Mario Kart 9 | |
Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD
Retro Studios Namco Bandai Games |
Publisher(s) | |
Platform(s) | New Nintendo 3DS |
Genre(s) | Racing |
Series | Mario Kart |
Predecessor | Mario Kart 8 |
Release Date(s) | August 27th, 2015 |
Mode(s) | Single Player
Multiplayer Online Play |
Age Rating(s) | ESRB - |
Available Input | New Nintendo 3DS;
Control pad |
Hold on a second! Were you looking for Mario Kart 9 by Sactown Studios? Find it here.
Mario Kart 9 is a 2017 kart racing game in the Mario Kart series of games. It will be released on the New Nintendo 3DS on August 27, 2017, which marks the 25th anniversary of the series' first installment. Mario Kart 9 builds on the formula that Mario Kart 8 offered and brings the elements of that game to the handheld.
Gameplay[]
Gameplay remains mainly unchanged from previous Mario Kart titles. A group of 8 racers compete in a 4-race cup, similar to Mario Kart 7. Items can still be found in Item Boxes and Coins are still scattered across the track. A new feature is using the New Nintendo 3DS' C-Stick to aim items, which causes the character's kart to go into an auto-pilot mode while aiming. Kart and bike customization both return from Mario Kart 8, but ATVs don't return. Another feature returning from Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8 is the special sections which can be anti-gravity, underwater, or gliding sections. Retro tracks return from Mario Kart DS, complete with remixed music, new obstacles, and some feature new sections as well. A Mario Kart Wii-esque Battle Mode returns, as opposed to the one introduced in Mario Kart 8.
Characters[]
The game has 32 characters total, with 16 being available from the start and 16 more being unlocked as the game goes on. New racers include old-time enemies Boom Boom and Hammer Bro, along with modern heroes including Nabbit, Professor E. Gadd, and Dixie Kong.
Starting Drivers[]
Unlockable Drivers[]
Unlock Criteria[]
Each unlockable character can be unlocked in three different ways; through winning a cup with a 1-star or higher ranking, winning a certain amount of races, or getting a new time on Time Trials.
Name | Cup(s) | Races | Time Trials |
---|---|---|---|
Birdo | 100cc Mushroom Cup | 250 | 4 courses |
Hammer Bro. | 100cc Flower Cup | 1,500 | 12 courses |
Toadette | 100cc All-Star Cup | 1,250 | 4 courses (Expert) |
Petey Piranha | 150cc All-Star Cup | 2,250 | 32 courses (Expert) |
Professor E. Gadd | 100cc Special Cup | 1,750 | 24 courses |
Diddy Kong | 50cc Ultimate Nitro Cup | 2,500 | 28 courses |
Dixie Kong | 50cc Ultimate Retro Cup | 2,000 | 12 courses (Expert) |
Rosalina | 50cc All-Star Cup | 750 | 8 courses |
Larry Koopa | 100cc Leaf Cup | 2,750 | 20 courses |
Lemmy Koopa | 100cc Ultimate Nitro Cup | 1,000 | 16 courses |
Wendy O. Koopa | 100cc Star Cup | 3,500 | 28 courses (Expert) |
Iggy Koopa | 100cc Ultimate Retro Cup | 4,000 | 20 courses (Expert) |
Ludwig von Koopa | 100cc Banana Cup | 3,250 | 24 courses (Expert) |
Roy Koopa | 150cc Special Cup | 3,750 | 16 courses (Expert) |
Morton Koopa Jr. | 100cc Lightning Cup | 3,000 | 32 courses |
Bowser Jr. | 100cc Shell Cup | 500 | 8 courses (Expert) |
Courses[]
As usual with the Mario Kart games, there are 32 tracks spread across 8 cups, with 4 races in each track. Additionally, there are three ultimate Grand Prix cups - Ultimate Retro Cup, Ultimate Nitro Cup, and All-Star Cup. These are unlocked after completing the following cups;
- Ultimate Nitro Cup: Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special.
- Ultimate Retro Cup: Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning.
- All-Star Cup: Every cup.
Each Ultimate Cup randomizes the track order, but in the Ultimate Nitro Cup, Shell Stadium will always be first and Rainbow Road will be last. The same goes for the Ultimate Retro Cup - DS Figure-8 Circuit will always be first and GBA Rainbow Road will always be last - and the All-Star Cup has Shell Stadium first and GBA Rainbow Road last everytime.
Retro Track stats[]
Game | Track number | Tracks included |
---|---|---|
Super Mario Kart | 2 | Mario Circuit 4 and Vanilla Lake 1 |
Mario Kart 64 | 1 | Wario Stadium |
Mario Kart: Super Circuit | 1 | Rainbow Road |
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | 3 | Mushroom City, Wario Colosseum, and Bowser's Castle |
Mario Kart DS | 1 | Figure-8 Circuit |
Mario Kart Wii | 2 | Toad's Factory and Moonview Highway |
Mario Kart 7 | 3 | Shy Guy Bazaar, Neo Bowser City, and Rosalina's Ice World |
Mario Kart 8 | 3 | Sunshine Airport, Cloudtop Cruise, and Dragon Driftway |
Tracks[]
|
Flower Cup |
Star Cup |
Special Cup |
---|---|---|---|
Shell Stadium Many people flock to this popular raceway as it is the starting area for the MUSHCAR racing tournament, along with the start of the ninth Mario Kart tournament! |
Freezie Cliffs A Freezie outburst has turned these cliffs into solid ice, making it a both beautiful and dangerous locale to visit. |
Mario Circuit Princess Peach was glad to convert her castle into a proper racetrack so her friends could speed through it. Toadsworth has some concerns, though... |
Monty Mole Mineshaft Monty Moles have created an underground metropolis based around the discovery of precious minerals found in the tunnels near their previous home. |
Mushroom Village A small settlement that is located in the western part of the Mushroom Kingdom and is known for its delicious Moo Moo Milk. |
Firework Carnival It's a real treat whenever the Koopaling Karnival comes to Toad Town. The colors are vibrant and a spectacular fireworks show takes place during the race! |
Gigantic Jungle The mysterious waters of this jungle have transformed once small Koopa Troopas and Goombas into titans! Few adventurers dare to embark on a journey through this jungle, much less have a race through it! |
Searchlight Compound Bowser's personal prison for the low-life scum of his kingdom has been converted into a racetrack full of twists and turns. The searchlights are still on the hunt for the 8 prisoners who are escaping. |
Silent Forest As serene as the forest may seem, Piranha Creepers have taken a strange liking to the murky waters of this ecosystem. They have taken several of the trees down and anyone who gets close to them is never seen again. |
Pianta Coast The residents of Delfino Island love partying on this luxurious coastline because of its amazing waves for surfing! Hopefully a kart race won't ruin the natural beauty of this landmark. |
Construction Junction Construction has begun on a new building in Mushroom City, but with a race going on, the workers have stopped working! This track changes nearly everytime it is raced on. |
Bowser's Castle Bowser has upgraded his castle with loads of things in his arsenal including Thwomps, a Chain Chomp, and even Brolders! You must race through his large castle in 3 sections - the main entrance, the towers, and the dungeon. |
Wiggler Fields This small farming community has been overrun by Wigglers, giving racers a hard time as they race across wheat fields at sunset. |
Trickster Park The coolest skate park in the city is also a wicked Mario Kart course. Bikers and skateboarders frequent this area and half-pipes are everywhere! |
Bluejay Canyon |
Rainbow Road A large Rainbow Road opens up a gorgeous gateway to the stars! You'll be racing in a 3-lap race past familiar locales from the Super Mario Galaxy series, including a roundabout on the Comet Observatory and an explosive drive through Yoshi Star Galaxy! |
Shell Cup |
Banana Cup |
Leaf Cup |
Lightning Cup |
DS Figure-8 Circuit It's race day at Figure-8 Circuit and a thunderstorm has hit the track hard! Thankfully, the track's curves allow for a quick anti-gravity getaway as the racers avoid oil spills and puddles. |
N64 Wario Stadium | SNES Vanilla Lake 1 | 3DS Rosalina's Ice World |
3DS Shy Guy Bazaar The bazaar's shopping spree is in full swing as racers speed through the bustling bazaar during a dusty high noon. You can now take an anti-gravity shortcut on flying carpets and even run into some runaway Cobrats. |
SNES Mario Circuit 4 | GCN Wario Colosseum | Wii U Dragon Driftway |
Wii U Sunshine Airport | Wii Moonview Highway | Wii U Cloudtop Cruise | GCN Bowser's Castle |
Wii Toad's Factory | GCN Mushroom City | 3DS Neo Bowser City | GBA Rainbow Road |
Items[]
The game features several all-new items and lots of returning ones. After an absence in several games, Boos, Fake Item Boxes, and Chain Chomps return.
New Items[]
Returning Items[]
Vehicle Parts[]
Mario Kart 9 brings back the vehicle customization element from Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8. Along with new vehicles having been added, there are also several returning vehicles. Some vehicles that were once considered karts (e.g. the Zipper from Mario Kart DS) are now in different categories. New parts can be unlocked by either winning cups or collecting enough coins.
Kart Bodies[]
Name | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trail Head | 0 | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.75 | 0 |
Godspeedster | +0.75 | +0.5 | -1.5 | +0.25 | 0 |
Jolly Dodger | +0.25 | +0.25 | +0.75 | -0.25 | -0.25 |
Slipstreamer | +0.5 | +0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 |
Pipeline Rumbler | +0.5 | 0 | +1 | +0.25 | -0.75 |
Coconut Jeep | 0 | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 |
Koopa Kid | +0.25 | +0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | +0.5 |
Silver Standard | +0.75 | 0 | +0.25 | +0.75 | -1 |
Pipe Frame (SNES) | 0 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | -0.5 |
B-Dasher (DS) | +0.5 | +0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | -1 |
Cloud 9 (3DS) | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 |
Landship (Wii U) |
-0.75 | +1.25 | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.25 |
Wild Wing (Wii) | +1 | -0.25 | +0.75 | -0.25 | +0.25 |
Red Fire (GCN) | +0.75 | +0.25 | +0.50 | -0.25 | 0 |
Bike Bodies[]
Name | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | 0 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | -0.5 |
Rocket Cycle | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | -0.5 | +0.5 |
Stunt Bike | +0.5 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 |
The Duchess | +0.25 | 0 | -0.5 | +0.75 | +0.25 |
Freeze Blaster | -0.25 | 0 | +0.75 | +0.5 | 0 |
Silver Standard | +0.75 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 | -1 |
Shooting Star (Wii) | +0.5 | 0 | +0.75 | -0.25 | -0.25 |
Mach Bike (Wii) | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 | +0.75 |
Magikruiser (Wii) | -0.5 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.75 |
Zipper (DS) | +0.5 | 0 | -0.75 | +0.5 | -0.25 |
Varmint (Wii U) | 0 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | -0.5 |
Yoshi Bike (Wii U) | 0 | +0.75 | -0.25 | +0.75 | -1.25 |
Jet Bike (Wii U) | 0 | +0.75 | -0.25 | +0.75 | -1.25 |
Wheels[]
Name | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Monster | 0 | -0.5 | +1 | -0.5 | +0.75 |
Roller | -0.5 | +0.75 | -0.25 | +1 | +0.25 |
Slim | +0.5 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.5 | -0.5 |
Slick | +1 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 | -1 |
Inner Tube | +0.25 | +0.5 | -0.75 | -0.5 | 0 |
Tanooki | +0.5 | -0.25 | 0 | +0.5 | +1 |
Circuit Standard | -0.5 | +1 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.75 |
Mushroom | +0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | +1.25 | -1 |
Vinyl Rims | 0 | -0.25 | -0.5 | 0 | -0.75 |
Western Wheels | 0 | -0.25 | +0.5 | +0.5 | -0.25 |
Golden Standard | +0.75 | -0.5 | +0.25 | 0 | -0.5 |
Bronze Standard | +1 | -0.5 | +0.5 | -1.25 | 0 |
Gliders[]
Name | Speed | Acceleration | Weight | Handling | Traction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Glider | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Parafoil | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 |
Paratroopa Shell | 0 | +0.25 | -0.5 | +0.75 | +0.25 |
Buzzie Boomer | +0.5 | -0.5 | 0 | +0.25 | 0 |
Flower Glider | 0 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 | 0 |
Peach Parasol | -0.5 | +0.25 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0 |
Guardian Wing | 0 | -0.25 | +0.5 | 0.5 | 0 |
Nose Rocket | +0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 |
Techno Head | +0.25 | 0 | -0.25 | +0.25 | 0 |
FLUDD Flyer | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.75 | 0 | 0 |
Dragon's Tail | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.25 | +0.25 | 0 |
Leaf Copter | -0.25 | 0 | +0.75 | -0.25 | 0 |
Fire Starter | 0 | +0.25 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 |
Antasma Wings | +0.25 | +0.75 | -0.5 | +0.5 | 0 |
Golden Standard | +0.5 | -0.25 | +0.75 | 0 | 0 |
Bronze Parafoil | +0.75 | 0 | +0.25 | -0.25 | 0 |
Trivia[]
- Several Retro tracks were considered, but didn't make it through planning. Those tracks include: GBA Lakeside Park, DS Shroom Ridge, Wii U Bowser's Castle, and SNES Koopa Beach 1.
- This is the first handheld Mario Kart game to feature bikes.
- This is the first Mario Kart game to feature DLC from Mario Kart 8 as Retro tracks.
- This will be the final game in which Mario Kart 64 tracks will appear as retro courses, and the final course from that game is Wario Stadium.
- In Wii Moonview Highway, one can spot a couple of cars crossing over a new bridge. This connects the track with GCN Mushroom City.
- The same can be said in Bluejay Canyon. Near the starting line, there are several frozen areas of the cliffs above. Freezie Cliffs, perhaps?