It feels like an awfully long time has passed since the last traditional Mario Kart experience came our way.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe arrived on Switch back in 2017, which itself was a rerelease of 2014’s Wii U entry, and with mobile’s Mario Kart Tour and experimental Switch title Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit filling the gap since, some fans are beginning to wonder when the next ‘main’ game will arrive. According to one trusted games industry analyst, the next entry could actually be speeding into view quicker than you think.
Kantan Games’ Dr. Serkan Toto has shared his gaming predictions for 2022 with GamesIndustry.biz, noting that he believes the industry will likely see fewer delays this year and that crypto gaming could be about to get even bigger. In amongst those predictions, though, Toto discusses what he calls ‘Mario Kart 9’, a true successor to Mario Kart 8 that he claims is “in active development”.
“I am aware Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still selling very well on the Nintendo Switch, but Mario Kart 9 is in active development (and comes with a new twist) and Nintendo could tease it this year.”
So, a new Mario Kart game? With a brand new twist? And it could be shown off this year? Yes please.
Toto also believes that 2022 could see another mobile take on a classic Nintendo IP:
“On mobile, Nintendo has been very silent since Mario Kart Tour’s launch in 2019, but I think 2022 is when we will see an established IP arriving on smart devices again.”
In the same analyst predictions round-up, it was predicted that a next-generation successor to the Switch could arrive in “late 2024”.
Do you think it’s time for a brand new Mario Kart game? Could you imagine Nintendo showing off a new Mario Kart project this year? Race into our comment section below.
