Email: What would a Super Mario Kart spinoff be like?

Hello Master Malstrom,

A few posts ago you said that the Mario franchise (at least the games that succeeded) were all spinoffs from one another: Donkey Kong >> Mario Bros. >> Super Mario Bros. >> Super Mario Kart.

It’s interesting to see how a spinoff game can make a franchise name even more famous instead of just relying on the fame it already has. With that in mind, how would you make a Super Mario Kart spinoff in order to expand the Mario universe?

My best regards,

A long time reader.

Open world Mario Kart. It would combine 3d Mario into the Mario Kart game. You can get off your kart. You can upgrade the kart. You can drive around and do whatever.

Make it a city. And add in people playing there online. It would be Open World Battle Mode. It’d be so addictive, no one would stop playing!

Since the flavor of the Industry today is ‘live service’, make it live service. Put it out for free. Get money by people decorating their kart and character.

Mario Kart 8 is a great game in many ways, but Mario Kart is missing its fantastic battle mode. People can fight over parts of the city (Smash Brothers style but with karts). The game can transcend to something more. Mario Kart 8 would be all old and fuddy to this game as Donkey Kong is to Super Mario Brothers.