A fan ofMariospin-offsPaper MarioandMario Karthas created an exciting mockup of how the two might look when combined with each other. It’s a real shame this isn’t a Nintendo-made project, as the end result is surprisingly promising.
As far asMariofans know,Mario Karttakes place in the same universe as the mainlineMariogames likeSuper Mario Odyssey. The same can’t be said forPaper Mario, which sometimes uses the paper-based nature of its world as a plot point.Paper Mariodid actually cross over with the mainlineMariouniverse inMario and Luigi: Paper Jam, where it was implied thatPaper Mariotakes place in a magic book contained in the “real” Mushroom Kingdom. Still, it’s unlikely that anyone would hold it against Nintendo for adding Paper Mario to theMario Kartroster.
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YouTube user Banana Pictures created a robust proof-of-concept for aPaper Mario Kartgame. The two-minute video includes a title screen, character-select menu with seven characters, and a lap around a racecourse. While the course is heavily based on N64 Royal Raceway fromMario Kart 8 Deluxe, the course looks very different rendered in a pop-up book style. Sadly, Mario is the only driver on the track. It would presumably be overkill to implement multiple on-course racers for a proof-of-concept, but it would be exciting to imagine how the various characters would interact with each other on the road.
Fans might be disappointed to see that the proof-of-concept’s roster sticks to a simple cast of coreMariocharacters. ManyPaper Marioenthusiasts point to the series' original characters as one of its best qualities, particularly those from earlier games likePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The simplest explanation is that Banana Pictures probably needed assets from the most recentPaper Mariogames to create a high-definition proof-of-concept. As recent games feature few original characters, there simply wasn’t much to choose from in compiling a roster.
Given thePaper Marioseries' reputation for having humorous and exciting stories, it would be fun to imagine aPaper Mario Kartgame specifically for its story mode. While recent games may not have the most exciting original characters, they do have exciting bosses that would fun to rematch in a go-karting context. FightingPaper Mario: The Origami King’sLegion of Stationarywhile in a kart, for example, would be especially fun.
While none of the currentMario Kartgames featurePaper Marioin any way, it’s possible this could change in an unexpected way. TheMario Kartattraction in Super Nintendo World, the new theme park attraction, is built on a game engine, meaning ride designers can modify it at any time. This means it would be possible to addPaper Marioat any time. It probably wouldn’t fulfill fans' hopes for a realPaper Mario Kartgame, but at this point, even a cameo in a theme-park ride would be a welcome first step.
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