As interesting as experiments like Home Circuit can be, keeping to one mainline title across two console generations means there’s less innovation pushing the boundaries of what a Mario Kart game can be. Mario Kart 8’s anti-gravity mechanic led to unique course design, for example, and going back players will find 7’s flying and underwater sections revolutionized its presentation as much as the dual racer karts in Double Dash!!. One fondly remembered entry is Mario Kart DS, which had a single-player Mission Mode, DS Download Play for local multiplayer, and firmly established “retro courses.” However, one element that future Mario Kart games should pull from this handheld release is customizable emblems.

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Custom Karts in Mario Kart

While entries such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!! let players choose between different vehicles with unique stats for each character pairing, 2011’s Mario Kart 7 was the first to let players customize individual elements of each kart. There were 17 kart bodies, 10 tires, and seven gliders for the aforementioned flying sections to mix-and-match, and doing so subtly tweaked stats like acceleration. That system continues into Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart Tour, though the latter requires players to pull parts from its ongoing gacha system.

Mario Kart DS did not have anything similar to kart customization in 2005. However, while each character had a set vehicle, players could change its aesthetic through an emblem editor. This wasn’t a particularly complicated editor, it merely gave players a 32x32 pixel grid with some basic drawing tools: a filling paint bucket, eyedroppers to sample colors, stamps with pre-set shapes, and so on. Emblems were not only displayed on one’s kart, but also used while searching out games over Wi-Fi.

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How Custom Emblems Could Inform Future Mario Kart Features

It makes sense why Nintendo has elected not to bring back custom emblems. If a modern system provided more drawing real estate and comprehensive online features, one can easily imagine bad words and hate symbols running rampant without proper moderation. There’s also potential branding issues that Nintendo is considering, as iconic emblems such as Mario’s red “M,” Princess Peach’s crown, or Bowser’s snarling stamp are used in Mario Kart, Mario Party, sports games, and more, creating identifiers that custom emblems would erase.

However, a competitive series like Mario Kart with more robust online features is the perfect place for players to have freedom of expression (within family-friendly limits). Stats changing based on character selection and kart customization lead to optimized “meta” combos like Waluigi riding in the Wild Wiggler, so it would be nice to see individual racers have more aesthetic ways to stand out. Emblems are one key piece for players to draw over, but Nintendo could lean harder into the in-universe branding of Mario Kart 8’s MKTV by letting players create decals akin to NASCAR sponsorships all over a kart. Friend groups could join de facto clubs with matching decals, or real esports organizations could broach into the Mario Kart space with real logos.

Whether the next game in the series is Mario Kart 9 or not, now is the perfect time to implement custom aesthetic options like the emblems in DS. Games like Splatoon have shown how much time players will pour into drawing if given complete freedom, and that creativity even flourishes through Miitopia’s 2021 Switch port, which had an expansive Mii creator that could be emulated. Nintendo’s online game design leaves a lot to be desired, but adding more ways to stand out would undoubtedly appease fans.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now for Nintendo Switch.

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