The next game in the Mario Kart series just got announced – and it's a big step forward!
Nintendo has officially announced the next step in racing games: Mario Kart World – probably the wildest ride in the history of the game series. The features are impressive, but the price makes you raise your eyebrows. What does the new game have to offer? Quite a lot, it seems.
A New Era For Mario Kart?
With the new Mario Kart World for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo seems to have put a lot of effort into it. Pretty much everything you know so far has been changed and new gameplay elements have been added.
First things first – the price is steep, as will be the case for many Switch 2 games:
You'll have to pay $80 for the digital version and $90 for the physical edition.
In return, however, you will be treated to many gameplay changes, completely reworked modes, new items, characters and a lot more.
Grand Prix
In Nintendo's announcement, you can see at first glance that a lot has changed. The best known mode, “Grand Prix”, has been completely rebuilt:
- Time and weather influence and change tracks.
- It appears that not only will a certain number of laps be completed on each track, but players will also have to drive to the next track in an open world fashion.
- Courses can change their route, side roads will be blocked or new paths will be added.
- We see many different new stunts: for example, driving on metal poles or cables.
- In one scene, we see Mario getting into a huge truck, which he can then also drive around.
- There are also new items – some already familiar from Mario Kart Tour – and old items with new animations. Hungry for a Yoshi burger?
Items
While some fan-favorites like Piranha Plant and Crazy Eight are missing (for now), several exciting new and returning power-ups shake things up:
- Coin Shell: Launches forward down the center of the track, dropping coins as it hits opponents. Great for cashing in, but others can snatch them, too.
- Ice Flower: Fire a blast of ice to freeze enemies in place, spinning them out.
- Hammer: Hurls in an arc to bonk rivals. Hammers stay on the ground briefly, doubling as a road hazard.
- Mega Mushroom: Grow supersized, crush your rivals, and dominate the track for a short time.
- Feather: Grants a high jump to dodge attacks or reach new paths. In Battle Mode, lets you steal balloons or coins from above.
- Kamek: Summons Kamek, who magically transforms rival racers and causes mysterious in-race effects. May also unlock new characters.
Dash Foods
Found inside glowing yellow bags, these collectible items instantly transform your outfit, giving your character a stylish cosmetic upgrade. Once unlocked, these outfits remain available for future use. As a bonus, Dash Foods also provide a temporary speed boost, making them both fashionable and functional.
Knockout Tour
The trailer tells us that Knockout Cup courses are called “Rally”. These will consist of eight consecutive courses, each consisting of only one lap.
Racers compete across six sprawling locations, all interconnected by highways. Unlike standard races, there’s no scoring system and no breaks.
Each round eliminates slower players, with fewer competitors as the race goes on.
The pressure ramps up as the group thins out and the checkpoints get tougher to reach.You’ll need to dodge obstacles, react quickly to the environment, and fight to stay in the lead.To keep things fair and exciting, powerful items like the Bullet Bill, Golden Mushroom, and Triple Red Shells are more accessible to players in the lower ranks.
Free Roam
Probably the biggest change and the reason why it is now called Mario Kart World is the open world.
In this mode, you're free to drive anywhere, from winding roads to even cliffside drops. Vehicles can navigate land and water with ease, opening up new paths and possibilities for exploration.
Hundreds of missions and challenges await us here. Scattered across the world are P-Switches, which activate skill-based missions. These missions challenge you to collect blue coins, avoid obstacles, or race against the clock to reach specific goals.
And if you’re exploring with friends, you can fast travel to their location on the map, making it easier to meet up and share discoveries.This mode could even include a story mode! From P-Switches to boating, there's definitely something fun for everyone here – and even more so as we can also play it in multiplayer!With the Switch 2's revamped communication options, it also seems easy to switch from World to another mode almost seamlessly.
Tricks
The trick system in Mario Kart World brings a whole new level of skill to your racing and exploration.
Use charged jumps to leap over hazards or reach new paths. Pull off aerial tricks for extra airtime and boosts, and ride along walls to uncover hidden routes.
Missed a crucial jump? Fell just short of a wall ride? No problem. The rewind feature lets you turn back time for a few seconds to retry the move.
Communication
As already mentioned, the trailer shows us many new options for interacting with friends and family. We see quick chat, emote buttons and a photo mode that reminds us a lot of the feature we already know from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. You can also use screen sharing!
Characters And Costumes
With the increased number of simultaneous players on a track, we can also look forward to many new characters. For example, we can recognize a Goomba, a cow from the Moo Moo Meadows, a penguin as we remember him from Super Mario 64, Monty Mole, a Wiggler, a dolphin... check out the trailer for yourself!
If you want to give your favorite characters a new look, the trailer is pure eyecandy. According to the trailer, Peach alone has 4 different outfits, each customized to the track. Speculation on my part: Since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as well as the new Mario Kart World have borrowed some things from Mario Kart Tour, it's not hard to believe that we'll see some familiar outfits again!
Want to see who’s on the starting line? Check out our full list of all playable characters in Mario Kart World
What do you think of the announcement so far? Are you excited to experience a completely new Mario Kart? Or is it simply too expensive for you?