Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch confirmed

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is coming to the Nintendo Switch on April 28, the company announced today.

All of the tracks and characters from the Wii U version of the game will be available on the Switch port, plus all DLC content and characters. New characters will also be available to play in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, according to a press release, including Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy from Splatoon, as well as King Boo, Dry Bones and Bowser Jr. The game will allow for up to eight players in local wireless multiplayer.

New modes, including Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast, will be available to play in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, along with new courses like Urchin Underpass and Battle Stadium. As previously reported, players can now carry two items at a time, both a primary and a secondary. Items from older games, including Boo (the item-stealing ghost) and the Feather, which gives players a high jump in Battle mode, will also make a return in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo will also introduce a Smart Steering feature, which will keep players on the track and make gameplay easier for more novice players. The game can be played in 1080p in TV mode and 720p in portable.

Grid View

Nintendo revealed the first look at Mario Kart 8 on the Switch in its original announcement video for the console last October. In the video, the “Yoshi Circuit” course from Mario Kart: Double Dash on the GameCube can be seen. That particular course was made available as DLC content for Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U in 2014.

Nintendo first announced it would be releasing a successor to its Wii U in March 2015. The system was codenamed “Nintendo NX,” but Nintendo confirmed it was called the Switch this past October. The hybrid console allows for both standard, home console gaming through a TV and portable play. Players will reportedly be able to switch over from the stationary console version to the handheld without losing their place in the game.

Nintendo also confirmed the Switch would use game cartridges, called game cards, but added these would be different from game cartridges used for the 3DS. As a result, players will not be able to use their 3DS cartridges on the Switch.

The Switch will be released on March 3 for $299.

Image: Nintendo

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