Throughout the start of 2022, multiple leakers claimed that Nintendo had started development onMario Kart 9for the Switch. Naturally, that droveMario Kartfans to watch the February 2022 Nintendo Direct in the hopes of a proper reveal for the game, and while fans did getMario Kartnews, it wasn’t quite what fans expected. Instead of a new game, Nintendo announced the Booster Course Pass DLC forMario Kart 8 Deluxe,which will add 48 previous racetracks to the game over the course of 2022 and 2023. It’s certainly a robust expansion, but considering how long it’s been since Nintendo released a newMario Kartgame, it wasn’t exactly what fans were hoping for either.
It’s worth noting, however, that the Booster Course Pass doesn’t necessarily negate the existence ofMario Kart 9.It’s entirely possible that Nintendo is developing a newMario Kartgame alongsidethe ambitiousMario Kart 8 DeluxeDLC. However, the DLC could shed light on Nintendo’s release plans forMario Kart 9.If the company plans to keepMario Kart 8 Deluxein the spotlight for the next two years, thenMario Kart 9might be intended as one of the Switch’s last major games, bridging the gap between the highly successful Switch and Nintendo’s next console.
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Mario Kart 9 as a Cross-Gen Game
The Booster Course Pass came as a disappointment to many because it refuted hopes thatMario Kart 9would release soon. Nintendo has no reason to release a newMario Kartgame while it’s working on a long-term DLC for the current game. ReleasingMario Kart 9in 2022 or even 2023 could actively turn fans away from the DLC as they choose to buy the new game instead of investing in an expansion, so it’s better tolet the DLC beMario Kart’s ambassadorfor now. Nintendo says the Booster Course Pass will last through much of 2023, which meansMario Kart 9might not see the light of day until 2024 or beyond.
IfMario Kart 9really takes so long to appear, then Nintendo may very well be starting to market its next console by then. Nintendo says it wants to work with the Switch for a few more years, which is understandable, consideringhow well the Switch has soldso far. Still, the Switch is far from a new console, and Nintendo will need to introduce a new platform sooner rather than later in order to compete with the high-power PS5 and Xbox Series X. In that case,Mario Kart 9may very well be announced alongside a new Nintendo console.Mario Kartis a very strong IP, so it could very well be a launch title for the next Nintendo console, as well as a final major title for the Switch.
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Mario Kart 9’s Possible Role
Nintendo using a game as ambitious and demanded as the rumoredMario Kart Crossroadsas a cross-gen launch title wouldn’t be so strange. After all,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildmay have been a Switch launch title, butit was a Wii U game too. Maybe Nintendo really will be planning to release a Switch Pro by 2024 or 2025, meaning the Booster Course Pass will be squarely in the rearview mirror, givingMario Kart 9the perfect opportunity to reveal itself.Mario Karthas tons of fans, so it could be a major draw for a new Nintendo console, as well as a lucrative way to signal the Switch’s final days.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s DLC may suggest that Nintendo isn’t about to release a new game, butMario Kart 9could very well still be in development. If the game really is as bold as leakers have suggested, crossing over with tons of other Nintendo franchises, then it wouldn’t be surprising if Nintendo wants todevelopMario Kart 9slowlyin order to deliver on the concept. In the end, slow development forMario Kart 9might pay off in more ways than one, since it could be an early star of Nintendo’s next console.
