Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis the best-selling Switch title, having sold over 43 million copies as of July 06, 2025, according to Nintendo’s Investor Relations. This is impressive considering it’s an enhanced Wii U port, complete with racers beyond theSuper Mariocast. Rumors circulated earlier this year thatMario Kart 9would be revealed with a focus on crossovers, but instead Nintendo announcedMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass with 48 courses. Still, these rumors underscored an interest in more Nintendo crossovers thatMario Strikers: Battle Leaguecould capitalize on.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguewasannounced at the February 2022 Nintendo DirectalongsideMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s upcoming content, and is arguably a much bigger surprise. Next Level Games' originalSuper Mario Strikersreleased for GameCube in 2005, and was followed up byMario Strikers Chargedon Wii in 2007.Battle Leaguealready stands out as the 15-year return of a franchise, but crossover characters akin toMario Kart 8would help it topple Mario’s numerous other sports franchises.
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Where Mario Kart Crossovers Falter
Mario Kart 8was well on its way to becoming the ultimate Nintendo crossover experience. After releasing on Wii U in 2014, the racing game received paid DLC packs adding Link fromThe Legend of Zelda, as well as Isabelle and Villager fromAnimal Crossing. Each series also received its own racetrack, and alongside those came courses based onF-ZeroandExcitebike.ASplatoontrack came toMario Kart 8 Deluxein 2017 alongside Inklings, and later aBreath of the Wildcostume was introduced for Link.
All of these additions were welcome in a game many decried for having an uninspired roster of characters like Pink Gold Peach and the Koopalings, but the idea of crossovers inMario Kartis inherently more restrictive than a game likeSuper Smash Bros.People watchedSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate’s guest fighter rolloutintently to see not only who would be added, but also how their original mechanics would translate toSmashcombat.
Mario Kart 8certainly gave its crossover characters their own flavor via racetracks with gimmicks likeAnimal Crossing’s seasons, plus vehicles with unique horn sounds. Yet, driving as Luigi ultimately isn’t that different from driving as an Inkling. Characters inSmash Bros.can all use their own attacks, but a kart racer demands its vehicles handle similarly.
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How Mario Strikers: Battle League Crossovers Could Be a Cut Above
On its face,Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguehas plenty of room for DLC. There are classic Mario characters who don’t appear in its trailer, with fans expressing interest in a playable Princess Daisy. If she or other fan-favorites don’t appear at launch, DLC could rectify this while implementing new courts that have different hazards, a host of custom gear, items to throw, and more. Given the track record of prior Switch spin-offs likeMario Tennis AcesandMario Golf: Super Rush, a lot of post-launch additionscould come free.
It would behoove Nintendo to keepBattle Leaguealive considering its title alludes to a greater focus on online play; the upcoming game will let up to 20 users form clubs that compete. While online tournaments should keep plenty of fans interested, releasing crossover DLC in the vein ofSuper Smash Bros.may build up a serious, speculative community. The differences between each character inMario Strikerswarrant this idea far more thanMario Kart.
For example,Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguehas “Hyper Strike” moves that scores two goals instead of one; such as Luigi kicking his ball into an electrified tornado. The franchise is also known forgiving each major character “sidekicks"that serve as the rest of their soccer team. Crossovers could introduce new sidekicks like Bokoblins from Hyrule, or even Pikmin from PNF-404, if Next Level Games is willing to stretch its game to more ridiculous levels.
Nintendo purchased Next Level Games in January 2021, which means theoretically the studio could have access to Nintendo’s whole catalog — well beyond references like Kremlins in the originalMario Strikers. While character abilities, arenas, and sidekicks would all draw in audiences, no doubt the biggest selling point for crossovers inMario Strikers: Battle Leagueis the chance to see popular characters rendered in its gritty, sketched art style. Custom gear could offer players the chance to dress Mario up in Samus' power armor, but full-on DLC is worth considering all the same.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguereleases on July 20, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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