Mario Kart World brings with it a host of characters that have never been playable in a Mario Kart title before. Thanks to Nintendo allowing NPCs as drivers this time around, we’ve seen the addition of Cow, Coin Coffer, Conkdor and many others. It’s certainly a lovely addition to the franchise, but some are wondering why Nintendo hasn’t gone even further.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe featured racers that came from outside of the Mario universe. Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon were all represented, but those franchises are nowhere to be found this time around. In a Ouest-France interview with Nintendo’s Kosuke Yabuki, we get our explanation as to why those cameos were left behind.
“As developers, it would have seemed incongruous to add characters from other games to this universe. And it didn’t seem necessary, given everything we could already do with Mario. We inevitably wonder how players will perceive this cast. But there are so many characters and so many costumes that there’s sure to be something for everyone.”
[Nintendo’s Kosuke Yabuki]
It’s clear that Mario Kart World is supposed to be a celebration of not just all things Mario Kart, but Mario in general as well. That direction kept out cameo characters from other Nintendo franchises, but you never know what Nintendo might consider down the road.
