As you know, the original version of Mario Kart 8 did something interesting with its DLC. Namely, it started adding characters and tracks based on other Nintendo games, with the likes of Link and Villager as playable characters, and tracks like Hyrule Circuit and Mute City as race courses.
It was a neat idea (even if it took away from the Mario aspect of the series), and led to some really incredible courses too, with the likes of Big Blue being a major highlight.
Yet have you wondered what it’d be like if crossover content was added earlier on?
If Hyrule Circuit’s design was inspired by Ocarina of Time rather than Skyward Sword or Spirit Tracks?
Well, if so, this awesome new Mario Kart track might be just the thing! Named Ocarina of Time Circuit and made by modder RiazorMC, the track has players zoom around Hyrule from said game, taking in all kinds of landmarks as they go. Here’s a video showing it in action:
As you can see, it’s a really neat setup, with the sectioned structure letting you explore everything from Kokiri Forest to Death Mountain without losing a beat.
And with paths like the river from Gerudo Valley to Lake Hylia being included, it’s one that really takes advantage of both Hyrule’s original geography and Mario Kart 8’s mechanics too.
So it works well in that sense.
But it still has its issues nonetheless. For instance, the actual path you traverse here is perhaps not the clearest in the world.
With the turn around in the Gerudo Fortress and the ramp section in Kakariko Village being the biggest offenders. These feel a tad clunky to us, and seem like places where Hyrule’s geography should probably have been modified a bit to make the track flow better.
And the scaling needs some work as well, since the track just feels too tight in this form. It’s drivable sure, but the corners aren’t always optimal for the gameplay experience, and we question whether all kart/character combos would be able to do well here at top speed.
Still, for what it is, it’s an impressive mod nonetheless, and one which we’ll be happy to try out should RiazorMC release it online. Here’s hoping it gets added to the Mario Kart 8 custom track wiki soon!
Source:
Zelda Ocarina of Time Circuit | Mario Kart 8 Custom Track (YouTube)