Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received the next periodical update from Nintendo on Wednesday. The game maker launched version 1.2.0, which is available for download now. Some of the most notable features are the Pikmin amiibo suit for Mii drivers and a number of balancing changes for online matches.
What’s new with the update
With the update, players can now see the course names and race rules on the loading screens for online and wireless play and on Mario Kart TV. Players will also get only two piranha plants at a time for online matches. Further, controls are no longer unresponsive when the timer runs out while choosing a Mii racing suite for online matches.
When a player uses a particular item after the Super Horn in online matches, it will be available for other players as well. Further, the item wheels will not spin continuously in online matches. Following the update, online matches will disappear 30 seconds after the first place racer finishes. In addition, Boomerang will be visible in the first slot after the player catches it, and the item that has already been used to block and attack now cannot be re-used. Further, a player can now smoothly detect online matches without any connection lost.
Bikes have made a comeback in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, notes Kotaku. These bikes seem to be different from what was seen in previous Mario Kart games. Any bikes the player saw in Mario Kart are also present in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update. These bikes are divided into two groups according to their functionality, such as the one used for outside drifting and another for inside drifting. The game has a total of five drifting vehicles out of 40 vehicle frames: the Sport Bike, the Jet Bike, the Zelda DLC pack’s Master cycle and the Comet.
What’s special about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Nintendo has been trying to make Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the perfect game for the Switch. There are 48 courses and 42 characters and the upgraded 1080p mode. What makes the game special is that the Joy-cons can be used like mini-controllers while playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on two player mode, and there are several battle modes to choose from.
The latest patch is the second update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe since the game was launched. The first update came in May. Like the last update, the new features will also update automatically if the Nintendo Switch is connected to the Internet. To identify whether the title is upgraded or not, one can check the version number displayed on the title screen.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has seen startling sales in Japan, dethroning every other title for some time now. However, the new game Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana took the top spot from Mario Kart earlier this month. Despite the new additions, the Mario game continues to get positive reviews, with many crediting the new features for the mass acceptance of the game compared to the Wii U version. With the new update, the company will be hoping to get back to the top of the charts.