Mario Kart World Blew My Mind

 

So, today was the big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, and it was packed with some exciting reveals. There were a ton of games that caught my eye, and I definitely need to talk more about them. But for now, I want to focus on the big launch title: Mario Kart World!

As you all probably know, it’s been about 11 years since we got a brand new console Mario Kart game, and 5 years since a brand-new Mario Kart release overall. So, this one really has a lot to live up to. Nintendo’s been taking Their sweet time, and it shows. They've put in some serious effort to make sure Mario Kart World stands on its own, which is especially important after the 2022-2023 Booster Course Pass turned MK8 Deluxe into whats basically the definitive Mario Kart experience.

The name of the game says it all—Mario Kart World lets us travel across a huge open world with tons of freedom. The racer count is also doubling. Instead of the usual 12 players from MK8 or even 16 from Mario Kart Wii, we’re now looking at 24 racers on track at once. It’s going to be hectic, to say the least. But hey, maybe this bigger roster will balance things out in some surprising ways. Could we see the blue shell randomly hit anyone in the top 4 instead of always targeting first place? Probably wishful thinking, but who knows? Nintendo might just throw us a curveball.

Along with the increased player count, we’re also getting massive tracks—massive in a way that feels like they were designed for free-roaming. Honestly, I’m not sure if the big player count is meant to match the large tracks, or if the large tracks are there to justify the increased racers... Either way, it’s a bold new direction. We also get day-night cycles that will affect the track, adding even more variety to each race.

And speaking of roaming freely—that’s right, you can go anywhere on these tracks. The interconnected open-world tracks are a huge deal and give the game a fresh new vibe. It’s not just about racing in a straight line anymore; you’ve got the freedom to explore, which is exciting!

Another cool thing? Special items from Mario Kart Tour are making a return, along with skins. These skins transform characters when they eat a track-specific “meal,” with some of them referencing Tour variants or being completely new. Plus, you can now drive on all kinds of surfaces, including water! The trailer even showed Mario grinding on a rail, a Shy Guy doing the same, and then jumping from wall to wall. It was honestly so cool and had me lowkey way hyped, more than I expected!

But the real cherry on top is the game’s animation. The characters are looking more expressive than ever, and it's clear that the developers have really leaned into the classic 2D Mario designs, especially from artists like Shigehisa Nakaue and Yoichi Kotabe. The karts are bouncier and more fluid, and you can see characters stretch and react in ways that make the whole experience feel alive. DK’s new look is also lighter and allows for more varied expressions, which is a nice touch.

So, that’s my decently lengthy ramble on Mario Kart World for now. There’s still a lot more to dive into, but I’ll save that for when we get more info down the road. Stay tuned for another ramble on the other big racer from the Direct and DK’s upcoming game revival!