There are few games as unexplainably glee-inducing as the Mario Kart franchise (just check out our review of Mario Kart 8 for proof of that), but the biggest complaint that many fans have in regards to recent entries in the series is the quality and scale of the roster. Despite being filled with a number of unique creatures, the Super Mario series doesn't have a whole lot of depth when it comes to filling out a 30-character roster, which is why some gamers have argued that the kart racer should take the Super Smash Bros. approach and feature iconic mascots from a number of recognizable Nintendo IP.

While some would rather have the series stick to the obscure Mario racers that the community has come to love, there is no denying the appeal of watching Mario go bumper-to-bumper with the like of Capt. Falcon or Samus Aran. According to a recent interview between Nintendo Life and the director of Mario Kart 8, Kosuke Yabuki, there very well could be a Smash-inspired kart racer at some point down the line.

Yabuki stated that fans shouldn't "rule out the possibility of such an approach in the future," but reiterated that he firmly believes that simply increasing the number of playable characters won't make the game better.

"We’re always considering ways to make the Mario Kart games more appealing, but I don’t think that just increasing the number of characters would make the game better. Of course, I’m not ruling out the possibility of such an approach in the future though."

One of the largest issues that we had with Mario Kart 8 was the lack of diversity in the final roster, and Yabuki apologized for not including fan-favorite racers like Diddy Kong or Bowser Jr. — both of which made our list of 10 characters that should be in the game. Still, he was optimistic that players brave enough to give the newly added Koopa Kids a chance will enjoy their time playing as them, and will see why they were worthwhile additions.

"The Koopalings in particular are some of the new characters that I recommend. For this game I wanted to have them all appear together. They all have superb individuality and their expressions are very unique. I think they are great characters that will definitely give players a laugh or two."

"On the other hand, there are some characters that appeared in previous Mario Kart titles, but unfortunately didn’t make it into this game, such as Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, King Boo, and Diddy Kong. I really apologize to players who liked these characters in particular, but the new characters are a lot of fun as well, so I hope you all try them out."

Admittedly, it would be cool to see Nintendo's elite square off against one another in a means other than fisticuffs, but shining some light on overlooked Mario characters is one aspect of Mario Kart that keeps fans guessing. Dry Bones, Wiggler, or the Koopa Kids would likely never be playable through any other means, so it'd be a shame in that regard. Still, testing the waters with a Super Smash Kart could be a fun once-in-a-blue-moon deal for avid fans of the Big N.

Would you be interested in a Super Smash Kart? Do you think Mario Kart and its roster are just fine the way they are? Let us know in the comments below!

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Meanwhile, fans can look forward to Mario Kart 8 racing exclusively onto the Wii U on May 30, 2014.

Follow Riley on Twitter @TheRileyLittle.

Source: Nintendo Life