Two weeks after itsSwitch 2 Direct event, Nintendo held another Direct solely focused on its newMario Kart Worldgame, showcasing 15 minutes of new gameplay for the Switch 2 exclusive launch title. For starters, in case you’re wondering, Nintendo did not announce a new pre-order date for the Switch 2 or any price changes to the consoledue to tariffs, so we’re still holding our breath for that news.
Until then, there is plenty to unpack from this Mario Kart World Direct, including the game’s new open world mechanic, its course tracks, characters, new abilities, and more. If you’re a huge fan of Mario Kart, there’s a lot to be excited about here, which will hopefully justify the game’scontroversial price tag. Here are the six biggest takeaways from the Mario Kart World Direct event.
Mario Kart World
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All the courses are part of one big open world
To start off the presentation, Nintendo showcased a handful of the courses players will be able to experience in Mario Kart World. There was a strong emphasis on the fact that this game takes place in one large open world with different biomes. Each course is inspired by the surrounding region it is in, such as the desert, ocean, city, and more. you may freely drive between them in the open world.
The first course Nintendo highlighted was Mario Bros Circuit, a canyon desert track we first saw in the Switch 2 teaser trailer in January. Crown City is another course that takes place in a large urban area, which reminded me a bit of Mario Odyssey. Next is the Salty Salty Speedway track, located in the water canals of Crown City. An exciting aspect of Mario Kart World is that you can actually race on water now. A couple of the other courses Nintendo presented were Starview Peak, an icy castle track, and Boo Cinema, a haunted movie theater.
Nintendo also teased that “nostalgic courses from past titles are also here, but now they’re reimagined and spread throughout the world, where races can happen during the day or at night.” I hope this means Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii will once again be back, similar to how it appeared in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
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2Characters
Yes, you can play as the Cow
Mario Kart World is full of diverse characters, just like in the previous games, and Nintendo showcased a variety of the returning cast, including Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Yoshi, Daisy, and more. A special shoutout was also given to some of the new characters joining the game, such as Goomba, Spike, and the most famous of all, the Cow character, who created a buzz on social media after the first Switch 2 Direct event.
Similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, characters and vehicles possess different stats, allowing players to experiment with various combinations to best discover their play style. Players can also locate drive-thrus in the open world to unlock new outfits for their character, inspired by the meals they picked up. For example, Nintendo showcased Peach enjoying sushi and unlocking a new yukata outfit.
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3Race types
Grand Prix makes its return, and Knockout Tour is a new elimination game mode
There are two main styles of races in Mario Kart World: Grand Prix and Knockout Tour. Up to 24 players can participate in each race, which Nintendo has emphasized as the largest number in Mario Kart history. The Grand Prix mode has been featured in all previous Mario Kart games, and the races in this game take place across various regions of the world. There are several different cups with unique maps, such as the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, and Star Cup. In each Grand Prix, players race through four different courses, and at the end of each race, they have to drive to the next track in the open world.
Knockout Tour is a brand-new mode in Mario Kart World, introducing what Nintendo calls Rallies, which “take you from one end of the world to the other.” The objective in Knockout Tour is to place high enough in the race to avoid elimination. Each track has a specific cutoff (for example, placing 20th or better), and if you don’t make the cut, you’re eliminated. I think this mode sounds like a lot of fun, and I’m a fan of the higher stakes involved due to the elimination process.
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4New items
You can freeze your opponents or crush them
It wouldn’t be a Mario Kart game without items to throw at different racers, and Mario Kart World has quite a few new additions. The first is the Coin Shell, which, when picked up and thrown, causes coins to appear on the racetrack for you to collect. Next is the Ice Flower, allowing you to freeze rivals and briefly stop them in their tracks so you can get ahead. There is also the Mega Mushroom, which enlarges your size and lets you drive over and crush other racers to gain an advantage.
My favorite new item that Nintendo showed off is the Hammer, which enables you to throw an arc of hammers at your opponents to knock them over. The hammers even remain on the track for a short period after being thrown, serving as obstacles. My other favorite is the Feather item, which allows you to jump and avoid attacks. If you’re near the end of a race in first place, the Feather will be incredibly useful for maintaining that lead.
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5Player supports and tricks
Smart Steering helps new players stay on the track
If Mario Kart World is going to be your first Mario Kart game, or you’re just looking for some extra help while playing, Nintendo has some features for you while you’re getting used to the game. The first is Smart Steering, which helps you stay on the course and prevents you from falling off. This will be incredibly handy for newer players trying to learn the controls. Additionally, there is auto-accelerate, which makes your kart go forward automatically, and auto-use items, which will use any items you pick up for you.
There are also tilt controls, like in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which let you hold the Joy-Con controllers horizontally, so you can use motion controls to steer your kart in-game almost as if you’re actually driving it. Nintendo also showed off new tricks players can do in Mario Kart World, such as Charge Jump, which lets you jump to avoid obstacles, jump on walls to ride on them, and more. There is also a rewind feature that players can use in free roam and, when playing races solo, which allows them to rewind a part of the track they just completed so they can redo it and learn it better.
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6Free Roam
The world is yours to explore
One of the coolest new features in Mario Kart World is the ability to freely roam and drive around the map. you may go wherever you want, whenever you want, across all the different regions and racetracks in the world. There are rivers, seas, deserts, icy tundras, mountains, and more to explore. There are activities in the open world you can also engage in, such as P Switches, which you can activate to start missions like collecting coins and navigating obstacle courses.
In Free Roam, there is also a photo mode that players can use to take pictures while they’re driving around the world. You can invite friends to join you in Free Roam, allowing you to explore the world and participate in different activities together. When you open the map, you’ll see their location marked, and you can teleport to them.
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