Information about unannounced Nintendo games doesn't always slip through the cracks, but Mario Kart 9 has been a topic of discussion among multiple insiders recently. So far, multiple sources have agreed that Mario Kart 9 will focus on crossing over with other Nintendo franchises, expanding on Mario Kart 8's intersections with Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, and Splatoon. Nintendo has plenty of iconic, charming franchises that could fit into Mario Kart nicely, so a crossover game wouldn't be particularly surprising. However, there's another major leaked change that hasn't gotten much attention: supposedly, item boxes will get some major adjustments in Mario Kart 9.
According to longtime leaker LeakyPandy, Mario Kart 9 will only have one item slot per player, unlike Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's double slots. What's more, item boxes will come in two forms, big and small, with big boxes dropping stronger items than small ones. Driving through a box while carrying a small item will transform it into its bigger form. If these Mario Kart changes are real, it could definitely shake up item distribution in an interesting way, but it also comes with balance issues. Nintendo would need to carefully rework the balance between all Mario Kart items, especially the items given to players in first and last place.
Mario Kart's Possible Challenges
In Mario Kart, the players at the front are made vulnerable by their limited item selection. Item boxes only drop small, low-impact items like single Green Shells and Banana Peels. That lack of resources makes it possible for other players to catch up and take the lead, but if Mario Kart players in the front can upgrade items into things like a set of three Green Shells, they'll be much safer than before. At the same time, if leading racers don't get anything special or useful out of big boxes, then being in the lead won't be very interesting. Nintendo needs to weigh item distribution carefully for the leaders.
Nintendo also needs to weigh item changes carefully for players who fall behind. Naturally, Mario Kart 9 will provide players in the back of the race with powerful items like Blue Shells and Bullet Bills that let them catch up, but will these items be exclusive to big boxes, or available from small ones while even stronger items fill the big boxes? If the latter is true, then Mario Kart players might be inundated with strong items, making a lead difficult to hold onto as players keep coming up from behind. If they're only in big boxes, though, catching up could be far more difficult for trailing players who don't get to item boxes ahead of others and can't afford to hold onto items in the hopes of getting an upgrade.
Shaking Up Mario Kart Items
The leaked Mario Kart 9 item changes seem plausible considering how Nintendo experimented with item changes in recent installments. In Mario Kart 8, Nintendo introduced some valuable new items, like the obstacle-destroying Super Horn and Piranha Plant, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe allowed players to build an arsenal by carrying multiple items. Big and small items boxes in Mario Kart 9 could offer similar diversity so long as Nintendo minds the rate at which these different boxes hand out each item.
If Mario Kart 9 is a Nintendo crossover game, then the item changes could turn out to be very appropriate. Other Nintendo properties could offer all kinds of interesting items, like a Zelda Hookshot that lets players grapple onto each other's karts. A long list of new items could really encourage players to seek out both big and small item boxes in order to change their strategy in a race. Still, these new potential items will only be exciting if they're fair. Nintendo just has to make sure that drivers in all parts of the race can benefit from the changes without getting uncontestable advantages.
Mario Kart 9 is rumored to be in development.