Even thoughMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass has mitigated the need for an entirely new game for now,Mario Kart 9seems inevitable.Mario Kartis one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises, and it can’t stick withMario Kart 8 Deluxeforever, so eventually, it’ll move on to a new game. That’s why recent leaks about a newMario Kartgame are so tantalizing. Hearing similar information from multiple sources makes it seem likely thatMario Kart 9is really in the works, but what it’ll actually look like is uncertain. Ideally, Nintendo will bring some compelling new mechanics to the table.
When it’s craftingMario Kart 9’s new mechanics, however, it doesn’t need to reinvent the franchise completely. A new twist on an old mechanic might be enough to make the game feel fresh. For instance,Mario Kart Tourmight be able to offer the next game a strong mechanic with room for growth. InMario Kart Tour,each character has a Special Skill, which is an exclusive type of item that they can find on the racetrack. By combining Special Skills with its rumored emphasis on Nintendo crossovers,Mario Kart 9could offer players a lot of mechanical depth.
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Special Skills in Mario Kart 9
A lot of rumors say thatMario Kart 9will feature Nintendo charactersfrom outside theSuper Mariouniverse. Naturally that opens the game up to a lot of exciting new racetrack and playable character possibilities, but Special Skills could really shine this way too. IfMario Kart 9borrows Special Skills, then each character could have an entirely distinct ability based on the game they come from. For instance, Olimar’s signature item might be a Pikmin that cling to riders and hamper their driving, aSplatoonInkling could pick up a Splattershot that lets them spray ink on their opponents, and so on. If Nintendo’s most famous characters can each inspire unique movesets inSuper Smash Bros.,then they can surely inspireMario Kartitems too.
Mario Kart Tournotably features kart and glider skills too; each vehicle has a special characteristic that can give the player an advantage under the right circumstances.Mario Kart 9could adapt these skills too, all while continuing to take inspiration from other franchises. ASplatoonvehicle might provide resistance to the effects of oil slicks and Bloopers,aStar Foxvehiclecould perform a barrel roll during boosts that knocks away items, and so on. The bolder Nintendo gets when pulling Special Skills out of its various franchises, the better.
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Mario Kart 9 Needs Innovation
Mario Kart 9will need creative mechanics like these in order to feel distinct. The last fewMario Kartgames have all gone out of their way to innovate, fromMario Kart 7’s hang gliderstoMario Kart 8’s antigravity racetracks. IfMario Kart 9doesn’t push the envelope with its mechanics, then it’ll risk feeling like a step backwards for the franchise. Still,Mario Kart 9doesn’t have to reboot the franchise in order to feel fresh. Putting a new twist on Special Skills would go a long way in givingMario Kart 9its own identity.
Leaks surroundingMario Kart 9certainly give off the impression that Nintendo wants to try new things. RecentMario Kartcrossovers make a drastically different cast of characters seem plausible, and changes to Item Boxes would only beMario Kart’s most recent item revision. Those experiments make the return of Special Skills seem plausible.The Booster Course Passmay mean thatMario Kart 9is far away, but that’ll just give Nintendo spare time to try out new ideas and figure out what’ll serveMario Kart 9best. Hopefully Special Skills are among the mechanics that it’s considering; they certainly have a lot of potential.
Mario Kart 9is rumored to be in development.
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