Mario Kart 8's DLC opened up the floodgates for additional characters joining the Wii U racing title's initial roster. Characters like Link, Isabelle, and Villager were available as purchasable add-ons after the game's initial launch.
But now, Mario Kart 8 is coming back and getting a fresh coat of paint in April as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition for the Switch. And while Nintendo has already added in some new characters for the Deluxe Edition -- including righting a grievous wrong and bringing my go-to racer Dry Bones back -- there's also the possibility of further DLC characters coming after release. Nintendo hasn't confirmed that the Switch version will get DLC, but that didn't stop us from putting together a list of what characters we'd like to see join Mario and friends for a few laps of blue-shell dodging and banana-peel throwing.
Mario Kart 8's DLC already introduced Link to the series, mixing together Nintendo denizens from outside the Mario-verse. Deluxe Edition is also bringing in Splatoon's Inklings, expanding Mario Kart's scope even further. But what other non-Mario characters could make the cut? How about we go really crazy-eights and stretch the rules a bit and have two characters in one?
Wolf Link and Midna might seem like an odd choice, but stick with me. The pair would be a nice throwback to the Double Dash days, and also connects Mario Kart 8 to both the recent Twilight Princess HD remake and Breath of the Wild. And Midna is just hands-down one of the best characters from any Zelda game. Those are all reason enough.
But, the real reason is pretty simple: Just think about Wolf Link trying to steer a kart with his little paws, only for Midna to get frustrated and take the wheel from him. They'd be quite the bickering pair of drivers, but it would be hilarious.
Poor Captain Falcon. Really, really poor Captain Falcon, in fact: While the racer still keeps showing up in Smash Bros. games, he hasn't had an entry in his own F-Zero series in forever. To make matters even worse, his own vehicle -- the Blue Falcon -- made it into Mario Kart 8 as DLC, sans his driving expertise. Mute City was also a DLC track, as well. But Falcon himself? Nowhere to be seen.
With both a track and kart already in Mario Kart 8, the rest of the pieces are already there. Now Nintendo just throw the good ol' Captain -- and F-Zero fans -- a bone on this one. And Captain Falcon needs to show the world he can still do more than just punch
Another Nintendo character we haven't seen for some time, everybody's favorite galactic bounty hunter has been MIA for a few years, probably off hunting Metroids or gallivanting around the galaxy or something. And while it certainly by any means wouldn't stand in as a replacement for a new Metroid game, Samus would still be a good fit for Mario Kart hijinks. Her ship could easily work as a kart, so that problem is solved. And, to top it all off, just think about the possibilities her universe opens up for tracks. I mean, who wouldn't want to race around additional giant gravity-controlled Mario Kart 8 tracks set in space?
One thing we haven't seen yet in Mario Kart is third party characters. Smash Bros. already does it, so while this wouldn't be necessarily something new for Nintendo, it would be a first time for the Kart series, at least on consoles (Mario Kart's arcade versions have had third party characters, for what it's worth).
But there's a first time for everything. The question is then, what third party character would fit best in with the Mario universe? How about one that is already -- technically -- from the Mario universe? Enter Geno. Geno fans have been clamoring for the Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars break-out character to be in Smash Bros. for years (And yes, yes, he did finally get a Mii costume). But why not bring him into Mario Kart and let him drive? It pulls in more representation from Mario's RPG outings, and brings in a unique character that fans love. That's a win/win situation.
Wand-wielding Kamek and Mario go way back to the plumber's pre-adolescent baby days, even if he might not quite remember them. But even with the long -- albeit as rivals -- history, Kamek has yet to be a playable character in Mario Kart, even as he continues to swoop in and make appearances in various other Mario adventures.
So why the Mario Kart series snub for the robed wizard? Who knows. But Mario Kart could use some of Kamek's mischievous magic. And it isn't like the series has ignored him completely: We've already seen a kart based off of him -- the Magikruiser in Mario Kart Wii -- and if Kamek is good enough to be ridden around on, he probably deserves to be the one actually behind the steering wheel at this point.
One of the new racers added in Mario Kart: Double Dash, poor Petey has been pruned of late and hasn't been seen in a Mario Kart as a racer game since. Quite a demotion for the toothy herb, especially with other Mario baddies like Wiggler showing up instead. Wiggler? Really? That's who Nintendo decided to go with?
Anyways, I'm not quite sure what the leafy piranha plant did to get his driver's license revoked, but it's well past time for him to return to the series. The timing couldn't be any better now, either: With his fellow racing compatriot King Boo returning in the Deluxe Edition, it's high time for Petey to come back to the racetrack, as well.
While Mario Kart pulls from most of Mario's adventures (and some other places apparently; I'm looking at you Rose Gold Peach), there are myriad parts of Mario's legacy that haven't quite received the same treatment and representation in the Kart universe. Take Mario's RPG outings, for example.
And the wise-cracking Fawful -- from the Mario & Luigi series -- is one such characters that is well due to break out and get some representation in the wider world of extracurricular Mario titles. Just don't get in the way of his fury or chortles. We all know he has them.
While Fawful would provide representation for Mario's RPG series in some regard, there's also the Paper Mario series to consider. But, let's be honest: Throwing in Paper Mario himself would be a little boring. He's just another version of Mario in a game that already has more than one version of Mario. Enough's enough. Instead, I think Nintendo should add a character that is a little more dynamic. Somebody a little more explosive. Somebody like Bombette.
The pink bob-omb from Paper Mario would bring another female racer to the game, represent the Paper Mario series, and also fill a weird omission: For some reason while Koopa, Shy Guy, and other Bowser henchmen all show up in Mario Kart, the artillery side of Bower's army lacks representation.
Mario's RPG legacy isn't the only area of his gaming history that Mario Kart tends to turns a blind eye to. Come on: Everybody know Mario likes to party. Now, there's probably a reason Mario Party doesn't really get much representation in Mario titles: It's a party game that mostly pulls from other Mario titles to populate its mini-games and boards.
But, throughout all the Mario Party games, there's one mustachioed silver star that sticks with me, and could be a unique -- and, sheesh I'm old -- retro throw back to the older Mario Party days. Nintendo has been doing interesting things with its older IPs (Duck Hunt in Smash Bros. anybody?), and if it wants to really tug on the nostalgia of Nintendo 64 players, Mario Party could be a good way to do it. Just don't make us have to roll any die to get his kart to start. Please.
And there you have it: 9 characters that we think all should show up as DLC in Nintendo's newest racer. What characters do you want to see added into possible future Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition DLC? Let us know in the comments!
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