What’s New in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Everything You Need to Know

Battle Mode Revamp

One of the biggest complaints surrounding Mario Kart 8 when it released on the Wii U back in 2014 was its poor Battle Mode. Rather than having specifically-designed levels for players to battle it out in Balloon Battle or Bob-omb Blast, players were left to explore the standard racing tracks in search of their targets. Unfortunately, because of the large sprawling nature of some tracks, Battle Mode definitely felt like the weakest part of Mario Kart 8.

Nintendo has opted to revamp Battle Mode for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Currently, four maps have been confirmed exclusively for use with Battle Mode, two new, one of which takes inspiration from Splatoon, and classics such as the GameCube’s Luigi’s Mansion, and the SNES’ Battle Course 1.