Wave 3 brings a more exciting mix of new tracks that add freshness and thrills to the game. Among the standout additions are London Loop from the Tour, Boo Lake from GBA, Alpine Pass/Rock Rock Mountain from 3DS, Maple Treeway from Wii, Berlin Byways from Tour, Peach Gardens from DS, Merry Mountain from Tour, and 3DS Rainbow Road. Despite the absence of ghost-themed tracks in this wave, Boo Lake shines as a fun choice, with the addition of water physics and anti-gravity mechanics making it a delight to race on. Alpine Pass, while not graphically impressive, still offers an enjoyable experience, thanks to its anti-gravity sections. Maple Treeway, originally from Mario Kart Wii, would have been a fitting addition to the Acorn Cup due to its reintroduction of halfpipes, adding an extra layer of excitement to races. In an alternate scenario where Maple Treeway launched in Wave 6, Moonview Highway would have taken its place, switching positions with Peach Gardens, which moved to the Rock Cup. Peach Gardens, though visually impressive, loses some of its original complexity in path choices, but the Booster Course Pass remake spices things up by having the final lap go in the opposite direction. However, the real showstopper of this wave is 3DS Rainbow Road. It not only impresses with its graphics but also introduces anti-gravity mechanics, making it a true highlight. Nintendo's choice to include these tracks in the last 3DS wave (or so we thought until Wave 6) was a wise one.

Gameplay: 8
Track Choices: 8
Graphics: 8

Wave 3 Score: 8/10

London Loop - your typical Tour track. pretty decent, and i love the inclusion of the chain chomps. of course the gimmick of the changing track is cool, but even that can’t save this mediocre track

Boo Lake - now this is good. i love that they took the water being hazard and just threw you straight into it. and ofc the atmosphere will always be perfect on these types of levels

Rock Rock Mountain - decent course, nothing really to talk about here other than the ending which was fun. not abhorrent but nothing to write home about

Maple Treeway - absolute classic remade beautifully for MK8. have always loved the atmosphere in this track and while it is sad they removed jerk off bridge, this remake is still great

Berlin Byways - definitely one of the better Tour tracks, but at the end of the day, it’s still a Tour track. the music is CRAZY on this one tho, those snare rolls are insane coming from Mario Kart lmfao

Peach Gardens - another classic remade beautifully. not much added new for MK8 other than near the end from what i can tell, but this is still a great addition

Merry Mountain - while i do understand the complaints with the course design people have with this, i personally don’t think it’s that bad. the visuals are absolutely stunning and due to me being such a sucker for snowy/winter-themed anything, this is a definite highlight for me


Rainbow Road - absolutely stunning both visually and sonically. the sound design and music is rly great in this one, all culminating to create an icy, magical trip through space. seriously, i can imagine what the road tastes like. a great closer for the best wave thus far.

that being said, none of these waves have been quite “great” yet. i’m still waiting for one to absolutely knock it out of the park