When you’ve released 200 video games in your franchise history, the ability to keep things original can be tough. Old ideas that proved popular are tempting to reskin and release again, and adding new, transformative features within the somewhat limited confines of a console’s specification can be equally tough.
Being able to reinvent yourself is a challenge the folks at Nintendo know all too well. Following the success of Mario Kart 8, it’s easy to see why Nintendo has kept relatively quiet about any follow-up release since announcing the release in early 2022.
While MK8 continues to bring in significant sales and boasts its, almost unilateral acclaim amongst prominent games review sites, trying to reinvent the wheel with a Mario Kart 9 almost seems unnecessarily risky. And yet, it seems, given the leaks we’ve managed to dig up – that’s exactly what the Japanese games industry heavyweights are planning.
Twists and turns
Nintendo is rapidly approaching the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Switch’s release. This, in itself, can hint at a new title being in the works. Many know about Nintendo’s preference to release roughly one title per console. If they intend to ring five years of the Switch with a new console release – a Switch Pro – then there’s also a good chance of a new release. Although the news on a Switch Pro is even thinner on the ground; the rumors we can find aren’t particularly positive of a release this year.
Of course, there’s plenty of speculation from fans of the franchise constantly circling around on the internet. Gamers avidly flock to reputable online communities like Win.gg in order to get the very latest Mario Kart news from credible sources. In the digital era, this is all too important with fake news on the rise. Some of the more trusted ‘leakers’ point to a number of interesting potential features for a theoretical MK9.
Kantan Games Consultant, Dr. Serkhan Toto, has certainly hinted that MK9 is not only in ‘active development’ but could feature ‘a new twist’. There’s some evidence for this. Nintendo notably increased hiring for new developers on their job boards within the last half-year. It’s not much to go on, but there are some theories as to what the game and its ‘new twist’ could be.
Firstly, it has been suggested that there will be anti-gravity and dual-passenger options for vehicles we saw in Double Dash, new additions that were received very well in MK8 will feature again, but these aren’t quite ‘new twists’.
We also have the insight of another leaker, Twitter’s @newmarkomaro, who described the concept for MK9 as ‘MK meets Super Smash Bros.’. Practically, this could mean a lot of new options in-game, including new takedowns of other racers, and alternatives to the bikes and karts that Mario Kart has built its game around.
A new twist could be a greater reliance and priority on online modes, with more regular weekly updates and challenges – it’s a direction that many other franchises have gone in, namely, Call Of Duty and Battleground.
Finally, if the series is attempting to follow in the footsteps of Super Smash Bros., we could theorize a larger, more diverse roster of characters. The line-up of familiar faces has always been part of what made the MK series so loveable, but bigger rosters are also something fans have made clear they’d like to see. Seeing the likes of Pac-Man, Sonic, Zelda or some other surprising cameo could be on the cards.
Added anticipation
Naturally, all of this speculation is exactly what Nintendo likes and wants to continue. Fans of the series are inclined to get more excited with the drip feed of hints that are filtering through. If we see any official announcements in the next six months, or some more substantial leaks (intentional or otherwise), there’s little else to do but keep our eyes peeled. Only time will tell if MK9 is on its way to the shelves this year or the next.