Even asMario Kart 8 Deluxecontinues to thrive, demand forMario Kart 9is high. Leakers painted the picture of a compelling newMario Kartgame featuring lots of guest characters and Item Box reworks, but instead Nintendo recently revealed the Booster Course Pass DLC forMario Kart 8 Deluxethat gives the Switch title more tracks five years after launch. It’s a shame thatMario Kart 9doesn’t appear to around the corner, but at least the Booster Course Pass is a valuable opportunity for fans to experience a broader range ofMario Karthistory - especially for players who haven’t triedMario Kart Tour.
The first wave of Booster Course Pass courses includesa number of courses fromMario Kart Tour,emphasizing the mobile game’s tracks based on real-world cities, but Lucky Cat Cup also features Ninja Hideaway. This ninja-filled dojo premiered inMario Kart Tourin 2021 and puts players' navigation skills to the test with a layered design offerings lots of optional paths. Ninja Hideaway is a particularly rich addition toMario Kart 8 Deluxe,and it ought to be a symbol of the franchise’s future.Mario Kart 9deserves more clever course designs like Ninja Hideaway.
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Why Ninja Hideaway Stands Out
Mario Kartcourses are generally linear since all players need to share the same objectives, but that doesn’t stop Ninja Hideaway from pushing its limits. Many of the courses added inWave 1 of the Booster Course Passare pretty strictly organized. Tracks like Choco Mountain and Sky Garden have some unique obstacles and the occasional shortcut, but they’re ultimately simple paths that keep all racers on the same road. Ninja Hideaway couldn’t be more different; full of branching paths and multiple levels that keep racers relatively in the same place, but with varied options to try and outmaneuver opponents.
Racing on more linearMario Karttracks can feel repetitive with time, but in Ninja Hideaway no two races are identical. Players can stick to the ground level in search of shortcuts, ride through the roof to avoid opponents, or weave between the two to keep other players guessing. That inventive design makes Ninja Hideawaya worthy representative ofMario Kart Tourand a strong addition toMario Kart 8 Deluxe.Mario Kartis always a solid party game, but tracks with options like Ninja Hideaway really enhance replayability.
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Inspiration for Mario Kart 9’s New Tracks
Ideally, Ninja Hideaway should have a major impact onMario Kart 9’s course design. The nextMario Kartgame will need some traditional, linear racetracks for a classic racing experience, but it also needs to think outside the box in other courses.Mario Karttracks with lots of layers and optional side roads could makeMario Kart 9much more engaging overall thanks to the additional split-second decisions that players need to make.
It’s possible that Nintendo included Ninja Hideaway inMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s new DLC on purpose. The DLC is a great way to get more feedback onMario Kart Tour’s course design, and that feedback could help inform the old and new tracks thatMario Kart 9features. So far,Mario Kart 8 Deluxeplayersseem thrilled with Ninja Hideaway, so hopefully that response is getting through to Nintendo. As a solid member of the Booster Course Pass, Ninja Hideaway ought to be a role model forMario Kart 9.More courses with such creative structures would be invaluable.
Mario Kart 9is rumored to be in development.
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