Leaked Mario Kart 9 Item Changes Would Need Careful Balancing

gamerant.com:

Information about unannounced Nintendo games doesn't always slip through the cracks, but Mario Kart 9 has been a topic of discussion among multiple insiders recently. So far, multiple sources have agreed that Mario Kart 9 will focus on crossing over with other Nintendo franchises, expanding on Mario Kart 8's intersections with Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, and Splatoon. Nintendo has plenty of iconic, charming franchises that could fit into Mario Kart nicely, so a crossover game wouldn't be particularly surprising. However, there's another major leaked change that hasn't gotten much attention: supposedly, item boxes will get some major adjustments in Mario Kart 9.

According to longtime leaker LeakyPandy, Mario Kart 9 will only have one item slot per player, unlike Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's double slots. What's more, item boxes will come in two forms, big and small, with big boxes dropping stronger items than small ones. Driving through a box while carrying a small item will transform it into its bigger form. If these Mario Kart changes are real, it could definitely shake up item distribution in an interesting way, but it also comes with balance issues. Nintendo would need to carefully rework the balance between all Mario Kart items, especially the items given to players in first and last place.

How Mario Kart 9 Should Tackle Retro Tracks

In Mario Kart, the players at the front are made vulnerable by their limited item selection. Item boxes only drop small, low-impact items like single Green Shells and Banana Peels. That lack of resources makes it possible for other players to catch up and take the lead, but if Mario Kart players in the front can upgrade items into things like a set of three Green Shells, they'll be much