Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update adds Pikmin Mii outfit, vastly alters online play

A costume and some tweaks

It’s still weird to see Mario Kart 8 Deluxe get updates that the original Mario Kart 8 could easily have, but that ship has sailed now. That good ship Wii U has sailed into the fog, yes, never to be seen again. They give it less love now than Sony still gives the Vita. No, I’m not bitter at all — let’s talk about the Switch.

So! Deluxe just got a massive update on Switch, which includes several features and a bunch of tweaks for online play. For one there’s a new Pikmin costume if you use the Pikmin amiibo, which is separate from the Olimar outfit.

In terms of online matches players who are behind will get more “catch-up” items, several glitches like constantly spinning item wheels have been fixed, and online races will now end 30 seconds after the first place person finishes.

It’s a bunch of small but welcome stuff that helps keep the online element alive — if enough of these bugs piled up you’d have a complete ghost town. I’m still happy that fire hopping is gone so newcomers can jump in without fear of losing outright.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe [Nintendo]