Mario Kart 8 is approaching its first birthday. It’s difficult to believe, when you think about it. The community is still active. Plus, Nintendo is continuing to support it. It’s as viable a property now as it was months ago. More so, even, because the game is improving with paid and free content upgrades.
And no, the Mercedes Benz DLC doesn’t count. Though it did end up being rather hilarious when applied to the game.
I’m talking about the various content updates brought up during the April 1 Nintendo Direct. It proved Nintendo’s commitment to the title. Not only is the company attempting to use it as a means to get a little extra money out of fans, but is continuing to bring up free updates that improve the overall experience for those dedicated to the game.
The Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 is amazing. The content people will be getting is astonishing. The race track based on Animal Crossing not only has a live performance of the theme song, but shifts from day to night and changes the season each time someone races there. That goes beyond making sure the add-on offers a good experience. Such attention to detail is rare. It feels like that track becomes the star, though adding Isabelle, a Villager with male and female design options, and Dry Bowser as playable characters, 4 karts, and 7 more courses of course makes the entire affair worthwhile.
It completely revitalizes the game. Eight new tracks is a big deal, especially when there are new karts with different stats to experiment with. The fact that we’re getting it sooner, on April 23, 2015 instead of sometime in May, makes it even sweeter.
But the inclusion of a 200cc mode makes it even better. People have been able to spend a lot of time with Mario Kart 8 . 50cc was probably mastered a few days after launch, the nuances of 100cc discerned within a week or two, and by now those who put in enough effort know how to smoke all competition in the 150cc series. Given the footage we’ve seen from 200cc from the Nintendo Direct, it looks like the sort of mode where people will need months to assert dominance.
Even the Amiibo update is appreciated. These things are ridiculously collectible and it seems like they multiply of their own volition. Knowing that they’ll do something extra in Mario Kart 8 , however small, is a comfort. It makes the NFC figure purchase feel worthwhile, but also make training on the new 200cc less tedious since different outfits will make characters more visually appealing each run.
The commitment is admirable. Mario Kart 8 was a great game when it launched. Anyone would have been more than content with its content. But I don’t think anyone would have expected the game to still be so robust and offer such replay value a year later, thanks to continued support. Good on Nintendo for keeping up.