Mario Kart 9 shouldn’t turn the series into ‘Nintendo Kart’

digitaltrends.com:

Following a report that Mario Kart 9 is in the works, fans have been sharing their hypothetical visions of what the gamecould be. While the game is still a rumor, it’s assumed that there will eventually be a sequel to the sales juggernaut that is Mario Kart 8, which released nearly a decade ago in 2014. Based on the continued sales this game still rakes in on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo is obviously in no rush to get a sequel made and out the door, but that hasn’t stopped fans from making some ambitious predictions.

Almost any time a conversation about a potential Mario Kart 9 comes up, there’s one common request: Crossover characters. A vocal group of people out there want Mario Kart to be the new Super Smash Bros. with tons of guest characters filling in the roster. Some are content with it sticking to Nintendo properties, dubbing it Nintendo Kart, while others want characters from all gaming properties in the driver’s seat.

Neither of these options is what the series actually needs. Mario Kart 9 needs to focus on delivering what the series actually does best by providing one of the best arcade racing experiences around.

Mario Kart might seem like the perfect platform to introduce Super Smash Bros-sized crossovers thanks to its focus on characters, but it’s not really the series’ strength. Mario Kart has never been about the drivers, but the actual act of racing itself. On the other hand, Super Smash Bros. is built around the fantasy of smashing characters from different franchises together to see which would win in a battle. No one buys Mario Kart games because they can’t wait to see who would win in a race between Mario and Birdo.

Mario Kart is built on the core arcade kart racing experience. That means imaginative