Wave 6 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course is set to arrive this holiday season, and it brings a unique selection of characters from the Mario Kart universe to the table. As the final wave of the episodic DLC, this grand finale for the Booster Course is likely the last chance for characters to appear in the game. This pressure makes it unlikely for every fan to be satisfied with the choices, but the characters include some highly-requested options, including a couple that complete the package of reuniting a prior Mario Kart game's iconic cast.
The September Nintendo Direct showcased Wave 6 of the Booster Course and revealed the launch window. Although only one course is shown in the Direct trailer, four included characters are highlighted to drum up anticipation for the expansion. The full roster of courses should be revealed officially by the launch of Wave 6, with the single track displayed in the Direct being Daisy Circuit from Mario Kart Wii. Based on the consistent model of the Booster Course , seven more will follow.
4 Peachette
Peachette is an inclusion for fans of Princess Peach and Toadette alike. First introduced via the Super Crown mechanic in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Peachette is a transformation of Toadette that resembles the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom while retaining some core design elements that indicate who lies underneath. Sporting Toadette's pigtails and a distinctly mushroom-like dress with the even spots associated with Toads and Toadettes, Peachette is the only character who has yet been able to wear the Super Crown in any Mario games (despite the fan popularity of the similarly conceived Bowsette).
Peachette was introduced to the Mario Kart series via Mario Kart Tour, the free-to-play title that brought the series to mobile devices for the first time. Wave 6 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC Booster Course marks her first appearance in the mainline console games, ing her typical form of Toadette as part of the now heavily expanded roster. Peach herself has no shortage of variants in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with her standard incarnation receiving a kart alongside distinct entries for Cat Peach, Baby Peach, and Pink Gold Peach.
3 Pauline
Pauline may have taken a backseat to Princess Peach for decades, but recent years have been kinder to Mario's original beau. Super Mario Odyssey marked a major turning point, lifting her out of a comparatively dry spell as a Mario vs. Donkey Kong mainstay and placing her in the mayoral seat of New Donk City. As the singer of the theme song "Jump Up, Super Star!" Pauline made a mark in Super Mario Odyssey that seems to have earned her a better place among Mario regulars in a variety of Nintendo Switch titles.
Pauline's first fully playable outing in the Mario series was her inclusion in Mario Tennis Aces, which was followed up by more sporting appearances in Mario Golf: Super Rush and Mario Strikers: Battle League. Like Peachette, she made her Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart Tour, starting as a tour-exclusive character but becoming a regular character not long after. Her Mario Kart 8 Deluxe design sticks to the same essentials as most of her appearances, with a classy red dress, striking makeup, and gold jewelry clearly establishing the difference between her world and the Mushroom Kingdom.
2 Diddy Kong
Characters more commonly associated with the Donkey Kong side of things are the big focus of the Wave 6 DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and few are better qualified to carry that torch than Diddy Kong. Making his debut in the classic platformer Donkey Kong Country and quickly taking the lead in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, making for a meteoric rise to fame. The fate of Donkey Kong Jr. is somewhat unclear due to the franchise's unclear timeline, but Diddy Kong quickly muscled him out as the premier option for a young sidekick.
Diddy Kong has plenty of experience in the Mario Kart franchise, with a minor nod to the character in Mario Kart 64 giving way to a playable role and box art appearance in Mario Kart: Double Dash. Mario Kart Wii and Tour both featured Diddy Kong as well, but Mario Kart 7 and 8 left him out of the proceedings. Although Diddy Kong was classified as lightweight in Double Dash, Wii made him a middle-weight character, so the only thing certain about his Mario Kart 8 inclusion is that his size should preclude him from being categorized as heavy.
1 Funky Kong
Few Donkey Kong characters are even close to being as beloved as Funky Kong is. His easygoing attitude made him immediately endearing for many fans of the franchise. Like Diddy Kong, Funky Kong was first introduced in Donkey Kong Country and has made repeat appearances throughout the series as a mainstay that will hopefully return in a future Donkey Kong Country game. The Switch port of the Wii U game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze added a Funky Mode that earned a corner of the box art, a concept that made its mark in much the same way as the infamous "Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry Series" badge.
Funky Kong made his Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart Wii and reappeared in Tour as a driver who shares the Banana Barrels special item with Diddy Kong. These simians complete the reappearance of the Mario Kart Wii roster in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, reuniting the cast of the hit title on Nintendo's most successful platform since. Although the full line-up of courses that Funky Kong and the rest of the new crew will race on in Wave 6 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course remains to be seen, tackling any track with the final additions to the roster should be an exciting finale for the DLC.
