A free Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update lets players customize the game's list of available items so they can avoid an infamous series staple. The latest entry in Nintendo's kart racing franchise launched back in 2014, but the game continues to receive updates and DLC expansions eight years later. The game's Booster Course will keep adding new tracks throughout 2023, but perhaps the most exciting new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feature has instead arrived as a free update. As revealed by Mario Kart Blue Shell Speedrun Is the Game's Most Bizarre Challenge Yet
Mario Kart 8 Players Are Freed From Blue Shell Rage
The launch of the racing game's free Custom Items update coincides with the latest Mario Kart 8 Booster Course release date. Wave 3 of the multi-part DLC includes eight classic tracks pulled from Mario Kart history, further bolstering the number of unique landscapes for players to race through. Booster Course Wave 3 will take players to Maple Treeway from Mario Kart Wii, Peach Gardens from Mario Kart DS, Merry Mountain from Mario Kart Tour and more. Half of the Booster Course is now available following the release of Wave 3, with 24 more Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks set to launch by the end of 2023.
The Mario Kart franchise features a wide range of unique items that can give racers a distinct advantage once randomly obtained. Iconic weapons include the banana peel and Koopa shell, but Mario Kart's most powerful item is undeniably the Spiny Shell. Casually referred to as the blue shell, this item automatically flies to the person in first place and strikes them to help others catch up. Many players enjoy the blue shell for the strategies that it creates, but the frustration of being punished just for being in first place can now be avoided with the new Custom Items feature added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The blue shell has plagued Mario Kart fans in first place for years, but the new Custom Items feature will make spiky humiliation a thing of the past. This Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feature is free for all players, allowing them to create unique competitive experiences by removing items for one or both teams. Thanks to the free update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players can enjoy the game's newest Booster Course tracks without worrying about being struck by lightning or obliterated by a blue shell.
Source: Nintendo/Twitter