The next update to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will feature a racer's debut that has been over two decades in the making. The Booster Course Pass in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has proven to be a major boon for the game at a late point in its lifespan. The releases of new tracks have not only provided more content, but offered a look at some parts of the series' past, including a few tracks that had only appeared once before returning in the pass. However, one of the most intriguing pieces of history comes in one of the new drivers.
Ever since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe started adding DLC characters through the booster course pass, it has been common to theorize who could be next. After all, the Mario Kart franchise has grown substantially since the original eight racers from Super Mario Kart. After the first major expansion of the roster in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, almost every game since then has been adding on to the roster. This has even included some unexpected racers, such as R.O.B. in Mario Kart DS. The Mario Kart games have done nothing but grow, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course pass being a prominent example.
Kamek Has Been Waiting 26 Years To Get Into a Mainline Mario Kart
One of the upcoming drivers, Kamek, was supposed to debut in an early version of Mario Kart 64. However, at some point in the development process, he was replaced by Donkey Kong, although early footage shows him on the character select screen. Kamek was intended to appear in one of the series' earliest titles, but he would fall off the map for over two decades afterward. He even had an icon made for him in the original version of Mario Kart 8, but still didn't make the cut.
Kamek's continued snubs from the series are surprising, considering that even reaching back to older games in the Mario series, he still had a prominent presence. Starting with his debut in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Kamek has been a recurring antagonist. He's not in every Mario game, but in his appearances he generally plays the role of Bowser's second-in-command, or at least a high ranking member of his army. The Magikoopa master even earned a few playable roles in some spin-off titles, such as Mario Golf: World Tour. However, Mario Kart continued to elude him for the longest time.
Kamek finally caught a break when he was added to the mobile spin-off Mario Kart Tour, but the announcement of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's 5th DLC wave finally brings him to the main series. While Tour was technically his Mario Kart debut, it is a stripped-down version of the game with a simplified control scheme for mobile gameplay. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will let players play as Kamek in a fully-controllable, classic Mario Kart style, in the biggest game in the series to boot. While Mario Kart 64 is still a classic, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a great game to debut in.
It's been a total of 26 years between when Kamek was supposed to appear in Mario Kart 64, and his arrival in the series' newest installment. Kamek's history makes him an obvious pick for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's DLC, almost as much as the first Booster Course Pass character, Birdo. As one of the most important characters on Bowser's side, it's good to see Kamek getting more recognition, and a proper seat in Mario Kart is well-deserved. With how long it took him to get there, Kamek's place in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is worth celebrating.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
