Mario Kart 9 has finally been revealed, and it has the opportunity to revisit one of the best ideas from Diddy Kong Racing. Considering the Mario Kart series’ history of success, there’s no surprise that a new title was revealed as soon as the Switch 2 was officially announced. Not only that, but it was revealed that the new game will feature races with up to 24 characters, doubling the current maximum. However, there’s still more ways that Nintendo could work more ideas into the game, and Diddy Kong Racing features one idea that’s completely new to Mario Kart.
Even though Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo 64 library hasn’t featured it yet, Diddy Kong Racing was a classic title for the console. It was a kart racer, but it took a notably different approach than that of Mario Kart 64. Diddy Kong Racing features tracks that can be traversed in a car, hovercraft, and plane, with some tracks changing dramatically if multiple vehicles are available. The game’s power-up system was different too, with balloons of various colors providing different items, which could be upgraded by flying through the same colored balloon multiple times. Diddy Kong Racing‘s unique nature stood out in a crowded genre, making it a good inspiration for a modern Nintendo release.
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Diddy Kong Racing’s Adventure Mode Could Herald Something Similar in the Next Mario Kart
Diddy Kong Racing’s Adventure Mode Added a Flair to Singleplayer Racing
While there hasn’t been a new Diddy Kong Racing since the DS remake, the game has one feature worth seeing again. The game’s Adventure mode brought players to a hub world where they could eventually reach every track in the game as they won races to thwart the plans of the evil Wizpig. Not only do players have to beat every track, but they also have to finish bonus objectives such as the Silver Coin Challenge in the process. Each world even had a boss, with Wizpig himself faced at the end. For a racing game, it was a pretty well-realized version of a story mode.
Diddy Kong Racing wasn’t the only racing game to experiment with singleplayer adventure, as Crash Nitro Kart also had an Adventure Mode years later.
Mario Kart Has Very Few Dedicated Singleplayer Modes
With the exception of Mario Kart DS’ Mission Mode, the series has experimented very little with dedicated singleplayer modes outside time trials. While the success of the Mario Kart games cannot be underestimated, they unquestionably have far more to offer players in search of multiplayer action than those playing solo. The speedrunning community for the games is alive and well, but otherwise, the series’ tends to lack singleplayer challenges apart from beating every cup, which is also available in multiplayer. After so many entries spent refining the Mario Kart formula, it may be time to go all out with a singleplayer mode.
Mario Kart Has What it Takes to Create an Entertaining Adventure Mode
A take on Diddy Kong Racing‘s Adventure Mode could help Mario Kart 9 explore new territory. Unlocking tracks and cups through good performances is a good fit, but a Mario Kart adventure can go even deeper. It could also include all kinds of extra challenges similar to Mission Mode, repurposing various courses for tests of skill in several categories. An Adventure Mode could also reward players with new karts and parts for customization, a feature that Diddy Kong Racing did not have. With an undoubtedly huge amount of potential tracks at its disposal, Mario Kart 9 could definitely support a solid Adventure Mode.
Diddy Kong Racing‘s Adventure Mode is an endeavor that is worth revisiting, and it could very well inspire a feature in Mario Kart 9. The Mario Kart games have historically been fantastic party games, but they could certainly have a little more to offer in terms of singleplayer options. An Adventure Mode could give players plenty of challenges to face while playing alone. Diddy Kong Racing may be old, but it could be a good influence for Mario Kart 9‘s next idea.
Mario Kart
Mario Kart is one of the many video game franchises that see Mario take a break from platforming to bring his friends, and even his enemies, for some sporting competition.
The kart racing series has been going strong since the original Super Mario Kart in 1992, largely thanks to how enjoyable the games are to pick up and play for casual and hardcore gamers alike.