Nintendo skipped the obvious Mario Kart 9 and went with Mario Kart World to break from the tired “just add tracks” tradition—apparently, simply tossing more courses wasn’t cutting it anymore. They wanted something fresh, a seamless open world where racers explore cities, volcanoes, and beaches, all without loading screens. Producer Kosuke Yabuki led the charge, aiming to bring Mario Kart up to speed with modern gaming expectations. Want to know what really drove this bold U-turn? Stick around.
While many gamers expected Nintendo to simply announce Mario Kart 9, the company instead tossed out the numbering altogether, opting for the bold new title, Mario Kart World. This wasn’t just a case of Nintendo wanting a fresh coat of paint—there was a real conceptual reason behind it. According to early concept art and development notes, the name Mario Kart World was settled on early, signaling a whole new direction for the franchise.
So, why the dramatic change? Numbered sequels have their place, but Nintendo clearly decided the “just-add-more-tracks” approach was wearing thin. After years of boosting the course count, the thrill of new tracks started to fade, and the classic formula began to look, well, a little dated. The open world concept required a massive development effort to ensure all parts of the game felt seamlessly connected.
After years of adding tracks, the excitement faded—Nintendo knew the series needed more than just a higher number.
Mario Kart World stands as a signal flare: this isn’t simply Mario Kart 9 with more stuff—it’s a rethink from the ground up. Instead of hopping from one neatly separated race track to another, the game drops players into a seamless, interconnected open world. You can drive straight from a beach to a city, then veer off to explore a volcano, all without a single loading screen. Early concept art from as far back as 2018 already hinted at this interconnected world vision, showing that the game’s transformation was in the works for years.
Free Roam mode lets players tackle challenges and secrets away from the standard circuits, making the world feel alive rather than just a menu of races. Thanks to modern tech, this kind of seamless shift was finally possible, and Nintendo jumped at the chance. This approach creates the same sense of presence that VR gaming provides, but without requiring additional hardware.
Producer Kosuke Yabuki, the brain behind much of this reinvention, joked about the “fun” of redesigning an entire series, but he was clear: if they’d stuck to more courses, it would have been Mario Kart 9. The intent, from early development in 2017 through to release, was to “take the series to the next level,” pushing beyond incremental improvements.
Really, it all comes down to expectations. Gamers today want more than just a bigger number—they want something genuinely new. Mario Kart World is Nintendo’s answer: a reboot that ditches the past’s limitations and signals a bold new era for the franchise.
Bold move, or overdue change? Either way, it’s hard to ignore.