Nintendo is no stranger to paid expansions nowadays, but nevertheless, the new wave of content for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is remarkable for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the sheer size of the Booster Course Pass DLC is something of note. By the time all the courses have released, the number of racetracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will have doubled, which is staggering, considering how many courses there already were. For another thing, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is hardly a new game. It's been on the Switch for several years now, but for some reason, NIntendo decided to revisit it.
The size of the Booster Course Pass DLC does make some sense when considering just how popular Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is. It's the best-selling Switch game to date, moving more than 40 million copies, so it's no surprise that Nintendo wants to capitalize on that colossal audience. The age of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains something of an anomaly, though. If Nintendo can go back to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe after all this time, then it seems entirely possible that it'll revisit other games from the Switch's early years with new content. DLC game revivals could become a core part of the Switch's lineup in the next few years.
Nintendo's Possible DLC Revivals
Even if Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the champion of the Switch in terms of sales, the console has a number of important but relatively old games that could get a new expansion in the near future. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a particularly plausible candidate. The acclaimed Breath of the Wild was a Switch launch title, and it remains one console's best-selling and most beloved games. Nintendo produced DLC for it already, but with Breath of the Wild 2 on the horizon, Nintendo could very well release a small DLC that serves as a teaser and a promotion for the sequel by setting up the new game's narrative.
Super Mario Odyssey seems like another highly likely candidate when it comes to surprise DLC. This inventive 3D Super Mario game also received enthusiastic reviews from fans and critics, but due to its 2017 release date, new content for the game hasn't seemed plausible until now. The Booster Course Pass is a good omen for fans hoping to explore more worlds with Mario and Cappy. These two games seem like top DLC candidates, but they may not be the only ones. Eventually, Nintendo could revisit anything from Super Mario Maker 2 to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, acknowledging their major impact on the console years down the line.
Nintendo Has the Element of Surprise
Admittedly, it seems unlikely that Nintendo's future DLC lineup will consist of nothing but callbacks to previous games. Rumors about Mario Party Superstars DLC seem more likely than a new Super Mario Odyssey expansion, simply because Superstars is more timely. Still, the Booster Course Pass means that nothing is certain. Nintendo is apparently willing to return to even the oldest Switch titles in order to surprise fans with new content, so it's much harder to predict Nintendo's next move than usual.
The Switch certainly isn't short on games worth celebrating. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey were crucial in giving the console a strong start, and they'll likely be remembered as Nintendo stars for years to come. Paid expansions for current hits like Pokemon Legends: Arceus remain more likely, but expansions for old games would be vastly less shocking now, nor would they be unwarranted. Until Nintendo confirms more throwback expansions, fans nostalgic for the Switch's early days will have to focus on the Booster Course Pass' contents, which is sure to bring back warm memories of Mario Kart history.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now for Nintendo Switch.