The Next Mario Kart Desperately Needs A Good Gimmick

Mario Kart 8 has been out for nine years now if you include the Wii U version. Despite the Switch port continuing to sell insane numbers since it came out in 2017, many people believed that a new installment was way past due. When the Booster Course Pass was announced instead, it was a bit controversial, with one side of people stating that it was time for a new game, and the other side believing that this was the best course of action and that there's nothing else Nintendo can do to innovate the franchise.

[ZycoFox]

There's nothing wrong with the games, but after most of them being very samey, I got a bit bored. I liked MKDS because it added a mission mode, yeah it didn't have maybe as many as I'd like but it was decent for variety.

I really prefer the new Mario Party for the different types of games in it.

Mario Kart doesn't really feel fresh because you know what to expect for every new game pretty much. The single player mode of DKR was far more in depth a game vs Mario Kart IMO, MK is probably better for multiplayer though.

[-Foxtrot]

It needs a campaign mode like Crash Team Racing with open hubs, driving around the Mushroom Kingdom, selecting your races and the like. Have a system like the CTR tokens within the races that then unlock secret racing cups later on or the time relics to unlock other things.

There's nothing wrong with the games but when you've had the same set up for so many games it just gets a bit samey after a while.

They could even have something like a track creator like Modnation Racers or something.

[Neonridr]

I always enjoyed the single player aspect of Diddy Kong Racing myself.

[Knushwood Butt]

After starting with the first game on SNES, I think the last one I bought was on the DS.

[Phlacky]

I think the next gimmick should be interactive tracks with obstacles and traps such as maybe throwing a shell ahead to make something fall on another player Also have water and mud parts that effect handling more also fire parts that can cause you to over heat if you stay in it to long etc...

[Yi-Long]

I don’t think it needs ‘a gimmick’ so much, because gameplay is pretty much perfect right now, but I would like the next Mario Kart to do either a ‘track-builder’ thing, so you just get access to the tools and make your own tracks (think Modnation Racers or LBP Karting), and/or expand upon ‘Mario’ Kart and open it up to the rest of Nintendo IPs, and just do a ‘Nintendo Kart’, so we’d see more of Zelda, but also Starfox, Kirby, Metroid, Valkyria Chronicles*, etc.

* I know, technically not ‘Nintendo’.

[Magog]

Nintendo has been reskinning the same 5 games over and over to grown ass men trying to relive their childhoods and it has made them huge piles of cash. You can't blame them for sticking to a winning formula.

[BrainSyphoned]

I know the gimic they will use and it is super. They will name it Super Mario Kart Deluxe 8 and it will be exclusive to the next system. All the kids will say "wow this game is just like the last one but it sure is Super". All the journos will give it a 10/10 saying it is leaps and bounds above the Mario Kart 8s before it that didn't not have Super in their name.
It will sell like Super hot cakes even though the only this they changed is which new Amibo you can scan in for awesome skins.

[Nuclearmoon]

Community made maps allowing tracks and new game types would be a start

[LucidIllusion]

Seriousl. Sequels for games these days are getting painfully stale.