TheSuper Marioseries is known for its numerous spinoffs and subseries. The series’ take on other genres, such as the sports games,Mario Party, and especiallyMario Kart, are especially known for providing players with an opportunity to play as characters that would otherwise never have such a role. Characters like Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Wario are the most notable examples, with the latter two becoming permanent additions to the mainMariocrew from theNintendo 64 era. There are also characters that would have otherwise remained in a few games, such as Daisy, Birdo, and Rosalina, characters created for the spinoffs, like Toadette and Waluigi, as well as miscellaneous enemies and one-timers that are frequently represented in the spinoffs.
WithMario Kart 9being rumored to be in development, it is easy to think of the possible roster of a hypothetical newMario Kart. AlthoughMario Kart 8had a generally strong roster due to bringing Waluigi back and turning the Koopalings into playable characters for the first time but was also criticized for its focus on alternate forms of characters at the expense of older, more unique characters. It took a few years for Nintendo to include Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, Dry Bowser, and King Boo into the game with the release ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe. However, characters like Baby Rosalina, Pink Gold Peach, Tanooki Mario, and Tanooki Peach were present in the Wii U version. IfMario Kart 9were to actually happen, it would have to stand out with its roster.
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Rejected Veterans
There are some characters whose spot in aMario Kartgame is almost guaranteed. The eight characters fromMario Kart 64, and this point, Daisy, Rosalina, and Koopa Troopa have permanent spots in the roster too. In a way,Mario Kart 8shattered some expectations regarding the roster. The game brought back characters that skippedMario Kart 7, like Toadette, Waluigi, and Baby Mario, but for the most part, neglected characters that fans expect to appear. Some of them have become staples ofMariospinoffs with a playable ensemble cast.Mario Kart 8 Deluxebrought back four characters that were inMario Kart Wiibut notMario Kart 7and the originalMario Kart 8, but that was not enough to balance out the abundance of babies, metal forms, power up costumes, and characters from other Nintendo series. IfMario Kart 9wants to have the strongest roster the series has ever seen, it needs to dedicate itself to bringing back characters that were in older games that fans miss.
Diddy Kong and Birdo should be priorities. Despite being completely different, the two characters have similar histories, being introduced in games that were semi-related toMarioat best before being fully integrated into the franchise through the sports games in the early 2000s. As far asMario Kartgoes, they have only been inDouble DashandWiidespite being spinoff regulars, especially Diddy Kong. AMario Kartgame without these characters feels off.
There are one-time characters in the series that have a case for being brought back. Paratroopa and Petey Piranha fromDouble Dash, Funky Kong fromWii, and Wiggler from7, are the aforementioned characters. Paratroopa and Petey Piranha were frequently playable during the GameCube and Wii eras, with Petey being playable in everyMariosports game on those consoles aside fromSuper Mario StrikersandMario Sports Mix. Additionally, he recently made a playable comeback inMario Tennis Aces. Funky Kong is a fan favorite in his home series andMario Kart Wiiand was one of the more unique additions. Wiggler has the occasional playable appearance in sports games and most recently made hisMario Golfdebut withSuper Rush.
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Potential newcomers
Despite being the biggestMariospinoff and selling better than the platformers,Mario Karthas yet to fully take advantage of theMariouniverse’s potential with its rosters in a way that some sports games have.Mario Kart Touris experimental in a way due to its character roster. Despite the countless variations that could just be alternate costumes, the game is also the technicalMario Kartdebut of several characters. Hammer Bro, who has been present in sports games andMario Party, is playable alongside the other Hammer Bro variations. Due to being a unique and infamous enemy, a Hammer Bro in a futureMario Kart 9seems like a plausible newcomer. There is also Dixie Kong, who made herMariodebut inSuperstar Baseball, which would make for a welcoming addition.
The two most likely newcomers would be Kamek and Pauline. Kamek has been appearing more often in recentMariospinoffs, including making hisMario TennisandGolfdebuts, and was originally supposed to be inMario Kart 64before being replaced with Donkey Kong. Pauline was officially reintroduced withSuper Mario Odysseyand is going through a phase like Rosalina did over a decade ago. She is becoming a series mainstay and appearing in sports games. Due to how bigger her role is, her inclusion inMario Kart 9feels inevitable.
WhetherMario Kart 9is actually in developmentor not remains to be seen, but an easy way for the hypothetical game to outdo its predecessors would be to improve the roster. These characters are perfect contenders due to their history with theMariofranchise and specifically its spinoffs. To some fans that might felt disappointed with some ofMario Kart 8’s decisions, such a turnaround could salvage the weird emphasis on character variations
Mario Kart 9is rumored to be in development.
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