At the tail end of today's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo prez Satoru Iwata revealed the company's plans to keep supporting Mario Kart 8 with DLC and free updates, including a suprising new mode.
He kicked things off by showing us new footage from a brand new level based on Animal Crossing. This level features tons of familiar faces and locations from the game, and even changes seasons, allowing you to play through four different versions of the course.
As previously revealed the next DLC pack will feature:
3 racers
- Isabelle from Animal Crossing
- Villagers from Animal Crossing
- Dry Bowser (Bowser as a Skeleton)
4 Vehicles
-City Tripper (a scooter)
-Streetle (looks like a Big Wheels)
-Two more to be determined
8 Courses across two new cups
- Crossing Cup
- Bell Cup
Previously announced for release in May, it has now been pushed up to a release date of April 23, and will run you $7.99. You can also buy it in a pack with the previous DLC for $11.99.
He also revealed that many more Amiibos will soon be compatible with the game, from Pac-Man to Mega Man, all of which will offer unique costumes for your Mii characters.
Iwata also made the surprise announcement of a brand new difficulty mode, a 200cc mode. That's a brand new one for the series, which has traditionally featured 50cc (beginner) 100cc (intermediate) and 150cc (expert) modes, and from the gameplay footage shown it's faster than anything we've ever seen before. You're going to need to master drifting and prepare to be ruthless to survive this one.
200cc mode will be added as a free update to the game on April 23 alongside the DLC, and will be playable on every single course in the game, in both local and online modes.
Are you happy to see all this support for both this and Super Smash Bros.? What do you want to see in Mario Kart 8 next? Watch the Nintendo Direct below and let us know in the comments!
