Booster Course Wave 3 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is here, and we’re checking out All
Changes and differences made for the returning courses. The final race of the Rock Cup is Wii
Maple Treeway. Set in autumn, this race offers a trip through a maple forest, over a still lake,
and through the winding branches of a giant tree with quaint treehouses scattered about.
So how does the most recent update differ from past instalments? Let’s find out!
Maple Treeway in Mario Kart Wii was a fan favourite with a memorable look and a few
alternate paths. It returned for 3DS with some simplified features, shortened parts,
and gliding sections implemented for crossing the lake. Tour renovated the style to make the track
feel more organic and whimsical, although the leaves may have been a little too flat orange.
Based mostly on the Tour iteration, the Switch version of the course is a mixture of elements
from those that preceded it, all with beautifully improved textures and lighting. Woodrow, the poet
from Sparks of Hope, would love this locale. There’s much here to address, so let’s look at
gameplay changes first. The fencing that lay behind the trees near the sign for Wii was
moved to being in front of them for 7, extending further back and blocking off the grassy area,
even beyond the back tree. In Tour, the fence was divided by both the treehouse and adjusted
trees with their obstructive roots creeping into the shallower path. A little further ahead is the
Barrel Cannon that launches drivers over the lake. Originally, it granted invulnerability
to those airborne, but with the addition of a Glide Ramp—and Dash Panel that Tour removed—it
became possible to fall out of bounds. Once entering the giant tree, leaf piles could be
found on the path with some hiding items that pop out when driving through them. In Wii, Mushrooms,
Bananas, and sometimes even rare Stars could be found in the leaf piles to help or hinder racers.
For 3DS, Coins and Green Shells were added to the mix. Tour kept most if not all of these, but now
the leaf piles seem to drop Mushrooms only. Why? At any rate, leaf piles in this area changed count
each game: 5 for Wii, 3 for 3DS, 5 for Tour, and now 4. For the little bridge just ahead,
the treehouse present in Wii and 7 was removed in Tour, making it possible to fall off now,
but at least the added moss on the path ahead can serve as a soft barrier.
Just beyond this bending branch is the treetop where Wigglers roam. Originally,
these giant critters travelled counter-clockwise in two separate circles—one by the entrance to
the area and one by the exit. Each of them had six body segments. With the simplification of
the 3DS remake, the Wigglers were reduced to having just four body segments each. For Tour,
they were rerouted to the same big circle, only on opposite sides. Now they march in separate
loops again, but in different directions, with their pivot points offset a bit. Oh,
and more leaf piles are scattered about here in an amount that changed with each version:
5 for Wii, a rearranged 5 for 3DS, 4 for Tour, and a whopping 10 for this DLC.
Past the covered bridge in Wii was the beginning of a giant gnarled branch. But immediately to the
right of the transition, a short-length fence was installed for 7. Since Tour, this has been
replaced with a short barrier that goes the full length of the limb, making it harder—but still
possible—to fall off. The entire path here is much flatter now than it used to be. At first,
there were two long Dash Panels along the uneven bark with two more Dash Panels after the drop-off.
For 3DS, the first two boosters were straightened out and the last pair was removed entirely, even
replacing the half-pipe with a normal, truncated barrier, and the drop-off and U-turn as a whole
made flush. Tour brought back the half-pipe, but shortened the remaining Dash Panels. Now, a
new Dash Panel is where the second pair once was. Turning around, the transition to the next portion
used to be another little step down, leading to the concave new portion with 4 leaf piles,
but the 3DS version added a ramp leading to the area with all leaf piles swept away. The fence to
the right of the ramp was removed for Tour, but 3 of the leaf piles returned. Now, 2 remain.
The bridge in the tunnel was suspended before Tour, but ever since, it was given solid support
posts. After the leap in the original, two treehouses awaited below. Ever since Tour,
the left one vanished and the other was pushed to the back. Next, the flattened,
left-bending branch with a mossy semi-barrier was rounded originally. It connected the tree
to the starting area by means of a bouncy net that allowed for a chain of tricks to be
performed. When 7 presented its redesign of this spot, the net was replaced by a Glide Ramp for
a flight back. Tour gave this ramp a wooden extension, which has since been removed.
On the other side of the lake again, the fencing used to go around the peninsula for Wii and 3DS,
but Tour reconstructed it to follow the dirt road. The trees at the edge of the reshaped
cliff also were removed at that point, so no more chance of flying into them. In this final stretch,
the 3 leaf piles that were present amidst the roots originally were removed for 3DS,
but a lone pile was seen in Tour. In the most recent version, this number has increased to 5,
making the total leaf piles in the course now 21, 4 more than in Wii.
Almost done! The first detour in the original had a complete fence that gave a lot of Wiggler—err,
wiggle—room. In 7, that space became narrower, but Tour left a gap in the fencing that now leads
out of bounds. The two Dash Panels leading through this shortcut were missing in Tour,
but thankfully, they returned for the update. The same applies for the Dash
Panels at the ends of the other alternate paths approaching the finish line. Oh,
and this fence? It was missing in the original! Finally, while not shown here, we’d like to note
that the glitch shortcuts on the Wii don’t seem to be possible in the DLC. Whew! That was a lot!
As you may have guessed, there are numerous visual changes, too. Not even an official part of the
course, Lakitu has been known to appear only on the right side when starting a race and marking
a lap here since the Wii version. It’s like this even now, except that it’s possible for Lakitu
to appear on the left when hugging the right bank tightly. As for actual course elements, the sign
and connected treehouse first had gradient-filled text, beige roof tiles, and overhanging foliage
that were changed to sunburst-filled text, slate blue roof tiles, darkened interior wood,
and cut foliage with more flowers for 3DS. This design was updated quite a bit to having a board
hanging on bound posts displaying the modern logo, simplified aqua tiling with wooden trim,
a new window style, and a flowery window box with flowering moss substituting the foliage—at
least for this treehouse at the start. It looks straight out of a fairy tale! The starting line
itself originally featured shades of mauve on white with 30x4 squares, which became shades
of red with 25x3 squares for 3DS. The colour scheme stayed the same for Tour, but the square
count changed to 21x3 with fewer angled—all in front of the now-wooden position markers.
Surrounding decorations have seen various adjustments. The foxtails from Wii were
simplified in design and repositioned to hang over the fence in 7, and several background trees
were adjusted or removed completely. Because the trees in the forefront were pushed back in Tour,
they no longer obscure the treehouse. While the foxtails vanished with this makeover,
other leafy plants, clumps of grass, ground flowers, and loose rocks took their place,
albeit in different spots. Even the path was modified, exchanging the leaf pattern for fallen
hornbeam maple leaves scattered about. These since became iconic red maple leaves, with more
accumulated at the edges of the path. Just a bit ahead was fencing in Wii and 7 that was removed in
Tour, and all fences like this that remained were modified to be the standard type. The arrow sign
hanging from the large roots also was removed and the roots themselves redesigned. Originally when
the Barrel Cannon came into view, it rested on a carriage. This mechanism was removed for 3DS, but
a new one was reinstalled in Tour. Moving towards the launcher, we notice that the arrow sign at the
edge as seen in Wii and 7 was moved closer to the cannon. But wait; now there’s another put in the
initial position. What a pair! Approaching the Barrel Cannon, the inside appears to have lines
with a bit of counter-clockwise slant as in Tour. But originally, they spiralled clockwise before
being straightened out for 3DS. And here we goooo!
It’s such a breath-taking view...and was, even on the Wii. But it was less so on the 3DS, with its
lack of reflection on the water, different cloud formations, and unnaturally vertical
cliffs. Even the treehouse presence was minimised, removing those in the background—or substituting
small trees—and those that remained no longer had smoke rising from their chimneys. Hey,
fewer support braces make buildings less secure, you know! Well, fortunately, Tour restored some of
the natural beauty by bringing back the reflection with the lake filled with fallen leaves,
redesigning the cliffs to be rugged, and giving an interesting sky palette with pink hues lining
reformed clouds. Seen better at other points, the background forest was made to have dense foliage
seeping between the enlarged hills, and more leafy branches extended outward, including at
the treetop with the Wigglers. With the latest iteration, the lake no longer contains leaves,
but it glistens brilliantly. The sky colours are adjusted to give focus back to the oranges,
but now the light glows so majestically and in harmony with the newest clouds. The canopy just
ahead in the original had drivers phase straight through the leaves, which was kind of strange,
even if it did give the leaf particle effect. 7 punched four holes in this to make this event
seem more believable, and Tour offered one big hole to pass through instead. This hole is back,
but racers now have a lower trajectory and phase through the leaves again. That’s weird.
On the other side of the veil, we crossed higher originally when compared to the 3DS version. Oh,
and these support posts became much more unsafe, even losing their binding! Fortunately,
we can see from the higher vantage point in Tour that this treehouse seems much safer,
with redesigned posts fastened properly to the log-framed foundation with leaf shoots.
Speaking of sprouts, more branches were added in the area, and the big, carved-out limb that
is part of the track is accented with flowering moss. This pathway was much like the starting
area for both Wii and 3DS, only with higher barriers. And this arrow sign used to have a
treehouse next to it originally. In Tour, both of these were missing. But hey, at least the
sign is back now. Just ahead is a short bridge that went through a treehouse in Wii and 7, but
Tour remade the houseless bridge to have uneven sets of planks. Looking at the original again,
one arrow sign is seen, but 3DS added a second one along the path. Tour removed both of these.
At the treetop again, the taller fencing at the entrance to the Wiggler stomping grounds
was altered in design between Wii and 3DS. On the other side here, the bridge was given two sets of
planks in Tour, but the arrow sign in the distance was removed and the arrow fence changed to a
wooden barrier with moss and leaf shoots. The sign is back now, but not the fencing. On the topic of
signs, there were two U-turn signs in the Wii and 3DS versions, but ever since Tour, they’ve been
omitted. Originally, the segment after the ramp leading up to the tunnel had a wood grain, but
this changed in 7 to be much like paths before it. But even better than this is the Tour redesign,
turning this into a hollowed-out log. At the same time, the leafy branches sticking up before were
pruned, and the ramp itself was given more arrow marks, with fewer present since the update. Inside
the trunk for Wii, the bridge had many planks with wide gaps, the greenish wood was chipped,
and a white beam of light shined in. For 7, the bridge planks were fewer and closer together,
the chips were no longer present, and the light changed to a yellow tint. Ever since Tour, the
bridge planks were made dark and rough, the walls became brown, and the lighting was made to come
from an angle—although it’s more ambient now. Emerging from the trunk, drivers pass through the
treehouse seen earlier when penetrating the canopy. This bridge has consisted
of long planks with log barriers since Tour, but originally and for 3DS, arrow fences were present,
as well as lattice flooring made darker between the versions. More surprising is the landing stump
bark, which changed from having a maple leaf pattern to being more like natural tree bark.
This became even more obvious with Tour, when the bark was raised above the cut with some flowering
moss surrounding the stump. And the treehouse that remained here had its base removed and a
charming door with glazing was added, which now reveals the light from inside. Looking at the
final bend of the section in the original, we can see that the treehouse to the right of the arrow
sign was removed in the 3DS version. In Tour, the branch no longer featured support posts by the
Glide Ramp. The arrow sign also was scrapped, but it has since returned to its rightful place.
Final set! The treehouse at the start of the first shortcut and another just before the hole were
removed when updating the course for 3DS. Aha! Saw those much earlier, eh? Also at this point,
the tree that was here was replaced by a couple of foxtails—maybe those that used to be by the
base of the tree above the tunnel. At the left and right alternate paths at the end,
the nearby treehouses were removed to simplify. And for Tour, the planks along the right path were
switched from crosswise to lengthwise. Subtle! There’s not much else other than the items and
spectators being in different spots like usual, like these on the giant root. What an appropriate
place to be ROOTING for the racers! Hi, little birds! Are you watching the race, too?
Oh, one more thing! While it’s more of an auditory change, the latest version of the
course provides an echo of the driver’s shout when launching from the Barrel Cannon. Cool!
The music is fitting, giving a rather woodsy vibe with the use of harmonica, acoustic guitar,
and congas—all while keeping the feeling of a race with its tempo and lively accompaniment...
It really works for the autumn forest atmosphere. And yet this same melody was used for an entirely
different environment in the game: Bowser’s Castle. It was played at a slower tempo and
in a more menacing fashion. How unexpectedly dark! Other than some mixing differences, the
composition for Maple Treeway remained the same for 7 and Tour. But much to the surprise of many,
this tune also appeared in Paper Mario: The Origami King as the background theme for the
Tranquil Pipes Teahouse in Shogun Studios as a much more relaxed koto arrangement. What a
respectable reference! The initial concept returns in the latest rendition, showing its own folksy
flair with its layered harmonies, accordion, and iconic sax that replaces the oboe...
Closing our eyes, we can picture being surrounded by the fall leaves!
And that’s about it for All Changes we found in Wii Maple Treeway! It’s great to see one of the
more popular courses return in its most beautiful and natural-looking form yet,
even if the bouncy net from the original could have made it even better. 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 3 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,
and other things Nintendo, too. Thanks for watching! Until next time, ciao!