Racing Dreams: What Do We Truly Crave from ‘Mario Kart 9’?

With the truly stunning announcement that, alongside the stylish console, Nintendo is hard at work developing a next-generation installment of the best-selling game on Switch, we are eagerly contemplating what we truly desire from a brand new Mario Kart.

To be honest, we’ve been fixated on this for years, likely even before we realized that Mario Kart 8 would receive a Deluxe edition and assumed the fresh excitement on Switch would be completely new. Don’t misinterpret us — Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an exceptional title, and we’re enormous enthusiasts of the incredible Booster Course Pass DLC, yet we’ve been engaging with the same game in some form for over ten years now and we’re craving a different take.

To that end, the Nintendo Life team gathered for a discussion about the fresh paths we would like to see explored in Mario Kart 9 — if that is its title — for the series’ future.

Taking part today we have: Gavin Lane (editor), Jim Norman (staff writer), Ollie Reynolds (staff writer), and Alana Hagues (deputy editor).

GAVIN: Thanks for joining me around this fantastic wheel-shaped table, team. We’re here today to discuss Mario Kart 9 or Mario Kart X or The Mario Kart or whatever they decide to call it. We’ll get into that later, but let’s start with some general (heh) impressions.

First off, what did you think of the brief teaser we received in the Switch 2 reveal trailer?

JIM: Soft.

OLLIE: Intriguing.

ALANA: Uhh… yeah??

GAVIN: ‘Typical’ for me. The detailed analyses have helped highlight one of the most important advancements here, one of the key aspects it should have up its sleeve, but from the 17 seconds of footage we’ve seen so far (!), my immediate response was, ‘Yep, confirmed.’

ALANA: It was the safest statement we could have received. ‘Ah yes, definitely Mario Kart is coming to Switch 2. Cool!’ And it looks great. But also… definitely.

GAVIN: I also noticed Mario’s slight ‘squish’ – it’s embracing one of the significant Wonder-style whimsical charm. What stood out to you immediately, Ollie?

OLLIE: Just the prospect of a brand new Mario Kart, to be honest. It was all I really wanted, and the small details suggest how this new installment could potentially differ from before. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve mentioned before that it felt somewhat stale, and it was, but everyone knows from previous titles that it’s bound to feature some quirky and fresh mechanics, and I can’t wait to see what it is.

MK9 would be so much more exciting if it focused on a unique gimmick or a brand new mode instead of just giving me a playable Tingle…

GAVIN: We’ve had MK8 for such a long time, so the topic of the next Mario Kart has surfaced frequently over the years and we’ve looked to Smash Bros. Ultimate as a possible model for where the series could head next. So, the first big question: Do you want MK9 to be the ‘Everyone is here’ of Mario Kart?

JIM: Actually, no. It’s fun to imagine a Mario Kart race with, I don’t know, Geno behind the wheel, but that simply isn’t going to engage me. I feel like we’re almost there already with the MK8 roster, and Deluxe has already provided us practically every track the series has ever presented. [But there is still a lot.] MK9, for me, would be much more interesting if it focused on a unique gimmick or a brand new mode instead of just offering a playable Tingle…

OLLIE: DONKEY KONG LOOKS AMAZING THOUGH. Oh sorry, that wasn’t the question… Yeah, I somewhat agree with Jim. I’d prefer MK9 to focus on elements that could make this installment stand out. Although the idea of seeing Samus throwing a Blue Shell does make me feel a little queasy, I’d love to see a few more characters from the Mario universe. Deeper cuts, you know? Maybe Don Pianta, Professor E. Gadd, or even Fawful. Can you imagine Fawful yelling “I HAVE FURY!” when he slips on a banana?

GAVIN: All I can envision now is Samus tossing a Blue Shell but it’s actually a Metroid clinging to the head of whoever’s in first place. Alana?

ALANA: I share the sentiments of both guys here. There’s an inherent level of silliness to MK that, while it can be fun, also has a unique edge to it. My bigger concern is that, with the possibility of bringing in new characters from Mario’s broader universe, there might be many alternate characters from Tour. Who needs three variations of Hammer Bro? On the flip side, Dixie Kong, Poochy, and King Bob-Omb are in Tour and they absolutely deserve to be playable in a console game.

GAVIN: It appears we’re all aligned on the idea of ‘less is more’ rather than merely cramming everyone in, even though I would enjoy playing as Olimar tossing Pikmin all over the course. I wouldn’t mind having Kirby and Samus in there too.

The alternative obvious direction for any series is ‘Make it an open world!!!’ There’s all kinds of potential there, but I wonder if that’s what players truly desire from a pick-up-and-play party racer like Mario Kart.

OLLIE: Ehhh… Yeah, not really. More open tracks with different routes would be nice, but a fully-fledged open world sounds a bit silly to me. One

One aspect that has been on my mind, nonetheless, is the capability to seamlessly teleport between realms, rather like the impressive feature seen in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on the PS5. I’m uncertain if the Switch 2 will be capable of something that advanced, but it could truly change the gaming experience in ways we haven’t imagined before, allowing players to zip between various circuits effortlessly.

I really like the idea of scavenging for kart components and assembling them, Ultrahand-style, for enhancements—similar to Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts with a bit of a twist inspired by Mad Max.

ALANA: If Nintendo plans to introduce an open world, it will likely be through some sort of ‘story mode’ as seen in Diddy Kong Racing or something similar. However, a narrative-focused hub in a racing game isn’t what I desire for 2025.

GAVIN: I genuinely like the idea of a vast, Breath of the Wild-style Mushroom Kingdom, with circuits scattered throughout the landscape where players can move between them, scavenging kart parts and combining them, Ultrashand-style, for enhancements, reminiscent of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts mixed with a pinch of Mad Max.

However, those who pick up Mario Kart for a quick thrill with friends may not be interested in that. Single-player isn’t the reason MK8D is the Switch’s top-selling game, which is probably what Nintendo is focusing on by emphasizing this in the Switch 2 reveal.

JIM: Yes, there’s a chance that another open world or a ‘story’ might not feel sufficiently ‘Mario Kart.’ If it’s the next 3D Mario, sure—let’s even add a skill tree for good measure… possibly. But Mario Kart is primarily focused on the racing (surprise), and once you start messing around with narratives and upgrades, things can shift. That said, Smash has made attempts at ‘story’ several times. It didn’t quite hit the mark, but it made the effort.

ALANA: Gavin’s suggestion seems a bit reminiscent of LEGO 2K Drive!

GAVIN: Hmm, that came and went quickly, didn’t it? So, if none of us are particularly fond of the concept of an open-world racer, how does MK9 advance the franchise?

ALANA: This may not be the fresh update or thrilling angle we’re hoping for, but I could envision an F-Zero 99-style elimination mode being integrated (not 99 karts, though), especially with longer tracks, a broader roster of characters, and possibly improved online functionality of the Switch 2.

OLLIE: I really want to mention The Super Mario Bros. Movie as a potential source of inspiration. The kart scene featured some unique and memorable vehicles, with characters switching between them at various checkpoints. I wonder if something could be done with that concept. Perhaps you could jump between vehicles or even steal parts from your opponents to give your own kart a boost.

JIM: I’m still processing the thought of a 99-player Baby Park, but yes, I absolutely see the vehicle-switching idea. Looking at what the series has relied on up till now, it seems more likely that the karts would just ‘transform’ in some way. MK8 introduced hover wheels, MK7 had gliders, and Wii… well, did something. There’s potential for Diddy Kong Racing inspiration, so I could see things going a bit more vertical—like ramps where your kart sprouts wings and entire sections soar through the air, reminiscent of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

MK8 featured anti-gravity segments, but in the end, it remained a very solid racing game with minimal gimmicks. I do worry about Nintendo potentially making it feel somewhat too predictable.

ALANA: That’s quite reminiscent of Diddy Kong Racing or Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed as well! It will be tough to envision because MK8 wasn’t drastically different from 7 at its core. We’ve had features that changed each lap due to Mario Kart Tour. We’ve seen vehicle transformations in various forms. I doubt it would introduce a microphone or a mouse, as that would restrict features for some players.

GAVIN: That vehicle-switching concept has me thinking about some sort of team co-op where you could have Double Dash-style passengers with unique abilities who need to swap between karts. You might need to pull up alongside other racers to trade passengers for… some reason. I’m not sure, but something that alters the dynamic from a straightforward race to the finish line.

OLLIE: All this speculation does make me a bit anxious, I must admit… MK8 featured anti-gravity segments, but in reality, it was primarily a well-crafted racing game with minimal gimmicks. I do worry about Nintendo possibly making it feel somewhat too predictable.

GAVIN: They are treading a precarious line between being accessible for young gamers or casual players and having sufficient complexity to keep everyone engaged. The video team discussed anti-gravity segments in their video (see below), and to me, the main benefit of hover wheels was preventing you from becoming stuck when you collided with other racers. That small enhancement was clever and non-punishing.

There are numerous ways to refresh the formula without relying on a specific gimmick. For instance, along the lines of vehicle/character switching, what about implementing pit stops or team races with added strategy? I was thinking about The Italian Job the other day (as you do) and began dreaming of a Mario Kart Heist mode or something similar…