Mario Kart 9 Is "In Active Development" And Comes With A "New Twist", Analyst Claims

I wonder what new gimmick could be brought to the table. Maybe full-blown flying/submarine sections similar to Diddy Kong Racing, rather than the Kart simply driving or gliding? Either way, game will sell incredibly well.

If we have learned anything in the past 2 years, it’s that analysts predicting Nintendo updates are never, ever wrong

Insider intel don't share
"the twist? All Mario characters we know and love are replaced with squid-like avatars. The gameplay is changed too from kart racing to ink battles. Most surprisingly, the game won't be named Mario Kart 9 but Splatoon 3"

Of course I don't believe it, but it has been 8 years since the last entry.

I don't believe it.

Anyway, could someone predict a bunch of new F-Zero tracks for me instead? Thanks!

A new track where you drive past all these signs with predictions on them but ultimately it’s leads nowhere.

I'll believe it when I see it.

"crypto gaming could be about to get even bigger"

It really shouldn't....this is a horrible idea and needs to die.

Woah this is it! Grab your snuggie folks, it's gonna get real interesting.

9... why not wait for the next console? 2023/2024?

Mario Kart Battle Royale ft. NFTs

MK9 comes with a new twist, but Nintendo apparently doesn't have any good ideas for a new F-Zero...

@DJP- Microtransactions for cosmetics, Day 1 DLC which should be included in the main game, no offline split-screen multiplayer...
What are some other things we hate again?

@PessitheMystic The idea for F-zero is, "Hey! We should make a new F-Zero!"

Only Nintendo game that would be good with moblile controls is something like Advance Wars or some reworked old school turned page RPG

@FixMadden22 Evidently, that's not enough for them to make a new one but I would bloody have it!

Does that mean that I can finally buy MK8 at less than $30?

suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre it is

Mmm...didn't Nintendo already state they were shifting away from developing new mobile games themselves a while back?

I can see a new Mario Kart game coming for sure, and I'd certainly believe this over the recent rumors that it'll be Mario Kart TEN (with Live counting as 9) as a pun on the increased focus on wider Nintendo content, but I won't believe it until I see it

i doubt that Nintendo is planing to release another mainline Mario Kart game on Switch, they are not stupid to canabilize Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sales, when the games is still selling well, expect Mario Kart 9 only on Switch sucessor.

Surely sequels are always in some kind of active development? Doesn't mean it's coming any time soon.

Just had to sneak in mention of a mobile game, NL.

Anyway, it's kind of like saying Nintendo is working on a new 3D Mario to say they are making a new Mario Kart.

I hope it actually manages to once again pick up on the more chaotic nature of Mario Kart.

8's items were so tame and the tracks were so low on hazards it got pretty boring.

I wouldn't call this "News"... should be under the "Rumor" category/tag.

@ModdedInkling Or an open-world karting game, again similar to Diddy Kong Racing.

oh god i hope so, MK8 is amazing, but I've been playing it for 7 or 8 years, utterly bored with it

The only way I see Mario Kart 9 revealed this year is if new hardware is also revealed this year. Nintendo would no doubt want the Switch's successor to be as successful as the Switch and 2017's insane lineup was no doubt a massive factor in that success.

Mario Kart in an open area like Paradise City or Forza Horizon would be interesting...probably not.

Everyone’s a analyst these days

Mario Kart 9 will be free to play but has micro transactions to buy racers,karts,tires,and gliders? maybe it'll have 2 week new racer promos?

A story mode similar to Mario Kart DS would be really nice, but honestly, we just need Mario Kart 8, but again. More crossover characters and tracks, new items inspired by their series, and we’re done. Package Mario Kart 9, ship it out, and I’ll buy it.

New Twist? Hmm....

YOU CAN BUY THIS TRACK NFT AND NO ONE ELSE CAN PLAY ON IT Joking

Seriously, hopefully give us something like an Overworld as in Diddy Kong Racing

Sagittarius: Romance is in active development (and comes with a new twist).

Does this guy have a history of correct predictions?

I'd love to see an analyst explain the business logic of releasing a new Mario Kart game this year. MK8 is still a best seller and a release linked to new hardware isn't going to happen when Nintendo have said they won't be able to sell as many Switches as they'd like due to the chip shortage...

I was thinking this person must know what they're talking about until the last quote there and then I realized they aren't paying that close attention. Pikmin Bloom literally just came out.

Also of course there is a Mario Kart 9 coming with some kind of mild twist to the formula. That's every Mario Kart game.

When Nintendo confirm MK8 has passed 40m units on the Switch, i'd like them to announce some free DLC as a thank you...4 new circuits + 4 new drivers?

I have heard this so many times, and I don’t believe it until I see it

@Mattock1987 This is the internet, ticks, likes and followers are far more important than that!

It's time. But it ain't happening.

Mario Kart 8 still sells exceptionally well. It was No 1 in the UK all format charts this Xmas. That is insane after all these years. I am not sure Nintendo are in a huge rush to release the next one.

Hallelujah, maybe it will stop all the tantrums from the snowflakes crying every time World Tour gets a new character or vehicle!

@dew12333 of course, silly me!

My uncle works for Nintendo and the new twist is a Megabomb that you throw forward, a drill then comes out of the front of your Kart and you drill through the crater you just created underground and try to come up near the finish line. Obviously while underground no weapons can get you, it works great I've played it!

"and we could see it later this year"...teased!

Anyway: Mariokart 9 YEAH!
Nintendo also releasing a new mobile game: BOO!!

@ModdedInkling they could do something similar to Split Second and players could change the layout of the track.
I think it would be a nice plus along with the classic item boxes.

@reporterdavid I fully believe this is what it is being held back for. The Switch had BotW. The Switch 2 will have MK9. The Switch 2 will sell out before launch if it was the only way to play MK9.

A mod and a rumor within 24 hours, if we don’t get a direct soon, NL will have nothing to talk about.

open world for the next mainline Mario Kart game?

Yet again, similar to BOTW2 thread, what have Nintendo in house AAA developers been doing for the last 4 to 5 years.
Remember in house teams not second party teams who have released games.
They released the Switch and the first up-to two years where staggering, since then it’s been remakes and mainly second party releases.
Since BOTW and Mario Odyssey big AAA Meta scores they have come nowhere near that level.
That’s 5 long years ago.

I kind of hope it's either open world, like in Diddy Kong Racing, or the tracks feature changing terrain like in Excite Truck and ExciteBots, which in turn would allow for multiple paths.

I saw this rumor pop up elsewhere online, and it mentioned that the actual title is supposedly "Mario Kart: Crossroads".

While of course I take ANY rumors I read online with a huge grain of salt, if there's any truth to this then the title could perhaps be a clue to the "twist" spoken of. My personal guess is that the "Crossroads" will expand on the DLC concept introduced in MK8, with characters and courses from other Nintendo (and who knows, perhaps even third-party) franchises. Such a moniker would be appropriate if in fact the MK series uses this point to jump off into Smash-style inclusion of other IPs.

In any case, que sera, sera.

The twist? Full on expanding into Ninty's IP, so I would hope to see the likes of Kirby, Kid Icarus, Samus & others get into the karts.
@AtlanteanMan Literally typing and yours popped up just before mine =0p

The Twist: Smash Kart! Everyone is here!

I'd love a mario kart with DKR-like hoverboats.

A new twist is fine as long it's optional.

@Roz1281 I won't deny that's a possibility, but Sega already did the whole land/sea/air "kart" concept in Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing: Transformed. I'm not sure Nintendo would choose to venture so closely into copy/paste territory for one of its premier IPs. However, it would be another way that the supposed "Crossroads" title would fit in a descriptive sense. We'll see, I guess.

And water is wet. Of course their best selling franchises has a sequel in the works, and of course it has a new mechanic, it's a video game!

Where is Outer Wilds?
Where is Fall Guys?
Where is House of the Dead?
Where is TMNT Shredder's Revenge?

These are just four of the games we were told that are coming to the Switch last year and crickets.

I'd rather hear about these games, than some pie in the sky "rumors" from likely the same analysts that keep saying the Switch Pro is happening.

Id prefer if nintendo revived dead franchises or it’s genres

So it's a prediction, meaning he has no more of an idea than the rest of us and is just guessing. Okay.

Step 1:
Nintendo Kart (mario kart 9 = smash kart 1)

Step 2:
Nintendo Kart Ultimate (all characters, all tracks + several 3rd party guests.

boOBOoobooboboOM!

• • -

Second guess, for fun:
Mario vs Sonic Team/Kart Racing

pOoOooOOW!

I’m waiting for Crypto Kart featuring all of your favorite Bored Ape designs.

I think they will have a crossover of all Nintendo released games characters to choose from like SSB has and more race track features from each of those character games.

Yes please. It's been sooo long. Eight years is far too long in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure that it will come to Switch's successor just like Metroid Prime 4.

I hope I'm wrong of course!

Not much of a prediction there. I was hoping for at least a little bit more information. A "twist" is not hard to guess when almost every Mario Kart added some new game mechanic. And "in active development" would probability still be true, even if it was scheduled to launch in 2025 as a "Switch 2" launch title.

@PikaPhantom Mario Kart 9 would be Mario Kart Tour, not Live.

But I doubt it will be called that way.

It may be 9 or another different name

I am really curious as to how they can improve upon MK 8 deluxe, it is arguably the definitive MK game, I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeves.

@andyg1412 Nah they will still whine and cry no matter what.

Leave them. It's fun seeing them melting down with things people actually enjoy.

Can people just stop trying to "predict" Nintendo? We ALWAYS fail miserably at it, and it ruins the anticipation for the rest of us. Just let Nintendo surprise us please

This is a obvious lie Nintendo would never release 2 new mario kart games in one generation.

Of course it is in active development. Has been for years, they'd be nuts not to. MK8 sits at #7 of the BESTSELLING GAMES EVER.
That said - if they've learned anything recently it is that MK is a system seller. There's a 0% chance they'd waste it on the Switch and not save it to launch the next system.

Active development means nothing except they've at least started. If Switch lifespan is extended then we might see it on Switch but more likely it will be a Switch 2 launch title in a couple of years or so.

I could see Zelda getting delayed for this

I know it's been a long wait for Mario Kart 9, especially for those of us that played 8 on Wii U, but there's just no way Nintendo will cut off Mario Kart 8 Deluxe when it continues to sell so phenomenally well.

BotW2, a potential new 3D Mario and Splatoon 3 are all very different in that the games they are/would be following on from are not selling anywhere near the volume that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to do.

The thing that I find bemusing, is why Nintendo has committed to BotW2 and Splatoon 3 yet BotW and Splatoon 2 continue to be sold at such a high price? Why haven't they released a discounted line for these titles? Also, Mario Odyssey is selling very low numbers despite being the only truly unique Mario experience on Switch - that also makes very little sense to me.

Mario Kart 9 arriving on Switch before a successor is crazy talk - even with the Switch successor being backwards compatible, Mario Kart 9 is a huge system seller that the next console will need, and the current Switch really does not need at all.

@Gamepro500 mk8 is not a new Mario kart game, and they’ve already said multiple times that the switch is going to have a longer than usual lifespan.

It'll be called Mario Kart Ultimate and feature all previous characters and others from a ton of other franchises. It will have a 5 year DLC cycle adding new tracks cups and characters. It'll will play like DK Racing/Sonic All-stars having multiple vehicles across different terrain.

@ModdedInkling That would be absolutely glorious. Think of the potential tracks that can be made.

Obviously hope this report is correct but I am skeptical

Serkan Toto is the same analyst who predicted the launch of a "beefed-up 4K Switch" in 2021. Perhaps he could be accidentally right on Mario Kart 9!

Obviously it's in development, Mariokart 8 is like 10 years old now...

When Nintendo has nothing to reveal, people will "leak" stuff, the rumor flood gate will open.

I could have predicted that they are making a new Mario Kart, it's hardly a revelation. Can we stop giving these people attention as most of them just guess or make it up

Let’s see: a new Mario Kart (the top selling game for the Switch) is being worked on and will offer something different from the previous version and Nintendo “could” mention it this year. Wow. What a bold prediction.

You don’t have to be an analyst to know that it’d be VERY unlikely Nintendo ISNT working on a new Mario kart.

But I wish they’d give me a story mode, or a reason to complete races, other than seeing a cutscene with a cup.

Oh and bring back proper battle modes.

@ModdedInkling something like crash tag team racing where you can merge Carts into super carts would be cool

@stevenw45 : I would love to see Peach’s cup.

If you know the definition of ‘killer app’ then you have an idea why it’s one MK per console..

@DK-Fan Agreed. I don't personally consider Tour to be 9 as someone who still plays it consistently (it's in a weird gray area between mainline and spin-off), but I can see why people might see it as the successor to 8/8 Deluxe.

I really don't think the next game will be called Mario Kart 9 anyways. Nintendo has consistently switched up the naming scheme for every mainline game every 2 entries. Super and 64 were pulled from their console names, Super Circuit and Double Dash had unique subtitles, DS and Wii returned to the console name scheme, and 7 and 8 shifted to a numbering scheme, so I doubt we'll get Mario Kart 9 under that name

Dynamic courses that changed with each lap like Sonic Racing Transformed would be awesome. That and more guests appearances from other Nintendo IPs. Still keep it Mario Kart, but it would be sweet to see another character or two like Olimar, Kirby, or Captain Falcon.

@RyanCraddock Why is this not labeled rumour?

What I would like to see is a feature where you have the option to race the same track backwards. So the starting line would now be the finish line.

Or maybe a Mario Kart in the Smash Bros. world with Nintendo characters and non-Nintendo characters like Pikachu, Sonic, Samus, Kirby, Cloud Strife (With his motorbike), etc...

and ryu hayabusa is a secret smash bros character. i'll believe it when i see it

I would really like the option to have 2 players on the same kart like Double Dash did.....

Mario Kart 9 already came out. It's Mario Kart Tour.

Imagine putting Captain Falcon in Mario Kart before Goomba or literally any WarioWare character.

God I hope this "Crossroads" stuff is BS.

"@NintendoWife There's a 0% chance they'd waste it on the Switch and not save it to launch the next system."
Finally someone with actual sense.

the new twist is that it won't appear on the switch

I want F-Zero instead please Nintendo. Give Mario Kart a freaking rest. Putting the Blue Falcon, Mute City and Mii Costumes into Mario Kart is not a replacement for the genuine article.

They will get rid of karts and create a Smash Bros like racing game with Nintendo characters and some third party characters. You will be able to craft your vehicles, create your tracks and share your cups online. You will be able to choose Captain Falco and create a Blue Falcon and build F-zero tracks easily. 300cc of course. Mario Kart fans would be happy and F-zero fans would be happy as well. I should had my hype in check.

@BishopShiozawa @Rob3008 @tourjeff @Would_you_kindly
Lots of great ideas here. Just imagine the possibilities of we get to fly in the air or in space freely (or something similar in a big open ocean).

The name is and will be BS New Super Duper Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Prime Pro Circuit Expansion Plus Extreme HD Featuring Birdo's Furry. The gimmic is that on the last lap of each course Birdo erupts from a black tar embryotic sack, takes away the finish line then shoots random eggs such as basic egg, fire egg, and electric eggs at positions 1-4. It is then up to the first through 4th positions to take out birdo using only red shells found in question boxes to get the finish line back that will be put in a random place on the track. All while the active race is still ongoing with the rest of the pack trying to win.

@mechayakuza How is it a horrible idea?
Owning your own assets and being able to profit off them or sell them?
Earning money while playing your favorite video games?

Imagine...you're playing a WoW like game and a Legendary sword drops and you are now the only one with it. You can use it all you like and still sell it...only you sell it for a crypto instead of wow gold...therefore you can sell it and turn it into cash to pay rent or whatever.

I'm actually developing a crypto game right now where such things(and significantly greater) will be in play.

New twist! Mario Kart 9 will include NFTs!

Twist is NFTs

I'd expect they would save MK9 for that next-generation successor to the Switch...

@Radical_Living but then someone hacks the game and makes the sword freely available to everyone...

The Switch deserves its own unique Mario Kart, and so do the 8 million of us who supported it on the WiiU, not to mention the millions who have been playing it for nearly five years now

Mario Kart 9 just need a Track Customization, just like Modnations Racer PS3.

Roses are Red.
Grass is green.
Sky is blue.
Nintendo is working on a new Mario Kart.

Duh…. I think there is always a new Mario kart, Mario Bros, and Zelda game in development.

No karts anymore, everybody just walks.

@FatPigeon I recently played Double Dash in co-op after who knows how many years, that mode still holds pretty well today.

If a new Mario Kart is in development, I wonder what system it is for? As I Wii U owner, I wasn't too happy about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe because I figured it would check the Switch's box for one Mario Kart per system. And nothing has really changed my mind on that. Considering that franchise is used to sell systems, I doubt they would waste an entry on a console that's passed the five year mark. Of course I wasn't expecting the Switch to get two installments of Splatoon so I guess anything is possible.

The new twist - full size "karts" and character outfits. MK9 will never come out on this generation machine unless they pull a Wii U / Switch game like BotW

What? Games developer is developing a sequel to a hugely successful series? Didn’t see that coming…

Nintendo would be absolutely insane to not hang on to Mario Kart 9 as a launch title for their next console.

Plus, even if Mario Kart 9 were to release this year, I suspect that paid DLC will be released for it (ugh) and that a complete edition will come along during the launch window of the Switch 2, which would only drive me (no pun intended) to skip the Switch edition.

Guys I believe the new twist for Mario Kart 9 is that they can now transform their vehicle from a bike to a kart to an F-1 vehicle at anytime during a race to traverse different part of the track they race in. No other kart racing game had ever done that before. They can finally call it Mario Kart 9 Switch cause you could switch between vehicles during a race at any time. It all make sense now.

Don’t think it would be a wise business move to release MK9 this late in the Switch’s life. Not when everyone already has MK8/D. Save it for Switch 2, otherwise we’re getting nothing on that system, other than a late MK9 port.

I’ve always wondered what a Mario Kart version of the gum ball rally across the mushroom kingdom would be like- instead of laps, you could just have a long map with different routes to take.

If they can keep good games flowing for the next near on 3 years potentially they might be ok to wait until late 2024 to release the next gen console. I’m worried that Nintendo’s underpowered Switch might not be an attractive purchasing option in early 2024. Sony would’ve got a decent library of games for the PS5 by late 2024 so I think a late 2023 might make better sense

You know what? I'd rather see a new 3D Mario game this year, and leave MK9 for anytime in the future, like next year. Releasing both would be like 2017, except not even that year saw THIS many releases coming.

Besides, a next-gen successor to Switch coming late 2024.
Do they really think Nintendo wants to be left behind for so much time again?

As long as it still costs $60, I'm okay with it. If they plan on DLC, I'd love to see some courses and characters from Tour included

Maybe the tracks will somehow crisscross or intersect with each other?

MK8's still killing it. Why develop a new MK? The Switch will/should be at the end of its lifecycle by the time it's out. Time isn't doing the Switch any favors, either. The hardware already feels dated. Maybe it's for Switch 2 or whatever follows.

@Radical_Living I don't want this thread to become an NFT discussion so I'll limit myself to just this post on the subject, but there is always one thing that has always bugged me about the scenario that you, and many others, propose: it will happen so very rarely, to the point where one player will get that and be happy, while the other 99.9% of the players won't get it and will thus lessen their enjoyment of the game. Which then begs the question, why would a big company ever work to design, code, and playtest unique assets for their game to potentially appeal to just 1 random lucky player, when they can allow more players to experience said asset, thus potentially increasing investment and interest in their game? Doesn't seem like a smart way to make money for a business!

This is a very self-centered mindset that some consumers have and I don't see the companies rewarding this sort of thought. If (or maybe better to say when) they implement NFTs, it won't be in the way people fantasize and romanticize it to happen

Mario kart 9 : flipped

Characters run around the tracks on their legs and carry the karts on their backs.

"I am aware Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still selling very well on the Nintendo Switch, but Mario Kart 9 is in active development (and comes with a new twist) and Nintendo could tease it this year"

Literally anybody, anywhere, could say that, as it is logically correct.

MK9 has probably been in development since before MK8 was published (active development? Doesn't mean it's being worked on night and day).

A twist? Literally anything which is different to MK8.

Could tease? Well yeah, or the year after, or the year after that...

@DJP- Ah, you made that comment before I could.

@Rob3008 Forza Horizon X Mushroom Kingdom = Super Mario Kart World

Because everybody believes, that a good running Series will not be worked on lol
Those analysis are stupid as bred.

Mario Kart 99 🤪

Hope I’m wrong but I really don’t think a new Mario Kart is happening on Switch though. I’d put money on them holding it for the Switch 2 launch, a simple upgrade in hardware is going to be a tough sell for the more casual crowd but the sequel to a game every one and their mums have bought over the last few years as an exclusive to the new machine? Definitely wouldn’t hurt.

The twist is all of the characters are on jet skis. It's Mario Wave Race!

@John_Deacon They should. They are not losing money for MK8D after 25% of the Switch userbase bought it at full price. They can even give it for free and still be more than fine.

@PessitheMystic "suprise" mechanics! Lol 🤣

Didn't know the nintendo. Switch 2 is coming out this year

@Radical_Living
@UsurperKing

You could just generate an infinite number unique weapons (to stay with the example), so that all players can get one, as one example solution.
One may be a better than the others, sure, but how does this make the experience worse for everyone else? Well at least as long as the others are still good enough.
You also don't need a new handcrafted assets for every unique weapon.

Imo, this kind of stuff has the potential to ruin games and some, or many, companies will definitly try to just use it to make loads of money, without actually making a better game.
But I can easily see it enhancing some games as well. Unique things aren't always a bad thing.

Always depends on how you implement it.

If Nintendo uses logic, they would add more dlc to Mario kart 8. If it's still selling well then clearly people are still playing it, just add more characters, more tracks, more modes, maybe a story mode dlc? One like diddy Kong racing?

I can dream can't i?

@DiamondJim late 2024, Nintendo Switch outsells PS5 and Xbox Series X because no one can still get there hands on one

@PushMyGran1986 I hadn’t considered that but the way things are going you might be right

Comes with a physical item, the bat, that you get to use after you get knocked by three separate players in a row*

*Nintendo is not responsible for any injuries and loss of consciousness

I saw this hot new rumor on Gamefaqs the other day that said Nintendo is working on a new Mario game of some sort and it's due to launch sometime in the next couple years.

Nintendolife, why aren't you reporting on that rumor? It's huge news. I'm gonna start to lose respect for you as a gaming publication if you can't even keep up with breaking top stories like a new Mario game

A brand new twist? That tells me nothing.. but rumors

The new twist is it will release exclusively on iOS and Android.

Here are my ideas :

1: an adventure mode similar to Super Mario 64
2: in addition to karts, it would be awesome to have hovercrafts and planes
3: I'm kind of tired of Mario and it's pals, why not chante the rosters, with Donkey Kond or even Diddy Kong

...

I guess I just want another Diddy Kong Racing. On a more serious tone, I'm not sure what I'd want for a new Mario Kart, the formula is basically perfect. Maybe they could continue add characters and track from the whole Nintendo universe instead of just Mario's. But they already did that in MK 8.