earlier builds, it was also present in splitscreen. The shadows present in the game are of higher quality in multiplayer.

If a Blooper is about to ink the player as they cross the finish line, the player will now still get inked. This is unlike the Wii U version, where the Blooper or the ink disappeared instead. Characters also no longer verbally react when they are inked by a Blooper.

The course map color on the race tracks is now white instead of blue, including the maps of all three Rainbow Roads and GCN Baby Park, which originally had multiple colors. However, the battle stages have color shaded areas and lines on their maps to make it easier for players to determine where they are. The character icons on the course map are now slightly larger, more detailed, and are of a higher resolution. In a race, the first place player no longer has a crown on their mini-map icon, though they still do in battles. When a Bob-omb or Spiny Shell explodes, its explosion is now shown on the course map. When in local splitscreen multiplayer, there will only be one map in the center of the screen, rather than each player having their own copy of the map like in the Wii U version.

All courses that feature confetti flying around the start/finish line, such as Mario Circuit, now also have confetti on the ground of the course near it.

When using the rearview mirror, the character will now move their eyes slightly to the left to look back, like how they do in Mario Kart Wii; however, their eyes will stay looking to the left as long as the rearview is active, rather than switching back after a second like in Mario Kart Wii.

Inkling Girl, Isabelle, and Link now appear on the loading screen.

When playing with teams, flags colored to correspond to the teams are added behind the vehicles. If Smart Steering is on, then the Smart Steering antenna serves as the pole of the flag. These flags do not appear in Balloon Battle nor Bob-omb Blast, as the color of the balloons show the teams in these modes.

During online race lobbies, the engine class for the upcoming race is now shown as the course is selected, via "100", "150", a mirrored "150" (for Mirror) or "200" icons in the bottom right of the selected course icon. This extends to online battle lobbies, which will display a yellow balloon (Balloon Battle), a potted Piranha Plant (Renegade Roundup), a Coin (Coin Runners), a Shine Sprite (Shine Thief), or a Bob-omb (Bob-omb Blast) to denote which battle mode is about to be played.

Players can now see the lap count or timer when spectating an online race or battle respectively. However, it is no longer possible to see the lap count when crossing the finish line nor the full results in multiplayer (including online lobbies) at the end of the race while watching replay videos via Mario Kart TV.

Battle Mode

Inkling Girl, Link, Mario, and Isabelle in Battle Stadium.

The biggest change made between Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the original release of Mario Kart 8 is the Battle Mode. Battle Mode now returns to the arena-based battle and unlike previous games, each player starts with five balloons, as opposed to three. Another addition to Battle Mode is that the character in the lead now wears a crown, unlike in Mario Kart 8 where the crown is displayed only on the HUD map. Additionally, players now start out with zero points instead of Mario Kart 8's default three points, and their balloons do not serve as the remaining three points. Returning from Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 is the ability to respawn after all balloons are popped; this causes the player's total score to halve and the player respawns with three balloons instead of five. A new addition to this mode is the feature to tell exactly which character hit whom, which appears on the bottom of the screen. Furthermore, after getting hit, players now have about 1.5 seconds of invincibility frames, unlike in Mario Kart 8. The item options also appear to have been updated; alongside the "Frantic Items" option, which chooses rare items more frequently, a "Skilled Items" option is also available for selection, which chooses only offensive items; in this mode, powerful items appear less frequently, similar to Mario Kart Wii's "Strategic" ("Basic" in the PAL version) item option.

There are five different Battle Mode types:

• Balloon Battle: The classic mode where players use items to pop opponents' balloons or steal them in order to score points. This mode now uses the point-based set-up seen in Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7, rather than the survival set-up of Mario Kart 8 and earlier installments prior to Mario Kart Wii.

• Renegade Roundup: A new mode in the vein of "cops and robbers", with the racers being divided into two teams. One team, known as "The Authorities", has to use Piranha Plant items (which are permanently attached to the front of their vehicle and only serve to capture the opposing team; they do not operate like the regular item) in order to capture players from the other team, known as "The Renegades". Captured Renegades are placed into one of several jail cells floating above various points on the stage. Remaining Renegades can free their teammates by driving over a key switch placed below the jail cells. The Renegades win if at least one member is still running free when time runs out, and the Authorities win if all of the Renegades get captured. All Authority team members also temporarily lose their ability to capture after being hit by an item and Renegades receive a speed boost and temporary immunity when they are freed from the cells.

• Bob-omb Blast: A returning mode from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, in which players attack one another using Bob-ombs to score points and can carry up to 10 Bob-ombs. This version follows all of the same rules as Balloon Battle, the difference being that the only items are Bob-ombs.

• Coin Runners: Originating in Mario Kart Wii, this mode was last seen in Mario Kart 7. Players must collect Coins scattered across the course in order to have the most by the end of the match. Plays more akin to the Mario Kart Wii version of the mode, with players having no limit to the amount of coins they can collect, as opposed to the 10-coin limit in the Mario Kart 7 version.

• Shine Thief: Another returning mode from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, one player must retrieve a Shine Sprite and keep hold of it for about 20 seconds, while the opponents use items against whoever has the Shine to force that player to drop it. The driver holding the shine sprite has a slightly reduced top speed. In Team play, one team must collectively manage to hold on to the Shine for about 30 seconds.

There is also the option to randomly select one of the five available modes by choosing "Random Battle".

Battle courses

Eight battle courses are present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; five new and three retro, replacing the repurposed racetracks used for Battle Mode in the Wii U version.

Similar to regular races, a course introduction scene is now added at the start.

File:MK8D 3DS Wuhu Town icon.png

Characters

Character select screen at launch (top) and with Gold Mario unlocked after the Ver. 1.6.0 update (bottom)

All base and DLC characters from Mario Kart 8 are present in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Additionally, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features 7 new characters not present in Mario Kart 8, 4 of whom are returning from past games in the series. New characters include additional non-Mario characters with the inclusion of Inklings from Splatoon. Players can choose either the Inkling Girl or Inkling Boy, and they include three selectable colors each; similarly, the two Villagers have also been separated, after being present in the same character slot (with the female Villager being considered a variant of the male one) in Mario Kart 8. Excluding character variants, there are a total of 42 playable characters in this game.

Characters playable in this game that are not playable in the original Mario Kart 8 are listed below.

• 

  King Boo¹

• 

  Gold Mario^1,2,3

• 

  Dry Bones¹

• 

  Bowser Jr.¹

• 

  Inkling Girl^4,5

• 

  Inkling Boy^4,5

• 

  Champion's Tunic Link⁶

¹ - The character has been previously playable in the Mario Kart series.
² - This character is a variant of Metal Mario.
³ - This character is unlocked by clearing all cups of the 200cc Grand Prix.
⁴ - This is the first time this character has been playable in the Mario Kart series.
⁵ - This character has two additional color variants.
⁶ - This character is a variant of Link, available in the Ver. 1.6.0 update.

Rival order

Like in Mario Kart 8, characters have set rivals that consistently appear when racing in Grand Prix races. They are once again restricted to Grand Prix only, not appearing in single player versus or battle mode. Unlike the previous game, more characters have rivals: the twelve characters from the previous game who had rivals retain their rivals in this game, while other characters range from having one to two rivals each, or even none at all.

Rival Order
Player	Opponent(s)	Player	Opponent(s)	Player	Opponent(s)
					None
	None
	None				None

Vehicle parts

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features six additional vehicle body parts. One is the Koopa Clown, returning from Mario Kart 7. Two new vehicles are Splatoon-based ATVs; the Splat Buggy and Inkstriker. These three change their colors for certain characters: the former for the Koopalings, and the latter two for all Inkling variations. Ver. 1.6.0 adds the Master Cycle Zero, Ancient Tires, and Paraglider.

Computer characters now also choose from a wider variety of kart parts than the original version, such as the Flame Rider and the Sports Coupe. However, they are still restricted to a set amount of body parts per character. A computer Baby Daisy has the tendency to choose a Wild Wiggler with Wood wheels, for example. In total, there are 41 vehicle bodies, 22 tires, and 15 gliders, resulting in up to 13,530 different combinations.

Available parts

The parts available are listed here in the order shown in the vehicle customization screen, with the following notation:

• Bold = Part is available at the start.
• * = Changes color, depending on the character.
• ** = Changes color for the Koopalings.
• *** = Changes color for Daisy, Baby Daisy, Rosalina, and Baby Rosalina.
• **** = Changes color for the Inklings.
• (DX) = Part is not available in the original Mario Kart 8.
• (NEW) = Part is introduced in this game.

The "8" logos on the parts are replaced with the character's emblem, except on the Gold Standard and Gold Glider.

Karts

• 

  Standard Kart*

• 

  Pipe Frame*

• 

  Mach 8

• 

  Steel Driver

• 

  Cat Cruiser

• 

  Circuit Special*

• 

  Tri-Speeder

• 

  Badwagon

• 

  Prancer

• 

  Biddybuggy*
  Buggybud

• 

  Landship**

• 

  Sneeker*
  Bounder

• 

  Sports Coupe
  Sports Coupé

• 

  Gold Standard
  Gold Kart

• 

  GLA*

• 

  W 25 Silver Arrow

• 

  300 SL Roadster

• 

  Blue Falcon

• 

  Tanooki Kart

• 

  B Dasher

• 

  Streetle

• 

  P-Wing

• 

  Koopa Clown** (DX)

Standard bikes

• 

  Standard Bike*

• 

  The Duke

• 

  Flame Rider

• 

  Varmint

• 

  Mr. Scooty
  Mr Scooty

• 

  City Tripper*

• 

  Master Cycle Zero (NEW)

Sport bikes

• 

  Comet

• 

  Sport Bike*

• 

  Jet Bike

• 

  Yoshi Bike

• 

  Master Cycle

ATVs

• 

  Standard ATV*
  Standard Quad

• 

  Wild Wiggler

• 

  Teddy Buggy

• 

  Bone Rattler

• 

  Splat Buggy**** (NEW)

• 

  Inkstriker**** (NEW)

Tires

• 

  Standard
  Normal

• 

  Monster

• 

  Roller

• 

  Slim

• 

  Slick

• 

  Metal

• 

  Button

• 

  Off-Road

• 

  Sponge

• 

  Wood
  Wooden

• 

  Cushion

• 

  Blue Standard
  Normal Blue

• 

  Hot Monster
  Funky Monster

• 

  Azure Roller

• 

  Crimson Slim

• 

  Cyber Slick

• 

  Retro Off-Road

• 

  Gold Tires
  Gold Wheels

• 

  GLA Tires
  GLA Wheels

• 

  Triforce Tires
  Triforce Tyres

• 

  Leaf Tires
  Leaf Tyres

• 

  Ancient Tires (NEW)
  Ancient Tyres

Gliders

• 

  Super Glider*

• 

  Cloud Glider

• 

  Wario Wing

• 

  Waddle Wing

• 

  Peach Parasol***

• 

  Parachute

• 

  Parafoil

• 

  Flower Glider

• 

  Bowser Kite

• 

  Plane Glider

• 

  MKTV Parafoil

• 

  Gold Glider

• 

  Hylian Kite

• 

  Paper Glider

• 

  Paraglider (NEW)

CPU combinations

All of the characters in the game (except Gold Mario) have four different combinations of vehicle parts that they can use if they are CPUs. These combinations are listed below.

AI Combinations
Player	Combination 1	Combination 2	Combination 3	Combination 4

Drivers' and vehicle parts' statistics

For the in-game tables from which these values were derived and for the tables to translate those values into the actual statistics used by the game, see Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in-game statistics.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features different statistics with respect to Mario Kart 8.

Statistics shown in the vehicle customization screen

Just like Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, the game uses "points" ("PT") which are conferred by characters and vehicle parts to determine the final values of the game's statistics. In each statistics, the points given by the character, body, tires, and glider are summed to obtain a final value called "Level" ("Lv") which is then used by a table to convert the level into appropriate physical parameters used by the game. There are a total of 7,560 different stat combinations. The Level of five statistics is displayed in the vehicle customization screen:

• Speed: The top speed of the vehicle on land with normal gravity.
• Acceleration: How fast the speed increases when holding the acceleration button until top speed has been reached.
• Weight: The weight of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher weight knock away vehicles with lower weight.
• Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle on land with normal gravity. A higher stat means vehicles turn sharper, and will continue turning normally for longer before automatically initiating a drift.
• Traction (Grip in the British English version): The grasp of the vehicle. Vehicles with higher traction slip less on certain terrain and can stay stable on the road better. Not to be confused with handling.

Said Level is represented through bars by adding three points to the sum of points, then dividing the result by four, resulting in values ranging from 0.75 to 5.75. As an example, the process through which the statistics of a certain combination of character and vehicle parts are calculated and displayed is shown below:

A combination consisting of Dry Bones, Flame Rider, Standard Tires, and Super Glider.

Element	Points conferred
	Speed	Acceleration	Weight	Handling	Traction
Dry Bones	1	5	1	8	4
Flame Rider	2	5	1	4	5
Standard Tires	2	4	2	3	5
Super Glider	1	1	1	1	1
Final values	Speed	Acceleration	Weight	Handling	Traction
Level	1 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 6	5 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 15	1 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 5	8 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 16	4 + 5 + 5 + 1 = 15
Value shown in the vehicle customization screen	(6 + 3) / 4 = 9 / 4 = 2.25	(15 + 3) / 4 = 18 / 4 = 4.5	(5 + 3) / 4 = 8 / 4 = 2	(16 + 3) / 4 = 19 / 4 = 4.75	(15 + 3) / 4 = 18 / 4 = 4.5

The values actually shown in the vehicle customization screen, matching the values calculated.

Drivers' statistics

Drivers are still grouped into small groups of characters sharing the same statistics, the number of groups has been increased with respect to Mario Kart 8.

In addition to the statistics shown in the vehicle customization screen, there are the following statistics:

• Water Speed: The top speed of the vehicle while driving underwater.
• Air Speed: The top speed of the vehicle while gliding.
• Anti-Gravity Speed: The top speed of the vehicle in anti-gravity mode.
• Water Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle while driving underwater.
• Air Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle while gliding.
• Anti-Gravity Handling: The turning ability of the vehicle in anti-gravity mode.
• Mini-Turbo: The length of the vehicle's mini-turbo speed boosts and how fast mini-turbos can be charged. Also affects the length of jump boosts from tricks.

Just like in Mario Kart 8, Miis can be Light, Medium, or Heavy, depending on their height and weight.

The statistics are shown in points.

Drivers' statistics
Vehicle size	Character	Speed				Acceleration	Weight	Handling				Traction	Mini-Turbo
		Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity			Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity
Small		0	0	0	0	4	0	10	10	10	10	5	5
		0	0	0	0	5	0	9	9	9	9	3	5
		1	1	1	1	5	1	8	8	8	8	4	4
		2	2	2	2	5	2	7	7	7	7	2	4
		2	2	2	2	4	2	8	8	8	8	5	4
		3	3	3	3	4	3	7	7	7	7	4	3
Medium		4	4	4	4	4	3	6	6	6	6	3	3
		5	5	5	5	3	4	5	5	5	5	3	3
		5	5	5	5	3	5	5	5	5	5	1	3
		6	6	6	6	2	6	4	4	4	4	2	2
		6	6	6	6	2	6	5	5	5	5	1	2
		8	8	8	8	1	10	3	3	3	3	1	1
Large		7	7	7	7	1	7	3	3	3	3	3	2
		9	9	9	9	1	8	2	2	2	2	0	1
		10	10	10	10	0	9	1	1	1	1	1	0
		10	10	10	10	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0

Parts' statistics

The number of groups of vehicle parts sharing the same statistics has increased as well when compared with Mario Kart 8.

The statistics are reported in points.

Bodies
Body	Speed				Acceleration	Weight	Handling				Traction	Mini-Turbo
	Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity			Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity
	3	3	3	3	4	2	3	2	3	3	3	4
	1	3	1	1	6	1	5	4	2	4	4	6
	3	3	4	5	3	3	2	2	2	4	4	4
	4	5	0	2	1	4	1	5	1	1	3	2
	2	2	4	3	5	2	4	2	4	3	3	5
	5	1	2	4	1	3	1	1	0	2	1	1
	5	2	1	3	0	4	0	1	0	1	5	0
	4	3	3	3	2	1	3	3	3	2	2	3
	0	1	1	2	7	0	5	4	4	5	4	7
	1	5	2	0	6	0	4	5	3	2	6	6
	4	2	3	3	2	2	3	2	2	3	0	3
	2	2	3	4	5	1	4	3	3	4	5	5
	4	2	3	4	3	0	2	3	1	5	3	3
	2	4	3	3	2	3	4	4	3	3	7	3
Tires
Tire	Speed				Acceleration	Weight	Handling				Traction	Mini-Turbo
	Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity			Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity
	2	3	3	2	4	2	3	3	3	3	5	3
	2	2	1	2	2	4	0	1	1	0	7	2
	0	3	3	0	6	0	4	4	4	4	4	6
	3	2	2	4	2	2	4	4	4	3	1	2
	4	0	0	4	1	3	2	0	1	2	0	0
	4	3	2	1	0	4	2	2	0	1	2	0
	1	2	2	2	5	0	3	3	2	4	3	5
	3	4	1	2	3	3	1	1	2	2	6	1
	1	1	4	1	4	1	2	1	3	2	6	4
Gliders
Glider	Speed				Acceleration	Weight	Handling				Traction	Mini-Turbo
	Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity			Ground	Water	Air	Anti-Gravity
	1	1	2	0	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	1
	0	1	1	1	2	0	1	0	2	1	1	2
	1	0	2	1	1	2	1	1	1	0	0	1
	0	0	1	1	2	1	1	1	2	0	0	2

Unlocking criteria

Gold Mario

The only unlockable playable character in this game is Gold Mario, who is unlocked by winning all twelve gold cups at 200cc. Once unlocked, he replaces Metal Mario on the character select screen. Metal Mario is from then on treated as a color variant of Gold Mario. The two differ only in their color scheme and the voice clip used when selecting them. Their other voice clips, horn sounds, animations, and statistics are identical.

Vehicle parts

A vehicle part is randomly unlocked every 30 coins. Once reaching 450 coins this changes to every 50, and once reaching 1500 coins this changes to every 100. Eventually, the last non-gold vehicle part is unlocked on reaching 3100 coins.

Special parts

Special gold parts are unlocked with the following criteria:

• Gold Standard: Unlocked by achieving at least 1 star ranking on all Mirror Cups.
• Gold Tires: Unlocked by defeating all 48 staff ghosts in 150cc Time Trials.
• Gold Glider: Unlocked by collecting 5,000 coins.

Courses

There are 48 race courses in the base game (including all four cups that were DLC in the original Mario Kart 8), these being the 25 courses introduced in the original game and 23 retro, including two courses from Super Mario Kart, three courses each from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii, and four courses each from Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and Mario Kart 7. It is also the first Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64 to have all courses available from the start. Names in italics indicate the British English name for the course.

The Booster Course Pass DLC adds 48 retro courses, increasing the game's total number of courses to 96 and the number of retro courses to 71.

Mushroom Cup	Flower Cup	Star Cup	Special Cup	Egg Cup	Crossing Cup
white	white	white	white	File:MK8 DLC GCN Yoshi Circuit Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC GCN Baby Park Course Icon.png white
white	Toad Harbour	white	Bone Dry Dunes	File:MK8 DLC Excitebike Arena Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC Cheese Land Course Icon.png white
white	white	white	white	File:MK8 DLC Dragon Driftway Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC Wild Woods Course Icon.png white
white	white	white	white	File:MK8 DLC Mute City Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC Animal Crossing Course Icon.png white

Shell Cup	Banana Cup	Leaf Cup	Lightning Cup	Triforce Cup	Bell Cup
white	white	white	white	File:MK8 DLC Wii Wario's Gold Mine Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC 3DS Neo Bowser City Course Icon.png 3DS Koopa City
white	white	white	3DS Piranha Plant Pipeway	File:MK8 DLC SNES Rainbow Road Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC GBA Ribbon Road Course Icon.png white
white	white	3DS Melody Motorway	white	File:MK8 DLC Ice Ice Outpost Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC Super Bell Subway Course Icon.png white
white	white	white	white	File:MK8 DLC Hyrule Circuit Course Icon.png white	File:MK8 DLC Big Blue Course Icon.png white

Booster Course Pass

Main article: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass

In a Nintendo Direct held on February 9, 2022, a DLC expansion pack called the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass was announced. The pack includes 48 additional remastered versions of courses from past Mario Kart games, including Mario Kart Tour. The tracks use their designs from Tour, with the exception of Wii Coconut Mall and DS Shroom Ridge, which are currently absent from said game. The pack is set to be released in six waves by the end of 2023, with each wave consisting of two cups (eight courses in total) and the first wave releasing on March 18, 2022.

Ghosts

150cc Staff Ghosts

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the times for staff ghosts in 150cc are slightly different from the original Mario Kart 8. Also, unlike the original game, players will not unlock any stamps if they beat the ghosts.

Course	Staff Name	Country	Time	Character	Vehicle Combination
					Body	Tires	Glider
Mario Kart Stadium	Nin★Chris	United Kingdom	1:53.191	Mario	Sports Coupe	Standard	Super Glider
Water Park	Nin★Massim	Italy	2:02.186	Baby Luigi	Mr. Scooty	Roller	Super Glider
Sweet Sweet Canyon	Nin★Fausti	France	2:07.205	Baby Peach	Teddy Buggy	Wood	Peach Parasol
Thwomp Ruins	Nin★Sophia	Germany	2:12.125	Donkey Kong	Standard ATV	Monster	Super Glider
Mario Circuit	Nin★Sho	Japan	2:08.501	Mario	Standard Kart	Standard	Super Glider
Toad Harbor	Nin★Alice	United States	2:29.282	Toadette	Cat Cruiser	Retro Off-Road	Plane Glider
Twisted Mansion	Nin★Mark	Netherlands	2:14.615	Luigi	Mach 8	Slim	Super Glider
Shy Guy Falls	Nin★Frank	United Kingdom	2:21.804	Shy Guy	Flame Rider	Off-Road	Super Glider
Sunshine Airport	Nin★Leonel	United States	2:20.447	Rosalina	Circuit Special	Standard	Super Glider
Dolphin Shoals	Nin★Skip	United States	2:14.832	Wendy	Landship	Wood	Bowser Kite
Electrodrome	Nin★Yuya	Japan	2:21.023	Larry	Sport Bike	Monster	Super Glider
Mount Wario	Nin★Elena	Russia	2:03.483	Waluigi	The Duke	Monster	Wario Wing
Cloudtop Cruise	Nin★Maria	Portugal	2:19.568	Baby Rosalina	Biddybuggy	Standard	Super Glider
Bone-Dry Dunes	Nin★Elena	Russia	2:15.338	Morton	Tri-Speeder	Monster	Super Glider
Bowser's Castle	Nin★Polly	United Kingdom	2:21.980	Bowser	Badwagon	Standard	Super Glider
Rainbow Road	Nin★Mizuho	Japan	2:25.267	Pink Gold Peach	Comet	Slim	Super Glider
Wii Moo Moo Meadows	Nin★Chris	United Kingdom	1:41.846	Daisy	Varmint	Hot Monster	Super Glider
GBA Mario Circuit	Nin★Rie	Japan	1:44.593	Baby Mario	Yoshi Bike	Standard	Super Glider
DS Cheep Cheep Beach	Nin★Massim	Italy	2:06.314	Koopa Troopa	Steel Driver	Metal	Parachute
N64 Toad's Turnpike	Nin★Alice	United States	2:08.966	Toad	Standard Bike	Standard	Parachute
GCN Dry Dry Desert	Nin★Maria	Portugal	2:26.614	Peach	Standard Bike	Slim	Super Glider
SNES Donut Plains 3	Nin★Frank	United Kingdom	1:35.564	Lakitu	Pipe Frame	Monster	MKTV Parafoil
N64 Royal Raceway	Nin★Skip	United States	2:18.307	Peach	Prancer	Wood	Peach Parasol
3DS DK Jungle	Nin★Rie	Japan	2:20.006	Donkey Kong	Varmint	Monster	Waddle Wing
DS Wario Stadium	Nin★Mizuho	Japan	2:09.171	Wario	Tri-Speeder	Off-Road	Wario Wing
GCN Sherbet Land	Nin★Fausti	France	2:20.174	Lemmy	Sneeker	Standard	Super Glider
3DS Music Park	Nin★Sho	Japan	2:19.675	Baby Daisy	Biddybuggy	Standard	Super Glider
N64 Yoshi Valley	Nin★Mark	Netherlands	2:23.688	Yoshi	Wild Wiggler	Standard	Flower Glider
DS Tick-Tock Clock	Nin★Sophia	Germany	2:06.485	Iggy	Standard Bike	Monster	Super Glider
3DS Piranha Plant Slide	Nin★Polly	United Kingdom	2:21.321	Ludwig	Jet Bike	Slim	Super Glider
Wii Grumble Volcano	Nin★Yuya	Japan	2:16.524	Roy	Badwagon	Off-Road	Super Glider
N64 Rainbow Road	Nin★Leonel	United States	1:33.981	Metal Mario	Standard ATV	Monster	Super Glider
GCN Yoshi Circuit	Nin★Adrien	France	2:07.557	Red Yoshi	B Dasher	Standard	Super Glider
Excitebike Arena	Nin★Pedro	Spain	1:58.808	Mario	Standard Bike	Slim	Super Glider
Dragon Driftway	Nin★Mitsu	Japan	2:05.957	Lakitu	Varmint	Monster	Cloud Glider
Mute City	Nin★Laura	United States	2:10.167	Mario	Blue Falcon	Roller	Super Glider
Wii Wario's Gold Mine	Nin★Pit	Germany	2:22.119	Wario	Standard Kart	Monster	Super Glider
SNES Rainbow Road	Nin★Anne	Netherlands	1:40.711	Cat Peach	Cat Cruiser	Retro Off-Road	Super Glider
Ice Ice Outpost	Nin★Pavel	Russia	2:09.427	Tanooki Mario	Tanooki Kart	Monster	Super Glider
Hyrule Circuit	Nin★Mitsu	Japan	2:08.616	Link	Master Cycle	Triforce Tires	Hylian Kite
GCN Baby Park	Nin★Joost	Netherlands	1:16.561	Baby Mario	Biddybuggy	Standard	Super Glider
GBA Cheese Land	Nin★Aracel	Spain	2:06.316	Orange Yoshi	Pipe Frame	Monster	Parafoil
Wild Woods	Nin★Akira	Japan	2:05.396	Villager (Boy)	Streetle	Leaf Tires	Paper Glider
Animal Crossing	Nin★Marie	United States	1:53.584	Isabelle	City Tripper	Slim	Paper Glider
3DS Neo Bowser City	Nin★Rui	Portugal	2:13.138	Dry Bowser	Bone Rattler	Metal	Super Glider
GBA Ribbon Road	Nin★Giulia	Italy	2:07.152	Villager (Girl)	Teddy Buggy	Button	Super Glider
Super Bell Subway	Nin★Juliet	France	2:06.487	Pink Shy Guy	City Tripper	Slim	Super Glider
Big Blue	Nin★Dylan	United Kingdom	1:37.316	Mario	P-Wing	Blue Standard	Super Glider

200cc Staff Ghosts

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features a new option for players to race in Time Trials in the 200cc engine class. This option also features entirely new staff ghosts for each of the 48 courses.

Course	Staff Name	Country	Time	Character	Vehicle Combination
					Body	Tires	Glider
Mario Kart Stadium	Nin★Sophia	Germany	1:21.984	Gold Mario	Gold Standard	Gold Tires	Gold Glider
Water Park	Nin★Yuya	Japan	1:22.799	Baby Mario	Biddybuggy	Standard	Super Glider
Sweet Sweet Canyon	Nin★Alice	United States	1:40.972	Peach	Prancer	Wood	Peach Parasol
Thwomp Ruins	Nin★Skip	United States	1:31.436	Bowser	Badwagon	Standard	Bowser Kite
Mario Circuit	Nin★Joost	Russia	1:23.243	Pink Gold Peach	Standard Bike	Slim	Super Glider
Toad Harbor	Nin★Adrien	France	1:43.003	Toad	Sports Coupe	Standard	Super Glider
Twisted Mansion	Nin★Rui	Portugal	1:38.244	King Boo	Wild Wiggler	Sponge	Flower Glider
Shy Guy Falls	Nin★Anne	Netherlands	1:40.698	White Yoshi	Standard ATV	Retro Off-Road	Parafoil
Sunshine Airport	Nin★Sho	Japan	1:45.437	Luigi	Jet Bike	Metal	Plane Glider
Dolphin Shoals	Nin★Polly	United Kingdom	1:38.911	Ludwig	Steel Driver	Blue Standard	Bowser Kite
Electrodrome	Nin★Laura	United States	1:40.943	Roy	The Duke	Cushion	Parafoil
Mount Wario	Nin★Massim	Italy	1:37.266	Wario	Standard ATV	Crimson Slim	Wario Wing
Cloudtop Cruise	Nin★Giulia	Italy	1:44.120	Bowser Jr.	Koopa Clown	Cyber Slick	Cloud Glider
Bone-Dry Dunes	Nin★Pavel	Russia	1:39.330	Dry Bones	Pipe Frame	Wood	Plane Glider
Bowser's Castle	Nin★Mark	Netherlands	1:40.953	Dry Bowser	Flame Rider	Slim	Bowser Kite
Rainbow Road	Nin★Pedro	Spain	1:55.767	Rosalina	Mach 8	Blue Standard	MKTV Parafoil
Wii Moo Moo Meadows	Nin★Leonel	United States	1:09.980	Baby Daisy	Sneeker	Cyber Slick	MKTV Parafoil
GBA Mario Circuit	Nin★Pit	Germany	1:10.475	Baby Luigi	Sport Bike	Slick	Parachute
DS Cheep Cheep Beach	Nin★Mizuho	Japan	1:25.089	Lakitu	Landship	Metal	Cloud Glider
N64 Toad's Turnpike	Nin★Rie	Japan	1:21.156	Toadette	Sports Coupe	Slick	Super Glider
GCN Dry Dry Desert	Nin★Chris	United Kingdom	1:45.087	Lemmy	Tanooki Kart	Off-Road	Super Glider
SNES Donut Plains 3	Nin★Mizuho	Japan	1:11.794	Koopa Troopa	Streetle	Monster	Flower Glider
N64 Royal Raceway	Nin★Dylan	United Kingdom	1:43.120	Baby Peach	Circuit Special	Cyber Slick	Parafoil
3DS DK Jungle	Nin★Polly	United Kingdom	1:46.758	Yellow Yoshi	City Tripper	Hot Monster	Paper Glider
DS Wario Stadium	Nin★Massim	Italy	1:39.724	Waluigi	Varmint	Hot Monster	Wario Wing
GCN Sherbet Land	Nin★Sophia	Germany	1:34.370	Iggy	Bone Rattler	Monster	Bowser Kite
3DS Music Park	Nin★Mitsu	Japan	1:36.529	Daisy	Badwagon	GLA Tires	MKTV Parafoil
N64 Yoshi Valley	Nin★Yuya	Japan	1:35.628	Green Shy Guy	Comet	Slim	Super Glider
DS Tick-Tock Clock	Nin★Elena	Russia	1:32.483	Larry	Standard Kart	Sponge	Paper Glider
3DS Piranha Plant Slide	Nin★Frank	United Kingdom	1:48.454	Wendy	Mr. Scooty	Metal	Peach Parasol
Wii Grumble Volcano	Nin★Maria	Portugal	1:44.284	Morton	Standard Bike	Cushion	Parachute
N64 Rainbow Road	Nin★Fausti	France	1:08.128	Mario	Tri-Speeder	Monster	Super Glider
GCN Yoshi Circuit	Nin★Elena	Russia	1:38.869	Light-blue Shy Guy	P-Wing	Slick	Parachute
Excitebike Arena	Nin★Akira	Japan	1:29.202	Inkling Girl	Inkstriker	Leaf Tires	Super Glider
Dragon Driftway	Nin★Aracel	Portugal	1:34.873	Purple Inkling Boy	Splat Buggy	Blue Standard	Super Glider
Mute City	Nin★Sho	Japan	1:34.273	Metal Mario	Blue Falcon	Azure Roller	Parafoil
Wii Wario's Gold Mine	Nin★Alice	United States	1:41.168	Waluigi	Standard Bike	Retro Off-Road	Wario Wing
SNES Rainbow Road	Nin★Marie	United States	1:12.762	Tanooki Mario	GLA	GLA Tires	Parachute
Ice Ice Outpost	Nin★Juliet	France	1:32.435	Cat Peach	Sneeker	Off-Road	Peach Parasol
Hyrule Circuit	Nin★Mark	Netherlands	1:40.394	Link	Master Cycle	Triforce Tires	Hylian Kite
GCN Baby Park	Nin★Leonel	United States	0:59.765	Baby Rosalina	Teddy Buggy	Cyber Slick	Waddle Wing
GBA Cheese Land	Nin★Chris	United Kingdom	1:41.248	Donkey Kong	Streetle	Roller	Flower Glider
Wild Woods	Nin★Mitsu	Japan	1:27.555	Villager (Girl)	City Tripper	Leaf Tires	Paper Glider
Animal Crossing	Nin★Fausti	France	1:23.417	Villager (Boy)	300 SL Roadster	GLA Tires	Super Glider
3DS Neo Bowser City	Nin★Massim	Italy	1:37.526	Bowser	Bone Rattler	Standard	Super Glider
GBA Ribbon Road	Nin★Maria	Portugal	1:31.220	Isabelle	Cat Cruiser	Crimson Slim	Paper Glider
Super Bell Subway	Nin★Skip	United States	1:23.304	Blue Yoshi	Yoshi Bike	Blue Standard	Super Glider
Big Blue	Nin★Rie	Japan	1:13.516	Luigi	W 25 Silver Arrow	Slim	Plane Glider

New items

The Boo and Feather items make a return in this game, functioning as they had previously. All other items from the Wii U version return as well. Also, the item distributions have been altered beside the addition of the new items.

New Items
Boo	Allows the player to become invisible to other racers for 10 seconds. While invisible, players will also be granted immunity to items and obstacles. Activating the item will also allow Boo to steal an item from a randomly selected racer in front of the player. If there are no items to steal, Boo will bring back a single Mushroom by default. If Boo steals a multiple usage item or a timed item, it will be returned to the player fresh. Boo cannot steal Crazy 8's, or Piranha Plants and Bullet Bills already in use. Only one Boo can be in play at a time; once it brings back an item, another can appear in item boxes again, even while the other player is still invisible. Players who are under the effect of a Super Star or even a Boo are not immune to Boo's item stealing.
Feather	Causes the player to spin and leap in the air, providing a small speed boost upon landing, akin to a regular trick (characters will also perform a trick animation during the jump). When used near an opponent, the player steals a balloon, 3 coins, or the Shine Sprite from them, depending on the mode; however, the player needs to touch the opponent to steal from them, either by touching them upon use, or upon landing. Can be used on trickable places to gain more height, though does not grant more height if used while airborne, and cancels the gliding immediately. Exclusive to Battle Mode.

New amiibo compatibility

Some of the Mii Racing Suits and amiibo that can be used to unlock them in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

In addition to all of the compatible amiibo in Mario Kart 8 with their respective Mii Racing Suits, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe adds compatibility with amiibo from the Splatoon line, which unlock a Mii Racing Suit based on Splatoon. Additionally, more amiibo can be used to unlock the returning Mii Racing Suits, as all Animal Crossing related amiibo being compatible and unlocking the Animal Crossing Mii Racing Suit, and the Pikmin amiibo unlocking the Pikmin suit.

Update history

Note that in order to play online, players must have downloaded the most recent software update.

Ver. 1.1.0

An update was released on May 17, 2017. The following changes were made:

• Opponents' names are displayed in the rear view mirror view in online matches.
• Invincibility period after a spin-out or crash is longer in online matches.
• Up to two players can spectate a friend group while they wait to join.
• "Worldwide" and "Regional" modes add players to Mirror and 200cc matches less often.
• Players can now properly create a friend lobby when having 100 or more friends.
• The starting positions in online races now properly reflect the order in which the players join (just like the original).
• Miis now properly show facial expressions during matches.
• The Tournament clock now properly reflects real-world time.
• One of Inkling Girl's animations has been modified.
  • The original animation was considered by some to resemble an obscene gesture.

Ver. 1.2.0

An update was released on June 28, 2017. The following changes were made:

• Players can use Pikmin-themed amiibo to unlock a Pikmin Suit for the Mii driver.
• Race rules and course name are now displayed on loading screens for online and wireless play, as well as Mario Kart TV.
• Players who are behind in online matches will receive items geared toward catching up more frequently.
• In online matches, no more than two Piranha Plants will be granted as items at the same time.
• Controls are no longer unresponsive when the timer runs out when choosing a Mii racing suit for online matches.
• When a player uses an item right after the Super Horn in online matches, that item will now remain available for other players.
• Item wheel no longer spins continuously in online matches.
• Online matches now end as intended 30 seconds after the first place racer finishes.
• The Boomerang now returns to the first slot, if possible, after a player catches it.
• Items shown in a player's item slots now display correctly when holding an item behind them.
• No longer possible to use an item after it has been used to block an attack.
• Communication errors no longer occur frequently while spectating or after spectating online matches.

Ver. 1.2.1

An update was released on August 9, 2017. The following changes were made:

• Corrected an issue that prolonged the time to return to the lobby after races near the start and end times of online tournaments.

Ver. 1.3.0

An update was released on October 18, 2017. The following changes were made:

• Video capture compatibility added. Hold the Capture Button to capture up to 30 seconds of the previous footage.
  • This system must be updated to Ver. 4.0.0 or higher to use this feature.
• Now more difficult to float down using the glider when Smart Steering is ON.
• Blue Shells no longer hit the second place player when the first place player has not crossed the finish line.
• Extended the invulnerability period after spinning out or crashing.
• Changes made to Online Play prior to Ver. 1.2.1 now apply to Wireless Play and LAN Play as well:
  • When further back in a race, will receive better items to help catch up to other players.
  • No more than one Piranha Plant will appear at a time.
  • Updating to Ver 1.3.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on Ver. 1.2.1 or lower.

Ver. 1.4.0

An update was released on December 12, 2017. The following changes were made:

• Language support for Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean has now been implemented.
  • Players can change languages in Settings on the console.
• An issue has been resolved that prevented background music from playing after players reach the finish line.
• Updating to Ver 1.4.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on Ver. 1.2.1 or lower.

Ver. 1.5.0

An update was released on June 25, 2018. The following changes were made:

• Now supports the use of the Toy-Con Motorbike from the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Variety Kit.
  • Players can now set whether or not use the Toy-Con Motorbike from the Toy-Con settings in the main menu.
  • At the screen right before the game begins, the Joy-Con needs to be set inside the Toy-Con Motorbike.
  • When using the Toy-Con Motorbike, the camera will look over the character's shoulder.
  • Pressing the downward directional button will allow the player to play with normal view again.
• Addressed an issue where, after setting up a tournament, the "Search by code" feature would stop functioning.
• Addressed an issue that made it impossible for a player to proceed after colliding with a Super Thwomp.
• Updating to Ver 1.5.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on prior versions

Ver. 1.6.0

An update was released on July 19, 2018. The following changes were made:

• Link in the Champion's Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been added as a variant for Link.
• The Master Cycle Zero, Ancient Tires, and Paraglider have been added as kart parts.
• Updating to Ver. 1.6.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on prior versions.

Ver. 1.7.0

An update was released on September 19, 2018. The following changes were made:

• Now compatible with Toy-Con Car in Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03 Vehicle Kit.
  • Players can select which Toy-Con to use in Toy-Con settings in the main menu.
• Now compatible with Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app.
  • If an application is running on any device when entering an online match, players can receive a prompt on their smartphone asking whether if they would like to join a voice chat with their opponents.
  • Worldwide, Regional, Friends, and Tournaments allow players to use this function.

Ver. 1.7.1

An update was released on January 23, 2019. The following changes were made:

• Fixed an issue that caused the game to become unresponsive to any input except for the HOME Button.

Ver 1.7.2

An update was released on May 25, 2021. The following changes were made:

• Addressed an issue that caused tournament points to be reset.
• Addressed an issue that caused match history with friends to be reset.

Reception

Critical reception

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been received with universal acclaim, garnering higher aggregate scores than the original Mario Kart 8. The game has been praised for being well-suited to the Switch's portability, the increased performance, and particularly the redesigned Battle Mode, although several reviews noted Deluxe would not be as appealing of a proposition to players who already own Mario Kart 8 and its downloadable content.

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Nintendo Switch	Laurely Birba, Jeux Actu	18/20	While purists may accuse Mario Kart 8 of being a opportunistic rehash, Nintendo's goal was to give the Switch a racing game that is fun, polished, filled with content, and able to showcase the Switch's hybrid nature. These four objectives are mostly accomplished, and the game will have no problem seducing newcomers considering how well the formula has been mastered.
Nintendo Switch	Kallie Plagge, GameSpot	9/10	Even if you didn't really care about Battle Mode, the smallest changes in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe refine an already great racing game. But the huge overhaul to the original's afterthought of a Battle Mode is a chaotic, varied opportunity to play very differently than in Grand Prix mode and well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch.
Nintendo Switch	Matthew Sainsbury, Digitally Downloaded	4.5/5	Thanks to substantial DLC releases, Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U went from being a game with plenty of content, to one with an overload of it. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch has all of that, plus the return of the battle mode (which should never have left), and while it won't be a new game as such for the people who actually bought a Wii U (we're a special club), having this game on a portable console is reason enough to buy it all over again.
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		92
GameRankings		92.39%

Sales

In the United Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe debuted at No. 1 on the sales chart, making it the first Nintendo game to be No. 1 in the UK since 2011's Pokémon Black and White, and the first Mario game to place such since Mario Kart Wii.

The game sold 459,000 copies for its US launch day, making it the fastest-selling Mario Kart game in the US and meaning 45% of US Switch owners purchased the game.

As of December 31, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold 7.33 million units worldwide. On March 31, 2018, it reached 9.22 million units, exceeding the original Mario Kart 8's 8.42 million and making it the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch behind Super Mario Odyssey. As of January 31, 2019, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold 15.02 million units worldwide, exceeding Super Mario Odyssey's sales and making it the best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch. By June 30, 2021, the game had sold 37.08 million units worldwide. By September 30, 2021, the game had sold 38.74 million units worldwide, surpassing Mario Kart Wii as the best-selling game in the series. By December 31, 2021, the game had sold 43.35 million units worldwide, making it the single best-selling game in the Mario franchise, surpassing Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Awards and acknowledgements

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was nominated for the "Best Family Game" and "Best Multiplayer" awards at The Game Awards 2017. However, it won neither, losing the former to Super Mario Odyssey and the latter to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.

References to other games

• Super Mario Kart: The Feather item returns from this game, with the same function. Battle Course 1 reappears as a retro battle stage; a billboard in the course background is modeled after the player select screen from this game.
• Mario Kart 64: Similar to this game, all courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are unlocked from the start. Choco Mountain is included among the courses in the Booster Course Pass.
• Mario Golf: Metal Mario has an alternate color scheme where he can be selected into gold like in this game. However, unlike this game, Gold Mario is an unlockable skin.
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit: Sky Garden is included among the courses in the Booster Course Pass.
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Luigi's Mansion reappears as a retro battle stage. The Double Item Boxes and the two Battle sub-modes, Bob-omb Blast and Shine Thief, return.
• Mario Kart DS: An arrangement of the theme song of Luigi's Mansion is used in GCN Luigi's Mansion. Shroom Ridge is included among the courses in the Booster Course Pass.
• Mario Kart Wii: Dry Bones, Bowser Jr., and King Boo's voice clips are reused from this game. Coconut Mall is included among the courses in the Booster Course Pass.
• Mario Kart 7: The Koopa Clown kart body returns from this game. Wuhu Town reappears as a retro battle stage, and Toad Circuit is included among the courses in the Booster Course Pass. Lunar Colony has a moon section with low gravity just like Rainbow Road from this game.
• New Super Mario Bros. 2: Gold Mario returns as a character.
• Super Mario 3D World: The crown mechanic in Battle Mode is similar to the mechanic in this game's multi-player, where the player with the highest score from one stage will be wearing a crown in the next stage.
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: The Koopa Clown's propellers in anti-gravity sections emerge from circular panels on the side of the vehicle, much like the Junior Clown Car's weapons. Also, the Koopalings' Koopa Clowns match the Clown Car colors they use in this game.
• Mario Kart Tour: Tokyo Blur, Paris Promenade and Ninja Hideaway are included among the courses in the Booster Course Pass.

References in later games

• Yoshi's Crafted World: Various sponsors from Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe reappear in this game.
• Mario Kart Tour: The third level of Mini-Turbos, Ultra Mini-Turbos, returns. The Koopa Clown retains its appearance from this game.

Staff

Main article: List of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe staff

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

• 

  Mario

• 

  Link

• 

  Isabelle

• 

  Inkling and a Blooper

• 

  Lakitu

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Kart 8 media.

Battle Stadium theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-BattleStadium-music.oga ​

Sweet Sweet Kingdom theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-SweetSweetKingdom-music.oga ​

Dragon Palace theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-DragonPalace-music.oga ​

Lunar Colony theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-LunarColony-music.oga ​

3DS Wuhu Town theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-3DS-WuhuTown-music.oga ​

GCN Luigi's Mansion theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-GCN-LuigisMansion-music.oga ​

SNES Battle Course 1 theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-SNES-BattleCourse1-music.oga ​

Urchin Underpass theme

File infoMedia:MK8D-UrchinUnderpass-music.oga ​

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	マリオカート８ デラックス[?] Mario Kāto 8 Derakkusu	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Chinese (simplified)	马力欧卡丁车8 豪华版 Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē 8 Háohuábǎn	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition
Chinese (traditional)	瑪利歐賽車8 豪華版[?] Mǎlìōu Sàichē 8 Háohuábǎn	Mario Racing 8 Deluxe Edition
Korean	마리오 카트 8 디럭스[?] Mario Kateu 8 Direokseu	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

External links

• Official Japanese site
• Official American site
• Official Mexican site
• Official European site
• Official Oceanian site
• Official Korean site
• Official Chinese (Hong Kong) site
• Official Chinese (Taiwan) site
• Official Chinese (Mainland) site