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 third race of the Boomerang Cup is GCN Waluigi Stadium. Built like a motocross arena,
this track features bumps and ramps, spinning Fire Chains and Fire Bars, Mecha Piranha Plants,
and half-pipes—with some leading to new platforms—all surrounded by lots and lots of
dirt and mud. So how does the most recent update differ from past instalments? Let’s find out!
Likely inspired by Wario Stadium in Mario Kart 64, Waluigi Stadium in Mario Kart:
Double Dash!! improved on the idea with proper ramps and obstacles. The course returned for Wii,
keeping the same general look, but it introduced half-pipes and the satisfaction of tricking off
various features. Potentially as part of a renovation for a future Mario Kart
Tour appearance, the Switch version boasts heavily modified décor and the addition of
two optional elevated platforms, accessed by using adjacent half-pipes. Naturally,
many smaller adjustments were made, too. Starting with the gameplay changes,
we see that the very first bump was shortened for the latest update. Immediately to the left,
a new gap between the sponsors and railing makes it possible to fall out of bounds and into the
mud pit below. Oh no! 2, short, trickable bumps replace the 4 mini-bumps with their locations
slightly shifted. The off-road to the right at the over-under is thinner now, but the off-road in the
left corner was blocked off by the readjusted barrier. By the Fire Chain, Dash Panels were
removed from the first bump of a set reduced from a triple to a double. All Fire Chains used to have
8 balls originally, spinning rather quickly. They slowed down for Wii and had only 6 balls. Now,
they’re even slower and no longer have items in the middle. A half-pipe appears along the berm
turn, first introduced in Wii. But what’s new is that the dip before the jump finally allows for
tricking, along with the following bump. Tyres were placed to the right, too. These are light
obstacles that reset their positions about 12 seconds after being hit, but some hide coins.
The Dash Panels on the ramp were reduced from 4 to 2, and the rails were shortened just a bit along
the reshaped striped edges. This Fire Chain used to rotate clockwise for Wii, but now it spins the
other way, like it was originally designed. After the leap, we see that the off-road on the
right was made to be part of the out-of-bounds area. Meanwhile, tyres were placed in the
traversable mud on the other side. Turning a bit more, we encounter twin half-pipes encasing
a straightaway, with Mecha Piranha Plants and Fire Bars serving as obstacles. More tyres appear
along this path. In Double Dash!!, Fire Bars alternated with Mecha Piranha Plants, starting
with a Fire Bar that spun counter-clockwise, followed by a Mecha Piranha Plant on the
left. Each successive obstacle flipped side or rotation, but Wii inverted it all. For Switch,
the first 2 Mecha Piranha Plants are aligned side-by-side and oriented diagonally. The first
Fire Bar was removed, and the others repositioned to sandwich the final Mecha Piranha Plant that was
nudged closer. Both rotate as they did originally. However, there was a glitch that caused a Fire Bar
to spin more quickly if a Star or Bullet Bill touched it, but this effect was gone for Wii.
Though this glitch isn’t back again, racers won’t be burned while idling! Driving over
the pipes was difficult in Double Dash!!, but Wii allowed for easier traversal. At the same time,
items moved to the half-pipes. Now, more items than ever appear here and on the ground,
while driving over the pipes is even easier than before. Riding the left half-pipe at the
right angle allowed for wrapping around the turn, but this trick doesn’t seem to work anymore.
On the other side, a new iron mesh road can be accessed from the right half-pipe as an
alternate path. It features a ramp at the end that leads to the bumps—called rollers—below. Here,
the dip allows for tricking like earlier. Even more tyres can be found in this spot. A Dash
Panel was added at the end to the left, just before another half-pipe that leads to a second
new platform. This one has 2 Spin Boost Pillars and a Glide Ramp at the end of it. The standard
path below was modified to have its edges be more jagged, with tyres in the off-road mud. This was
a smoother curve originally, with a mound at the final turn that was removed for the Wii version.
The ramp over the gap had 6 Dash Panels, but this was reduced to 4 in Wii. It now has none. More
easily seen from below, the angle of this ramp also changed, preventing backtracking. The final
Fire Chain rotates the same direction as in the original, countering Wii’s reversal. Just before
the finish line, the gaps between the railing and banners on both sides—which used to overlap—allow
for leaping into the pits below. Yikes! The aesthetic changes are quite numerous,
too. Even the course icon shows the jumbotron in the wrong position now. That doesn’t apply
during actual racing, but what does is the mini-map’s addition of the muddy off-road cut,
the new platforms, and other features. Looking at the course itself, we see that the sky turned
from sunset to night, with an MKTV helicopter hovering above. The jumbotron originally was
in standard definition, with the base and ‘Waluigi TV’ logo barely visible. For Wii,
this was redesigned to feature a widescreen display, with the base showing a ‘Nintendo’
logo in plain view. Now, the jumbotron is entirely reimagined with live feed from MKTV,
changing ‘Waluigi Kart’ to ‘Waluigi Stadium’, with an attached leaderboard, speakers, and only one
image of Waluigi’s face. Fewer faces show overall, like how the grandstands were modified entirely,
ditching the face panels—sorry, kitty!—in favour for sponsors and a purple-and-yellow trim on top,
with fewer stadium lights. There are exits now, so Waluigi can’t hold everyone hostage anymore.
The captive audience originally consisted of Toads and several of Bowser’s minions, as well as Donkey
Kong Jr. and Toadsworth clones. Sadly, the latter two, along with Purple Snifits, were kicked out,
replaced with Blue Shy Guys, Monty Moles, and Light Blue Birdos—the likely inspiration behind
the driver in Mario Kart Tour and now Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! Birdos, Goombas, Hammer Bros.,
and Boos no longer can be seen in the grandstands. Instead, Koopas arrived, and all remaining crowd
members were given penlights—glow sticks used in Japan for events. Along the track for the GameCube
version, 2 red anthropomorphic chevron signs were placed at each turn. These became green for Wii,
with many spread apart and some pairs losing their twins. But more facelessness was afoot,
since all chevron signs have been chased out. Sad face. The MarioKart sponsor for
all trackside banners switched to a Nintendo sponsor for Wii, but all sponsors now are the
game standard. Wii added tyre tracks at certain half-pipes and bends, but they’re gone now, much
like the star patterns for out-of-bounds areas. While it’s no constellation—err, consolation—the
entire road now has a wet sheen. It’s time to check out the pole position,
where the gate was remade from metal framework and purple checks to a flashy purple structure
with neon and a different multicolour effect on the classic logo. The starting line switched from
21x4 in purple and white to 19x3 in purple and yellow, flat to the ground, with a new starting
grid. Alternating trim lines the banners on the top and bottom. The rails were made green, and the
part before the bridge was cut to transition to a packed mud barrier, which continues on to prop up
the sponsors ahead. A new Morton Construction sign is seen at the first turn, and then a neon light
under the bridge, followed by a safety cone to the right. Directly to the right of the Fire Chain is
an added Red Shell Strike Equipment sign, with a sponsor tower amidst tyres positioned ahead. The
trackside banners on the right before the jump were cut at the tyres, with dark mud continuing
the edge. A yellow-and-blue Mario Kart sign and more safety cones lie above. The top of
the bridge was redesigned, while the barriers—now exclusive to ramps—were cut short. While airborne,
we see an excavator, dump truck, and another safety cone to the right. Packed mud barriers
replace the rails on this side for now, while the rails on the left became partially buried. The mud
shortcut below used to produce a muddy splash, but it seemed cleaner in Wii. It now is very muddy and
matches other off-road mud. Just around the bend, drivers are graced with Roy Smooth Sounds.
Quite a bit can be found in the section with the Mecha Piranha Plants—which are metallic and muddy
now, no longer biting or leaving groove marks in the mud. A boom lift rests just before the
first pair and another dump truck before the last, with many tyres lining both sides. Fire Bar arms
originally had 3 segments, which increased to 4 in Wii. They have 3 again now, but they don’t
have faces or leave burn marks anymore. Hmm... The set of sponsors above the platform seems shorter,
and the rails resume after the new gap, with 2 sets overlapping now by more safety cones.
Meanwhile, the railing on the left continues after the underpass, and mud ceases to cover it for the
remainder of the route. The strange wall behaviour on the left by the final half-pipe was corrected,
with even more tyres in the back. Trackside banners resume after another incongruent wall
correction, but they overlap with the rail now. They’re cut off considerably early to resume the
railing, once again overlapping at the transition. Nearby, more dump trucks and another excavator are
parked by the grandstands. On the right side, the railing is at ground level now, with BBIA
and Shy Guy Metals signs above. Rails on both sides stop early, with the left having a short
strip of sponsors behind it. Mud barriers overlap and continue to the top of the ramp, where a neon
arrow and safety cones were added to the left. Ramp barriers are seen only at the edges, with
a new caution strip between them, much like the other side of the jump. Here, the railing resumes,
at least until that one gap. As an interesting auditory change, the audience reactions have
differed throughout the games. Originally, the crowd would moan when the player was hit.
But ever since Wii, tricks are met with cheering instead. At least the audience has varied cheers
now. It’s good to hear support from fans! We also love hearing the music for the course.
It’s a bouncy ska, much like the Double Dash!! title theme. Shared with Wario Colosseum,
the original composition—also used in Wii—features an organ-trumpet combination lead, alternating
with baritone sax amidst consistent drums. The B section unifies all three instruments, with
some more pronounced than others at times. After revisiting the A section, the organ leads the C
section with a flanging synth playing along each chord before returning to the intro. Throughout
the piece is a horn or kazoo-like accent, which is only present in this version...
Fun! The arrangement has many little accents and tweaks, like the organ chord hits in the intro,
a more pronounced trumpet lead, and sax harmony in the A and C sections at decisive moments. Tom
drums fill the B section to mix things up. Synth leads the C section this time, while its former
role now is played by dual trumpets. It all loops back to the A section, rather than the intro...
Now that sounds like a racing party!
And that’s about it for All Changes we found in GCN Waluigi Stadium! It’s great
to see a classic Double Dash!! track return with a lot of love put into the redesign,
offering new options with the addition of the elevated mesh platforms. 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, ciao!