'Mario Kart 8' DLC Pack 2 Introduces 'Animal Crossing' Characters, New Vehicles And More

Nintendo released Thursday its second batch of downloadable content for the popular racing game “Mario Kart 8” on the Wii U console. The new pack of DLC added eight tracks, divided into two cups, as well as four vehicles and three characters.

Characters in the DLC batch include the male and female villager from “Animal Crossing,” Isabelle and Dry Bowser.

Vehicles in the DLC pack are the Bone Rattler City Tripper, P-Wing and Streetle. Vehicle parts include Leaf Tires and the Paper Glider.

The Bell Cup tracks are dubbed Big Blue, Koopa City/Neo Bowser City, Ribbon Road and Super Bell Subway, while the Crossing Cup tracks are named Animal Crossing, Baby Park, Cheese Land and Wild Woods.

The new batch is the second in a series of DLC packs for the game. The two are priced at $11.99 together or $7.99 each. The first batch launched last November, when it introduced Cat Peach, Link and Tanooki Mario. Multicolored Yoshis and Shy Guys were given to buyers who purchased both DLC packs.

Nintendo released the highly anticipated “Mario Kart 8” May 30 of last year. It became the Wii U’s fastest-selling game, with worldwide sales of 1.2 million units in 14 days. The game’s launch also boosted console sales in May of last year more than 90 percent over May of the previous year.

One month after its launch, more than 870,000 copies of “Mario Kart 8” were moved in the U.S. alone, where it was the best-selling game on a single platform. On June 2, the U.K. market researcher GFK Chart-Track said the game had boosted Wii U sales by 666 percent.