Top 5x2 Hopes for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC Tracks

With Nintendo announcing that new tracks will be coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe starting in March, Keybug and I thought it could be interesting to develop a list of tracks that we'd like to see in this run of DLC. Both of us came up with five tracks separately, which is why you'll see some tracks twice. The only rule we had was that they had to be from the games listed in the announcement (not that it was a severe limitation, neither of us have much experience with the Arcade games). For convenience, we've also listed what game the track originally came from in brackets ("(7)" for example means the track came from Mario Kart 7). With that said:

Keybug's #5: Wuhu Loop (7)

For my list, I tried to focus on what the new mechanics in Mario Kart 8 could bring to these older tracks. An outlier in this would probably be Wuhu Loop (also known as Wuhu Island Loop), as there's not much that can be done with it when it comes to Anti Gravity. This circuit is, after all, a loop you're meant to jog in Wii Fit, and Mii's can't walk on the roof. One of the big things to help this track would probably be fixing its broken shortcut, but that should be a given. If you want to practice for the track, though, play Wii Fit. Get some exercise in.

Keybug's #4: Maple Treeway (Wii)

Maple Treeway is just an iconic track to drive through, and there isn't much to improve on it. Sure, you could add anti-gravity to sections of the race, but that may ruin the track's simplicity. The only thing Mario Kart 8 can bring to this track is the HD visuals and audio, which I'd be absolutely ok with. So why fix what isn't broken?

Keybug's #3: Waluigi Pinball (DS)

 
The chaos that could come from anti-gravity in this track. Some say that Waluigi is a chaotic character by nature, and the speed you could get from anti-gravity in the main table and the ball track after the launch could give this a feeling similar to Baby Park. With the added speed, the pinballs themselves could also be given a speed boost, encouraging players to keep the momentum going or be crushed by the giant metal pinballs.

Keybug's #2: Kalimari Desert (64)

 
One of the ways Mario Kart Tour expands its tracklist is by remixing the tracks already in the game, adding new paths and obstacles. Kalimari Desert was always a track that could benefit from such a design, thanks to the train tracks being drivable but risky thanks to the train riding on them. Some people believe that the Tour original tracks could include some of the remixed versions as randomly selected layouts, like Excitebike Arena in Mario Kart 8. If that's true, something similar could work for Kalimari Desert. If that's not possible, making the train track a challenging but very rewarding shortcut, along with adding boosts on top of the train if you manage to land on it with the glider, could also help give this N64 classic some modern touch-ups.

Keybug's #1: Koopa Cape (Wii)

Koopa Cape is a beloved track from Mario Kart Wii and one where you could do one of a few things to bring it up to Mario Kart 8's features. For example, anti-Gravity along the track would be easy, a section in the pipe would be a great fit to keep the speed going, and one along the river could make that high-speed section even more intense. In Mario Kart 7, they cut the pipe in half and filled it with water, including a glider section right before the river. A mix of any or all of these would be interesting to see, but even if they play it safe and keep it close to what it was in Wii, there's still a lot of enjoyment to be found in it.
 
Blaster's #5. Bowser's Castle (Wii)

 
I'll admit there is a lot of bias with my list. While I have played most Mario Kart games (the only exceptions being Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart Super Circuit and Mario Kart Tour). Nostalgia, and me focusing more on courses already well made, rather than thinking about how new mechanics can be incorporated, is what made up my list. While Mario Kart 8's Bowser's castle does come close to dethroning this beast, there's something so satisfying about the half-pipe section with Mecha Bowser shooting fireballs at you, something thrilling about narrowly missing the fireballs as you go from one jump to the next that makes this track so memorable for me. Considering that 8 Deluxe already has three Rainbow Roads (something I would love to expand on, but more on that later), nothing is stopping them from adding in more Bowser's Castle tracks. Plus, it would be more engaging than remaking SNES and GBA Castle tracks.
 
Blaster's #4. DK Mountain/ DK Snowboard Cross (Double Dash/ Wii)

 
"But wouldn't these conflict with Mount Wario?" No, just because something is set on a mountain doesn't mean it'll clash with Mount Wario. While both these tracks are great already, I think Anti Gravity could add a lot to both. In the case of DK Mountain, it may help bring back its lost charm from Mario Kart Wii because while the weight in 8 is even heavier than Double Dash, the speed from Anti Gravity could help with the air time especially on the initial Alpine section of the mountain. On the other hand, it could also lead to some sabotaging, as both Mountain and Snowboard Cross are known for Mushroom based shortcuts over pits; getting an Anti-Grav speed boost right before they make the jump could throw opponents off, giving you the advantage.

Blaster's #3. Maple Treeway (Wii)

 
This is a track I'm torn on because if the theory of these tracks being ported from Mario Kart Tour is true, then this could be a very disappointing track. I love the look of Maple Treeway, both the Wii and 7 versions of the track look great for the hardware, and there's something so relaxing about driving around a tree in Autumn. It has the potential to look gorgeous on the Switch, especially if Wild Woods is anything to go by. However, from what we've seen of Wave 1, the tracks look like a downgrade compared to the details of the first 48 tracks. Perhaps these are still Work in Progress textures, but I could be setting myself up for disappointment if it's indicative of what's to come. Hopefully, we see a return of the rope bridge, and I find it more entertaining than a glider section.

Blaster's #2. Rainbow Road (Wii/ 7)

 
I can't choose between these two. It was pretty hard to narrow it down to five tracks (Sorry, Wuhu Mountain Loop and Airship Fortress), but trying to pick out of these two was impossible for me. I love both tracks for different reasons. They're excellent tracks, just like a good Rainbow Road should be. The deceptively hard turns on the Wii version, driving on and around planets in 7, the beautiful music for both of them, there's very little separating these two in terms of quality, and seeing what can be done for them in 8 Deluxe just makes me more excited for these new DLC packs.

Blaster's #1. Waluigi Pinball (DS)

 

Predictable? Yes. Many people rank this track high on their lists of great Mario Kart tracks, and it's easy to see why. A Kart racing game, to me at least, is at its best when the tracks you can drive on go as far as they can on stylization, letting you move in and around things you never thought would be possible to drive on. For example, a road made entirely of light, a castle flooded with lava, through a giant Maple Tree, and in this case, inside a massive pinball table. Though I think this concept could be improved with a more chaotic pinball table, it doesn't change the fact that this is still a fun track to drive through, and the music used is without a doubt one of the best track themes in Mario Kart. Though I hear people calling the song used in the announcement trailer a remix of Coconut Mall, I struggle to hear it as, at best, it sounds like a cleaner version of the Wii song. Still, if the Mario Kart Band is off the table because of Covid, I would gladly take the Smash Bros remix of Waluigi Pinball. 

 
I want to quickly mention Wario Colosseum from Double Dash, as it's an honourable "sixth spot" that we both came up with, and once, we don't hear many people talk about it. While it's not a track that I've personally played, it looks like a fun track to drive through, and its potential in Anti-grav mode could make it even better. Time will tell if any of these do make it into the game, though.

Mediaholics Review: Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

Link to video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8hjmLUmjfg

Everyone might be in the game, but we couldn't quite get everyone for the review. Ehh, at least it's the usual two.

Link to the *ahem* "interesting" competitive ruleset: https://twitter.com/ScrubQuotesX/status/1088711432655405056

Emerald Test

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzgYqz0gXNs

We are looking into getting into LP's again, so don't expect this to be the last test.

Mediaholics Podcast Episode 13: 2017, The Year That Was

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT_Mq81KfHw

Something far simpler this time, and as the length suggests, we do get more and more exhausted as the recording goes on.

Mediaholics Review: Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

This video was 25 Video and Audio channels, took 15 hours to render, and at least 10 hours to upload (if this was 720p, this would have been 24 hours to upload). I genuinely didn't have the time to fix the mistakes. Lesson learned though, DON'T MAKE SOMETHING THIS COMPLEX AGAIN, ON A LAPTOP!

Mediaholics Cinema: Transformers 2007 (Bayformers 1)

The cold never bothered him anyway

Shout outs to some of the members of the Transformers Collectors Club Australia with more meme generator knowledge then I have for the pictures.

CNtober: Tom & Jerry

Checkerboard Era: Tom & Jerry

                Tom and Jerry were one of the original cat and mouse chases. Popularized by Loony Tunes chase duos such as Sylvester & Tweety, Roadrunner & Coyote, and Bugs Bunny and...the rest of the world I guess. Tom and Jerry stands out because of their character dynamic, and the inclusion of familiar recurring characters that are on and off the show occasionally.

                The premise is simple; Tom the cat chases the mouse Jerry through some various scenarios. What make this show unique are the characters that show up from time to time. Tom and Jerry themselves are straight forward. Tom is a headstrong cat who tries various tactics to catch Jerry, and most likely eat him. Jerry is a cheeky mouse who is always one step ahead of Tom. The reoccurring characters are a bulldog that eventually gets a son, and he is protective of, Jerry’s younger cousin that is just adorable half the time, a bully alley cat that also antagonizes Tom, and a bunch of others.

                Tom and Jerry also go throughout different house owners. The earlier seasons had this mean spirited middle aged guy that always ended up threatening and beating up Tom. Later seasons usually have little to no owners at all. The most memorable owner was a black lady that was actually named Mammy Two Shoes, no joke. I never thought that Two Shoes was supposed to be racist; she was honestly one of my favorite characters in the show. Just remember that this show takes place in the “modern” 40’s to 60’s.

                Tom and Jerry weren’t always bound to the house. They go to other time periods and settings as well. They could get pretty creative sometimes when they go to the future or when they go to medieval eras. Sometimes the tone of the show is lighthearted, and sometimes it can be surprisingly dark. There was indeed an episode where Tom actually dies and needs to beg Jerry for forgiveness or else Tom would be sent to hell.

                Overall, Tom & Jerry is a timeless classic. The show itself went on for almost 20 years. Even at today’s standards, the show still holds up well both in its episodic storytelling and amazing animation. It’s still running re runs to this very day. There are still Tom and Jerry movies being made even as recent as 2017. However, I don’t think flash animation will ever replicate the same animation styles used traditionally.

Mediaholics Review: Splatoon 2

Don't get cooked, stay off the hook!

Hollow Knight Review

                Hollow Knight started as a Kickstarter in 2016. The aspiring indie group Team Cherry promoted a 2D platformer that takes place in a surreal world of insects. The Kickstarter was very successful raising almost $60k AUD (almost 40k USD). Unfortunately I was never there for the Kickstarter itself. I came across the game on Steam, and I also heard of its popularity floating around the internet. I played the game with my boyfriend, us being overachievers and finding ways to clear 100% with our first run of the game.

Mediaholics Podcast Episode 12: Post E3

One whole week of E3 news, and now two people come to talk about it before going to recover from a week of livestreams.

OneShot Review

                

               Imagine waking up in a world where there is no sun, and the worlds only hope is you. All the weight of saving the world being dropped on your shoulders the second you step out of the house. Well, really you’re not the messiah of the world, but it’s Niko, the small cat like boy that you help control. You yourself are actually the god of the world, and you have to help Niko save it.

                The game plays off like your standard RPG maker game at first. Walk around, collect items, and solve puzzles. The puzzles in OneShot are one of the most interesting features in this game. Some of them are sometimes simple, but the ones that stand out can leave you a bit stumped or even amazed. I dare not spoil on what these puzzles are exactly like, but the majority of them involve breaking the 4^th wall.

                The world of OneShot has three areas to it, The Barrens, the Glen, and the Refuge. The art and color to these areas are dark, but pleasing to the eye. You can tell which characters come from which area just by their look. Sometimes you can see full pixel art scenes, and they are beautiful to look at. The length of the game is not daunting, but you might have to go through the three short areas another time if you want the full experience.

                Characters in the world are very memorable. Everyone’s personalities flow from their appearance to their way of speaking. I never found a character here that I disliked. If anything, you might be the most attached to the main character Niko, because of all the time you spend with him.

                The game itself is pretty sensitive on how you play it. So sensitive that if you close the game and reopen it, Niko will be worried that you have left him. Just be sure that you don’t close the game when you’re outside, I’m warning you. There are times in the game where you might have to check files in the game’s folder itself, but that is all part of the experience. Don’t be alarmed what the game might throw at you. The difficulty may be easy, but it’s not too forgiving when it comes to choices. Remember, you only have One Shot.

               Overall, OneShot is a really fun experience. I'd say if you're a fan of story based RPG's, it's worth a shot. There's no combat, but the story of the game is one of it's strongest points. The game is available on Steam for you to try out.

Update: Change of Pace

               You're probably wonder why there is no Mediaton uploaded this week. That's because I'm going to change the format to align with my personal schedule. Every Mediaton journal is going to happen every other week now, and the format will be changed from days to general events. 

               

               Although, the Saturdays without Mediaton journals are not going to be barren. I will put up a short opinion piece every other Saturday, or maybe even a review! I hope you keep checking back on this site for new content as I check back on the residents of Mediaton. I'm not the only one here making content either, you can also read up on Blaster's misadventures in Happy Home Designer among other reviews.

               See you soon! -keybug55 (Marissa)

Pokemon Sun and Moon Video Review: Alola!

Link to the video to view on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y63LWx6eyY

Kanto, Jhoto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and now Alola. Sorry for the delay with this one, there were real life family issues that got in the way, and made arranging a recording session impossible. But it is now over, and we're both ready to hit the ground running this year, when possible.  Come sail with us as we travel to the Alola region to discuss Pokemon Sun and Moon.

Mediaholics Cinema: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew

Time for the intro of the new Legendary Pokemon Lucari... oh, wait... Though alas, no video for tomorrow.

Link to video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C62KDeo9wLI

Mediaholics Review: Pokemon Generation 2

Five regions down, one more to go before Sun and Moon. Now lets travel back to Kanto, and go a little to the left of some really big mountains. Clearly someone in Oak's staff didn't do their job right.

Link to review (If player isn't working): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ5pCOkv7uU

Mediaholics Cinema: Jirachi Wishmaker

Hoenn is where the heart is, and its time for some wishes to come true... now to find Star Cave and Mt Freeze. Oricorio, mind giving us a hand?

Link to video (Should player not work):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WS5IzCcs2w

Mediaholics Review: Pokemon Generation Four (Video)

Direct link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1fHScrSgmQ
Fun Fact: This image was one of Blaster's first desktop backgrounds on his school laptop

"We will be heroes, we can change the world if we try". We will stand up, for what is right, we will be brave, we're ready to fight... No point finishing those two as we still have 3 more generations to do by the end of the year. Because we can't stop talking about Pokemon, its time for the Mediaholics team to talk about Pokemon Generation IV, on the day it was originally available in Japan. How well does the first move to 3D and the jump to the Nintendo DS hold up 10 years later (no joke) and how does "It all [come] together"

You can find the Generation I review here: https://youtu.be/gsKSSXWfzQg

You can find the Generation V review written by Blaster (because he was the only one he could get in contact with that has either played the game, or has a more balanced view of the game) here: http://mediaholicreviews.blogspot.com...

Mediaholics Cinema: Jem and the Holograms Episodes 1-5

 For those who can't see the video, link to it is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjW3I4tHpXQ

Welcome to the Mediaholics Cinema. Tonight, we are airing the first five episodes of Jem and the Holograms. Why? Because we hate ourselves and want to put more effort into learning about the franchise then the movie team did for the 2015 movie. Do note, THIS DOES NOT SHOW THE ORIGINAL EPISODES. This is a commentary on them.

Pokemon Go: First Impressions

Everyone that ever played a core Pokemon game probably imagined what would it be like if Pokemon were real. Thanks to the advances in technology, we have that in a free to play smartphone app called Pokemon Go. How it works is that your phone locates you via GPS tracking and wild pokemon spawn a little aways from you, so you’ll have to go out and find them. It’s basically an improved Pokewalker from when Heartgold/SoulSilver came out. Although instead of it being a pedometer where you can cheat steps in by shaking it, you have to physically move your location.

If you live near a town, you’ll probably notice little blue markers by some locations. Those are called Pokespots. When you get close to one, the Pokespot will grant you items when you interact with it on your phone. People can use lure modules at pokespots and they’re marked by swirling cherry blossoms near the pokespot. Lure modules lure nearby pokemon towards them. Don’t get confused with the incense which only work for you.

Some locations can become gyms too. When you pick a team as you reach level 5 (either Red, Yellow, or Blue), you can take on these gyms. You can either take a gym of a different team or you can add a pokemon to the gym of the same color as you. When you add a pokemon they will stay at that gym, but if they lose while you’re away, they automatically come back to you even if the gym is far away.

Pokemon Go uses AR to show a pokemon in front of you using the phone camera. I find it easier to catch pokemon with the AR off, plus it saves battery. When you catch a pokemon, you get some candy of that species. Catching even weak pokemon is good because you need plenty of candy to level up and evolve some pokemon. Pokemon will have CP meaning Combat Points. The higher the Combat Points the stronger it is. There is no cap on CP from what I can see.

My personal experience with this app was quite fun. My friends would go on these outings to various locations like the park or the beach. There’s a town walking distance from my house with a lot of pokespots, so I usually go there for some items and some pokemon catches. After that we go to the beach and catch some wild water type pokemon as well as Dratini.

The amazing thing about Pokemon Go is how active it is. When you go out on let’s say an afternoon, a surprising amount of people play it. You can probably notice at least one person playing it and most likely have a stable conversation with them. The team system makes your neighborhood into, as my friend puts it, a socially acceptable gang war. People yelling out encouragements for their teams and trash talking other teams, all in good fun of course. Although the experience can depend on what kind of neighborhood you live in. As the loading screen with the Gyarados says, always stay aware of your surroundings.

This game is of course without its faults. The game tends to lag when catching pokemon. Sometimes the screen would glitch and you can’t press anything, usually what happens when you use battery saver. Most of the time in certain crowded areas, it would kick you out saying that the servers are busy. It’s very important to carry an external battery charger while you go out, this game tends to drain a lot of phone battery. Though that’s to be expected when you have the app open as you travel.

Pokemon Go is a fantastic idea that needs a lot of polishing. I can forgive all the faults because it’s still in beta. It’s playable for the most part, it’s basically a free early access game for everyone. Currently it’s very active and has scheduled updates from the company for various bug fixes. You can’t ignore how much of a phenomenon despite how buggy the game is. Various news stories on mainstream networks, and a surprising amount of how many people play the game never picked up a core pokemon game. It’s a great way for people to get introduced to the franchise. It’s still a great time to at least try it out. It’s free to play so you’re not really losing anything by downloading it. Pokemon fan or not, it’s a good introduction to the types of pokemon you can meet. It’s still an amazing experience and I highly recommend going out with friends to play together.

-keybug55

Mediaholics Podcast Episode 4

So what did we think of Sun and Moon?