What Does Mario Kart Look like in a Post-Mario Kart 8 Deluxe World?

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Five years ago today, Nintendo shipped one of its greatest exclusives yet in the form of “Mario Kart 8.” And while the platform exclusivity didn’t help the Wii U as much as they certainly would have liked, it nevertheless went down in the console’s short history as one of its best games around.

Fast forward a few years and we see a bigger, better and ultimately much more successful Nintendo. They may have not provided their fans with the next proper sequel to the long-running kart racing series; however, the already great “Mario Kart 8” quickly found its way over to the Switch and somehow became even better.

Today, the niche of driving games that “Mario Kart” falls into isn’t overly populated; however, even when in comparison to other games with the “Mario” namesake and Nintendo's other big titles as well, “Mario Kart 8” remains to be one of the finest first party hits they have delivered in recent years.

In celebration of “Mario Kart 8’s” five year anniversary, I was originally planning on a bit of a retrospective for the kart racer, one that I’d use to look at all of the aspects that Nintendo incorporated into it that make it the definitive experience. I then however decided what would be more interesting would be to analyze what the series could do moving forward. With “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” on the Switch being arguably the best in the franchise and easily the most content-heavy and enjoyable game of its kind in today’s market, what could Nintendo possibly do in the future? It’s hard to imagine they haven’t already begun planning the inevitable “Mario Kart 9” but what exactly does that look like? I’d like to dive into what I think about the subject with you.

First of all, I believe there is one major thing Nintendo has done right with its most recent iteration of “Mario Kart” that none prior can say the same, a change that is very exciting moving forward. That is the roster and its expansion from just traditional “Mario” characters. While Donkey Kong, Wario and Yoshi have gotten their own leads in games and even garnered a new set of characters within them, they are still, at the core, characters in the “Super Mario” franchise. What “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” has however is the addition of characters representing “Animal Crossing,” “Splatoon,” and “The Legend of Zelda.” This is a pleasant departure and one that can only hint at “Mario Kart” looking more and more like “Super Smash Bros” with time, regarding its roster.

I think that “Super Smash Bros Ultimate’s” staggering roster that will top 80 playable characters soon is a bit of a stretch for the “Mario Kart” franchise. However, I can’t help but think its a lot easier to develop a large roster in “Mario Kart” as opposed to “Super Smash Bros.” And with that being said, why can’t we get a sizable amount of playable drivers, expanding Nintendo’s catalog? I think for starters, give us Fox McCloud from “Starfox,” Samus Aran from “Metroid,” Pikachu from “Pokemon” and Kirby from “Kirby” to round out the classics as seen as in the original “Super Smash Bros.” And from there, it wouldn’t hurt to have representation from just a couple others like “Fire Emblem” or “F-Zero” or of course, a couple representatives from the aforementioned series. I firmly believe this is potentially a realistic route for them to go with the roster and one that will sit well with Nintendo's fans for sure. It would also be beneficial to prevent the roster from being too familiar and generic, what with pallet swaps, babies, etc. rounding out a large roster, making it inevitably look less special.

Likewise, the tracks could of course benefit from this expansion of represented I.P. in “Mario Kart.” So many locations from classic Nintendo games and newer ones alike have reasons why they are stuck in our memories. Nintendo knows how to make special games and their settings are often just as impactful as their characters and music. So of course, “Mario Kart 9” would have to implement more series’ locales to make some special tracks to go with the characters.

Likewise, the main series of “Mario” and its counterparts have seen new locations come and go too, especially with “Super Mario Odyssey” and to a lesser extent, “Yoshi’s Crafted World.” It is also safe to assume we’ll see more core “Mario” before the next kart racer drops, so by the time that it does, we will definitely have tons of gorgeous and creative places to drive through.

I personally think the staggering amount of playable courses is awesome in “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” but why stop there? We have 12 cups now and that is more than we may deserve but I think the next “Mario Kart,” certainly with the help of future DLC, should go even further. Bringing back all of the fan favorite tracks from the long-running series history, as well as making new ones like I previously stated, would make for an experience that feels extremely long and full, and all for the better.

Content is key in any game like this, being a title where you play for days, weeks, months and even years post-launch. A game with a focus on multiplayer and on being a service needs a lot to do. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” didn’t skimp on this what with their improved battle mode, missing from the original game’s release, and the aforementioned plethora of race-able tracks. Now that we have up to 200cc and Mirror Mode to challenge us even further, a strong foundation for battle mode and a great deal of playable tracks and characters to choose from, what more do we need? Well I believe the next “Mario Kart” needs to give more specific challenges and events.

Nintendo should bring together a huge event mode where we are tasked with going to a certain course, using a certain kart setup or character, and doing a number of tasks or challenges within certain means. This can be seemingly endless content if done right. Nintendo can give character and track-specific challenges alone and make this mode massive. Why stop there? Why not make it an ever-evolving and dynamic online mode, one where you can play with friends or strangers too? While Netherrealm Studios has made some toxic moves with their Towers of Time in “Mortal Kombat 11,” I can’t help but think about that mode and the Multiverse in “Injustice 2” as inspiration so to speak. These games have events that unlock access to all sorts of rewards like cosmetics for example. I think that if Nintendo was to implement a similar system, though one that is free of unfair grinds and desire for microtransactions and loot boxes, there could be a really fun, long-term experience for “Mario Kart” players.

And with those unlockables, like I said, as long as loot boxes and toxic microtransactions aren’t abused, there could be some cool things Nintendo could do to improve personal experiences. Maybe we can get different color schemes or, more desirable- skins or costumes, for the racers in the game. We all know the kart customization is going to return but maybe they could evolve that. Let us customize colors and use custom decals. Let us mess around with more aspects of our vehicles rather than just base bodies, gliders and wheels. Imagine if “Mario Kart” had all out, deep, personal customization? I think it would be a massive game changer, one that would give us that much more incentive to keep playing for quite some time.

I admittedly spent most of this article talking about characters, tracks, modes and customization options, not touching on core mechanics. That is simply, because Nintendo has nailed it at this point. With each installment, they seem to get better and better at making the definitive kart racer. “Mario Kart 8,” no matter how you play it, feels impeccable. The game plays super well. Whether it is the smooth drifting or gliding or the genuine skill required to nail first place, “Mario Kart” has basically hit its peak. In my personal opinion, I can’t complain at all about how it plays an feels and can’t quite think of what would make it better. I believe Nintendo will add some mechanics to how the game plays, as they did in the past with underwater and gliding sections but I truthfully think they have reached their prime in making “Mario Kart” play the best it could. And that is why I focused on everything else.

There you have it. Those are all of the ideas I have for the future of “Mario Kart.” Those are the things I believe, if incorporated and done right, would make the next “Mario Kart” title the best it could be. Once you reach such high heights in a game franchise like Nintendo has ultimately done time after time, it is hard to picture where it goes next. Will Nintendo develop a new “Mario Kart” game for the Switch or will we have to wait out a hiatus for the franchise to breathe? It is impossible to say; however, one thing’s for sure, “Mario Kart 8” is the best in the franchise and of its kind on the market, and even if we don’t get “Mario Kart 9” anytime soon, we will always have this excellent game to play for years on end.