When it comes to successful first-party games on the Nintendo Switch, few titles can compare to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The iconic kart racer has been a mainstay on the console from the very beginning, and Nintendo gave gamers even more motivation to take on its creative courses with the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC. Originally advertised as Nintendo's way of remastering even more classic courses from Mario Kart's long history, the DLC has surprised fans by introducing a new racer with its newest wave in the form of Birdo.
With the promise of more racers to come in future waves of DLC, fan speculation is rampant on who will get the call to race among Mario and friends. Nintendo has no shortage of options, and many fans have wanted Mario Kart to take a Super Smash Bros. approach in adding new characters. Out of all its many options, however, one Nintendo staple already has a strong argument for inclusion in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. None other than F-Zero's Captain Falcon would be the most obvious choice for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's next DLC racer.
Why Captain Falcon Just Makes Sense For Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
If there are any questions as to why Captain Falcon should be in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, fans need only look as far as the game's current content. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe already features two courses based on iconic tracks from the F-Zero series, Big Blue and Mute City. Players can also race in a miniature version of Captain Falcon's Blue Falcon vehicle. If all of that wasn't enough, it's also possible to dress up a Mii racer in Captain Falcon's trademark helmet and racing suit. At this point, the only Captain Falcon content Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is missing is the character himself.
It's no secret that the F-Zero franchise hasn't received much love from Nintendo in recent years. The series hasn't received a new game on consoles since F-Zero GX on the GameCube, and the only way the legacy of the franchise has persisted is through Captain Falcon's appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. If Nintendo cared enough about F-Zero to make frequent references to it in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, adding Captain Falcon as a DLC racer would be a kind consolation to fans who have had to get their F-Zero fix through a completely different series.
Captain Falcon Could Open The Door For More Unique Racers
Nintendo has proven that it's not afraid to bring characters into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe who are outside of Mario's usual band of friends and enemies. With The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Splatoon all being represented in the game, adding F-Zero to the mix could finally make Mario Kart 8 Deluxe into the Super Smash Bros.-like racer many fans have dreamed of. After Captain Falcon, Nintendo could go all-in and add Fox from Star Fox, Samus Aran from Metroid, and any one of the many heroes from Fire Emblem.
The remaining DLC racers in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have already become a frequent topic of discussion among many fans, and it's hard not to see the potential. More racers are something many players have wanted for years, and now that they're coming, the next few waves of DLC will likely be more anticipated than the others. While there's no official word on the characters coming in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's DLC, it only seems right that Captain Falcon gets his chance to tear up the racetrack for the first time in twenty years.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available on the Nintendo Switch.