Cast your mind back to early 2022. The world was still shaking off pandemic dust, and the Nintendo Switch was chugging along like a reliable old kart. I wrote a piece back then suggesting that we didn’t need a new Mario Kart game—that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, still selling like hotcakes five years after its launch, should just get a Racers Pass instead. Well, here we are in 2026, and I’ve never been happier to eat a slice of humble pie. Nintendo zigged where I thought they’d zag, and the result has been nothing short of phenomenal. Let’s rewind the tape and see how we got from there to here.

Back in 2022, my logic seemed rock solid. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was still a weekly top‑10 seller, frequently beating newer titles like FIFA and Rocket League. Nintendo had just revealed it was the seventh most‑played Switch game of 2021. With millions of people still buying and playing, why rock the boat with a sequel? I argued that the smart move was to pull a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and drop a Fighters Pass‑style Racers Pass. Add Star Fox and Pikmin characters, toss in a few new tracks and items, and call it a day. Easy money, no split player base.

Instead, Nintendo did something that initially felt half‑hearted but turned out to be a masterstroke. In February 2022—barely a month after my article went live—they announced the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass. Over the next two years, 48 remastered tracks from across Mario Kart history were rolled out in six waves. No new characters, no wild gameplay overhauls. Just a ton of fan‑favourite circuits, from Wii’s Coconut Mall to a gorgeously reimagined Sky Garden. At the time, I moaned a little. “Where are the new racers?” I asked. It felt like Nintendo was taking the safe bet, milking a game that was already on life support only because we had nothing else. But little did I know, that DLC drip was buying time for something much bigger.

Fast forward to 2024. The Booster Course Pass concluded, leaving Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with a jaw‑dropping 96 tracks. The game had become the definitive Mario Kart experience, and yet… the craving for more wouldn’t go away. Leaks started swirling that Nintendo’s next console—the oft‑rumored Switch 2—would launch alongside a brand‑new Mario Kart. The whispers included those same Star Fox and Pikmin racers I’d been banging on about, plus a whole new dimension: interconnected open‑world tracks, a bit like Forza Horizon meets Mushroom Kingdom. It sounded too good to be true, and I scoffed. After all, hadn’t I learned that Nintendo loves to defy expectations?

Then E3‑week 2025 rolled around, and Nintendo dropped the bomb. Mario Kart: World Rally was real, and it was launching with the Switch 2 that holiday season. The game wasn’t just a sequel; it was a complete rethink. The “Speed Sphere” open‑world mechanic let you drive from one track into another seamlessly, pulling off tricks through Toad Harbour and then flying straight into a Star Fox‑themed asteroid field. Every rumour from two years earlier had manifested. Suddenly, that Booster Course Pass made perfect sense: it kept the community engaged and gave Nintendo the breathing room to craft a generational leap without splitting focus.

So where does that leave my 2022 self? Looking a bit silly, but not entirely off the mark. The core of my argument was that we didn’t need a numbered Mario Kart 9 for the sake of it—and Nintendo agreed, at least until the hardware could catch up. What I missed was that the Booster Course Pass wasn’t an alternative to innovation; it was the calm before the storm. It also proved that the “Super Smash Kart” concept wasn’t just a fan‑boy wet dream. World Rally launched with Captain Falcon, Kirby, and Octoling in the roster, and more fighters have been added via a Racers Pass (ha!) that just dropped its second season. The debate over who should join next still rages on Discord servers, just like I hoped.

Looking at the numbers, Nintendo played a blinder. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continued selling well over 60 million copies and became the platform’s evergreen darling, while World Rally has shifted over 30 million units in its first six months. The player base didn’t get fractured; it got gently funneled into a next‑gen experience that felt worth the wait. Turns out the community was willing to keep racing on old tracks while dreaming of new ones.

I’ll admit it: my 2022 take was half‑baked. A simple Racers Pass wouldn’t have cut it—the series needed the hardware evolution and the creative shake‑up that only a full new title could deliver. But I’m also chuffed that those early leaks about Star Fox and Pikmin weren’t just smoke. Sometimes the fan‑boy inside wins. And if you’re wondering, yes, I’m still fighting tooth and nail for Chibi‑Robo to get a seat in the next Racers Pass. Meet me in the comments.

Of course, all this excitement comes with a price—literally. Between the Switch 2, World Rally, and the steady drip of Racers Pass seasons, keeping up with the latest releases can drain the wallet faster than a blue shell ends a first-place lead. That’s why I’ve become something of a bargain hunter in between races. If you’re looking to grab the new Mario Kart or any other big title without paying full sticker price, it pays to keep an eye on the game deals today—you’d be surprised how often classic tracks and shiny new racers get marked down just when you least expect it.