The Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been quite the success, so we’re looking
back at All Changes and differences made for the returning courses in Wave 1 of the DLC.
The first race of the Golden Dash Cup is Tour Paris Promenade.
Ah, Paris, the capital of France and City of Love, famous for romantic cafés and classical
landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe, one of the two ancient Luxor Obelisks of Egypt, and
perhaps the most recognisable structure in the nation: the Eiffel Tower.
So how does the most recent update differ from its mobile appearance?
Let’s find out!
Paris Promenade debuted in the 2019 Paris Tour, with Paris Promenade 2 and Paris Promenade
3 implemented in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
For the Switch incarnation, most elements from the first and third variants are combined
for Laps 1 and 2, while the Final Lap incorporates the reverse subvariant of the second variant,
which came as quite the surprise when first experienced.
Other than this amalgamation, the track kept its visual style, but it offers a few extra
details.
Most of the little adjustments come in the form of gameplay changes.
At the start of the race, the path splits at the Arc de Triomphe: left like Paris Promenade
in Tour, right like Paris Promenade 3, and the mutual shortcut directly under the arch.
The surface going down the middle is now off-road, requiring a Mushroom or Star to cross without
slowing down, but the Piranha Plant cut-outs can be broken just by hitting them.
These routes all merge behind the landmark to continue forward.
All around this area are barriers, such as these crowd control fences, with some of them
from Tour adjusted or removed entirely.
Other modifications to these barriers have been made throughout the course, allowing
for unintended, limited exploration into roads that lead out of bounds.
Matching the first variant, a Glide Ramp grants a flight over the fountain to reach the bridge—Pont
d'Iéna—in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Here, drivers can go straight under the iconic landmark to continue down the first variant
route, or turn to the left towards another bridge—Pont de la Concorde—used in Paris
Promenade 3.
On this alternate path, three pipes were added along the dirt road.
Under the Eiffel Tower, the pipe and Goombas from Tour were removed.
Instead, a Dash Panel was added here and just before the final bridge that crosses the Seine—Pont
du Carrousel—both of which remain for all laps.
But where’s the Pont des Arts, the famous pedestrian bridge adorned with love locks?
That would have been cool to see!
Both routes merge here at the Place du Carrousel with the Big Piranha Plant, with the option
to go to the right side of the roundabout like in Paris Promenade 2.
From here, the route switches fully to that of Paris Promenade 3.
The pipes and lone Goomba that were along this path all the way up to the Luxor Obelisk
were cleared out.
The barriers around the ancient structure were adjusted a bit in curvature, but what’s
more interesting is that the way they’re all arranged blocks off this quadrant used
in Tour’s first and second variants indefinitely.
Oh la la...
For the Final Lap, the route follows Paris Promenade 2R, establishing a detour to the
right of the Arc de Triomphe and sealing off all other routes.
A new Glide Ramp was added by the Église de la Madeleine, replacing the series of pipes
that started here.
And at the T-junction, a ramp with arrows adorning the other side was placed to allow
one-way crossing onto the path shared with previous laps.
Going the opposite direction from before, the dirt path is accessible still—à la
Paris Promenade 3R—but going straight towards the Eiffel Tower switches the layout to that
of Paris Promenade R. Gliding over the fountain again, the hot-air balloons above and ramps
below in Tour are not present even in the Final Lap, and the entire area becomes off-limits.
Finally, the initial options at the Arc de Triomphe open up again, without the ramp from
R. Et c’est tout!
[And that’s all!]
The strictly aesthetic changes are fewer in count with nothing too major.
Like many of these city tracks, the mini-map has been rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
And as usual, there are general lighting and texture changes to the course itself, but
the plant styles and positions—as well as cloud formations—have remained roughly the
same.
Some other adjustments apply to various spots throughout, such as the stripes for all pedestrian
crossings being reduced from 7 to 6, and how several out-of-bounds crowd control fences
were removed, with the arrow types all being changed to standard—except those just beyond
the Eiffel Tower.
And little birds have come to find food, as it is with most locations like this.
Furthermore, various red arrow signs that we keep finding in these analyses were added
all over.
Can you find them all?
Focusing more on unique alterations, the traffic cones on the other side of the Arc de Triomphe
differ in number and placement, and the fence surrounding the Jardins du Trocadéro was
removed entirely.
Meanwhile, two iron posts substitute the crowd control fences on the right side by the Pont
de la Concorde, with the same happening on the left side when approaching the Pont du
Carrousel.
While some traffic cones were found around the Big Piranha Plant in Tour, they’re all
gone now.
Also in this spot, the barriers to the right were replaced by arrow fields placed high
above to direct traffic.
That’s odd, but what’s even more peculiar is that what represented the Musée du Louvre
was altered in appearance inexplicably.
Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?
[What is that?]
On a lesser note, the Glide Ramp for soaring over the fountain back to the finish line
was altered in style a bit.
Lastly, the race opening now has the sound of a church bell chiming in the distance.
Could it be from Notre Dame?
The Église Saint-Augustin?
Or even Sacré Cœur?
We’re not sure.
Sadly, we can’t see Paris Promenade at night with the Eiffel Tower illuminated, which gave
Paris its renowned nickname, the City of Light.
Ahh, c’est la vie, hein?
[Ahh, that’s life, huh?]
The music for Paris Promenade is quite charming.
Played in 3/4 waltz style, it’s much like the French musette and possibly inspired by
the classic song, ‘La Vie en rose’.
The original composition features guitar arpeggios at the start and potentially piano in the
B section...
Très bon!
For the revision, pizzicato strings are plucked on beat instead of guitar, with different
harp glissandos, while violin and tremolo mandolin were added in the phrase repeat.
For the B section, what could have been piano now is more distinctly the sound of strummed
mandolin...
Comme c'est beau!
[How beautiful it is!]
And that’s about it for All Changes we found in Tour Paris Promenade!
The path options from the combined routes—as well as the surprise of doubling back during
the Final Lap—make this track pretty clever and dynamic, with just a bit of unpredictability.
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 coverage of the Booster Course Pass for
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and other things Nintendo, too.
Thanks for watching!
Until next time, au revoir!