Mario Kart Games Need More Customizable Elements Like DS Emblems

gamerant.com:

The Mario Kart franchise has stalled somewhat. Its latest releases are Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Switch port of a 2014 Wii U title; Mario Kart Tour, a divisive mobile gacha game that leans hard into microtransactions; and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, an augmented reality game utilizing toys in real-world spaces. Mario Kart 9 seems unlikely to release in the near future, as8 Deluxe is a sales juggernaut that will be rolling out racetracks via the Booster Course Pass through the end of 2023.

As interesting as experiments like Home Circuit can be, keeping to one mainline title across two console generations means there's less innovation pushing the boundaries of what a Mario Kart game can be. Mario Kart 8's anti-gravity mechanic led to unique course design, for example, and going back players will find 7's flying and underwater sections revolutionized its presentation as much as the dual racer karts in Double Dash!!. One fondly remembered entry is Mario Kart DS, which had a single-player Mission Mode, DS Download Play for local multiplayer, and firmly established «retro courses.» However, one element that future Mario Kart games should pull from this handheld release is customizable emblems.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass Should Include More Characters

While entries such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!!let players choose between different vehicles with unique stats for each character pairing, 2011's Mario Kart 7 was the first to let players customize individual elements of each kart. There were 17 kart bodies, 10 tires, and seven gliders for the aforementioned flying sections to mix-and-match, and doing so subtly tweaked stats like acceleration. That system continues into Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart Tour, though the