This page details one or more prototype versions ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe.

To do: ANintendo NX bootup screen that isn't seen during gameplay. Coverage of other debug menu pages with pictures and explanation. Document double item box differences. (Example: Obtaining 2 Coins from a Double Item Box) A whole lot of blurry screenshots uploaded as Jpgs that need to be replaced with clean Pngs. Find/discover more debugging content. Find/discover more differences from final game. Correct some grammar mistakes. Replace images of text with just text.

  This prototype isdocumented onHidden Palace.

On November 20, 2022, a prototype build ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe that was apparently recovered from a SwitchODIN-eMMC was anonymously leaked online through a (now taken down) archive.org link. Built on October 18th, 2016, with a timestamp of 09:37:23, this prototype is from 6 months before the retail game's release, and only 2 days before the Switch itself was revealed to the public. On top of that, debugging features are enabled by default. Comparing the debug folders, function names, and some script files of this prototype to the debug folders of the Kiosk Demo of Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U, it is likely that some of the debug features came from the original Mario Kart 8, but with more features added. Evidence of this includes function names and script files containing debug content with mentions of the Wii Remote, DRC, functions that aren't accessible or are stubbed, some function names for some features of this build in the Wii U Kiosk Demo map, a debug text display feature that was shown in the Mario Kart 8 Direct, and more.

Sub-Pages

Differences Mii models weren't present?

Debugging Material Lots of debugging content.

Patches Some patches to fix problems and enable debug features that aren't acessible.

Test Tracks

Two test tracks are referenced in the code and one can be found in the game's files. The one found in the files is incomplete and only contains a lightning environment file and the ones referenced in the code are not present in the files.

By adding the track files to the game and writing custom code for the game to load the track filename strings in theDebug Menu and make the empty test track list entry selectable, test tracks can be loaded.They will load in Course ID 0x1 (Test) where minimap is disabled and music played is Mario Circuit, differently from Mario Kart 8 Wii U where no music plays. They aren't restricted by rule therefore they can be played in Race and Battle.

You can load them yourself by using theTest Tracks patch.

test_WiFiTest1

test_WiFiTest1 is a track found in the Kiosk Demo version of Mario Kart 8 Wii U. While the file for this track doesn't exist in this Prototype, this course is loaded online if the select course is Course ID 0x1 (Test).Here's a video of this track being loaded online (LAN) in this Prototype by adding the files of the track back to the game and patching the game's code so the track loads online even if the selected course is not Test course.

test_Customizer

test_Customizer is the track that would load in theCustomizer scene of theDebug Menu. The code that loads theCustomizer scene is programmed to load this track, but for some reason the course the scene loads is the last/current loaded course (possible issue with this Prototype build), for example, in menus, the course loaded isGu_Menu, loadingCustomizer while in menus will load the scene inGu_Menu, the course menus are loaded in, in game, it is a black void with no models or visuals.

The files fortest_Customizer aren't present in the game but a skybox calledVRCustomizer is present in the game's files (also in Mario Kart 8 Wii U) and is definitely used in this course.test_Customizer is definitely a copy ofGu_Menu but usingVRCustomizer skybox instead, a unicolor light blue sky with a color gradiant similar to the one seen in the character selection background (coincidence?) of the Kiosk Demo version of Mario Kart DS and the corner of some title/main menu background images of Mario Kart 8/Deluxe.

The reasonstest_Customizer is definitely a copy ofGu_Menu is becauseGu_Menu has no checkpoints and the spawn point coordinates and rotation are at 0,0,0. Coincidentally,Customizer has the kart spawn point coordinates and rotation hardcoded to be at 0,0,0 and the game crashes if the course loaded has checkpoints. Also becauseGu_Menu has no visuals as there's no models and the skybox (VRMenu) doesn't render in game so it's a black background which is out of place and it causes two issues:The character/vehicle parts text is harder to read because the color blends with the background and some vehicles are very glowy.test_Customizer has a proper skybox (VRCustomizer) that makes the text very readable and the karts aren't as glowy.

In the video below a recreation oftest_Customizer is used by adding the files of the course to the game and adding it to theDebug Menu Test course list by using theTest Tracks patch (artificial custom code).Toggle Process Meter Bars andToggle Free CameraDebug Controller Features were used to move the camera and display the game's process performance.

test_DanceFloor

test_DanceFloor is a track that would probably be used for testing. The track only contains one file and it's the lightning lightning environment file. The track folder is present in "Course/EAD", EAD probably meaning Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development. The lightning environment is a strong purple. It is likely that it would appear in the "Test(EAD)" course section of theDebug Menu.

With only course.bgenv being present, it is likely an unfinished track that was meant for lightning environment testing. The track crashes if loaded because it lacks model, collision and mapping files.

test_DanceFloor was present in the final game but then later removed after some Booster Course Pass DLC update.

In the image below, we can see how Mario Circuit looks like with this course's lightning environment file.

Test Retro Battle Stage File Prefixes

To do: replace image of text with text

TheDebug Menu Test course list function has strings for the file prefix of every course and stage, however, it also includes battle stage prefixes for retro stages that don't appear in the game, these being Wii (Bwii), DS (Bds), N64 (B64), GBA (Bagb) and "CTR" (Bctr), which is 3DS, but the game uses B3ds. These retro stages were probably planned for the game or they were added for testing or other reasons.

Test Team Award Result UI File

A test UI file of team result for Award screen. A reference for this file exists in the code that loads the texture for Team Award but it isn't loaded, the common one is loaded instead, the same one seen in the final game. The UI file is outside of the .sarc UI files. The layout can be seen with Switch Toolbox and it looks like unique, plus, it uses images for the point numbers, normally, point numbers are text and the digital number is loaded from the font.

File	Layout seen with Switch Toolbox

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