As we sit and wait kind-of patiently to find out if we’ll be getting DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo has at least not been idle about providing updates and tweaks to the game for the best possible play experience. While most of the time these updates aren’t visible improvements—things you’d notice while you’re playing—the adjustments are there to smooth out gameplay overall and make the title even more enjoyable.
The latest update is Version 1.2.0 and it’s available for download. The most visual of the changes might be a Pikmin amiibo suit for your Mii driver, though it’s the balancing changes to online play that are perhaps the most exciting of all.
Nintendo has released a list of changes, so take your time to peruse and then get racing!
- Players can use Pikmin-themed amiibo to unlock a Pikmin Suit for the Mii driver.
- Race rules and course name are now displayed on loading screens for online and wireless play, as well as Mario Kart TV.
- Players who are behind in online matches will receive items geared toward catching up more frequently.
- In online matches, no more than two Piranha Plants will be granted as items at the same time.
- Controls are no longer unresponsive when the timer runs out when choosing a Mii racing suit for online matches.
- When a player uses an item right after the Super Horn in online matches, that item will now remain available for other players.
- Item wheel no longer spins continuously in online matches.
- Online matches now end as intended 30 seconds after the first place racer finishes.
- The Boomerang now returns to the first slot, if possible, after a player catches it.
- Items shown in a player’s item slots now display correctly when holding an item behind them.
- No longer possible to use an item after it has been used to block an attack.
- Communication errors no longer occur frequently while spectating or after spectating online matches.
