Booster Course Wave 4 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is here,
and we’re checking out All Changes and differences
made for the returning courses. The first race of the Fruit Cup is Tour Amsterdam Drift. Situated
in North Holland along the IJ waterfront, the capital city of The Netherlands is known for
its windmills and canals, the historic main street of Damrak, and the Rijksmuseum—home of
the works of famous Dutch artists and beyond. So how does the most recent update differ from
its mobile appearance? Let’s find out! Amsterdam Drift debuted as part of the
Amsterdam Tour in 2022, with the second and third variants introduced later, like many other
city tracks. For the Switch version, the visuals were not too drastically changed, but the first,
reverse second, and both the main and reverse versions of the third variant were used in this
combined route over the span of three laps. This composite was accomplished by opening up
a previously unused path connecting the first and third variants, but many other modifications—both
big and small—were made to the course. As we usually do, let’s start with the changes
to the gameplay. Lap 1 guides racers along the initial version of Amsterdam Drift in Tour. At
the start, the barrier to the left was modified in shape to close off the left side only. The
shortcut of the first bend was altered to feature grass extending to the other end—a
cut that is more useful on the final lap. The barrier was removed to the right to clear the
way for routes later, and other such removals were made throughout the track. After hitting
the Glide Ramp, the train typically could be seen arriving about 7 seconds into the race, unlike the
original where it went unseen during main variant races. With a great view of the Zaanse Schans,
we can see that the fence by the first windmill was extended. Along this path, the Monty Moles
were moved to slightly different spots, while the ramp with Dash Panels in the grass on the right
side before the bridge was removed entirely. The fencing just after the bridge was adjusted a bit,
possibly to prevent squeezing through. And the trickable small log shortly thereafter was taken
off the path. For boarding the ferry, the wide ramp featuring a Dash Panel was simplified to
a trimmed ramp without the Dash Panel. After driving along the tram rail and turning around
to the left, we’re ready to start the next lap. For Lap 2, the route switches to Amsterdam Drift
2R, leading into the city’s canal system. Bubbles rise from the first grate noisily,
pushing up drivers now like the others. Trick time! But just before this grate, the path to the
right was blocked off, and this is reflected with a sealing of the alternate path’s exit here, too.
A little deeper in the canal, the second and third pipes—with the latter being a gusher—were removed
from the wall. However, a new water-blasting pipe was installed on the left after the dip in the
basin. The grating near the canal exit no longer exists, but an arrow field prevents passing,
at least for this moment in the race. At the exit itself, the Kanaami Road—the official Japanese
name for the wire mesh road—incline was widened with its barriers taken away. Jumping out of the
water, the starting gate can be seen again. The Final Lap really mixes things up, switching
the route at first to Amsterdam Drift 3R. Making a U-turn onto another street with rails, a Dash
Panel now can be found near where the tram starts. From here, another right turn brings racers onto
the unused road connecting back to the end of the Damrak. But instead of turning towards the finish
line, a detour to the left adjusts the route to that of Amsterdam Drift 3, directly through
incoming trailing racers. This leads back into the canal, without the ramp from the original,
since it’s the same spot as the canal exit the previous lap. The passageway sealed off before now
allows entry. On the other side, another Kanaami Road matches the changes made to the previous one.
This connects directly to the Keukenhof, the tulip fields of South Holland. The first weed
of the vast garden—a menacing Piranha Plant—was uprooted. After passing through the Rijksmuseum,
the barrier on the left by the flower market was restructured, giving a better view of the stands,
with something similar done for the next barrier just beyond the bridge. Drivers traverse the
opened connecting road again to finish the race. Jeetje! [Sheesh!] What a ride!
Despite looking a lot like a port of a city track from one of the earlier Waves, numerous
aesthetic changes were made. There are the usual differences in texture, lighting, visual effects,
and spectators—as well as the mini-map’s 90-degree turn again—but some fun little tweaks and
additions can be found, too. Each clock roughly read 2:30 in Tour, but now it reads 1:50. Huh!
The brick pattern here is quite different, with some bricks being smaller than the others. Looking
ahead, these and all arrow-marked crowd control fences were made into the standard type. Speaking
of arrows, our famous red arrow signs were added in various spots. Can you find them all? What’s
also red is the bike now parked on the left by an umbrella, with four more bikes over here added,
replacing one of the two benches. On the other side, the traffic signal was swapped out with
a trolley pole designed for trams, but without the overhead line. Gliding over to the windmills
again, we notice that the grass levels were made distinctly different. More grass or plant material
can be seen blowing in the breeze now, which admittedly is a nice touch amidst the simplicity
here. And the sail support elements of this windmill style have been recoloured. Moving on,
there’s an obvious design on the floor of the ferry now. Back on the street,
we can see that some windows of the building near the crossing went missing. What? Anyway,
the awning near the second tram stop was made translucent and given a curved support bar. On the
other side of the road, the banners can be seen waving in the wind now. Oh, here are this city’s
little birds! They were behind the starting grid this whole time...along with three more bikes!
Continuing into the canals, decent underwater effects and surface transparency add to the
atmosphere now, but the pipe-themed arrow signs no longer can be found here. The life preserver
and flowers on the ferry were altered a bit, while the ramp was revised to have two arrows
instead of four. And the grating after the last removed pipe became crowd control fencing for
some reason. Near the canal exit, we can see the hull and oars of a new rowboat above. The
arrow count for this ramp was upped from seven to eight—the same as the other like this later.
This traffic signal near the tram after the third lap starts was turned to face oncoming traffic.
Skipping ahead to Keukenhof again, the nearby tulip colours are revealed to be differently
arranged compared to the Tour version to match the style of the background rows. One more bike
was added outside the building just after the flower market. Finally, trolley sounds are a new
auditory change, and can be heard even in the opening... En dat is het! [And that’s it!]
The music seems inspired by traditional folk songs of the region, with vocals,
a syncopated march beat, and accordion. In addition to these elements, the original
includes pipes, and plays the acoustic guitar as fifth chords for a particular flavour...
Interessant! [Interesting!] For the new arrangement, the vocals differ a bit,
with more lively percussion, a twangy jaw harp, whistle, and tubular bells,
while the acoustic guitar no longer has prominent fifths. The accordion
slide before the loop is different, given the live performance...
Dat klinkt beter! [That sounds better!] It’s a more refined version of the intended style.
And that’s about it for All Changes we found in Tour Amsterdam Drift! While the track is humble
in terms of visual upgrades, the way the routes interlink keeps us on our toes. But what do you
think? Have you found any notable changes that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.
And of course, stay tuned to GameXplain for more on Booster Course Wave 4 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,
and other things Nintendo, too. Thanks for watching! Until next time, tot ziens!