How to play Mario Kart 8 DLC tracks for free
You can race through Coconut Mall without buying the full Booster Pass
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The first eight tracks from the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass have rolled out onto the Nintendo Switch, and you can play them for free without buying the full DLC.
This is completely legitimate, but because of that, it’s not entirely reliable. You see, being able to play the new Mario Kart 8 DLC tracks for free relies on you playing with someone else who has purchased the Booster Pass. Which, unless you have a friend to hand who has the DLC, relies on randomly match-making with someone who has.
How to play Mario Kart 8 Booster Pass tracks without the DLC
In order to be in with a chance of playing the likes of Choco Mountain and everyone’s favorite, Coconut Mall, you’ll need to be playing in Global Online Mode.
- Ensure your Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet
- From the main menu, go to Online Play and select either 1-player or 2-player
- Wait for the game to connect to the internet, then select Global*
- Select Race
- Choose your character and vehicle, and be entered into a multiplayer lobby
From here, you’ll simply need to play and wait! If someone with the DLC gets added to your lobby, you’ll (hopefully) start to see the new tracks pop up as choices in the course vote. As they’re still new, you’ll likely find that most people will vote for them, and you’ll have a high chance of playing that course.
All new Mario Kart DLC Tracks currently available
The following tracks are the ones you need to look out for in the course selection screen. If you are in a lobby with someone with the DLC, the tracks will be put in rotation with existing courses, so you might not see it straight away, or get one every time.
- Choco Mountain (N64)
- Coconut Mall (Wii)
- Ninja Hideaway (Tour)
- Paris Promenade (Tour)
- Shroom Ridge (3DS)
- Sky Garden (GBA)
- Toad Circuit (3DS)
- Tokyo Blur (Tour)
Purchase Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pass DLC
Of course we’re not saying this to stop you from buying the Pass, you get more benefits from owning it than not. The new tracks are part of the first two Cups of the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pass; the Golden Dash Cup and the Lucky Cat Cup. Of course, if you own the DLC, you’ll get to participate in these cups and earn medals for them in single-player mode as well. However, getting to play them in Online mode is a great way to keep you going if you’re not quite sure yet, and see if you think the newly redesigned tracks are for you.
