Mario Kart 9: 10 Gameplay Features Fans Demand
What happened to boss battles??
Believe it or not, but it's been seven years since Mario Kart 8 made its debut on Wii U (yikes) and four years since its Deluxe re-release on Switch.
There's currently no news regarding the next entry, making this gap the longest in the franchise's history. Yes, there's been remote controlled cars with Home Circuit, and Mario Kart Tour for mobile devices, but no actual numbered main entry.
To be frank, there probably won't be another any time soon, seeing as 8 is such a hot seller and practically prints money for Nintendo.
If we're being honest though, by now the franchise's formula is getting more than a little stale, and the series is due for a tune up. Whilst new ideas have been introduced to spice up gameplay, they were promptly dropped in the next entry.
So far there's only been one game to feature two racers sharing a kart in Double Dash, and only one to feature missions and bosses on DS.
After such a long wait, the next entry needs to be the very best version it can be, for the sake of the fans at least. Here are ten features that could help ensure a victory lap.
10. No More Random Unlocks (Spendable Money)
The current money system seen in Mario Kart 7 and 8 is odd.
If you collect a certain number of coins and you unlock something at random, it's functional, but you just spend ages racing and not knowing what item you're playing for. There's a chance that when you do unlock something it's a huge disappointment.
If you're going to have collectable coins then maybe they should behave like regular currency and allow players to spend them on the things they want. Total madness.
Imagine going to an in game mechanic, doubtless a Toad or Goomba in an oily hat, checking out the best wheels or spoilers and seeing the cost. You know what you want so now you have a new goal. The more items there are to unlock, the more reasons there are to return to a race and do better.
You could even have a dedicated race mode that's all about collecting the currency, similar to New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 3DS. Whatever way it's utilised, a new way of spending money creates a simple and rewarding gameplay loop.