10 Things We Want In The Next Mario Kart Game

10 Things We Want in Mario Kart 9

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 things we really want in the next mainline “Mario Kart” game!

Improved Kart Customization

Starting with “Mario Kart 7”, players were able to fully customize their karts with different bodies, wheels, and gliders. It was a welcoming addition to the franchise for both casual and hardcore players, and “Mario Kart 8” bolstered the feature with even more parts than ever before. The only problem we have with it is that your stats entirely depend on only which kart body you go with; the wheels and gliders don’t change much else that’ll affect your play style. If the next “Mario Kart” is to continue kart customization, we would like this feature to be expanded upon or fleshed out a bit more to where other kart parts can greatly alter your stats, not just wheels and gliders. Maybe take a page from “Mario Party 5’s” Super Duel Mode and have us pick from different engines and special weapons as well?

A Better Replay System

All kinds of crazy things can happen in a single race. Problem with “Mario Kart 8” is that it doesn’t always recognize these moments and will instead show “highlights” of more mundane moments. For the next “Mario Kart” we’d love to see Nintendo put the camera in the player’s hands. Instead of a pre-made highlight reel, why not record the whole race or Grand Prix instead? Give us the ability to scrub through the race and make our own awesome reels! With this kind of a feature, you can guarantee there will be countless clips to find hilarious and wild moments from other people’s races.

Different Perspectives

This is a small thing, but it’s still something we’d like to see: different camera angles. Ever since “Mario Kart 64” in 1997, the series has only ever given us a couple of camera angles, but only the necessary rear-view and zoom out. What about, say, a first-person mode? We know that “Mario Kart” has never been about immersion like other racing games try to achieve. However, we did get close to that viewpoint with the augmented reality game, “Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit”. Even if we can’t get the camera set at the very front of the kart to feel that sense of speed, could we maybe get one that sits on the hood of the kart?

More Meaningful Roster Picks

Don’t get us wrong, we love “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, but there is one glaring issue regarding the roster. Well, SEVEN glaring issues, in fact. Why do we have Mario, Metal Mario, Tanooki Mario, Peach, Pink Gold Peach, Cat Peach, and Peachette? We know the other variants of Mario and Peach have their own stats, but why not give those stats to a completely new character then? All of these variants could have been costumes instead. We know a similar case could be made for Bowser and Dry Bowser, although the case with Mario and Peach was just way too egregious. Please, Nintendo, don’t pull this again with the next game.

Less Tours, More Tracks

Another gripe we had with “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” was the Booster Course DLC. Now, we were super happy overall with the tracks that were included, specifically the remakes of older tracks and even the few original courses we got like Merry Mountain and Yoshi’s Island. However, every single cup had at least one course from “Mario Kart Tour”, the mobile spin-off game that fans weren’t super crazy about with its monetization and course selection. We know why these were included, too - it was most likely a cheap way to give us more courses without having to go and redesign an older course. Recycle over remake. If that truly was the case, then fine, but let’s not get carried away with the “Tour” representation in the next game when there are still plenty of courses from “Mario Kart Wii” and “Mario Kart 7”.

Revamped Progression

If you wanted to unlock every single kart part featured in “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, you would have to collect a grand total of three thousand one hundred coins from your races. Sounds easy until you realize that the game only counts the total you have at the end of each race, which caps out at ten coins per race. To some, this grind isn’t a big deal. For us…it was grueling. For the next “Mario Kart”, we are praying that Nintendo comes up with a far better way for us to earn kart parts and characters. Tie them to beating Grand Prixs, tie them to Grand Prix ranks, tie them to flippin’ Time Trials if you want just like you guys did with “Mario Kart Wii”! But if you are really adamant about the coin counter, the least you can do is raise the cap. Let the coins count even if we hit the cap! You’re making a gameplay mechanic serve doubletime as a currency!! It doesn’t make sense!!!

Give Us A Career!

One concept we’re surprised Nintendo hasn’t tried with “Mario Kart” is a proper campaign or Adventure Mode. This is an idea that was explored by other kart racers like “Diddy Kong Racing” and “Crash Team Racing” back in the late 90’s. The closest we ever got to something like this was a Mission Mode in “Mario Kart DS”. To this day, that Mission Mode is a big reason why some folks still go back and play “Mario Kart DS”. Thing is that “Mario Kart 9” (or whatever the next game is called) shouldn’t just do another Mission Mode. It needs the same treatment as the Mario sports games get where there is a full-fledged story, places to go to between races, characters to talk to, things to collect, challenges to overcome aside from normal races – make it an adventure! Give us the Grand Prix tradition, of course, but let’s do something truly magical with a full-blown campaign!

Expanded Battles

One of the most disappointing aspects of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” was just how neglected Battle Mode was. While Balloon Battle, Renegade Roundup, and Bob-Omb Blast were delightful breaks from normal racing, this side of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” never saw any ounce of post-launch support. No new maps, no new mode, nothing. Maybe some data on Nintendo’s end showed them that not as many players really cared about Battle Mode? Who knows, but we would love to see at least a couple of updates if the next game keeps Battle Mode around…which it should regardless of data.

New Race Modes

Speaking of Missions and Battles, there is something to be said about the core of “Mario Kart”. So many unlockables are tied to Grand Prix and Grand Prix only that a player really has no reason to do Time Trials, Battle Mode, or anything. If the next “Mario Kart” is going to keep Grand Prix as the most important mode in the entire game, we need not just different speeds, but different kinds of races to keep things fresh. Why not let us race on courses backwards? That’s an idea that was explored on some of the Booster courses. How about a mode of no Item Boxes? Or a mode where you must drive through gates? Or a mode where if you get hit by course obstacles, you lose a life? Let’s get nutty with the races like we did with “Deluxe’s” custom race options! Who’s up for a Blue Shell Only race?

The Never-Ending Guest List

In 2014, “Mario Kart 8” director Kosuke Yabuki was asked by Nintendo Life about the possibility of a “Smash Bros”-esque roster for a new “Mario Kart”, to which Yabuki replied with “...I’m not ruling out the possibility of such an approach…” Sure enough, “Mario Kart 8” and its Switch port would bring in Link, the Inklings from “Splatoon”, and Isabelle and the Villager from “Animal Crossing”. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” even received amiibo support where Miis could don racing outfits based on other Nintendo characters. We would absolutely love for this concept to be revisited for the next game so long as we don’t stray too far away from the “Mario” in “Mario Kart”.

What would you like to see improved upon or added into the next “Mario Kart” game? Let us know down in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!