Mario Kart 8 content partnership with Mercedes results in amazing commercial

By Adam Rosenberg Published May 29, 2014

mario kart 8 content partnership mercedes results amazing commercial dlc — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo has partnered with Mercedes-Benz for a little cross-promotional action around Mario Kart 8, which comes to Wii U in North America this Sunday, May 30. The deal will bring a Mercedes GLA kart racer body (pictured above) into the game as downloadable content, though the add-on is only confirmed for Japan at this time. Perhaps not forever though.

As a Nintendo UK spokesperson told Joystiq, “As for the information relating to the distribution of the GLA kart for Mario Kart 8 outside Japan, we will be able to announce in the near future.” It may not be confirmation, but there’s certainly the suggestion here that the Mercedes GLA DLC will be taking a road trip to other parts of the globe.

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The DLC will reportedly be a free download, and there’s some indication that a GLA tournament may be planned for fall 2014. You can read more about what we think of the Mercedes GLA — the actual car, that is — right here.

While the DLC may or may not ever leave Japan, a commercial from Mercedes-Benz Japan announcing the partnership is already making the rounds on the Internet. And it is delightful. No preamble, just watch.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Mario Kart Tour microtransactions land Nintendo in legal trouble

mario kart tour launch day record nintendo mobile

Nintendo is facing a new lawsuit over its previous implementation of microtransactions in the mobile game Mario Kart Tour.
Mario Kart Tour first launched on iOS and Android in 2019 and used to have a loot box-like system where players could spend real money to activate Spotlight Pipes, which had undisclosed odds of granting players useful items and upgrades. Nintendo removed Spotlight Pipes from Mario Kart Tour in a September 2022 update, but Axios reports that a new class-action lawsuit has been filed against Nintendo over its previous implementation of them in the game.
The suit calls the mobile game's microtransactions "immoral" and is based on the belief that the game was intentionally difficult to progress in without spending money. Its plaintiff believes this "capitalized on and encouraged addictive behaviors akin to gambling" in all players, specifically the minors that'd be interested in trying a Mario Kart game on mobile, with them having spent $170 on those microtransactions. As such, it suit is demanding Nintendo issue refunds to all minors who spent money on Spotlight Pipes when they were available in Mario Kart Tour.
The loot box-like style of microtransactions that used to be present in Mario Kart Tour was fairly common in a lot of games with microtransactions. That said, it has fallen out of favor in recent years thanks to increased scrutiny from regulators and lawsuits like this that argue the undisclosed odds tied to these systems are too similar to gambling. As such, microtransactions in many recent games tend to be more direct or actively disclose what players will get once they spend money.
Nintendo seemed to be aware of this when it removed Spotlight Pipes from Mario Kart Tour last year, but that clearly wasn't enough for this plaintiff. Nintendo has not commented on this lawsuit, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on how this plays out.

Gaming

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has a new Yoshi’s Island track — and it’s perfect

Birdo sails through the sky in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Yoshi's Island course.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just got even bigger. The fourth wave of its Booster Course Pack DLC just dropped on Nintendo Switch, adding eight more tracks to the racing game. The list includes some classics from the GameCube, Wii, and Game Boy Advance installments of the series, but it's most exciting addition is an entirely original one: Yoshi's Island.

As you may have guessed, the new course draws inspiration from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. On a visual level, it's one of the Mario Kart's most delightful tracks yet. The first leg has players racing through yellow rolling hills that are packed with little references to Yoshi's standalone games. From the starting line, you can see Poochy sitting on an oversized mailbox and catch some Chain Chomps delightfully bouncing around in the distance. Later, you'll spot some Goonies flying in the sky and a giant purple Blargg.

Gaming

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit’s studio has made an AR Hot Wheels game

Key art highlighting the mixed reality nature of Hot Wheels: Rift Rally.

Velan Studios, the developers behind Knockout City and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, has announced Hot Wheels: Rift Rally, a mixed-reality racing game that uses actual RC Hot Wheels cars and will launch on March 14.
It very much looks like a spiritual successor to Home Circuit, but uses the popular toy car brand instead of Mario Kart characters and items. However, it's not on Nintendo Switch; Rift Rally will only be available for iOS, PlayStation 4, and PS5. Rift Rally comes with a Chameleon RC car that can transform into over 140 different Hot Wheels vehicles in-game, as well as four Rift Gates that players can use to set up the boundaries of a racetrack.

From there, players can participate in various races and challenges, with the RC car moving around in the real world as flashier-looking gameplay takes place on the player's screen. Rift Rally looks like it improves upon the formula Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit established, though. There is more challenge variation -- we saw gameplay footage of one challenge where players had to clear as many flower petals from a track as possible, and Stunt Mode allows players to just drive and perform tricks around their home without the need for the Rift Gates.
Hot Wheels isn't a stranger to the video game industry. There have been lots of licensed Hot Wheels games over the years, with the recent Hot Wheels Unleashed and themed expansion for Forza Horizon 5 being particular standouts. But no Hot Wheels game before now has looked and functioned quite like Rift Rally.
Hot Wheels: Rift Rally will launch for iOS, PS4, and PS5 on March 14. The game will cost $130, although a Collector's Edition that comes with a black and gold Chameleon RC car and a regular McLaren Senna Hot Wheels car will also be available for $150.