Feature

Six Ways to Build a Better Mario Kart

By borrowing from their competition, Nintendo's racer could go from staid to stellar.

By: Marty Sliva December 6, 2011

If you'd like to find a title that best indicates Nintendo's stubborn aversion towards adapting to the current gaming climate, look no further than Mario Kart 7. It presents itself boldly as a Nintendo product with no regard for changes or advancements that the competition may have employed; and while this pride has led to some of their greatest triumphs, it's also contributed to many of their memorable missteps. As we pointed out in our staff review, there's nothing inherently bad about MK7 -- in fact, many of us still find ourselves playing the game even during this season's deluge of titles. It's just that we've grown weary of the creative rut that the franchise has found itself in over the past few installments.

In order to bring Mario Kart back to its former glory, Nintendo would be wise to take a look back at their competition; after all, it's no secret that traces of Mario Kart DNA can be found in countless titles within the racing genre and beyond. There's no denying that each of the following games took inspiration from the Mario Kart franchise in various amounts, but they did so while also bringing a few unique ideas to the table. Nintendo should take note that being in first place doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two by checking your rear-view mirror.

Beetle Adventure Racing

This oft-forgotten Nintendo 64 gem is one of the few cases where rampant product placement yielded positive results. Beetle Adventure Racing is most notably remembered for featuring tracks littered with a plethora of shortcuts. Some were as obvious as choosing the correct path at a fork in the road, while others required you to blindly swerve off a bridge with the faith that a hidden path existed below you. This element made replaying tracks a joy as you would continually uncover new paths to skim a precious few seconds off of your lap times. The inclusion of ample shortcuts in the next Mario Kart could reintroduce a risk/reward system that the series has been severely lacking as of late. The thrill of exploring a new track in MK7 quickly fades after a few laps, and multiple paths would certainly give the courses some longer legs.

Crash Team Racing

Yes, Crash Team Racing may have cribbed ideas from MK64 and Diddy Kong Racing on a nearly unethical level, but it also tossed in some unique concepts of its own. Collecting 10 apples in CTR -- the equivalent of MK7's coins -- resulted in any collected weapon being upgraded into a more powerful form. And hey, Nintendo already has the weapons included in the game for a feature like this to work; with 10 coins, a green shell could turn into a trio of green shells, or the effects of a star could double in duration. The implementation of a tiered weapon system would add a reason to collect the coins that litter the track other than a menial speed increase, while also giving the player in first place a slight edge over the inevitable onslaught of devastation creeping up to their bumper.

Diddy Kong Racing

Even though it hit American shores a mere nine months after the release of Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing offered a robust overworld that trumped the segmented cups of MK in numerous ways. Being able to explore the island and interact with characters broke up the monotony that sometimes set in from just participating in race after race. Admittedly, the dastardly deeds of intergalactic sorcerer Wizpig weren't exactly ripped from the pages of Hemingway, but the story wasn't the reason this feature shined; rather, the fluid geography of the world made navigating between each challenge fun in and of itself. Now imagine if the circuits in the next Mario Kart title each had a different overworld, ripe with side-missions and secrets that lay outside of the main races. If implemented with care, the ability to explore the Mushroom Kingdom could put some much-needed meat on Mario Kart's bones.

Prev 1 2 Next

Comments (50)

DKR was great!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by jgusw

It was so much better than SMK64. SMK is almost the same old bs every release. The last game I bought was Double Dash. Though I have played the Wii game, I had no interest in it. Someone bought it for me.

Flag | Reply

step 1
Posted: userComment.createdDate by nExtinction

Go the super smash bros. route.
Encorporate tons of other licenses.
I want to see Sonic, Link and Solid Snake.
Tons of trophies/unlockables

Do the things other games have been doing, for years.
Add a level editor.
Proper online multiplayer
Custom soundtracks.
Put Mod Nation racers to shame.

Do what Sony is doing
Cross platform multiplayer between 3DS and Wii owners. Make them pretty much the same game, and let the save data transfer between them.

Flag | Reply

Mario baseball style
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Frozen_Blitz

I would like to see it done like how next level games did with the mario baseball single player.

Flag | Reply

Overseas MarioKart
Posted: userComment.createdDate by MikeDeas879

I played a MarioKart arcade game in the Philippines that had playable Namco characters. Pretty sweet.

Flag | Reply

Isn't it surprising...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by nehebkau

that they didn't add more characters (like Smash bros.)? It seems so simple and would be much better than baby characters and such.
I think Nintendo really have to realise that Mario Kart isn't only a Kids game anymore...

Flag | Reply

Some of these...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by LBD_Nytetrayn

...are pretty good. The overworld idea would be interesting, as would powering up items-- especially if the really big stuff, the Blue Shells and Lightning Bolts, were only obtainable in this manner. Then they might actually seem like something special, rather than frequently recurring nuisances.
Another game they should look at is Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, which I still prefer to even Mario Kart 7 (much as I like that one). Of particular note, the better balance of items (nothing as annoying as the above) and the much more enjoyable way of unlocking new tracks, characters, music, etc.
And while I don't think this necessarily applies to any other games, it would be nice if we could get some more tracks in sometime. I think the GBA game had more tracks than the recent installments, and we keep getting more and more with every new game, meaning fewer and fewer (percentage-wise, anyway) older tracks make it into each new installment.
Taking out a lot of characters wasn't cool, and making those that are in there-- with a relatively small starting lineup, at that-- only unlockable by winning at the highest tier wasn't a welcome change, either (with the exception of Mii).

Flag | Reply
- GBA
  Posted: 12/10/2011 by octoberfleshed
  
  Super Circuit did have more courses than the more recent entries...Although I'm not sure how they'd tackle more courses. Possibly this could be accomplished by creating some that don't have to do with any of their franchises. The overworld aspect of DKR is what I'd personally like to see the most.
  
  Flag

No,no Super Smash Kart.
Posted: userComment.createdDate by guillermo_gage

I don't even want there to be too many characters in the next Super Smash Bros. game just include the original 12, the Kirby characters (because it's a Sora/Sakurai game and they might as well be in there) and a fraction fot eh Brawl vets, plus new characters for a total of noticeably less that the Brawl roster of 35 and maybe barely even the Melee roster of 25.

Double Dash!! was a grat idea. I wonder if it is possible to make a game where both options would be available. or to make course that specifically use the two-seater kart races in unique ways. i don't remember how idfferent the dynamic of the courses were in DD!! because it was all two-seater races.

But online co-op would be great that way.

I mean, it COULD be great that way. You just don't know about online with Nintendo, except that they'll include a Web BROWSER with their system.

Flag | Reply
- I don't get it
  Posted: 12/09/2011 by Cowgba
  
  Why would you want less options?
  
  Flag
- RE: I don't get it
  Posted: 01/29/2012 by RoboJacob
  
  Why would you want fewer options?
  
  Your friend,
  Jacob Edwards
  
  Flag

Mario Kart...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by rickopolis

I alwyas thought it would be cool if it had this sort of rally'targa mode where you do one really long race across varied mario/nintendo worlds. Be sort of like Wacky Races (the cartoon, not the game). Adding in characters from other Nintendo titles is basically a given.

Flag | Reply
- yeah
  Posted: 12/08/2011 by V4Viewtiful
  
  and a bonus catch the pigeon battle mode
  
  Flag

Cleverly h idden shortcuts are in the game
Posted: userComment.createdDate by pikadeth

There have been many instances where I've found them by hanging back and watching the damn computer fly off of a road for seeming no reason. This is especially true in the Wii Island or whatever they're called levels. The main thing that I want from Mario Kart are more tracks.

Flag | Reply

Too ambitious....
Posted: userComment.createdDate by MAConcep00

I don't see how you can be restoring Mario Kart's "former glory" by adding a crap-load of new features. I feel that that's the reason why Mario Kart isn't as good as its original predecessors.

Flag | Reply

CTR
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Rice*

Crash Team Racing remains to be my favorite kart racing game ever.

Flag | Reply

I miss double dash
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Jusonto

I just want to see two characters to a kart again.

Flag | Reply
- ...
  Posted: 12/08/2011 by V4Viewtiful
  
  Seconded
  
  Flag

Beetle Adventure Racing? hmmm ¬_¬
Posted: userComment.createdDate by V4Viewtiful

Flag | Reply
- YES
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by jparish
  
  Make it so.
  
  Flag
- That is no Beetle...
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by whitestreak
  
  It's a Fiat 500
  
  Flag
- It's Small
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by V4Viewtiful
  
  It's Sturdy, it's compact, it has 2 doors, it's an economy car, it's close enough
  (well apparently it was based on the VW bettle in the first place)
  
  Flag
- Hmm.
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by bobservo
  
  Do I smell a Lucky & Wild reboot?
  
  Flag
- Lupin the 3rd!
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by ngamer-90
  
  Fuck yes, that would be neat!
  
  Flag
- YES.
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by AkaiNeko4
  
  I WOULD PLAY THIS. O YUI I WOULD PLAY THIS.
  
  Flag

I said something like this a week ago...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by orelhabatuque

Hey Hey Hey...I called the mash up of Mario Kart and Smash a week ago in your review of Mario Kart 3DS.

Flag | Reply

if I only had to choose one
Posted: userComment.createdDate by xWhackoJacko

I'd be the Super Smash influences. I'd love to race as Kirby or Olimar!

Flag | Reply

Mostly agreed
Posted: userComment.createdDate by WolvenOne

Gonna agree with quite a few of these, except for Diddy Kong Racing, with one caveat.
I actually did like the overworld in that game, buuut, it kinda made quickly getting to the real meat of the game a bit of a hassle. Of, that problem can be fixed to a large degree, but it'll also persist to an extent.
So instead I'd offer a compremise. Throw in an overworld track, sure, but leave it purely for the story mode. Let people use the story mode to unlock new track, new characters, new gameplay modes, and then let people go directly to the tracks in every other gameplay mode. I mean seriously, if you want to go into the battle mode you won't want to spend 3-4 minutes navigating the overworld first.
Other than that, pretty much agree.

Flag | Reply
- if i remember correctly
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by sunmofo
  
  you could go straight to whatever track you wanted to in multiplayer, including battle levels.
  and you could just play multiplayer by yourself with bots, as well, so you could do that if you just wanted to play by yourself.
  
  Flag
- I recall differently
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by WolvenOne
  
  But it's been quite a while, so who knows.
  
  Flag
- sunmofo is right
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by JayDek
  
  you could choose any track menu style in multiplayer, but not so in story mode
  
  Flag

Super Smash Kart!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by ActuatorSM

The very idea makes me giddy and moist.

Flag | Reply

I actually..
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Vincent_Murdock1

Would love to see other Nintendo characters in a mario kart race, even if they were just copy and pasted from other archtypes. It doesn't have to be from every Nintendo game ever created, just the bigger/classic franchizes, Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, etc.

Flag | Reply

Pass
Posted: userComment.createdDate by sepewrath

especially that last point. Change just for the hell of it is pointless, not to mention the last time Nintendo let a franchise shake things up a bit, we ended up with this:
http://www.1up.com/news/introducing-1up-presents
Remember Dial Other M for Murder? A little change and its WWIII, they don't change and their doing the world a great disservice, funny how that works. As long as the series is producing fun and compelling games, no need to fix what isn't broken. Isn't that the same thing that was said about Samus post Other M?

Flag | Reply
- Very true
  Posted: 12/06/2011 by octoberfleshed
  
  you just can't win with some people, but at least adding a FEW more elements would be good. Maybe people want incremental changes, you know, like the series has been bringing...(it seems like you realize that though).
  
  Flag
- Change is good
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by jparish
  
  As long as it's good change. Not all change is done well. The concept that Nintendo should never do anything differently ever again because they took one game in the wrong direction is dowright toxic.
  
  Flag
- Ding
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by sepewrath
  
  ding ding, Mr Parish you win a prize. I was expecting someone to say that. Here's the thing about that, there aren't psychics working in the game industry, if there were, the N64 would of had CD's and Atari would have made Call of Duty 20yrs ago
  There is no way of knowing if change will be good, if people will enjoy it. I doubt Sakamoto sat there and thought "What can I do to make the fans hate this game?" He thought what he was doing was good change, so did BioWare with Dragon Age 2, Ninja Theory with DmC, 2K with XCOM, you get the point.
  The simple reality is people will far more often than not, reject change, you yourself did it. For every Resident Evil 4 there are 10 Resident Evil 5's. I certainly don't share the idea that change is bad, especially when necessary like with Resident Evil 4. But to risk change just for the hell of it, when the reaction is more than likely to be negative, makes no sense.
  There have been 7 MK games in 19yrs, the series isn't in desparate need of change to be fun or remain relevant. It says that right at the start of this article, you might say their playing it safe and think of that as a negative. But why take something that is fun and potentially make it not fun? We don't want them to kill the series now do we
  
  Flag
- Actually...
  Posted: 12/07/2011 by GenesisDoes
  
  A lot of those horrible ideas have garnered lots of fans. I love Metroid, but was not a fan of Other M., However a lot of people were, and have bought the game. In a lot of cases, I think most of us have Nostagia glasses on (I know I'm certainly guilty of this) and any type of change to our sacred cow produces "Toxic" results from us.
  
  Flag

please no pokemon
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Dragongod83

remember, this is MARIO kart, not super smash brothers. the game stars MARIO not evevery nintendo charecter. but if they add some select big names, please no pokemon!

Flag | Reply

New Weapons
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Mr.LametoWatch

New weapon types could include:Bombchu (Straight traveling explosive)Bombs (Morph ball bombs that drop and roll behind you)Bomb (Arwing Bomb that you fire ahead of you and can detonate whenever you want)Eggplant (Turns an opponent into an Eggplant for a while; disallows use of any items)Boomerang (Hit an opponent then catch your weapon; Lasts 3 times)Jumping Shoe (Allows you to jump over opponents)Grappling Hook (Allows you to grapple onto opponents way ahead of you)

Flag | Reply

Diddy
Posted: userComment.createdDate by orinomega

I have always thought that Nintendo should take a close look and Diddy Kong racing. The game was excellent. I loved the different vehicles. It was also a bit more difficult than any Mario Kart, except the first one. Smash Bros is another good one that could be useful in upgrading MK. Could you still call it "Mario" kart if all nintendo (and others) franchises make an appearence. Of course, Diddy is in MK and he wasn't really part of the "Mario" universe. Unless I am forgetting something. and whatever happened to DK Jr. from the original. I loved to hate that character.

Flag | Reply

I just wrote a blog about how Mario Kart could borrow a few ideas from DKR
Posted: userComment.createdDate by vincentgoodwin

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9092321
I absolutely loved Diddy Kong Racing, and I think it had some really cool ideas beyond just the overworld (silver coin challenges, boss races, vehicles that actually affect gameplay, unlockable characters, upgradeable weapons).
It's cool to read about other racers too that I forgot about. Beetle Adventure Racing...wow...that takes me back.

Flag | Reply

blue shells
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Puglet

I just want the blue shells to go away. If you're good enough to dominate a race, let the domination occur.

Flag | Reply
- I completely agree
  Posted: 12/09/2011 by Cowgba
  
  Blue shells are terrible. I wouldn't have a problem with them if they worked like red shells but still had the AoE explosion of the blue shell, but homing in on the first place player from anywhere on the track is too much. There are other ways to give less-skilled players*a fighting chance that don't feel so overpowered.
  
  *less-skilled than whoever is in first place, that is. I'm not suggesting that everyone who uses the blue shell is unskilled.
  
  Flag

All great ideas
Posted: userComment.createdDate by milkman_v1

Even a couple of them would invigorate the franchise. And big ups to the callbacks to Beetle Adventure Racing and CTR, two awesome, awesome games.

Flag | Reply

I'm glad
Posted: userComment.createdDate by ngamer-90

I'm not the only one who remember Beetle Adventure Racing, that game should get a reboot. And well some levels already have shortcuts kinda like that but expanding the idea like BAR (Beetle Adventure Racing) would be neat. The MNR's idea is a no brainer, I enjoyed that games customization options so much that I'm always changing something in my car. The DKR exploration can work if Nintendo actually did it, although I bet it would be big so maybe Mario Kart 8 or U can do that. Super Smash Cart would be neat, it could be a Mario Kart or Smash Bros spin-off lol Actually Smash Bros Kart can work well with the Diddy Kong Racing map style, having you race and explore the different Nintendo worlds and having different vehicle types, like Fox in his Arwing like the plane in DKR and maybe the Blue Falcon like the hovercraft, give it a cusomization ability, a track editor and bam, best kart racer ever.

Flag | Reply

Why change now?
Posted: userComment.createdDate by beepboopbop

Nintendo, for as long as I can remember, has made the same handful of games over and over again. When I was a kid it was great because they were the first or second time around. But, unfortunately, Nintendo lost me a long time ago. I have zero desire to play a new Mario with a new element or two thrown in. Yes, they are excellently made games and the idea behind them is fantastic, but you can only play one game so many times before its boring.

Flag | Reply
- Please TRY the new games...
  Posted: 12/08/2011 by Cronax
  
  If this is how you feel then please, take the time to try out the more recent outings of the Nintendo games. Sure, if you oversimplify the games then they are basically the same game, but saying that is like saying every shooter game is exactly the same...certain basic elements are the same but the difference between games is often immense. The things the new games add may not always sound like much but they create a very different experience.
  
  Flag
- I agree to a degree
  Posted: 12/08/2011 by beepboopbop
  
  I dislike it when any software developer makes the same game and adds on a few elements to alter the overall experience. I'm not saying Nintendo hasn't made some great games, but in my experience, they re-make those great games over and over again.
  Now, they have had some very innovative titles: Mario 64, Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros, Zelda Ocarina, and some others. But those innovative games are the exception, not the norm.
  
  Flag

Please.....
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Regulus27

Nintendo-kart. With all of nintendo's franchises racing each other. Make it happen nintendo!

P.S.-Loved Diddy Kong Racing!

Flag | Reply

Great ideas
Posted: userComment.createdDate by octoberfleshed

I especially like the one about the overworld much like DKR and ripping off of ModNation Racers for user generated content and the ability to have more customization. One can only hope with the next iteration of Mario Kart Nintendo will take some of those ideas. Or they can just think of something nobody else has and surprise us all, but that would be crazy talk!!!!

Edit: that sounded a bit trollish, but I meant all of it, innovate and steal (okay, maybe that isn't a great adjective but it's all I've got at the moment).

Flag | Reply