Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Has 5 New Characters, Bob-omb And Balloon Battle Modes

With the Nintendo Treehouse Live with Nintendo Switch presentation has come a bevy of information on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the definitive edition of the Nintendo Wii U’s Mario Kart 8. In this installment, all content from the previous release will appear. New characters include the Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, and King Boo, and the new tracks are Battle Stadium, GCN Luigi’s Mansion, SNES Battle Course 1, and Urchin Underpass. Three new vehicles will be available, two of which are inspired by Splatoon.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has different specifications, depending on how you’re playing. Local wireless supports up to eight players, with TV Mode allowing up to four-player multiplayer in 1080p. When in TV Mode with one to two people playing, it will run at 60fps. When three to four people are playing in TV Mode locally, it will run at 30fps. In Portable Mode, the game will be at 720p and run at 60fps. Smart Steering will be available as an option and keeps people on the track, even at 200cc, when turned on.

Item details for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were announced. The Boo will return, allowing people to temporarily become invisible and steal an item from another player. The Feather is also coming back and, when acquired, allows the player to perform a high jump. Each racer will be able to hold two items at the same time.

Battle Mode will be revamped in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and was the main focus of the Nintendo Treehouse stream. Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast are two variations that will be available, and people will be able to play with real people or AI opponents. In Balloon Battle, everyone begins a game with balloons. Being hit by an enemy causes you to lose one. If you lose all your balloons, your score will be halved. Bob-omb Blast places boxes filled with bombs on the map. Your goal is to use them against opponents. The distance at which a bomb is thrown varies, based on how long you hold the attack button. When shown during the presentation, people were playing in arena levels, rather than going around an actual track.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will come to the Nintendo Switch on April 28, 2017.