Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the enhanced version of the 2014 game for Wii U. Among the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe characters, you can find familiar faces and some surprising ones. It is the first installment in the franchise to include characters from other games like Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released in 2017 with some significant changes that set it apart from the original version. From the start, players have access to all the characters. In the original version, players had to unlock them using coins.
The current characters available in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are as follows.
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Daisy
Rosalina
Tanooki Mario
Cat Peach
Yoshi
Toad
Koopa Troopa
Shy Guy
Lakitu
Toadette
King Boo
Baby Mario
Baby Luigi
Baby Peach
Baby Daisy
Baby Rosalina
Metal Mario
Pink Gold Peach
Wario
Waluigi
Donkey Kong
Bowser
Dry Bones
Bowser Jr.
Dry Bowser
Lemmy
Larry
Wendy
Ludwig
Iggy
Roy
Morton
Inkling Girl (Splatoon)
Inkling Boy (Splatoon)
Link (Legend of Zelda)
Villager male (Animal Crossing)
Villager female (Animal Crossing)
Isabelle (Animal Crossing)
Mii
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe unlockables
The only unlockable character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is Gold Mario. To unlock it, players must complete the 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc Grand Prix cups. This will unlock the 200cc races, after finishing all of those races in the first place, Gold Mario will show up, taking the place of Metal Mario.
Players start with a basic set of kart bodies, gliders, and tires. The rest of the parts must be unlocked using coins.
All 48 tracks, divided into 12 cups, are available. It includes cups inspired by Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing.
It’s unclear if the game will have more DLC in the near future, or perhaps a new version of the game will come out soon. It would interesting to see a Pokemon behind the wheel in 2023.