Mario Kart 8 DLC readies Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing at the starting line

By Adam Rosenberg Published August 27, 2014

mario kart 8 dlc readies legend zelda animal crossing starting line link — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Racers, courses, and vehicles inspired by the Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing series’ are going to Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 in the form of two DLC packs, the publisher and Wii U maker confirms. The packs — coming in November 2014 and May 2015, respectively — cost $7.99 apiece, or $11.99 for the pair, and they’re available for pre-order now.

The Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8 pack adds eight courses, four vehicles, and three new drivers — Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, and Link (no Zelda???) — to the game. The Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8 pack introduces an additional eight courses, four vehicles, and three characters: Villager and Isabelle from Animal Crossing, plus Dry Bowser. Those that pre-order the two packs also get eight new colors for Yoshi and Shy Guy (already in the game) that can be used immediately.

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Each pack’s eight new courses are grouped together into four new, presumably themed Cups to race for. The full list of new vehicles hasn’t been revealed yet, but the first pack will add a Blue Falcon kart to the game, inspired by another classic Nintendo racing game, F-Zero.

If you’re wondering why the Zelda and Animal Crossing packs are roping in characters and vehicles that fall outside the franchises each DLC is based on, we don’t have an answer for you. Just go with it. Mario Kart 8 is awesome (except for the abysmal retooling of Battle Mode), and more courses, characters, and vehicles means you’ve got another reason to head back to it.

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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…

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Key art for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Every new Zelda game feels like an event, and yet Nintendo managed to keep a new mainline entry hidden almost all the way up until its release. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is not the same size and scale as the 3D entries like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom -- it's actually the long-awaited continuation of Zelda's 2D titles. The last game we got in this style was 2019's The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which was a remake of the 1993 Game Boy title.

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Release date
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will be released on September 26, 2024.
Platforms

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Zelda holds a rock in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

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