We’ve been waiting for Mario Kart 9 almost as long as we’ve been waiting for GTA 6. Since 8’s launch, there has been a mobile game and a spin-off, but the Wii U hit is still raking in money for Nintendo - at least, the Switch version is - so the likelihood of us seeing a sequel before Nintendo brings out a new console is looking slimmer and slimmer. It might arrive eventually, but I ain’t holding my breath. If it ever does happen and we get the mythical Mario Kart 9, it should branch out and become more of a Nintendo Kart, roping in Ganandorf, Star Fox, Pikachu, and more.
The Super Smash Bros. name is a riff on Super Mario Bros., playing on Nintendo’s most iconic franchise with the idea that you’re smashing its characters together. Yet, in spite of it being Mario-centric by its very namesake, it’s far more expansive, including a wealth of Nintendo flagship characters and other series’ own like Steve from Minecraft. If Steve, Persona 5’s Joker, MGS’s Snake, and the Wii Fit Trainer can get into a ‘Mario’ game, then why is Kart so stingy? It’s already begun to branch out with the likes of Link, various Breath of the Wild tie-ins, Samus via an Amiibo, and a few Animal Crossing characters. It’s on the cusp of being the racer equivalent to Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 9 needs to embrace that.
Lobbing a blue shell at Ash Ketchum in first place while playing Wario riding a giant Pokeball with wheels would be a Nintendo fanboy’s dream come to life. It’s a treat exchanging blows with Bowser and Zelda in Super Smash Bros., crossing over in a tournament that makes the Nintendo catalog feel like a more childish Olympics. It feels like an extension of the promise that comes with these games. Kart is ultimately all about a bunch of buddies and enemies coming together to put aside their differences to have a fun little race, even if it can get a little bit heated with those trailing behind turning into Bullet Bills that tear through the competition.
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Nonetheless, it’s all about coming together regardless of where you’re from. See where I’m going with this? "Regardless of where you’re from" - Bowser is out here racing with a woman he routinely kidnaps while Mario and his childhood rival Wario are going toe-to-toe. It’s no holds barred, just like Smash Bros.
The invitations should extend into the multiverse. After all, the arcade Mario Karts sport Pac-Man. There are your humbugs who think that the game should be purely Mario and nothing more, that even including Link is a step too far, but you have to look at what these games are and who they are for. Ultimately, it’s a neat little party title for people of all ages to enjoy, but primarily, it’s aimed at kids who can dive in and play as all their favorite Nintendo characters in one place.
I remember the rush to pick Shy Guy or Wario, my two go-tos, whenever I booted it up with my brother on the DS. Having such a selection made me giddy, and that’s just from the Mario world. I got the same excited feeling seeing Link in Mario Kart when I was a teen. Imagine the joy of young Nintendo fans seeing the likes of Lucario or Ridley available to play in this racer. It’s a ‘Mario’ game by name but that hardly matters. What matters is the fun that comes with Kart's very nature.
I’d like to think Nintendo understood as much when it brought the other characters into the fold in their limited quantity in 8, but leaving it at that or even going back to nothing but Mario in the next outing would feel like a huge step back. Geno is never going to be in Smash, but maybe he’ll be in Mario Kart 9.