Nintendo fans have been asking forMario Kart 9for a long time now, so it’s great to suddenly hear from multiple leakers that the next step for the racing franchise is in development. Various sources claim that a newMario Kart"with a twist" is on the way, and some of those sources say that the game is a crossover-focused title, potentially calledMario Kart Crossroads.In this game, Nintendo properties likeStar FoxandPikminwill join the roster, resulting in a racing game that brings Nintendo’s biggest properties together under the roof of one multiplayer game, much likeSuper Smash Bros.
A Nintendo crossover racing gameusing theMario Kartbannersounds like tons of fun, and it makes sense too. RecentMario Kartgames have already featured guests from other Nintendo properties likeThe Legend of ZeldaandAnimal Crossing.If Nintendo intends to ramp up its number of guests, however, it should be careful not to scrap too many knownMario Kartcharacters to make room for other faces of Nintendo. As great as a crossover game could be,Mario Kartis also inherently aSuper Mariogame, and so it’d be a shame to see niche but well-lovedMariocharacters lose their place inMario Kartin order to produce a crossover.
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Preserving the Faces of Mario Kart
IfMario Kart Crossroadsis the future of the franchise, then Nintendo has two choices:FollowSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate’s leadwith an “everyone is here” approach, or cut severalSuper Mariocharacters to make room for other Nintendo franchises. The latter option could be practical, just so thatMario Kart Crossroadsdoesn’t swell to unmanageable proportions, but it would be pretty tragic. After all, there’s quite a few characters who rely onSuper Marioparty games to get representation in the series.
For instance, Rosalina has become a mainstay ofMario Kart, Mario Party,and so on, even though she’s only been in a handful of coreMariogames. That limited importance could see Rosalina get cut inMario Kart Crossroadsin favor of more important Nintendo characters. Toadette is similarly reliant onMariospin-offs; even though she first appeared inMario Kart: Double Dash,a crossover game might not have room for her.
Eventhe fan-favorite Waluigimight not make the cut, depending on the scale of the crossover. Even if these characters and other like them have limitedSuper Mariopresences, they all have dedicated fans who would be sad to see them go. They’ve been inMario Kartfor so long that the next game wouldn’t feel the same without them.
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A Vast Mario Kart Game
With that in mind,Mario Kart Crossroadswill probably have to lean into theSmash Ultimateapproach of expanding its roster. While that could be a little overwhelming for fans at first, there’s certainly ways that Nintendo could streamline the experience without cutting characters. For instance, playable drivers might be organized in folders based on the game they’re from for ease of access.Mario Kart Crossroadscould also condense some characters by making them share stats in the same way asSmash; for instance,Bowser Jr. and the Koopalingsmight all be one playable character separated by cosmetic choices.
The bottom line is that, even if the nextMario Kartgame invites more guests than usual, it is fundamentallyaSuper Mariospin-off.Super Smash Bros.is a crossover game by design, not stemming from any one franchise in particular, butMario Kartwill always be aMariogame at its heart. That meansSuper Mario’s representatives shouldn’t have to step back in droves to make room for other Nintendo characters. Unless the rumoredMario Kart Crossroadsis just a new Nintendo racing game that’s specifically meant to tie franchises together,Super Mariocharacters deserve to keep their priority in the roster.
