Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Just Made Coconut Mall Better Than Ever
We're back behind the wheel with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as we get further away from our dreams of ever seeing Mario Kart 9 on the starting line. At least Nintendo is keeping us busy, with the ongoing roster of DLC tracks racing through some classics of the franchise's past.
Whether you like pinging around in Waluigi Pinball, catching the train in Kalamari Desert, or grabbing some ice cream in Sky-High Sundae, the newly released Wave 2 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC tracks has us running for the car keys. It's not just new tracks though, and with an update to some of Wave 1's additions, there's a much better reason to partake in a bit of shopping at Coconut Mall.
Why Is The New Coconut Mall Better?
Click to enlargeWhen the Wave 1 tracks dropped, we reported on how fans hated the "new" Coconut Mall. Back in March, you despised the revamped version of the once-beloved Mario Kart Wii track. With critics calling out extended escalators and removal of all things relating to the console fan-favourite Miis, it was hardly a retro revamp of Coconut Mall. Thankfully, all of that's changed.
Alongside the addition of the Turnip and Propellor Cup, fans report that Coconut Mall has had a brutal update that adds the danger of death into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. We've got to admit, we're completely here for it. The patch notes for the 2.1.0 update confirm that Shy Guys can now knock you off course right at the end of Coconut Mall. In the original, you might remember some generic cars driving back and forth.
The notes explain, "The cars that the Shy Guys are riding in in Wii Coconut Mall now move from time to time in all modes other than the Time Trial mode." We think Nintendo is underselling this one a little here. More than moving from "time to time," the Shy Guys perform a deadly donut you'd expect to see in a Fast & Furious movie. If you're unlucky enough to get clipped by one, it'll also spin you out in a devastating twist at the last moment.
Players Love The New Coconut Mall
After Nintendo shared a clip of the Shy Guys in action, our bloodlust flared and we couldn't get enough of the new and improved Coconut Mall. Poor Gold Peach got walloped twice, so we wonder what she did to the devs. One joked, "Before, they used to be just bad at parking Now they’re trying to actually commit a felony." Another clapped Nintendo on the back for patching "vehicular manslaughter" into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Then again, a third reminded us, "Sweet! And next pls Miis everywhere like in the original?" Importantly, the update shows that Nintendo has actually listened, which prompted other gamers to ask whether we should complain more often. At first, many were unconvinced about the idea of paying extra to add old tracks to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but with a healthy mix of fan-favourites from across the franchise, it's proved to be a massive hit. Even the harshest critics can agree that vengeful Shy Guys have made Coconut Mall better than ever. Suddenly, we can only think of that Evil Luigi meme.