Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Version 3.0.4 Update Brings Bug Fixes, Music Park Shenanigans, and More

While we all eagerly wait for Mario Kart World to slide onto the upcoming Switch 2 next month, Nintendo isn’t done with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just yet. The beloved kart racer just got a shiny little update—version 3.0.4—and while it won’t revolutionize your red-shell rampages, it’s still a tidy set of bug fixes that’ll keep things smooth until the next-gen drift begins.

So, what’s new in this version? A Music Park ghost glitch got tuned up, coins are falling like they should on Rainbow Road, and Nintendo did that thing where they fix stuff without telling us what exactly broke. Classic.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Version 3.0.4 — Full Patch Notes

Released: May 13, 2025
Update Type: General Fixes (aka Nintendo putting duct tape on stuff before the new game drops)

Music Park: The Time Trial Ghost Glitch That Haunts No More

“Fixed issue where, when playing ‘3DS Music Park’ during Time Trials and the player opened and closed the pause menu over and over, the timing of the ‘notes’ jumping lost sync with the background music and ghost data that was registered would start not playing correctly.”

Translation: If you were one of those curious (or chaotic) players who liked to spam the pause button mid-race—specifically in the 3DS Music Park track—you may have accidentally triggered a weird bug where the bouncy music notes lost their rhythm, and your ghost data went full poltergeist.

The good news? Ghosts now behave properly. The bad news? The music notes still get out of sync if you open and close the menu too much, but they’ll at least be back on beat during replays and when ghost data is played back online.

Also, any ghost data created before this patch on Music Park might be toast—as in, they can’t be uploaded anymore. And if your haunted ghost data already made it online, don’t be surprised if it vanishes from the “Online Ghosts” list without so much as a goodbye. Rest in peace, glitchy ghosts. You vibed to your own rhythm, and we’ll miss you.

Rainbow Road: Coins Behaving Badly (Now Behaving Better)

“Fixed issue where coins thrown by spectators disappear before they fall onto the course in ‘N64 Rainbow Road.’”

Let’s take a moment to appreciate how bizarre this bug must’ve looked in real time. Spectator coins—those helpful little bonus items tossed onto the track in multiplayer races—were vanishing into thin air before they even touched the glittery surface of N64 Rainbow Road.

Imagine gearing up for a final lap, only to realize your much-needed coin just got Thanos-snapped before your eyes. Luckily, Nintendo’s fixed it. Now, when those coins get thrown from the stands, they’ll land like they’re supposed to—so you can collect your shiny currency in peace while dodging banana peels, blue shells, and your own poorly timed drifts.

Other Tweaks: The Mysterious “General Fixes” Category

Outside of those specific issues, this update also falls under Nintendo’s vague “general fixes” umbrella. That’s code for:

• Stuff broke
• You probably didn’t notice
• But we noticed
• And now it’s fixed
• Probably

Nintendo doesn’t always give full details when the changes are small or hard to explain (or when they involve weird edge cases that only speedrunners and bug testers run into). Still, we’ll take the stability boost.

How to Update Your Game

Just in case you’re new here (or your Switch is stuck in airplane mode), here’s how to update to version 3.0.4:

1. Highlight Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on your home screen.
2. Press the + or – button on your Joy-Con.
3. Scroll to Software Update > Via the Internet.
4. Wait a sec. Boom. You’re updated.

Or, just boot up the game while connected to Wi-Fi and let the Switch handle it like a pro.

One Final Lap Before Mario Kart World

While this may not be the final update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it’s almost certainly the last before Nintendo starts putting all its blue-shell energy into Mario Kart World, the rumored next-gen installment for Switch 2 dropping this June. Still, it’s kind of poetic. Deluxe launched back in 2017 and is still one of the best-selling Switch titles of all time. This little 3.0.4 patch is like the pit crew rolling out one last tune-up before the car heads to the garage for retirement. Or, knowing Nintendo, eternal DLC.