2017's Mario Kart 8: Deluxe has been topping the sales charts of the Nintendo Switch, just like 2014's Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Wii U. This long-runner will continue to dominate with the Booster Course DLC, bringing tracks from past games, totaling 96 by the end of 2023.
Speculation is rampant on which tracks could return in the future Waves and what the other 40 courses could be. While this would make Deluxe the most extensive game to date, there are a handful of tracks from the past that, for various reasons, would be better off left behind.
More Than One Track Of Each Theme (Super Mario Kart)
Renowned game series often start with an entry that differs from what came later, and Super Mario Kart is no exception. In addition to the controls and unfair racer AI, eight environments were split into 20 courses: four Mario Circuits, three Donut Plains, two Koopa Beaches, two Choco Islands, two Vanilla Lakes, three Ghost Valleys, three Bowser Castles, and one Rainbow Road.
Donut Plains 3 and Rainbow Road are the only Super Mario Kart tracks in Deluxe, with Donut Plains 3 as one of the best retro courses. To have multiple courses from the same environments is excessive, especially when later entries perfected these themes. The best course of action for the , no pun intended, is to take one track from each.
Moo Moo Farm (Mario Kart 64)
Moo Moo Farm is the second course in Mario Kart 64's Mushroom Cup following Luigi Raceway. At 527 meters in length, it is the shortest track in the game. It takes place on enclosed farmland with Moo Moos (cows) watching behind the fences and Monty Moles popping out of their holes in certain track areas to menace racers.
This track is very similar to Moo Moo Meadows from Mario Kart Wii, which was remastered for Deluxe. Meadows can be considered Farm's successor because of its larger track size, length, and increased obstacles like the Moo Moos. There is minimal difference between the two, and it would be redundant to bring Farm back.
Riverside Park (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
After players complete Shy Guy Beach, their next challenge in Mario Kart Circuit's Mushroom Cup is Riverside Park. As the name suggests, this course is placed along a river and has a forest in the background. Water serves as the primary hazard here as the track contains no obstacles.
While it is a simple track as part of Super Circuit's lineup, it is perhaps too simple compared to other games. In addition, Lakeside Park from the same game is a souped-up version of Riverside, except with obstacles and a visually interesting background. Lakeside is the more interesting one to bring back between these two parks.
More Than One Bowser Castle (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
Super Circuit is unusual because it is similar to Super Mario Kart instead of 64. Apart from coins making a comeback and the return of all the Super Mario Kart courses, Super Circuit has four renditions of its Bowser Castle. They were the final courses in all the cups, except the Thunder Cup (none) and Special Cup (before Rainbow Road).
Like with the Super Mario Kart tracks, to bring back all four when they are the same would be redundant, barring their layouts and difficulty. Bowser Castle 4 is the best one to remaster as that is the most challenging and the only one not brought back yet in later games.
Mushroom City (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Mushroom City is the second course in Mario Kart: Double Dash's Star Cup and one of the most difficult Mario Kart tracks. Players race through a city with a few junctions and side roads that lead to the same path. Similar to other city courses, part of the challenge is dodging incoming vehicles, with many of them shaped like Mario enemies such as Wigglers and Bob-ombs.
Wii revived this aesthetic with Moonview Highway, which also borrows elements from Toad's Turnpike from 64 by combining the freeway and the city. As a result, Mushroom City would not stand out if included in the . With the already adding Paris Promenade and Tokyo Blur from Mario Kart Tour, there are already many city courses in Deluxe.
Figure-8 Circuit (Mario Kart DS)
Figure-8 Circuit starts off Mario Kart DS's Mushroom Cup and is the first starting course in the series not named after a character like Luigi or Peach. It is a relatively straightforward course with a simple track layout shaped like the number eight. It is perfect for newcomers to ease into the game and veterans to practice drifting.
This layout was brought back in Deluxe with its Mario Circuit representing the Mobius strip with anti-gravity. Unless the Figure-8 Circuit would be heavily altered, there is no reason for it to return when Deluxe's Mario Circuit is visually more interesting and challenging. Not to mention, the already includes Toad Circuit from Mario Kart 7 as an introductory course.
DK (Mario Kart DS)
DS's Star Cup features DK as its first course. Players must race up and down a snowy mountain with obstacles ranging from rolling snowballs to scattered Snowmen. Despite the name, DK does not feature any Donkey Kong elements as part of its background or design.
Since DS, tracks such as Wii's DK Summit have taken the snowy mountain aesthetic and improved on it in various ways. DK returning in 7 made sense because there was no snowy mountain track in that game, but it is nothing more than a simpler take on Mount Wario, one of Deluxe's hardest tracks.
Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)
Wii's Flower Cup begins with its version of Mario Circuit. Like its predecessors, it is a natural progression of difficulty and design following the starter courses like Luigi Circuit. Mario Circuit and Mushroom Gorge from the Mushroom Cup are the only two courses to include the classic Goomba enemies as obstacles.
Like DS's Figure-8 Circuit, Wii's Mario Circuit also is shaped like a number eight. This arguably has even less reason to be brought back when Deluxe's Mario Circuit supplanted it in design, obstacles, and gameplay mechanics. Even if Wii's Mario Circuit got an reflect the newest gameplay changes, it would still be an inferior version of Deluxe's Mario Circuit.
Cheep Cheep Lagoon (Mario Kart 7)
In 7, the penultimate race of the Mushroom Cup is Cheep Cheep Lagoon. One of 7's new features is underwater racing, and this course is the first to feature it prominently, with a little taking place on dry land. The majority of the coins and the item boxes are in the mouths of Clampies, which could harm players if they are not careful.
Cheep Cheep Beach from DS was brought back as a remastered course in Deluxe, with a significant change being that the out-of-bounds water is now part of the track. In many ways, Cheep Cheep Lagoon has been rendered obsolete not just by the revamped Cheep Cheep Beach but also by the rest of Deluxe's esteemed lineup of underwater tracks.
More Than One Wuhu Course (Mario Kart 7)
7 also introduced longer courses that were one lap broken up into three sections. The three tracks that followed this format were Wuhu Loop, Maka Wuhu, and Rainbow Road. The two Wuhu Island tracks were lifted directly from the cycling minigame of Wii Sports Resort, just altered slightly to fit into Mario Kart.
While both are perfect representations of Wuhu Island, to include both as part of the is unnecessary because they are very similar. Wuhu Loop is a standard course around the island's main roads, while Maka Wuhu explored the mountains and wilderness. Either one on their own is a welcome addition to the , but both could add to the possibility of repeat themes.
