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[AuthenticM]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a magnificent game. Just beautiful, fun, and bursting with content. So many courses, and with a proper vs mode too. The driving is the best-feeling of the series. There's a crazy amount of selectable characters and karts.

It is one of the most polished games I have ever played.

So this raises the question: how does Nintendo proceed with the eventual Mario Kart 9? By completely revamping the single-player mode, taking the idea from a GAF-favorite game that Nintendo itself released over a decade ago.

The idea of a story in a Mario Kart game has been floated around here before. At first read, it sounded unnecessary. "Mario Kart doesn't need a story", I told myself. "Just give me tracks so I can race." But then I started thinking about how a story could be implemented and for it to make sense. Then it hit me:

Mario Kart 9: Of Glitz and Glory

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has a (fantastic) chapter in which Mario and pals participate in a fighting tournament. They must fight a long series of battles in order to claim the champion's belt, on which is found a star. Between each battle is weaved a mystery taking place backstage. Mario and friends must talk to people and solve whatever sketchy thing is happening in Glitzville. It is my personal favorite chapter of the game, elevated by great and gripping writing.

Nintendo should take that template and apply it to Mario Kart. You still have your courses and races just like every Mario Kart game up to now. But instead of going from course to course by using a menu, the game would have a hub-like area in which the player could walk about, talk to NPCs, and watch cutscenes, all in service of telling a compelling narrative with fantastic writing, like Nintendo is known for with the Paper Mario series.

This thread is Rawk Hawk-approved.

 

[SMG]

Rare showed the way.

 

[Toki767]

They probably just need to include more Nintendo characters and tracks.

Then branch off into characters from other companies like what Smash does.

 

[sanstesy]

The only thing I care about in racing games is playing online against people or locally with friends. This wouldn't automatically make it better than MK8 as a result.

Give me more tracks over a single player campaign any day.

 

[nightside]

Well a challenge mode would be quite cool. Something akin F-zero gx.

 

[K' Dash]

Yup, I expect Nintendo to go Diddy Kong Racing for the next Mario Kart.

 

[Mindman]

I just wish the single player cups were challenging.

 

[funkystudent]

I remember Crash Team Racing having a fun single player story mode for the time.

 

[psynergylover]

2 Mario 2 Kart!

Starring Vin Diesel and the Rock as playable characters!!!

 

[KingBroly]

- Mission Mode
- Captain Falcon
- Diddy Kong
- Double Dash Mode

There, Mario Kart 8 is perfect if you add all 4

 

[Boem]

The mission mode in DS was fun, but I don't think it needs an actual story. At the end of the day this is made for multiplayer, and for racing. I don't really see how adding a bunch of text and cutscenes inbetween solo racing will add anything to it. It's not like Nintendo stories (especially the Mario ones) are really worth following. Something like TTYD might be the exception to that, but that's not what you'd get in a racing game.

 

[Hispanic! At the Disco]

2 Mario 2 Kart!

Starring Vin Diesel and the Rock as playable characters!!!

Id be so salty if the rock got in before rawk hawk!

 

[Syinn]

I don't really see the need for a story. I wouldn't mind challenges or something though to go along with time trials

 

[Mr-Joker]

Nah, multi player is and has always been the most important aspect of Mario Kart so it doesn't really need a story mode to bloat it down. Grand Prix and time trial is fine for single player contents.

 

[Betty]

Yes please, Diddy Kong Racing with Mario Kart characters would be a dream come true.

 

[Bitanator]

Is that new Diddy Kong Racing rumor still floating around, I can see them having that come back with a story mode, I'd be all over it

 

[Sapiens]

Stupid me, I always thought you improved a game by adding new and challenging gameplay elements.

 

[Sandfox]

Either Nintendo Kart or revive another racing ip.

 

[Stopdoor]

I think a more structured single player mode would be awesome, but it just feels too pie-in-the-sky to hope for some sort of plot and Paper Mario dialogue for Mario Kart. They seem to silo these sorts of "styles" pretty well, Mario Kart is more of a "show, don't tell" series, more similar to the mainline games.

But some sort of hub world could work, I think. The next entry could stand some healthy innovation, MK8 is amazing, but it's been very incremental for awhile now.

 

[zeexlash]

I hope they just focus their efforts on making the best possible tracks, including more like Mount Wario that are continuous rather than laps.

 

[Berordn]

- Mission Mode
- Captain Falcon
- Diddy Kong
- Double Dash Mode

There, Mario Kart 8 is perfect if you add all 4

Double Dash mode would basically be asking them to make a whole new game, but otherwise I'd agree. More tracks wouldn't hurt either.

A campaign probably wouldn't be bad, but it wouldn't do much for the longevity of the game which is the real goal of Mario Kart anyway.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Stupid me, I always thought you improved a game by adding new and challenging gameplay elements.

Stupid me, I always thought a full fledged story mode could include new and challenging gameplay elements.

 

[BD1]

Adventure mode with light platforming and loose story to tie it all together.

I dunno though, Mario Kart is Mario Kart. I wouldn't mess with the formula. Just give us Diddy Kong Racing.

 

[JetSetRadio]

Let me pick cc online, still get thrown in 100 at 2800 rating.

 

[Drackhorn]

Rare showed the way.

This.

 

[Shaanyboi]

By reintroducing Mission Mode. Mario Kart doesn't need a plot. But it needs more meaningful single-player content.

 

[Crankshaft]

I beat the story mode in Diddy Kong racing one time and never went back. I'd rather nintendo focus on multiplayer, maps and battle modes. Stuff that people would continually use.

 

[Mistouze]

How does Nintendo top MK8DX ?

Waluigi's Pinball

 

[VanWinkle]

Might work.

Honestly, I'm just more surprised/disappointed that it doesn't have a world tour or campaign mode with various things to do, a'la Crash Team Racing or Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed. Makes it sooo much more fun when playing single player.

 

[Daknight]

Not sure about story mode, but I belive making a mission mode again would be nice addition.

Maybe add the 'rival' system from f-zero as you get bonus etc, etc and unlock stuff faster if you say 'hit your rival with a red shell' kind of thing, not necesary, but a small optional challenge in single races.

 

[Pagusas]

Add Pokémon. I have no clue why Pokémon aren't in Mario kart by now.

Imagine how awesome some Pokémon tracks could be. Like Pokémon Snap


Also they need to fix battle mode. It hasn't been fun sence the SNES days. Allow us to choose how many CPU players would be a huge win, as right now it feels like a giant cluster fuck

 

[CharminUltra]

I wouldn't say no to a SP campaign, but personally I want more and better MP racing tracks and battle arenas (and maybe a new/original MP mode.) Fun MP is why Mario Kart is king, so if Nintendo wants Mario Kart Next to take the crown from MK8 they need to knock it out of the park in those areas.

 

[AlexFlame116]

Might as well also make it Super Smash Bros. Karts while we're at it. Story mode would be cool though!

Stupid me, I always thought you improved a game by adding new and challenging gameplay elements.

Boo.

 

[Mory Dunz]

The extra budget to profit ratio makes it not worth it at the moment for them imo.

Something lower budget like missions maybe. But even then

 

[Gaiaknight]

mario kart does not need a story imo I personally really enjoy the current single player modes honestly my hopes for mk9 are is a more expanded online multiplayer

 

[PsionBolt]

That sure sounds like a lot of work for a button on the main menu that the average player might click once over the game's decade-long lifespan.

 

[Berordn]

Add Pokémon. I have no clue why Pokémon aren't in Mario kart by now.

The Pokemon Company holds onto the characters with an iron grip.

Historically they haven't been super fond of letting them show up in games they haven't made themselves.

 

[Peru]

Agreed.

 

[Jawmuncher]

A MK with a adventure mode would have me on board. I need more incentive when I don't have any friends to play with. I have in interest in getting 1st place in all the CCs with no real reason to.

 

[MiamiWesker]

Lack of a good single player mode is why I don't like Mario kart. This would fix that issue.

 

[Gaiaknight]

Add Pokémon. I have no clue why Pokémon aren't in Mario kart by now.

Imagine how awesome some Pokémon tracks could be. Like Pokémon Snap


Also they need to fix battle mode. It hasn't been fun sence the SNES days. Allow us to choose how many CPU players would be a huge win, as right now it feels like a giant cluster fuck

the pokemon company didnt even allow nintendo to use the amiibo to add costumes to yoshi woolly world the pokemon company is stingy as hell when it comes to the pokemon being used for other things.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

All it needs is a good single player mode, more robust online/matchmaking options and actual decent fucking netcode, everything else is near perfect as it is as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Falchion]

Yeah story modes to racing and sports games are actually pretty fantastic so I'd live to see what Nintendo would do with it.

 

[mindsale]

I really, really don't need to know the motivation and characters arcs of Mushroom Kingdom racers.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Would probably suck like Brawl's. Let them do what they're good at please.

 

[Pompadour]

Do we really have to add this shit to every game?

The only thing holding back Tetris is a full-fledged story mode.

 

[Astral Dog]

Story? In Mario? Hahahahaahha!

 

[fhqwhgads]

The only worry to that is how a story mode would need a lot of work in order to make it match up to something like Crash Team Racing or Diddy Kong Racing. Except some parts of the game to get cut down in order for more work to be put into the adventure mode.

 

[Berordn]

Do we really have to add this shit to every game?

The only thing holding back Tetris is a full-fledged story mode.

To be fair, we did get that with Puyo Puyo Tetris.

 

[Instro]

Hopefully. Let's fix the barebones online functionality too...haha.