Even as the current game gets generous expansions, leaks aboutMario Kart 9make it hard not to think about the franchise’s future. According to several sources,Mario Kart 9is in development.Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass may only just be getting started, but it would stand to reason if that surprising DLC is buying time for an ambitious new game that needs a few more years of development. If the rumors are true, thenMario Kart 9may indeed be ambitious, breaking franchise tradition by focusing on crossover content involving other major franchises in the Nintendo game library.A crossoverMario Kartgame could certainly be refreshing, since the franchise generally picks playable drivers fromthe same list ofSuper Mariocharacterswith every installation. New faces would be a positive change. However, crossing over with other Nintendo properties could create an obstacle for a core part ofMario Kart:retro tracks.Mario Kartgames always feature throwbacks to previousMario Kartgames nowadays, butMario Kart 9may have to give up some space usually given to retro tracks in order to make room for new content. That could turn out to be a serious downside.RELATED:Mario Kart 9 Should Borrow Special Skills From Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart 9’s Possible Approach to Courses
Leakers claim that quite a few Nintendo franchises will be represented in the nextMario Kartgame.OneMario Kart 9sourcehas suggested that the game will feature characters from franchises as famous asStar FoxandThe Legend of Zelda,as well as far more obscure franchises likeBalloon Fight.AMario Kart 9roster of this scope would inevitably result in a lot of new courses. In order to truly feel like a crossover game, the game will need courses that allow all the franchises to overlap with one another in a multitude of ways. IfMario Kart 9just lets various Nintendo characters drive onSuper Mariothemed tracks, then they’ll feel more likeMario Kart 9’s guests, rather than the elements of a crossover-driven game.
Mario Kart 9will probably still feature some number of newSuper Mariotracks alongside these new tracks from other franchises, but that means the game’s course roster will fill up rather quickly. Depending on how many racetracks each franchise gets, it may be impractical for Nintendo to both design a wealth of new courses and remaster a variety of old courses. In other words, in order to make room for other Nintendo-themed tracks, Nintendo may decide to omitretroMario Karttracksand focusing on making the best roster of new courses that it can.
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Retro Tracks in Mario Kart
Dropping retro courses altogether would definitely be a controversial move. WhileMario Kartfans love to see new courses in every game, they also really enjoy revisiting old favorites with better graphics and new characters. Retro tracks are a great way to experiencehowMario Karthas grown and changedover the years. While it would be reasonable to trim down on the number of retro tracks for the sake of guest franchises, ideallyMario Kart 9will still include some throwbacks. Maybe Nintendo can compromise between old and new by making less newSuper Mariotracks or by trying to create an even split between guest tracks, newMariotracks, and retro courses.
For the moment, though, fans should prepare for less retro tracks than usual, based on theMario Kart 9leaks. It may be that theMario Kart 8 DeluxeBooster Course Pass, which brings dozens of classic courses back, is preemptively trying to make up for a retro course deficit inMario Kart 9.If that’s the case, then at least Nintendo already has some sort of solution in mind. IfMario Kart 9is short on classics, then at least fans haveMario Kart 8 Deluxeto fall back on.
Mario Kart 9is rumored to be in development.
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