Mario Kart World: Everything You Need to Know

The Switch 2 Nintendo Direct live stream opened with a bang, giving us an in-depth look at the new Mario Kart World game. The trailer was shown before the Switch 2 itself, starting the stream with the most exciting game that will be released on the same day as the console. Luckily, we were able to get a good look at the game before the rest of the stream was interrupted due to lag. 

Today, we are going to examine every detail revealed in the Mario Kart World trailer. This deep dive will examine all the new features and discuss new possibilities for one of the most universally loved games in the world. 

What Is Mario Kart World? 

Mario Kart World is the latest edition of the Mario Kart series. The last time we got a full Mario Kart game was with Mario Kart 8 back in 2014 — that’s over 10 years ago! (Yes, there has been the mobile Mario Kart Tour and the Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, but we’re not counting these.) 

Nintendo is providing a whole new take on this super successful franchise. It will introduce game-changing features while also keeping true to its original roots. This blend of old and new looks like it’s well done, and fans around the world can’t wait to get their hands on it.  

Mario Kart World Deep Dive 

Now, let’s dissect the trailer to note all the new features in Mario Kart World. There may be some points that you missed from the trailer. 

Map 

Arguably, the biggest reveal in Mario Kart World is that it will be an open-world game. At first, it’s hard to imagine how this would work, but after seeing Nintendo’s approach, it seems that it will work great. 

It is not the first time we have seen this approach, Lego 2K Drive was a family-friendly, open-world racing game, and also the successful Forza Horizon series. The difference here is that Mario Kart World will also have its wacky tracks as points of interest (POIs) rather than just creating races around the open world. Lego 2K Drive had great features, but ultimately didn’t become a fan-favorite game. We’re hoping that Nintendo’s budget and the fact that it’s such a big game will do this format justice. 

The initial map shows at least 29 race courses as POIs. This is much less than Mario Kart 8 had. MK8 released with 32, the Deluxe had 48, and additional DLC brought the total to 96 tracks. I imagine specific POIs will have different track variations. This is reinforced by the trailer showing Crown City in two different Grand Prix variations with different screenshots. Additionally, we could likely see new races take place across the open world areas in addition to the tracks. 

As the map is open-world, there are many opportunities for shortcuts in various racing modes. 

Will Mario Kart World Include Retro Maps?

Yes, from the trailer, we can see that a range of retro maps will be incorporated into the open-world map. We can see famous tracks like Bowser’s Castle, Super Mario Circuit, Wii’s Moo Moo Meadows, and many more. But these tracks will have a modern take on them. 

Game Modes

Mario Kart World allows you to race against 24 players for the first time. This is double the amount that it was in MK8. The game will feature the standard Grand Prix format, plus two new game modes: Knockout Tour and Free Roam. 

Grand Prix

A new feature in the Grand Prix mode is that you will drive between the courses after racing. The trailer states, “You’ll also drive to the next course as part of the competition.” This might allow you to rack up additional points for your Grand Prix Score. 

Knockout Tour

The Knockout Tour is a non-stop race that spans different variations across Mario Kart World. It involves racing through various courses where the trailing players will be eliminated from the race at select checkpoints. This is not a new format in racing games, as games like Forza Horizon and others have a similar format. These types of races don’t tend to be loved by the racing community, but there’s no denying they keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Free Roam

Free Roam looks great. You will be able to drive everywhere, including the specific tracks, in a casual way. This will make it easy to find new shortcuts and perfect them before taking them to the track for real. Mario Kart World also has a rewind mechanic, like Forza, so you can practice the same routes repeatedly. 

An attractive feature of free-roaming is that you can explore with friends. You will be able to create your own impromptu races, explore together, and even take pictures.  

The free-roam world will be the new lobby. This is where you will be able to start your races, making the whole game feel like a seamless experience. In the IGN hands-on preview, they mentioned seeing a gold Peach coin they couldn’t access. Features like this make it worth exploring and potentially unlock new items.

Characters 

From the trailer, we can see that there will be at least 50 different characters to play as in Mario Kart World. This is already more than the 40 available in Mario Kart 8. With no surprise to anyone, all the main characters from the Mario Kart series will be playable in Mario Kart World. Additionally, other niche characters will be included in the game. 

The biggest news from new characters comes from Moo Moo the cow. This cow is breaking the internet, and dozens of memes have already been celebrating (and mocking) Moo Moo being behind the wheel. 

If you look closely, you will see that there will be a whole load, if not all, of mobs added to the character selection. Goomba, Pokey, Cheep Cheep, and even the Piranha Plant are seen racing around the tracks. 

Karts

The Karts get a whole new revamp in the new Mario Kart World. The most notable difference is that parachutes are now a thing of the past. Now, each Kart will have mechanical wings that come out of the Kart, turning them into flying machines. I love this redesign, not only because it looks much cleaner, but it also makes the Kart mechanics more uniform, considering the changing tires, etc. Also, the parachutes reduced the vision of the track ahead. It was small, but it was still noticeable. 

The other big new feature is the range of vehicles we will get to ride. In the trailer, you can see snowmobiles, rally carts, trikes, jet skis, and other ATVs. This is on top of the regular carts and bikes we are used to seeing in Mario Kart games. 

Customization

Mario Kart World will allow us to choose from a wide range of customizations. Characters will have a range of different costumes to select from to enhance your driving experience. In addition, new power-ups while driving change our characters into a new costume. We are not sure what boost these items will give us, but they look great. 

We think there will be several ways to earn new characters or customize each character. More character variations are always welcome, as each player can find their main. 

As for the carts, it looks like customization might be out the window in favor of a wide range of vehicle selections. Customization won’t be missed as long as there are a healthy number of different vehicles to choose from. And to be honest, trying to balance the body, wheels, and parachute for the best stats was a bit of a pain in MK8.

Multiplayer 

A big aspect of the Mario Kart series is that we are able to play it with friends and family of all ages. Mario Kart World stays true to this nature, and the Switch 2 introduces a whole range of new features to keep us connected with friends online. Although the races now have 24 players, we are still only allowed to have 4 people play on a single console. I guess an eight-person split-screen option would never work anyway. 

The free-roam element looks like it will be fun to explore with friends. Thanks to the Switch 2’s built-in mic with selective voice audio, we will be able to talk to people online like they’re in the same room. 

Additional Features

In addition to all these points, Mario Kart World has a range of smaller features that will make a difference to the standard gameplay. The first notable feature is the introduction of dynamic weather. This will make a difference to the replayability of each course. There will even be rain in Mario Kart! 

Another new feature is that you can drive huge vehicles. In the trailer, we see Mario driving into a huge truck, which also gives a huge boost. We also know that you will be able to control a boat. 

Mario Kart World will also let you grind rails. These rails are positioned all around the map and may be a way to lead you through shortcuts. There is also a section where we see some drivers hopping between walls. 

Add Ons

Along with the release of Mario Kart World, Nintendo has released the Joy-Con 2 Wheel Accessory. This accessory is perfect for people who play the game using the gyro setting. It is more of a party game item rather than one for experienced players, but it does add a nice touch to the game.