In spite of high demand, Mario Kart 9 continues to elude fans. Although leaks related to the next Mario Kart installation have hinted at a lot of interesting potential gameplay details, the game hasn't been revealed as some leakers expected. Nintendo hasn't given a clear reason why Mario Kart 9 is taking so long, although the recent introduction of new DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe certainly sends a message about the company's Mario Kart plans. For the moment, it seems that this extremely lucrative Super Mario spinoff series won't get a new game, even as the Super Mario brand flourishes in other ways.

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The Recent Evolution of Mario Games

Mario Golf Super Rush

The Switch has unexpectedly turned out to be a great console for Super Mario side games. Fans have two different Mario Party titles to choose from, offering a broad range of party game experiences. Nintendo also brought Mario Golf back on the Switch last year through Mario Golf: Super Rush, which was the first game in the series in seven years. What's more, 2022 returns to another Mario Sports series. After a 15-year hiatus, Mario Strikers is back with Mario Strikers: Battle League, which upgrades the franchise's action-packed take on soccer in a variety of ways.

Considering just how much Nintendo has broadened the Super Mario family of games in the last few years, it's possible that Nintendo is intentionally trying to focus on variety in Super Mario, rather than focusing on its most successful spinoffs. The company may have decided that, since the Switch already has a best-selling Mario Kart game, it doesn't need to rush towards Mario Kart 9 right now. Instead, it can ride the continued success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe while experimenting with other Mario side games in search of another smash hit. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is holding up its individual franchise so strongly that Nintendo certainly has good cause to devote resources to other franchises and encourage growth within Super Mario.

The Impact of Nintendo's Possible Mario Priorities

Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and Shy Guy racing on Paris Promenade in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 9 theoretically getting sidelined in favor of different Mario games certainly has its downsides. Mario Kart has always been a top Nintendo franchise thanks to its timeless, approachable, family-friendly gameplay, so Mario Kart 9 would likely sell very well. Nintendo is therefore losing out on a lot of potential profit and fan hype by not making Mario Kart 9 just yet. However, the broader Super Mario franchise is better off without Mario Kart 9 in the spotlight right now. Mario has always been a very malleable IP that lends itself well to a lot of creative games, and that malleability would be wasted somewhat if Mario Kart constantly reigned supreme. A broader variety of ongoing Mario subseries will keep Super Mario more interesting as a whole.

It's sad to think that Mario Kart 9 could take a few more years to rear its head, but hopefully in the meantime Nintendo keeps bringing back other Mario franchises to fill the void. Mario Baseball deserves a comeback in the wake of Mario Strikers' return, for instance. Nintendo should take this time to try out new Super Mario spinoffs too. Mario Kart 9 will undoubtedly be a blockbuster game when it arrives, but by staying out of the limelight for now, it's creating a lot of space for Super Mario to grow. That may have been Nintendo's plan all along.

Mario Kart 9 is rumored to be in development.

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