Like most people, I didn’t buy a Wii U and, like most people, my first experience with Mario Kart 8 came on the Nintendo Switch, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
As one of the best Mario Kart games of all time, and as one of the Switch’s best-selling games, it’s really easy to forget that this isn’t a brand-new title – it’s actually a revamped version of a game that’s now six years old.
So, when will the Switch get its own Mario Kart game? Well…hopefully sooner rather than later.
Since the Switch’s launch in 2017, Nintendo has packed a serious punch with its stellar line-up of games, pulling out all the stops with the likes of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still one of the Switch’s best-selling games, and can still regularly be spotted on the sales charts, so imagine just how well Mario Kart 9 could do…(if people stop buying 8 at least).
There’s a huge expectation for a game of this scale though, and the internet has been more than happy to throw suggestions Nintendo’s way.
Over on Reddit last year, a user named Underwhere_Overthere asked to hear some ideas from the MK fandom on how Nintendo could improve on MK8.
“I’d love it if we got a creation tool, though I feel like they may designate that to an entirely separate game rather than a mode in the game,” wrote Underwhere_Overthere.
“Otherwise, I’d like a few courses on jet-skis and in planes. I’m not saying I want this to overtake the game, but just to have a cup for the jet-skis and a cup for the planes. It would also be cool if, instead of a separate cup, the choice in vehicle simply would start you on the race track, in the air, or in the water.”
It’s definitely an interesting idea and it’d be the perfect follow-up to Super Mario Maker 2, which also saw a very successful Switch launch back in June 2019.
As the Redditor points out, it’s hard to imagine that being a game mode though, and instead is likely to be a dedicated title – if it ever happens.
On the same thread, another Mario fan wrote: “Mario Kart Ultimate. All tracks, all racers, all vehicles are here!”
I think that would be a definite winner…
The earliest we can expect Mario Kart 9 – in any form – would be 2021 I suppose, and that’s working with the assumption that it’s been secretly worked on since the Switch’s launch.
Unlike most other companies, Nintendo tends to reveal its games within 12 months of launch, so if we’re expecting a new Mario Kart in 2021, we can probably hope to see it revealed by the end of this year.
Do you think Nintendo is working on Mario Kart 9, and when will it be arriving?
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo