Everybody loves Mario Kart. Whether you’re a serious sim racer or a casual arcade gamer, Mario Kart is always a fun and enjoyable experience.
The most recent "regular" MK release was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, the enhanced version of the Wii U game. 8 Deluxe is hugely enjoyable and a real challenge if you’re wanting to top the leader boards and beat the developer times.
Last month though, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit came out, potentially signalling a change in focus for the series.
Where does the iconic arcade racer go from here though? And when could we see Mario Kart 9? We’ve got everything you need to know right here!
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
MK Live: Home Circuit was released in October and is the most unique Mario Kart game we've seen in a long time. In Home Circuit, you use real-life toys to construct stages which you then race around on the Switch.
It almost sounds too good to be true, but if you want to see it for yourself, the announcement trailer shows you what you need to know:
It’s a fine tribute to the Super Mario franchise, which has turned 35 this year.
By utilising a camera on top of the RC car, you pound around the room you’re in and compete against the AI. It wouldn’t be Mario Kart without multiplayer, but there are no concerns here, as you can play against your friends on the same track.
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There are no worries when it comes to how much space this will take up, it’s not like a train set or Hot Wheels track. There are no physical roads, just gates which you place down.
Mario Kart 64 Remastered
Remastering games is nothing new and Nintendo are doing exactly that by releasing Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy for the Switch. It’s a new “All-Stars” which brings together some of the best Super Mario games of all-time.
This isn’t a remaster like Tony Hawk 1 & 2, it hasn’t been redone from the ground up. That’s too big of an undertaking, but remastering Mario Kart 64 is within Nintendo’s capabilities.
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Next year is the 25th anniversary of MK64’s release, so it’d be a good time to release a remaster of the classic game.
This is all speculation though, and we haven’t heard anything official on this as of yet.
Mario Kart 9
It’s likely that after Live: Home Circuit, we could have to wait until the next home Nintendo console for another Mario Kart.
The Switch was only released in 2017 and has been selling very well, over 60 million units in just three years!
It’s doubtful that Nintendo will want to release a new console to rival the PS5 and Xbox Series X, we would’ve heard something by now if that was the case.
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It’s not an exact science, but Nintendo usually wait at least five years before releasing a new home system. Going by that logic, it means the new console will be released in 2022.
If the Switch is still selling well though, we could see its shelf life extended beyond that date.
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However, Mario Kart 8 wasn’t intended for the Switch, so 9 could be released sometime next year. The Switch isn’t capable of running 4K resolution, something even the PS4 and Xbox One can manage.
You’d think that the next Nintendo home console would be able to do so and that would be the graphical step up required to warrant a new Mario Kart. When that will be is anybody’s guess, as Nintendo is notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to their upcoming releases.