HomeWhy Nintendo Chose a New Name Over Mario Kart 9 for Its Latest Release
Nintendo's latest "Ask the Developer" interview reveals intriguing details about the Switch 2 launch title, *Mario Kart World*. One key topic explains why the game isn't titled *Mario Kart 9*, even though it follows the best-selling *Mario Kart 8*. The decision is tied to its innovative open-world approach.
"If our goal was simply to include more courses, we likely would have named it *Mario Kart 9*," said producer Kosuke Yabuki. "But that wasn't our vision this time. We aimed to elevate the series to new heights, so we moved away from numbering and chose a fresh title, *Mario Kart World*. Early in development, we already added '*MARIO KART WORLD*' to our concept art."
The development team also shared insights into the game's origins on the original Switch. Core elements of *World*—such as its interconnected map and expanding race capacity from 12 to 24 players—were planned early on but posed challenges for the previous hardware.
"During development for the Nintendo Switch, we faced limitations that forced us to compromise," explained programming director Kenta Sato. "We debated reducing visual quality, lowering resolution, and even considered dropping the frame rate to 30 fps in certain scenarios. It was a difficult period." Yabuki added that shifting the project to Switch 2 "felt like a ray of hope."
The four-part Q&A delves deeper, highlighting features like 200 tracks and the role of food in world-building. It's well worth a full read. A particularly charming detail involves a character named Cow joining the racer lineup. According to art director Masaaki Ishikawa, "Cow is actually a pivotal character in the *Mario Kart* series."
After viewing the concept art, it's easy to see why:
Image: Nintendo
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Comments (3)
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![SamuelJackson]()
Wait, so they're skipping 9 and going straight to 'World'? That's actually a smart move to avoid the pressure of numbering. I'm curious if this means a huge open-world Mario Kart. 🏎️
![JoseJackson]()
Интересно, почему они решили не называть его Mario Kart 9. Может, боятся, что цифра '9' принесёт неудачу? 😄 Но название 'Mario Kart World' определённо указывает на глобальный масштаб игры. Возможно, это отражает их планы по расширению вселенной, добавлению большего количества миров и персонажей. Любопытно, как это повлияет на игровой процесс и поддержат ли они кросс-платформенную игру?
![NicholasClark]()
マリオカート9じゃなくて新作を『マリオカート ワールド』にした理由…任天堂は常識破る天才だね！💡 新しいタイトルでシリーズに新鮮さを加えつつ、グローバル展開をイメージしたんでしょう。次回作も型にはまらない名前をつけてほしいなあ、ファンとして楽しみ！
Nintendo's latest "Ask the Developer" interview reveals intriguing details about the Switch 2 launch title, *Mario Kart World*. One key topic explains why the game isn't titled *Mario Kart 9*, even though it follows the best-selling *Mario Kart 8*. The decision is tied to its innovative open-world approach.
"If our goal was simply to include more courses, we likely would have named it *Mario Kart 9*," said producer Kosuke Yabuki. "But that wasn't our vision this time. We aimed to elevate the series to new heights, so we moved away from numbering and chose a fresh title, *Mario Kart World*. Early in development, we already added '*MARIO KART WORLD*' to our concept art."
The development team also shared insights into the game's origins on the original Switch. Core elements of *World*—such as its interconnected map and expanding race capacity from 12 to 24 players—were planned early on but posed challenges for the previous hardware.
"During development for the Nintendo Switch, we faced limitations that forced us to compromise," explained programming director Kenta Sato. "We debated reducing visual quality, lowering resolution, and even considered dropping the frame rate to 30 fps in certain scenarios. It was a difficult period." Yabuki added that shifting the project to Switch 2 "felt like a ray of hope."
The four-part Q&A delves deeper, highlighting features like 200 tracks and the role of food in world-building. It's well worth a full read. A particularly charming detail involves a character named Cow joining the racer lineup. According to art director Masaaki Ishikawa, "Cow is actually a pivotal character in the *Mario Kart* series."
After viewing the concept art, it's easy to see why:
Image: Nintendo 
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Wait, so they're skipping 9 and going straight to 'World'? That's actually a smart move to avoid the pressure of numbering. I'm curious if this means a huge open-world Mario Kart. 🏎️
Интересно, почему они решили не называть его Mario Kart 9. Может, боятся, что цифра '9' принесёт неудачу? 😄 Но название 'Mario Kart World' определённо указывает на глобальный масштаб игры. Возможно, это отражает их планы по расширению вселенной, добавлению большего количества миров и персонажей. Любопытно, как это повлияет на игровой процесс и поддержат ли они кросс-платформенную игру?
マリオカート9じゃなくて新作を『マリオカート ワールド』にした理由…任天堂は常識破る天才だね！💡 新しいタイトルでシリーズに新鮮さを加えつつ、グローバル展開をイメージしたんでしょう。次回作も型にはまらない名前をつけてほしいなあ、ファンとして楽しみ！
