Here’s Why Mario Kart World Isn’t Called Mario Kart 9

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The marquee launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 is, without a doubt, Mario Kart World.

For the second consecutive console debut, a Mario Kart game, specifically Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has been instrumental in setting the tone for Nintendo. However, it’s worth noting that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also made a significant impact on the Nintendo Switch.

As a gamer, I’m super excited about the release of Switch 2, but what’s missing from my wishlist are classic titles like Super Mario, Zelda, or Metroid, along with their counterpart, Mario Kart World. While a new Donkey Kong game is on its way, it seems like it’s just going to be Mario Kart World on the first day of this new console’s life. So, I guess it’s time to gear up for some intense Mario Kart action!

In a fascinating discussion with developers, I learned more about the story behind the game title, Mario Kart World. One intriguing point that stood out was the choice of calling it Mario Kart World instead of Mario Kart 9. It seems they wanted to emphasize the global and connected nature of this new installment in the series.

Nintendo Says That Mario Kart World Takes The Series To A New Level

It wasn’t until the release of Mario Kart 7 in 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS that Nintendo began numbering their Mario Kart games. This was actually the seventh mainline game in the franchise. The trend continued with Mario Kart 8 in 2014 and its Nintendo Switch version, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. However, contrary to expectations, the upcoming Mario Kart game for the potential Switch 2 won’t be called “Mario Kart 9.” Kosuke Yabuki, producer of Mario Kart World, clarifies why this is so.

If the idea had just been to add more courses, then I think we would’ve called it Mario Kart 9.

However, we took a different route on this occasion. Our goal was to elevate the series, so instead of sticking with the traditional numbering system, we opted for a fresh start by changing the title to Mario Kart World. Consequently, the concept artwork created during the initial stages of development already bore the title “Mario Kart World”.

In his explanation, Yabuki mentioned that the team aimed to capitalize on the concept of a globally interconnected environment, made possible by the advanced hardware within the Switch 2. This enables players to smoothly move between levels and experience a unified, expansive world, which was their goal in designing Mario Kart World.

We’ll see if it is worth the wait, and the money, on June 5th.

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2025-05-22 19:10