The next update toMario Kart 8 Deluxewill feature a racer’s debut that has been over two decades in the making. The Booster Course Pass inMario Kart 8 Deluxehas proven to be a major boon for the game at a late point in its lifespan. The releases of new tracks have not only provided more content, but offered a look at some parts of the series' past, including a few tracks that had only appeared once before returning in the pass. However, one of the most intriguing pieces of history comes in one of the new drivers.
Ever sinceMario Kart 8 Deluxestarted adding DLC charactersthrough the booster course pass, it has been common to theorize who could be next. After all, theMario Kartfranchise has grown substantially since the original eight racers fromSuper Mario Kart. After the first major expansion of the roster inMario Kart: Double Dash!!, almost every game since then has been adding on to the roster. This has even included some unexpected racers, such as R.O.B. inMario Kart DS. TheMario Kartgames have done nothing but grow, withMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course pass being a prominent example.
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Kamek Has Been Waiting 26 Years To Get Into a Mainline Mario Kart
One of the upcoming drivers, Kamek, was supposed to debut in anearly version ofMario Kart 64. However, at some point in the development process, he was replaced by Donkey Kong, although early footage shows him on the character select screen. Kamek was intended to appear in one of the series' earliest titles, but he would fall off the map for over two decades afterward. He even had an icon made for him in the original version ofMario Kart 8, but still didn’t make the cut.
Kamek’s continued snubs from the series are surprising, considering that even reaching back toolder games in theMarioseries, he still had a prominent presence. Starting with his debut inSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Kamek has been a recurring antagonist. He’s not in everyMariogame, but in his appearances he generally plays the role of Bowser’s second-in-command, or at least a high ranking member of his army. The Magikoopa master even earned a few playable roles in some spin-off titles, such asMario Golf: World Tour. However,Mario Kartcontinued to elude him for the longest time.
Kamek finally caught a break when he was added to the mobile spin-offMario Kart Tour, but the announcement ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s 5th DLC wavefinally brings him to the main series. WhileTourwas technically hisMario Kartdebut, it is a stripped-down version of the game with a simplified control scheme for mobile gameplay.Mario Kart 8 Deluxewill let players play as Kamek in a fully-controllable, classicMario Kartstyle, in the biggest game in the series to boot. WhileMario Kart 64is still a classic,Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis a great game to debut in.
It’s been a total of 26 years between when Kamek was supposed to appear inMario Kart 64, and his arrival in the series' newest installment. Kamek’s history makes him anobvious pick forMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s DLC, almost as much as the first Booster Course Pass character, Birdo. As one of the most important characters on Bowser’s side, it’s good to see Kamek getting more recognition, and a proper seat inMario Kartis well-deserved. With how long it took him to get there, Kamek’s place inMario Kart 8 Deluxeis worth celebrating.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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