With the truly shocking confirmation that, alongside the new console, Nintendo is busy assembling a follow-up entry to the best-selling game on Switch, it's got us thinking about what we really want from a new Mario Kart.
In all honesty, we've been thinking about this for years, arguably since before we knew that Mario Kart 8 would be getting a Deluxe reprieve and assumed the new hotness on Switch would be totally new. Don't get us wrong — Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an astonishing product, and we're huge fans of the enormous Booster Course Pass DLC, but we've been playing the same game in some form for over a decade now and we're jonesing for a fresh take.
To that end, Team Nintendo Life sat down for a chat to discuss new directions we'd like to see Mario Kart 9 — if that is its name — take the series in.
Sitting in 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 enormous wheel-shaped table, team. We’re here today to discuss Mario Kart 9 or Mario Kart X or The Mario Kart or whatever they end up naming it. We’ll get to that eventually, but let’s start with some roundabout (heh) thoughts.
In one word, what did you think of the micro tease we got in the Switch 2 reveal trailer?
JIM: Squishy.
OLLIE: Tantalising.
ALANA: Uhh… yeah??
GAVIN: 'Standard' for me. The forensic breakdowns have helped highlight some of the advancements here, some of the tricks it might have up its sleeve, but from the 17 seconds of footage we’ve seen so far (!), my instant reaction was, 'Yep, sure.'
ALANA: It was the safest reveal we could have gotten. 'Ah yes, of course Mario Kart is coming to Switch 2. Cool!' And it looks good. But also… of course.
GAVIN: I also noticed Mario's slight ‘squish’ - it’s squeezing in some of the Wonder-style animated charm. What was it that grabbed you from the off, Ollie?
OLLIE: Just the prospect of a new Mario Kart, to be honest. It was all I really needed, and the small details suggest how this new entry could potentially differ from before. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve said before that it was kinda boring, and it was, but we know from past titles that it’s going to boast some weird and wacky new mechanic, and I can’t wait to see what it is.
MK9 would be far more interesting if it focused on a gimmick or a new mode rather than just giving me a playable Tingle…
GAVIN: We’ve had MK8 for so long, so the topic of the next Mario Kart has come up a lot already over the years and we’ve looked to Smash Bros. Ultimate as a possible model for where the series could go next. So, the first big question: Do you want MK9 to be the ‘Everyone is here’ of Mario Kart?
JIM: Honestly, no. It’s perfectly fun to picture a Mario Kart race with, I don’t know, Geno behind the wheel, but that simply ain’t going to grab me. I feel like we’re almost there already with the MK8 lineup, and Deluxe already gave us basically every track the series has ever offered. [Note. Not quite, but there's a lot.] MK9, for me, would be far more interesting if it focused on a gimmick or a new mode rather than just giving me a playable Tingle…
OLLIE: DONKEY KONG LOOKS AMAZING THOUGH. Oh sorry, that wasn’t the question… Yeah, I’m with Jim to an extent. I’d rather MK9 focus on things that could make this entry stand out. That said, although the idea of seeing Samus lobbing a Blue Shell makes me feel a bit nauseous, I’d like to see a few more characters from the Mario universe. Deeper cuts, y’know? Maybe Don Pianta, Professor E. Gadd, or even Fawful. Could you imagine Fawful yelling “I HAVE FURY!” when he slips over a banana?
GAVIN: All I’m imagining now is Samus flinging a Blue Shell but it’s actually a Metroid chomping on the head of whoever's in pole position. Alana?
ALANA: I’m with both of the lads, here. There’s an inherent level of goofiness to MK that Smash, while it does have, also has an edge to it. My bigger concern is that, with the prospect of getting new characters from Mario’s wider universe, there will be a bunch of the alt. characters from Tour. Who needs three variations on the Hammer Bro? On the other hand, Dixie Kong, Poochy, and King Bob-Omb are in Tour and they deserve to be playable in a console game.
GAVIN: Seems like we’re all on the same page in terms of ‘less is more’ rather than just throwing everyone in, although I would love to play as Olimar flinging Pikmin all over the track. I could stomach having Kirby and Samus too.
The other obvious, go-to evolution for any series is ‘Make it open world!!!’ There’s all sorts of potential there, but I wonder if that’s what people want from a pick-up-and-play party racer like Mario Kart.
OLLIE: Ehhh… Yeah, not really. More open tracks with alternative routes might be cool, but a full-on open world sounds a bit naff to me. Something that’s been nagging me, though, is the potential to instantly teleport between worlds, kinda like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on the PS5. I don’t know if the Switch 2 would be quite capable of something like that, but it could really open the game up in ways we haven’t seen before, zipping between different circuits on the fly.
I quite like the idea of...scavenging kart parts and attaching them, Ultrahand-style, for upgrades, like Banjo Nuts & Bolts with a little Mad Max mixed in
ALANA: If Nintendo were going to do open world, it’s going to be through some kind of 'story mode' like in Diddy Kong Racing or something. But a story mode hub in a racing game isn’t what I want in 2025.
GAVIN: I quite like the idea of a large BOTW-Hyrule-style Mushroom Kingdom, with circuits all over the land and you journey between them, scavenging kart parts and attaching them, Ultrahand-style, for upgrades, like Banjo Nuts & Bolts with a little Mad Max mixed in.
But people who pick up Mario Kart for a quick blast with friends won't be bothered with that. Single-player isn’t the reason MK8D is Switch’s best-selling game, which is presumably what Nintendo is thinking about by highlighting this in the Switch 2 reveal.
JIM: Yeah, there’s the risk that an additional open world or a ‘story’ might not feel 'Mario Kart' enough. If it’s the next 3D Mario, sure — and throw in a skill tree for good measure… probably. But Mario Kart is best focused on the karting (shock) and as soon as you start fiddling about with stories and upgrades, that might get lost. That said, Smash has tried ‘story’ a few times. It never fully worked, but it tried.
ALANA: Gavin’s proposal sounds like a bit like LEGO 2K Drive!
GAVIN: Hmm, that came and went, didn’t it? Okay, so if none of us are enamoured with the idea of an open-world racer, how does MK9 push the series forward?
ALANA: This isn’t the revolutionary overhaul or unique idea we’re expecting here, but I can see an F-Zero 99-style elimination mode being incorporated (not 99 karts, though), particularly with the bigger tracks, a bigger roster of characters, and the presumably better online functionality of the Switch 2.
OLLIE: I actually want to point to The Super Mario Bros. Movie as a potential source of inspiration. The kart scene has really unique and weird vehicles, with characters moving between them at certain points. I wonder if something can be done with that. Perhaps you can jump between vehicles part-way through a race, or maybe steal parts from your opponents to give your own kart a bit of a boost.
JIM: I’m still recovering from the thought of a 99-player Baby Park, but yes, I totally see the vehicle-swapping idea. Looking at what the series has relied on so far, though, it’s way more likely that the karts would just ‘transform’ in some way. MK8 did the hover wheels, MK7 did the gliders, Wii did… something. There’s an appetite for Diddy Kong Racing out there, so I can see things going a little more vertical - ramps where your kart sprouts wings and entire sections are airborne, Chitty Chitty-style.
MK8 had the anti-grav sections, but ultimately, it was just a really solid racing game with minimal gimmicks. I do worry about Nintendo potentially making it a bit too weird.
ALANA: That is very Diddy Kong Racing or Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, though! It’ll be hard to predict because MK8 wasn’t at its core hugely different from 7. We’ve had courses that change every lap thanks to Tour. We’ve had transforming cars in some ways. I doubt it’ll incorporate a microphone or a mouse, because that’d lock elements out for some people.
GAVIN: That vehicle-switching idea has me thinking about some sort of team co-op where you have Double Dash-style passengers with specific abilities that must jump between karts. You have to pull up alongside other drivers to swap passengers for... some reason. I don't know, something that switches up the interaction patterns from a straight old race to the finish line.
OLLIE: All of this speculation does make me a bit nervous, I must say… MK8 had the anti-grav sections, but ultimately, it was just a really solid racing game with minimal gimmicks. I do worry about Nintendo potentially making it a bit too weird.
GAVIN: They're walking a very fine line between pick-up-and-play approachability for four-year-olds or non-core players and depth enough to keep everyone engaged. The video team discussed anti-grav sections in their video (see below) and, for me, the biggest thing the hover wheels added was not stopping dead when you hit other racers. That little boost mechanic was neat and non-punishing.
There’s loads of ways you could shake up the formula without some specific gimmick, though. Along the lines of vehicle/character swapping, what about pit stops or tag team races with added strategy? I was thinking about The Italian Job the other day (as you do) and started dreaming of a Mario Kart Heist mode or some sort of chase which isn’t just a race while lobbing banana skins.
ALANA: That sounds awesome, honestly. I would like some more variety in the multiplayer minigames that aren’t just coins or balloon-based.
GAVIN: What about tracks - specifically, returning tracks? Do you want to see old circuits back again?
JIM: Ahhh, it’s another one where I’ve got to go against the most obvious choice. No, I don’t want to see them back. The MK8 DLC waves were great, but we have driven around these tracks so many times now. At some point, we have to wipe the slate clean. MK8D is the ‘ultimate’ compilation, so gimme eight new Grands Prix with entirely new corners to learn. Please.
I can’t believe we haven’t seen Wario Stadium or Wario Colosseum come back. Still, I would absolutely take more unique Grands Prix.
ALANA: You mean you don’t want Figure-8 Circuit to return?
JIM: …no.
OLLIE: I agree. As much as I’d like to experience Baby Park with 24 racers, if Nintendo doesn’t add in some new mechanic that fundamentally changes the tracks we know and love, then I’d rather they just stay put on MK8D for now (which, of course, will likely be playable via backwards compatibility!). Let’s have something completely new.
ALANA: We are steadily running out of tracks that haven’t returned, discounting MK8’s. I can’t believe we haven’t seen Wario Stadium or Wario Colosseum come back. Still, I would absolutely take more unique Grands Prix rather than double them up with retro cups.
GAVIN: Ollie’s point is key for me – MK8D will almost certainly be playable on Switch 2. We all own it, there are 700 trillion copies of it out there, so if we want to play Baby Park or Yoshi’s Circuit or whatever, it's already there. I’d rather fresh, tailor-made tracks designed around the new game rather than retrofitted returners.
Okay, we’ll be pulling up to the bumper soon, but what would you say if I dropped the words ‘Mario Kart Maker’ here?
OLLIE: I’d say I don’t have the creativity for something like that! I mean, it depends on how intuitive a track builder would be. It’d be a cool thing to have, but I imagine I’d just default to the standard, Nintendo-certified tracks.
GAVIN: This isn’t confirmed as a launch game, but it's implied that we'll be seeing it in the launch year, at least. And seeing as the ‘Mouse Mode’ could be Switch 2's biggest new hardware feature, you’d imagine Nintendo will showcase it in a launch game. Could be handy for a custom circuit builder!
JIM: It could also be handy for letting you put the kart in manual and sliding the controller on the seat next to you like a gear stick. Full Fast & Furious.
ALANA: Ohhh no, that sounds awful… back to Track Maker, quickly! I wouldn’t be surprised to see it, but it’s also a little predictable at this point, right? I’d love to play user-made courses, though.
GAVIN: Hmm, although thinking about it, that’ll need some moderation. Nintendo knows what people like to draw given half a chance and the potential for sus circuits when viewed from above is considerable!
Okay, okay, last question: We're using 'Mario Kart 9' as shorthand, but what’s it going to be called?
OLLIE: Mario Kart: Turbo!
JIM: I’m gunning for that Fast & Furious theme now. The Mario and The Kart? Kart 9? Mario Kart: Family?
ALANA: If there’s kart switching… Mario Kart Switched?
OLLIE: Mario Kart X, amirite, Jim?! Wait...
GAVIN: If Tour is technically 9 and Live: Home Circuit is technically 10, we could be looking at Mario Kart 11 with the 11 stylised as two Joy-Con or something.
Okay, that's the chequered flag. Any final thoughts before we all get karted off?
OLLIE: I’ve got nothing, I’m just excited to see more! April can’t come soon enough.
What do you want from the next Mario Kart? Do any of the suggestions above tickle your fancy? Vote in the poll and slide on down to the comments to drop your thoughts on the tarmac.
Comments 152
I just want the game now 😂
Not even going to check. Instant buy, day one.
But, i think a small single player storymode, would be pretty cool.
A large character roster also. Aside from that, i am happy that we get a new mario kart.
I just want Wario Colosseum back
Maybe this makes me a little mean-spirited, but I want more than any other feature for them to bring back the shorter invincibility after being hit that was basically a staple of the series before MK8. The current way invincibility is handled makes moments like that Get Mario Karted clip with Daisy nearly impossible, and on top of that you have cool but dumb strategies where good players will hit themselves in order to save time that they would lose getting hit by something else. To be clear, I don’t mind good old fashioned mechanical depth, but I believe a good game is fun for the dedicated and the casual players, and I think the current, longer invincibility makes it less fun in casual settings. For those chill sessions with friends, it’s fun to not take it too seriously and have a good laugh / be a good sport about getting hit by four items in a row and going from first to tenth.
A “very hard” option for AI and removing all annoying items for online play like red/blue shells and bullet bill.
Am I the only one who's not sold on the idea of 24 players? 12 players is already chaotic enough, I'd rather have more control over my car, better physics and less reliance on item management.
I need to play as orange plastic baby wario
...Has everyone just forgetten how backwards compatibility/Virtual Console didn't stop them from adding retro courses in the past? If there aren't retros, it's not going to be because of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - it's going to be because of 24 players necessitating wider, less dense tracks. They could easily put together a selection of 16-24 great old tracks that missed out on 8 Deluxe.
Like Heists and Story-Hub world, I would like to see a story mode with missions
I want to see these things based on my experience on other cartoonish racing games.
1. Track editor (ModNation Racers)
2. Three different type of vehicles: Land, Sea, Air (Skylanders SuperChargers)
3. Transformable vehicles (Sonic Racing Transformed)
4. Character & Vehicles customization (ModNation Racers)
5. Individual Super Power (Chocobo Racing)
6. Stackable items into level 2 & 3 (Chocobo Racing)
7. Different time Day & Night racing
The main thing I want: Kirby!
Good item distribution mechanics. Item play is BORING; every single online race has one guy up front with a meta build, with almost everyone else getting nothing but shrooms/stars/bullet bills to try and catch up - but because they are ALL getting these same items, nobody truly gets a good opportunity to break from the pack. This also just leads to the non-catchup items generally being seen less, and when they are, its usually a ton of reds being thrown at first place, so its just not fun regardless of what place you are in during the race.
Hopefully they take this game as an opportunity to do some interesting new things with the formula, and make it a fresh slate in terms of tracks too - we have been racing on the same track for up to a decade now, there is no need to see a bunch of the return again.
I'd prefer if it stayed in the Mario universe, especially now that Wonder and Odyssey have broadened what that means with lots of fun designs.
I'm tired of the trend of putting more players into every multiplayer game, so no thanks to MK99.
Mostly I just want the surefire bomb soundtrack on CD lol
I'd be happy with creative shortcuts coming back. Nothing like discovering the tunnel off the side of the rails in the Yoshi map from Double Dash.
Conversely, I don't really care for the every lap is different stuff from Tour. Or anything from Tour, tbh.
Give me some whimsy, some good music, and tightly designed courses, and I'll be happy.
I'd like a bonus mode where if you get 3 stars on every cup in every difficulty level then you can secretly unlock Diddy Kong Racing
Not just unlocked but a full blown HD remake.
Will that happen??? Obviously not but it's nice to have a dream
@KidSparta YES, the invincibility window upon getting hit in 8 Deluxe is frankly absurd. A good Mario Kart balances the downtime from getting hit with the ability to get back up to speed again, which was never an issue in Double Dash/Wii/DS.
It also makes it very unsatisfying to see your item thrown with precision just not land because the opponent was still in i-frames for a full second after starting to move again. Needlessly playing around this stupid time window sucks.
CUSTOM MAPS BASED ON GOOGLE MAPS. Let us select streets, "mario-tize" them, and play them.
Backport all of the current levels as retro cups - OR - let us make our own levels, and all of the current levels are "templates" that we can take apart and rearrange how we like. As old as MK8D is, I really liked all of the levels (save most of the Tour ones), and I'd hate for them to be left behind.
Let us use our own music in a track editor (maybe let us connect our Nintendo music accounts and use them as a sort of "MK Radio?), and maybe release a companion app that would let us create/download tracks, view other people racing live, see ghost times, etc. Don't go full eSports mode, but use some of those tools to create a solid online community.
But honestly, the biggest feature I want is "more Mario Kart." Use Deluxe as a baseline for roster, levels, etc - and just add more. I'm not a fan of the transforming vehicles or open world in racing games, but I wouldn't be opposed to it if it just meant more Mario Kart to play around with.
I want a proper single-player mode, not necessarily DKR-style hub but I want something more involved than just the Grand Prix cups (although those should still be in the game)
@KidSparta What's funny is in MK8 on the Wii U, the invincibility time was incredibly short. Now, not only did Deluxe and the updates to it extend that timer, but invincibility after getting hit is now a hidden "stat" that is different between characters and vehicles.
I believe the heavier/faster you are the longer your invincibility period is, up to a couple of seconds. Pretty crazy.
@Zaruboggan With all the Tour City tracks, I thought for sure we would have gotten a New Donk City track!
Considering all of the tracks added to MK8D, I'd be fine waiting longer for the next Mario Kart.
The one thing I don't want is additional customization with the Karts... I'm probably in the minority, but I hate trying figure out which "build" works best... I just want to pick my racer and go.
Someone in a different article pointed out the rather prominent gas tank on the karts and the gas station on the course... that seems like a very real potential new mechanic.
A single player campaign - could be forza horizon style, gta driving missions, diddy kong, or crash team racing inspired. Splatoon is a multiplayer game and has a single player camapaign, and I love it - granted it's not a race game.
Driving styles like cratch team racing had. Driving styles lets you race with any character you want the way you want. Enough with the one or two meta characters, karts, and parts.
For me as a huge fan of 64 era and spending every second in split screen vs a friend, was all about the glitch! Yep the seconds saved and at times half a course if you could find the right spot to jump, land, turn etc.
A new blue shell killer and if I'm honest, I can live without the Mercedes.
I'd like for it not to be called "Mario Kart 9" and would prefer if they went back to a unique subtitle a la Double Dash. Would help to individualize it better I feel.
I'd also like to see less reliance on item-based shortcuts going forward in terms of track design. Would be nice to have shortcuts that rely on the player's skill over luck of the draw.
For me the formula is perfect but I'd love a story-driven (no pun intended honest!) single player cup campaign!
Harder CPUs, less Lightnings and Blue Shells
More battle modes. Though, tbf, MK8 DX had a good overall battle mode.
I'm torn. I love me some Diddy Kong Racing, but the farther you drift from the basic Mario Kart formula the less likely you are to make the majority of people happy. My wife doesn't really play games at all, but she LOVES Mario Kart 8. I mentioned that "Mario Kart 8.5 ReMix" might be open world and she visibly recoiled at the notion. I think there should be more unlockables, more customization and accessibility options, and some fun new gimmick, but it really shouldn't stray too far from what already makes it a golden goose.
the things i would probably want more is i guess more customization in terms of game rules and what not. another thing is probably just bringing back mission mode. i'm hoping it still follows the 32 track structure that the other mario karts since ds have done (pretty sure they're sticking with this)
Ranked no-item online races
More Modes! Also, an open hub to go from mode to mode rather than a menu.
9 is already done and out. Hell 10 is done and out. This is 11
More of a variety of Battle Mode stages, please
If they just reskinned F-Zero 99 with Mario characters, I'd be more than happy.
Mario Kart but with Crash bandicoot and Diddy Kong adventure mode build in.
Or
An open world gran Turismo/Need for Speed underground kind of game with licenses for 100/150/200cc etc different parts/vehicles to unlock and of course pimping.
Luigi Death Stare
I reckon the best thing they could do is not replace Mario Kart 8 with 9. Instead have 9 focus on (if not open world) then rally style courses or something new. I'm all for more racers. I'm also up for new power ups. Folk will still buy 8DX lol. If their console isn't going to be revolutionary, then their games better be lol.
Here are my picks from the options in the poll of what I'd like and also expect to see to an extent:
Weirdly enough my family hopes for LESS anti-gravity stuff. It makes them pretty sick!
I just hope we'll get a set of tracks like Wario mountain and Wuhu Isle!
I just want a Mission Mode I’ll probably barely use and a roster that actually takes some characters from more of the spinoffs instead of filling it up with baby characters and Koopalings (though Baby Wario and Donkey Kong would be neat to see since they actually existed before MK8 in Yoshi’s Island DS.)
These options sound meh to me (especially a maker mode, which would be a disaster). Just add new fun tracks, track playlists, more customization and you’re good to go
I woudl like to see transforming vehicles since the Sonic racing games seem to have abandoned it.
R.O.B. That's it.
THE END
Personally for me, I want it to almost completely feel different compare to Mario Kart 8.
A story mode with big boss battle/races
Double Dash mode. I want Double Dash mode. That's the tweet.
I hope the game starts with 12 cups like MK8DX, and I also hope that this game offers a broad selection of battle stages, because I feel like that's where its predecessor came up short, especially after BCP added more stages for races, but not battles.
I think a track/battle track maker would be the best, significant inclusion they could do. Plus, they need to include Block Fort this time. For retro tracks, I really want to see more N64 ones re-imagined, like Boswer's Castle and Koopa Troopa Beach. A bigger roster with some more non-Mario characters would be nice. And a Battle Royale mode would give it some serious legs.
Racing Samus, that's it.
Smash ball on the final lap. Kidding. But I would like final lap Wonder Effects as a new gimmick.
Maybe a new team GP mode where your aimed items (red shell, blue shell, lightning bolt) don't hit teammates and your points are totaled up.
If not a track maker, then a cup maker where you can customize your own themes since the given choices usually seem drawn out of a hat.
In general, I want Mario Kart to learn from Smash not by including Fire Emblem drivers but by being more authentic to the source material. Use the great musical tracks from these places that you ALREADY HAVE RIGHTS TO rather than the generic elevator Muzak.
Imagine cups like the following:
64 Cup
Bob-Omb Battlefield
Cool Cool Mountain
Tiny-Huge Island
Hazy Maze Cave
Boss Race: Koopa the Quick or the Penguin Slide
Odyssey Cup 1
Bonneton
Fossil Falls
Steam Gardens
New Donk City
Odyssey Cup 2
Bubblaine
Mount Volbono
Bowser’s Kingdom
Honeylune Ridge (complete with reduced gravity)
Boss Race: [spoiler] ****** Escape
Donkey Kong Cup
Tree Top Town (DKC)
Oil Drum Alley (DKC)
Hornet Hole (DKC2)
Mudhole Marsh (DKC2)
Boss Race: Screech’s Sprint (DKC2)
Also Sunshine Cup, Yoshi's Woolly Cup, Brothership Cup, Wonder Cup, Sub-Con Cup, Sarasaland Cup, Inkopolis Cup, etc. Maybe even Splatoon locales for battle arenas where you slow down in the wrong ink color.
I want it to be like Smash where each character has like 8 different skins. I would also like Mario kart maker but I feel like that will be a separate game.
I do want to see an open world Mario Kart and think there's a market for it, but not as a flagship entry. I think that's better as a subseries that exists alongside traditional entries (think something like what the sandbox 3D Mario games are to the 2D games, or what Metroid Prime is to the 2D Metroids), perhaps something they could release as a second Mario Kart game later in the Switch 2's lifespan.
For now, I would like a track maker, but in general they're probably going to need to surprise me. I have a feeling that the gimmick here is going to be something not listed here, something we're all not expecting.
I want an insane amount new course we’ve never see. Before. Let’s drive on one of the Metroid planets. The bionis and mechonis would be perfect for land air and sea travel. I would also like to see them include some Splatoon. I want them to have drivers like they have the amount of fighters into smash Brothers should be accounted for, but at least one driver
I'm sure they have an idea or two that sets it apart from the rest of the entries, but as far as Mario Karts are concerned all that's really needed is a strong course selection and multiplayer options.
This is why people are still going back to MK64, Double Dash, DS, & Wii. They got a strong selection of tracks and extra modes and features that keep the games evergreen despite future entries being technically better.
Mario Kart 8 definitely has the strongest and most quality track list out of all of them (even though the Booster Course pass kinda muddied the waters) but multiplayer modes were a clear afterthought and are half-baked.
Give Mario Kart 9 some kick ass tracks like 8 and a quality multiplayer mode (you don't even need to innovate, just copy older games wholesale) and you'll have another masterwork on your hands.
Mario Kart needs a wheel stick shift gas and brake pedal set up
I want it to be a complete game at release, and for $60 or $70 it should be, and not half the game at release full price and then the rest of the characters and tracks slowly released over the next 2 to 3 years for more money like it’s a free to play game.
I’m also ok if it’s free to play then slowly released over time with season passes.
I’m not ok with $60 to start, monthly payments to continue. We already have to pay for the console, and the online, I’m either paying for a complete game or a subscription, not both.
But it will probably be both.🤑
Back in the day, Diddy Kong Racing was superior in my humble opinion:
For me, I’d also add:
I personally hate the way Nintendo handle items, and blue shells etc… make everything seem entirely unfair
An enjoyable game, no matter what form that takes. That's it.
@IceClimbersMain I think that’s mad interesting, and it could be visible stat going forward like “Stability” or “Hardiness” or hopefully something better than those two ideas. But even so, the shortest invincibilities in MK8D are still too long for my personal taste.
I think the idea of Mario Kart 9 is going to be great for the console's launch. Honestly, the only thing I'd really like to see is a more polished version for online play. MK8 has decent lobbies, but it is easy to see them reduce down to only a handful of racers, which requires me to find a new one to join. I'm not sure what approach should be taken on this, only that something should be. Their online play is probably one of the biggest reasons MK8 has stayed on many top ten sales lists despite its age.
I'm really looking forward to seeing more courses and graphic upgrades. The jump from MK Wii and 3ds to MK8 visually was jaw dropping back on the Wii U.
I want missions for 1 player mode. Like win a race without power ups, win a race having 1 lap advantage with last player, collect 8 coins (yes, like dkr), bosses!
@rjejr I agree with this point of view, but if they handle it the way they handled MK8D I think it will feel just fine. The game felt complete already, making the paid content feel like a huge bonus rather than a requirement to make the game good. If they make a great game and then decide that they want to make it even better later on, that’s all good with me. Intentionally making an unfinished game and then paywalling the rest of it obviously sucks, though.
Free content cycles could work and actually be really fun in Mario Kart (I friggen love Splatoon), but I really hope they learned their lesson from Battle League. That game was already rather bad compared to Charged and even the original, and to this day it’s still bad but now you can play as Diddy Kong. Splatoon 1 really became something magical, but its launch content was also abysmal. Update cycles / seasons sound really fun to for Mario Kart now that you mention it, but I hope they don’t launch a game with nothing to do. “Trust us, it’s going to be really fun in a year!”
I just want good gameplay and more balanced items. For example being in first or top 3 in MK8 sucks since the only items you get are basically banana's, coins and mushrooms.
On that note: GET RID OF COINS AS AN ITEM.
Really more than anything for me it's please don't tag on an open world. I will flat out skip the game if they do that (and planning to do the same for the next 3D Mario if it does it), so sick of that garbage infesting the industry and there is zero point in having that nonsense in a racing game.
I would like a proper battle pass style reward system for the online node. I've tried getting into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a few times but the online doesn't seem rewarding enough, just a points system that doesn't mean anything in the long run. A pass like the one included in Splatoon 3 though would make me want to play it more.
Skill mode for weapons. Bananas, green shells, maybe Bob-ombs, Mushrooms. Nothing else.
Why not an OpenWorld MarioKart RPG? I mean we have that with Paper, Golf, Tennis and other stuff as RPG. This would be something new.
We want a fun game to play, so... FUN. We want fun. Yes. That will do it. Fun.
I want the same costumre theme for every character. u select vampire suit thenu can play as vampire monty mole etc..
I would like more single player options like story mode and missions .
please no more Baby Mario, Cat Mario, Metal Mario, Random Hat Mario, and Mario Mario. We don't need half the roster to be endless Marios, Luigis, and Peaches
I straight up do not understand folks voting for an open world. Please, no. Please. That's what made Burnout, the greatest racing series in gaming history, stop being fun.
We want Zelda as a playable character in mario kart 9.
@Mando44646 We hear you! Coming to MK9 - PAPER MARIO!
"But a story mode hub in a racing game isn’t what I want in 2025."
I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with you Alana. That's exactly what I want!
Give me Mario Kart with unlockables, bosses and secrets!
I hope they put every tracks from every past game and for the new tracks I hope they can come up with gimmicks to make the tracks unique and fun and I hope we have a difficult tracks too
I want more tracks like Yoshi's Island,
and more characters like Kamek.
I don't need any gimmicky nonsense.
What I'm learning from my responses is that really I just want a modern Diddy Kong Racing
I would like the following:
More maps based on real places.
And maybe string some of the locations together into a 4 race track series.
Maybe even do a "Cannonball Run Challenge" type race.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Run_challenge
But for many different countries in addition to a USA challenge.
That and bring back the 2 racers per kart like in the Game Cube version.
Okay, I get that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has a ton of retro tracks, but I still want to see them in the next game. In general, I don’t really want the main gameplay to drastically change. I’d rather them focus on improving it and be a bit more frantic while also being a bit more strategic. For major changes, I’d rather them leave that to the extra modes. Allow us to get rid of the timer in battle mode. Have some crazy battle royale with vehicles. And definitely have a character roster that isn’t 51% filler and 48% 3rd party.
@Bret I would actually love to see him in a Mario Kart. I was really bummed that they added Sora to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate instead of him.
I understand the logic because of MK8D playable on Switch 2, but to think there suddenly WON'T be Retro Courses when those have been a staple for around two decades now is kinda silly.
Mechanical depth. Every Mario Kart since Double Dash has felt a little shallow.
I've always thought the next logical jump would be to add a single-player story mode with an hub-world like DKR and the latest MARIO GOLF. Include planes and speed-boats as well; new vehicles = fresh mechanics/physics. Finally, this trailer screams cross-country relay-style races to me. I would be down with a 24-Player online/local mode where you are driving across the Mushroom Kingdom! (Still think Mario 3D should be the launch title, though...)
@KidSparta Honestly it can go either way, I don't know. It's Nintendo, nobody knows. We don't even know if what we saw is MK9 and not some sandbox free minigame like "Amiibo Party" b/c they haven't said anything about it. Yes it's probably MK9, but we dont' know until they tell us.
And as a Wii U owner it's been 10 years since my last MK game so I would expect by now they can have a whole new full game ready to go at release. Previously MK games released every 3-5 years so 10 is a lot, should be enough time for plenty of new content day 1.
So I suppose if we get a $70 all new full game day 1 and some free dlc 3 years later, fine. But let's face it, it will likely be non-stop paid content.
Doesn't matter, they'll sell 80 million copies regardless of what they do, might as well make as much money for their shareholders as they can. Maybe I'll just keep playing Disney Speedstorm, it's surprisingly good.
I really miss the driving physics of DS, Wii, and 7. I could never get used to 8 for some reason, the characters in general feel like they have way bigger turning arcs, and they're all really heavy. Toad used to go f****** FLYING across the track when hit by a boosting Bowser in MKWii lmao, bring that back pls
If it's not called The Mario and The Kart I'll end up being extremely disappointed.
I don’t need Mario Kart 9.
MK8 DX is great and just enough for me. When the kids of my friends want to play some MK, with MK8 DX we have so much fun! Maybe I lack fantasy, but for what I want to play a MK game, it couldn’t be better.
Sorry, Nintendo!
I hadn't played too much of Mario Kart 8 since the Wii U version, and just bought the new dlc around the holidays. I've now gotten a perfect 200cc in every grand prix. It really is a fantastic game, and I don't think there are many ways to improve on it aside from bringing back every other course from the series. Since we'll be carrying 8 forward to the Switch 2 through backwards compatibility, it'd be great if Mario Kart 9 was different enough to complement it rather than compete with it.
As for how to actually change it, doubling the number of racers will certainly make things more chaotic, but I'm also hoping the game has one or two other gimmicks that really change up the basic driving. I'm also pretty sure an open world isn't the right choice. I just burned through Burnout Paradise in the last few days, since Mario Kart 8 is so good that it left me wanting more, and I can't see that game's metropolitan rat's nest or winding country roads working well with Mario Kart. Though an idea they could take from it that'd complement the larger racer count is expanding the number of alternate routes on each course. Rather than just the brief shortcuts or mirrored forks in most of the existing tracks, they could have long stretches of intersecting routes, each suited for different levels of acceleration, handling, weight, etc. That'd make finding the right kart and right route for each race much more interesting. I also wouldn't mind if they tossed out the grand prix setup and just gave us individual courses that are two or three times longer, like the handful of long stretch courses in the last few games, but with multiple laps. And if they want to pick up one of the few gimmicks 8 didn't bring back, the signature items from Double Dash would add another interesting layer of complexity to building your racers for each course. Whether they actually want to complicate their most successful party game to that degree is an entirely different matter, but I'd certainly enjoy it.
Well all of the above, obviously, but also…
How about a good old-fashioned campaign, like the ones we used to get in Project Gotham Racing
Story Mode/plot, please...
Itemless mode, a proper time trial mode and a freerun/practice mode
Just the ability to add or remove items and catch up slingshots. I'm a simple man that's sometimes want a pure race.
@Ironcore great minds think alike
I'd still like to see retro courses, but you're absolutely right, it'd have to be different from what we've had before. We are running out of courses but there's still a fair few that haven't returned yet... I'm sure there's a list somewhere...
An item I'd love to see and I think can be the new gimmick... and I'm surprised no one has said this yet... but what about a WONDER FLOWER? About as rare as a Lightning Bolt, and in true Wonder fashion it changes the course up in bizarre and unexpected ways. One course might make everyone 16bit or 64bit original Mario graphics, or another course might bring an onslaught of charging Bulrushes we have to avoid, maybe another course causes the ground to become icy, and you know Nintendo will always come up with great ideas. If done well I can imagine the Wonder Flower would be a powerful unique edition. Maybe if you wanted to turn it off, there could be that option.
Gimme Dat Diddy Kong Racing vibe please
300cc and wild goose
I disagree with Jim 100% … it’s not about the roster. It’s about the tracks. Imagine racing through a Metroid track for example. I don’t care about racing as Samus though.
And stop trying to make everything open world, it’s the most boring transition from genres ever
Lego City Undercover is basically an open world racer with missions.
Grounded . . . ness haha. And I get a good feeling from the trailer that it will be. It's the only direction to go. Literally.
@DwaynesGames hey thanks for reminding me. I've got that for Wii U and actually need to put the disc in sometime lol
I want what ever Diddy Kong Racing is.
@Gryffin Lego City Undercover is one of my favorite LEGO games. The story includes a lot of funny parodies.
There are several racing missions and challenges, but individual levels are played like more traditional LEGO games (platforming as a character).
Also I want to race with intergalactic bounty hunter Samus
All I want is the return of double karts controllable by two people ala Double Dash. That's it.
We want it to be fun.
And we know nintendo will always go for new mechanics, rather than a simple cut and paste.
I'm boring. Honestly, besides just new "stuff", I want to be able to swap the two items I have in stock rather than having to use one to get to the other.
This is just my hot take, but what I want from Mario Kart 9 is for it to be the last Mario Kart entry for a while, and give other racing games in Nintendo's repertoire some time out in the sun.
For example, I'd rather much we get a new story-driven open-world F-Zero game with gameplay similar to GTA V (minus the part where you are a criminal). I would love to see how Captain Falcon came to be the famous bounty hunter that he is today, and be able to drive vehicles other than just an F-Zero racer.
I know a lot of people love Mario Kart, and I respect that, but there is very little with the series to really wow me anymore. Besides, playing Mario Kart 7 to death kind of killed the series for me. I don't even have Mario Kart 8, either for the Wii U or the Switch.
Call in Mario Kart X: Crossover. Tracks are based on all of Nintendo's franchises not just Mario characters. Big roster of characters as well. Was reported it might be one of Nintendo's biggest budget games in their history, so it will be bigger than we think it will be.
In terms of carting and power-ups etc., MK 8 is basically the best MK will get imo. There's only so much you can change and refine the concept. I guess more courses and variety of courses would be an improvement.
I hope for it to distinguish itself from 8 enough that 8 Deluxe gets more retro tracks. Imagine a theoretical February Switch 1 general Direct happening and surprise, here's BCP2 with wave 7 being:
Then the April Direct reveals MK9 to be very different from MK8 Deluxe like how Forza Horizon is very different from Forza Motorsport.
I'd like to see a Mario kart maker in the next edition. I like the idea of a smash version but then the franchise would get to a point like ultimate not knowing where to go next. I think it would be cool to have an amiibo kart maybe as an online game where you scan your amiibo and that racer unlocks to race in different Nintendo themed worlds but only as online races & battles not a full game
I’m repeating myself but I’d love to see them do the Smash Bros thing and have a lot of different characters and tracks from other games.
Would love to see Mario race Lara Croft through Hyrule.
Also am i the only one who thinks the MK footage may just be a tech demo?
@Crumpet123 no, you're not. It's likely that some aspects of the footage shown will be in the final game, but I'm waiting until that April Direct for real info.
Tbh, I don't care what happens, as long as:
1. It's still a good racing game, and
2. We also get a new Fzero. They can coexist, Nintendo. Make it happen.
@BoostPower based pfp and username
@Bret dunno about that, man. It made Forza Horizon fun.
At the very least, they should separate the open world and grand prix mode like what 2K did with Lego 2K Drive.
MKDS style mission mode
For starters a track creation tool would be nice. Next seeing as they are pulling from mario wonder maybe implement the wonder flower somehow. Finally an option not on the poll unlocakable ( as in from the game no micro transactions) skins for the racers.
I want a Rainbow Road that looks like you're driving on an actual rainbow again instead of the stupid rainbow-colored tiles that we got over and over and over in 8
I voted for a Diddy Kong Racing type of story mode, but really just want new tracks and just a kart selection without the wheels and glider customization.
Probably in the minority on that one though, lol.
Personal wishlist, most of wish are very unlikely but...
1. Fix the dang camera during while drifting on an inside-drift vehicle. The fact that this camera panning for inside drift was ever acceptable is disgraceful, frankly, let alone that is was never fixed...
2. Removal of coins. Straight up this is a bad mechanic. It makes getting hit even more impactful, and sucks to get as an item. Who really wanted coins back?
3. Reducing/limiting the amount of gliding. Unlike driving on land, underwater, or in anti-grav, gliding limits item play and vehicle maneuvering, which are the cornerstones of MK gameplay.
4. Improving team mechanics in vs team races. MK8 was a step back in this regard... Would like to see team members immune to their team's road hazards, and the ability to give items to teammates.
Im only really gonna buy a new mario kart if it has a proper single player campaign, missions, basic story, etc.
My dream would be one like that Crash Bandicoot game where the single player races were linked with a 3D platformer.
Have mario run around the hub world, finding/starting the races/etc.
multiplayer only is a bit boring for my personal play preferences.
Am I the only one who thinks the joycons were driving like go karts instead of a mouse feature?
Logically why would drag your joycons on the table like a mouse when you can just use the pointer…
Has that feature been confirmed?
Adventure modes with playable other Nintendo Universe characters to unlock. Transformable vehicles are a decent idea like in Sonic ASRT, but I am not that chuffed if they didn't turn up in MK. What kind of precison kart driving can you get with them? I loved it in Sonic ASRT tbf but not because it felt like I could out maneuver other competitors as an alt kart, lol.
It's good to see a new Mario kart at last, better graphics. All new tracks sounds good except that it will be the same old same old new type of tracks but the same bananas etc.
Although they will look nice they will be very clinical. A new Mario kart needs a bit of interaction with the scenery and background. Make it a little bit more realistic. Maybe include a plane a boat etc.
But if the pundits are right and Nintendo, will be charging £70 per game. Mario kart may get a miss this time.
I dont care a about the tracks. 90% of my playtime is playing Battle Mode. Please, more battle arenas!!
And please ..not too large tracks....we need more difficult tracks. Difficult corners....like Crash Team Racing (the best tracks ever).
@AstroTheGamosian
GTA for the good guys, in the F-Zero setting. Yes, please! Why did no one come up with that idea yet? I love it.
as neat as a maker mode would be i would prefer that as its own dedicated game like Mario maker with more options.
i certainly wouldn't say no to a "story mode" hub thing, especially since CTR back on psone is probably still my fave single player kart experience (alongside DKR)
I heard a rumor about pit stops. I would love that. They could have a special tour/ campaign mode where you pick 3 characters one racer and 2 supports with thier own unique attributes and you can swap and characters, karts a
nd parts at these pit stops.
Never really played too much online, but would love the Versus mode options, including the ability to always play 200cc. Hate how they never made picking the cc you want an option. 🤦🏽♂️
@Jhena Sadly, Nintendo will never even consider that idea, even though it would revolutionize the series. In fact, it specifically says on their website that they don't accept ideas from the fans. Maybe if I was a game developer and had a working demo of it, things might be different, but as of right now, Nintendo would not even give me the time of day.
It's likely the same thing with the light novel series I'm working on that adapts the original Zelda game (with some elements from other Zelda games thrown in to flesh out the plot). I'll probably have to get at least the first volume written before submitting it to Nintendo for approval.
Kirby
Zelda
Dixie Kong
Pikachu
Eevee
Squirtle
Samus Aran
Rayman
Some courses based on areas in Hyrule from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
@Crumpet123 I am surprised we haven't had a Super Mario Maker 3D. I think a Captain Toad Treasure Tracker game that allows you to create your own levels would be a lot of fun too.
@AstroTheGamosian
Nice, you are really serious about video game ideas, I like it. That Zelda light novel series does also sound interesting. I hope that it will be good, that you enjoy writing it and that Nintendo will read it too.
@Jhena Well, the ultimate goal for that light novel is for it to become an anime, preferably animated by Ufotable (given that they have done excellent work with Demon Slayer, and are in charge of the upcoming Genshin Impact anime). I know many people say Studio Ghibli, but I do not feel that they are the best choice, given that action-adventure stories are not really their forté (especially since the closest they got to a Zelda anime, Tales from Earthsea, was not that good of a film).
But I was actually inspired to write it after listening to the DragonForce single "Power of the Triforce," which they released in 2023. It sounds just like a song that you would hear for an anime intro. So what I did was take the song and use some clever editing to trim it down to a minute and 25 seconds, roughly the average length for an anime intro. I even storyboarded a hypothetical Zelda anime intro in my head set to this song! I hope to use it as the anime's theme should it ever be made!
@AstroTheGamosian
Cool song, especially the intro sounds so much like an Anime intro. DragonForce still sounds as goodhearted and positive, as I remember them. I have not watched Demon Slayer, so I can not say, whether Ufotable is a good fit or not, for a Zelda anime.
Personally, I would like to watch an anime in the style of the artwork for Link's Awakening and Link to the Past. Simply magical.
@mariomaster96 you and me both...
@batmanbud2 Yeah, I know folks love Horizon. Personally I've never played it. I was just so bothered in Burnout Paradise by needing to drive to the starting line of every event instead of just selecting it from a menu. Frustrated with one Crash Mode level and want to try a different one for a bit? Can't just select a different one, gotta drive around to find it. I miss menus!
@Bret yeah, Paradise burned (HA) me out, too. Then again, FH5 had fast traveling, which definitely made things easier. I'm also a fan of PVZ GW2, which had an open playground hub you could goof around with your friends in.
@Jhena My advice to you would be to watch some of the action sequences from Demon Slayer. Plus, watch the concept trailer for the Genshin Impact anime. It's about how I would envision a Zelda anime, but maybe done in Akira Himekawa's art style (or something similar).
Basically, it's going to be an action-adventure series, with some romance also thrown in. The main demographic that I'm going for is young adults (so people in their teens). I want the story to be taken seriously (unlike the 1980s cartoon), so I want the art style to reflect that.
And it's not like it HAS to be Ufotable. I just say them because their concept trailer for the Genshin Impact anime looked beautiful, and given that they did excellent work with the fight scenes in Demon Slayer (and there will be plenty of that in my idea for a Zelda anime). It can be almost any other anime studio, such as MAPPA or Kyoto Animation. But I just don't think Ghibli is the right fit. The kind of story I'm trying to tell is not the kind they usually tell.
@AstroTheGamosian
Ufotable's concept trailer is basically just a 3D animation, which I did not expect. Nature definitely lacks the organic feeling you would get from a classic 2D animation, but it would work for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, I think.
@DollyrotsFan1 I agree would be a lot of fun
@Jhena Well, in my vision for the Zelda anime, it will take some elements from Breath of the Wild (and even more specifically, its spinoff, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity), but the story is largely an adaptation of the original NES game (again, with some embellishments to flesh out the story). That being said, some elements will also be taken from Zelda II for narrative purposes.
Alternatively, it would be neat to work with Kenji Kamiyama to make a Zelda anime. I don't know if you're a fan of The Lord of the Rings, but he directed the recent The War of the Rohirrim movie, which was an anime film (the first animated LOTR film since Rankin/Bass Entertainment worked with Topcraft, the predecessor to Studio Ghibli, to make their 1980 adaptation of The Return of the King). Even my mother liked the movie, and she doesn't even like anime! I could see a hypothetical Zelda anime looking a bit like that.
@AstroTheGamosian
I read the Lord of the Rings book and The Hobbit and I watched the movies. To me it was a great fantasy franchise, until it became a joke.
@Jhena I kind of get what you mean. I wasn’t too big on The Hobbit Trilogy, but I did like The War of the Rohirrim. I would love to see more LOTR movies or shows done in that format, especially The Silmarillion. I could frankly see a Zelda anime looking like that. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch that one yet, definitely do so, especially if you like anime.
@AstroTheGamosian
Only watched the first Hobbit movie. I liked it, but I have no idea, why I have watched the rest yet. Just watched the trailer of War of the Rohirrim. I have to say, the trailer felt awesome and looked gorgeous. Yeah I can definitely see how Kamiyama-San could make a good Zelda anime. Thanks for recommending it, I might watch it someday.
@Jhena Yeah, I liked it, and most audiences did as well. The critics were more critical, though, calling it clichéd. But anyone who knows high fantasy (Tolkien in particular), knows that such clichés are par for the course.
Fortunately, the movie is already available for digital. Probably because it flopped in the theaters (grossing $20.5 million against a $30 million budget). So you can at the very least rent it.
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