It's surprising to say the least, but 1 month & 9 days after we got the 2nd wave of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass on August 4th of 2022, we got a small look of the DLC's 3rd wave during the Nintendo Direct of September 13th of the same year.

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELh7AB_xC6A

Unlike with most announcements regarding the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, we only got a preview for 2 tracks coming in the wave instead of the full 8; hence why we got a "small look" for the 3rd wave. The 2 tracks are...

- Merry Mountain (from Mario Kart Tour, but may most likely be unlabeled in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe like Ninja Hideaway & Sky-High Sundae)

- DS Peach Gardens (from Mario Kart DS)

Aside from the small look at the 2 tracks, we don't get anything too major... except for one thing. And that's regarding Merry Mountain.

You see, in Merry Mountain, in addition to being the first Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course track to have a mixture of both normal driving & anti-gravity (rather than being solely normal driving or solely anti-gravity), half-pipe ramps & jumps have made their debut in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, starting with Merry Mountain (and any other possible courses that may have half-pipe ramps in Wave 3). This marks the first time that half-pipe jumps are utilized in a mainstream / console / main series Mario Kart installment since Mario Kart Wii back in 2008 (or Mario Kart Tour, if you're counting that as a mainstream / main series Mario Kart installment, too).

It is appropriate that Merry Mountain would be one of the tracks coming in Wave 3 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, because that DLC's 3rd wave is coming this Holiday of 2022; meaning Wave 3 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass will arrive sometime either November or December, just in time for the Winter Holidays - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, La Fiesta de la Posadas / Las Posadas, and so on.

As exciting as it is to get the news regarding Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass' 3rd Wave, though, I still think it was a travesty, huge missed opportunity, & a huge brake-slammer that Nintendo had not done anything to celebrate Mario Kart's 30th Anniversar. It would've been perfect to celebrate the occasion if Nintendo had given Mario Kart 8 Deluxe what it rightfully needs to balance with its eventual 96 tracks - more characters like Pauline, more vehicles like Wild Wing & Flame Flyer from Mario Kart Wii, more wheels, more gliders, more power-ups, & other additional content (ESPECAILLY as a means to preserve the aforementioned content from Mario Kart Tour into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe when there comes a time Mario Kart Tour eventually discontinues).

But not all hope is lost. :)

As I said before in the previous update, there are still other ways to how additional characters, vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content be implemented into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

1.) We've got plenty of time later in the year (2022) & during next year (2023) or so on for additional characters, vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content be implemented into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

2.) It could happen when the Booster Course Pass is close to finishing or after it finishes at the end of 2023.

And 3.) Most importantly, once Mario Kart Tour eventually discontinues like Dr. Mario World did, all of Mario Kart Tour's content, especially its characters, vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content, will be gone. So because of this, it'd only make sense & would be very wise if Nintendo preserves the majority of Mario Kart Tour's characters (including alts. like Luigi's Mansion King Boo), vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

And there has been some news regarding Nintendo's other games that has made me a bit more optimistic that more characters, vehicles, & other content may come into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the future (though, I'm trying not to hold my hopes too high).

During the same Nintendo Direct, & prior the announcement of Wave 3 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, we recently got news of the next update of Mario Strikers Battle League. And the 2 characters featured in that update are none other than 2 fan-favorite characters - Diddy Kong (who was previously playable in Mario Strikers Charged back in 2007) & even Pauline (marking Pauline's debut in the Mario Strikers series).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Pl2V8hckE

With that, it seems more & more that Pauline is making a huge impact & especially a huge comeback in the Mario series by having more playable appearances in Nintendo's latest Mario Games, starting with Mario Tennis Aces, next in Mario Kart Tour, then in Mario Golf Super Rush, & finally in Mario Strikers Battle League. 

It's a bit hard to say what game Pauline will be playable in next, but with the recent announcement of her next playable appearance in Mario Strikers Battle League, I am definitely hopeful that Pauline will make more playable appearances in future Mario installments, ESPECIALLY in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (for the reasons mentioned earlier).

Anyway, until Nintendo does the wise thing & adds additional characters, vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content (especially from Tour) into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this petition will remain open until further notice. So everyone, keep...

- Spreading the word on why Mario Kart 8 Deluxe needs additional characters, vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content to balance with its eventual 96 total tracks.

- Spreading the word on preserving Mario Kart Tour's characters, vehicles, wheels, gliders, power-ups, & other content into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for when Mario Kart Tour eventually discontinues.

- And if you want to, please sign & share this petition to as many people as you can.

Good luck everyone, & keep on racing.

#Pauline4MarioKart8Deluxe
#MayorPauline4MarioKart8Deluxe
#Justice4theWildWing
#MarioKart8Deluxe
#MarioKart30thAnniversary