It’s doesn’t say Mario Kart 9 but that does look like new character models to me. I’m expecting them to drop the numbering system and go back to subtitles anyway though.
A lot of the “contestants” and people he helps are allegedly friends and family of him and his producers. I don’t know how true that is but that’s when general opinion of him really started sliding.
He was also one of the forerunners of the big dumb face on YouTube thumbnails and I know some people blame him for that trend too.
It looks like it was specifically designed to be sold to traveling Americans. My brother would probably get two before trying one.