I know the very idea is controversial (especially on this site) but I feel like Mario Kart Tour could work as a "Nintendo Kart." And honestly, maybe it could even work a little better than just Mario. Now I don't think the main Mario Kart series should go Nintendo mode, not at all. I just think it could've worked well for Tour specifically. Here are a few reasons why I think this:
- Tour is a lot simpler than the previous Mario Karts and is on mobile devices. A common suggestion for a Nintendo Kart is to have major differences from Mario Kart in order to make clear that it's more of a separate thing. So why not do it for the game that's already really different?
- The rosters also kind of line up with the gameplay styles. The single-series game with the deep cuts for dedicated fans has the more technical and advanced gameplay while the all Nintendo all the time crossover with characters that can cater to many has the more casual and accessible gameplay.
- Tour's status as a live service game allows it to continuously add characters as the updates roll in. Meaning it can eventually achieve both a deep-cut Mario roster, a crowd-pleasing Nintendo crossover roster, and a deep-cut Nintendo crossover of the inactive franchises.