Mario Kart 8 Goes Turbo With 200cc Mode

In the absence of the F-Zero franchise, Nintendo has done its best to keep the genre alive with its flagship racer, Mario Kart 8. The game has done exceedingly well, and helped give the Wii U a boost to sagging sales — so it’s no wonder that it’s become a platform and testing ground for the Big N’s foray into downloadable content. There’s content on the way, but not all of it comes with a price tag; pretty soon, players will be able to take on the high-speed 200cc class for free.

In a sterling display of logic, Nintendo opted to take the already-speedy game and create a mode that lets people go even faster. It’s definitely something that can appeal to hardcore fans that cut corners during laps and drift their way towards shaved-off seconds; on the other hand, adding another element of chaos to a game chock-full of it — from speeding shells, course hazards, and rival racers — seems like the sort of thing that would drive a player to madness. In other words, it’s the perfect fit for MK8.

Racers from all over can give it a try on April 23rd, when the download drops alongside new costumes. It may not be F-Zero, but the mode should suffice for now.