After the first three waves consisted solely of tracks, Wave 4 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC introduced the first character to be added in the Booster Course Pass, Birdo. Aside from the fact that it’s weird as hell that Birdo is the first character they thought to add, something else interesting came in this update. A new character select screen featuring Birdo… and five question marks.
So now it may no longer a question of “if,” but of who. With the wide Mario universe (and even wider Nintendo universe) to choose from, there’s plenty of characters who could be making their way to the racetrack. Here’s 5 characters that we think could be making their way to upcoming Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC packs.
Funky Kong is a Shoo-In For The Next Mario Kart Character
Absent since Mario Kart Wii, players of that game might remember Funky as the character sweeping across many online games. Whether it was for his immense talent or a different unknown reason, Funky hasn’t been allowed to race since 2008. It’s time Nintendo lets him back on the track with the next wave of DLC. You could even feature him alongside a new Tropical Freeze-themed map, like how Birdo came with Yoshi’s Island.
Kirby is the Nintendo Rep People Want
Kirby’s always been a perfect fit for the Mario Kart roster. He got his own racing game on Gamecube with Kirby Air Ride (a game that also needs its own sequel), but nothing quite beats seeing a character in Mario Kart. Plus, in the trailer above, they literally showed Kirby on Rainbow Road. Even the Smash team know he’s a perfect fit for the game!
Get Diddy Kong Back in the Kart
Speaking of Kongs that have been absent from Mario Kart (and racing games that need sequels), it’s about time we get Diddy Kong back into Mario Kart. All the other racers get their entire family, complete with babies and metallic versions of themselves, yet Donkey Kong is left all alone? Come on now. Don’t do DK like that. Get Funky and Diddy back on the roster to have a happy Kong family.
Kamek Needs His Time in The Spotlight
The character select screen from Mario Kart 64‘s beta is the closest Kamek’s gotten to being a playable character in the Mario Kart franchise. The guy does all of Bowser’s bidding, just to never be invited to the fun stuff. It’s about time Kamek finally gets his time to drift around the Mushroom Kingdom. Plus, he’s featured in the upcoming Mario movie, so it makes perfect sense. Let Kamek have his time to shine!
Rabbid Mario Might Be A Left Field Inclusion
Look, I hate to be the bearer of what might be bad news, but Rabbid Mario could make his way over to Mario Kart. The star of one of the most slept on games of 2022, it makes too much sense for him to cross over. Nintendo hates making new characters for Mario Kart, but loves it when it’s different variations of Mario (Tanooki Mario, Baby Mario, Gold & Metal Mario). Plus, based on what’s been revealed about the Rabbids’ low sales numbers, Nintendo might try to juice up those sales with an inclusion in their current best-selling game on Switch.
Those are our picks for the next Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC characters! Think we’re wrong? Go ahead & yell about it in the comments! [lasso ref=”mario-kart-8-deluxe-booster-course-pass-nintendo-switch-digital-code” id=”22869″ link_id=”686″]
