In spite of high demand,Mario Kart 9continues to elude fans. Although leaks related to the nextMario Kartinstallation have hinted at a lot of interesting potential gameplay details, the game hasn’t been revealed as some leakers expected. Nintendo hasn’t given a clear reason whyMario Kart 9is taking so long, although the recent introduction of new DLC forMario Kart 8 Deluxecertainly sends a message about the company’sMario Kartplans. For the moment, it seems that this extremely lucrativeSuper Mariospinoff series won’t get a new game, even as theSuper Mariobrand flourishes in other ways.
Quite a fewSuper Mariospinoffs are doing well right now, even asMario Kartleaves fans hanging.Mario Partycontinues to thrive and grow, and Nintendo has started revisiting a few classic sports-themedMariofranchises. It’s possible that these revivals andMario Kart 9’s absence are connected. Nintendo may intentionally be devoting resources to otherSuper Mariogames, rather than prioritizingMario Kart, as a means of expandingSuper Mario’s brand on the Switch. Although holding off onMario Kart 9means Nintendo is missing an opportunity to capitalize on demand, there’s something to be said for focusing on a variety ofMariotitles.
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The Recent Evolution of Mario Games
The Switch has unexpectedly turned out to be a great console forSuper Marioside games. Fans have two differentMario Partytitles to choose from, offering a broad range of party game experiences. Nintendo also broughtMario Golfback on the Switch last year throughMario Golf: Super Rush,which was the first game in the series in seven years. What’s more, 2022 returns to anotherMario Sportsseries. After a 15-year hiatus,Mario Strikersis back withMario Strikers: Battle League,which upgrades the franchise’s action-packed take on soccer in a variety of ways.
Considering just how much Nintendo has broadened theSuper Mariofamily of games in the last few years, it’s possible that Nintendo is intentionally trying to focus on variety inSuper Mario, rather than focusing on its most successful spinoffs. The company may have decided that, sincethe Switch already has a best-sellingMario Kartgame, it doesn’t need to rush towardsMario Kart 9right now. Instead, it can ride the continued success ofMario Kart 8 Deluxewhile experimenting with otherMarioside games in search of another smash hit.Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis holding up its individual franchise so strongly that Nintendo certainly has good cause to devote resources to other franchises and encourage growth withinSuper Mario.
The Impact of Nintendo’s Possible Mario Priorities
Mario Kart 9theoretically getting sidelined in favor of differentMariogames certainly has its downsides.Mario Karthas always been a top Nintendo franchise thanks to its timeless, approachable, family-friendly gameplay, soMario Kart 9would likely sell very well. Nintendo is therefore losing out on a lot of potential profit and fan hype bynot makingMario Kart 9just yet. However, the broaderSuper Mariofranchise is better off withoutMario Kart 9in the spotlight right now.Mariohas always been a very malleable IP that lends itself well to a lot of creative games, and that malleability would be wasted somewhat ifMario Kartconstantly reigned supreme. A broader variety of ongoingMariosubseries will keepSuper Mariomore interesting as a whole.
It’s sad to think thatMario Kart 9could take a few more years to rear its head, but hopefully in the meantime Nintendo keeps bringing back otherMariofranchises to fill the void.Mario Baseballdeserves a comebackin the wake ofMario Strikers' return, for instance. Nintendo should take this time to try out newSuper Mariospinoffs too.Mario Kart 9will undoubtedly be a blockbuster game when it arrives, but by staying out of the limelight for now, it’s creating a lot of space forSuper Marioto grow. That may have been Nintendo’s plan all along.
