Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis receiving its 4th wave of DLC as a part of its Booster Course Pass which was announced during the recent Nintendo Direct. Not only does this 4th wave include the brand-new course Yoshi’s Island, but it’s also giving players Birdo as a new playable character in the game’s roster. With a total of 6 waves announced adding a total of 48 new courses by the end of 2023, the Booster Course Pass forMario Kart 8 Deluxeneeds to continue this trend of adding new characters, and Funky Kong deserves to be next.
While Birdo is a welcome addition to the roster, Funky Kong is arguably a more popular and iconic racer from pastMario Karttitles and has gained a cult following among fans in recent years. With his absence fromMario Kart 8 Deluxeupon its initial release, it seemed like Funky Kong had missed his chance to make the roster. Now that additional characters are on the table to be added as a part ofMario Kart 8’s Booster Course Pass, it’s finally time to see this Kong’s return to the racetrack.
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Funky Kong’s Addition to Mario Kart 8 Would be Nostalgic for Mario Kart Wii Fans
Funky Kong first appeared in the 1994 SNES titleDonkey Kong Countrywhere he served as the owner of Funky’s Flights, the game’s fast travel service that allowed players to warp between previously completed worlds using his Funky Barrel. Since then, Funky Kong has been a recurring character in theDonkey Kong Countryseries, including its latest entryDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which gave the Kong his own funky mode in its Switch port. Aside from these games, Funky Kong made a name for himself amongMariospin-off titles as a playable racer inMario Kart Wii.
Fans ofMario Kart Wiimight remember the prominent role Funky Kong played in the game’s online mode, appearing as one of the most popular characters for players to use. He was most infamously paired with the Flame Runner as the vehicle of choice for many Funk Kong players, even holding a few world records with the bike. Although the Flame Runner doesn’t appear inMario Kart 8 Deluxe, fans of Funky Kong’s Wii outing could still relive the memories of this bike with similar ones in the Switch entry.
It’s quite likely that Funky Kong will be added as a DLC character in an upcoming wave given he appears as a playable character in the mobile titleMario Kart Tour. He was first added as a High-End driver in 2020 and has gone on to gain his own self-titled cup in the game. With how many tracks fromMario Kart Tourhave already been added toMario Kart 8 Deluxevia the Booster Course Pass, it would make a lot of sense for Funky Kong to be added alongside the Los Angeles Laps track, a course he was featured on in 2021.
Being relegated to only a mobile spin-off title likeMario Kart Touris a disservice to the popularity of Funky Kong. It’s clear Nintendo knows he’s a fan-favorite character given that the new Funky Mode was a selling point forDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze’s Switch release, and he was given a spotlight appearance inMario Kart Tour. The next logical step now that new characters are being added alongside courses in the DLC forMario Kart 8 Deluxeis to give this cool Kong his chance to shine once again and give fans ofMario Kart Wiithis blast from the past character.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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