Release Date: June 5, 2025
Platform: Switch 2
Publisher: Nintendo
Developers: Nintendo
Nintendo’s latest Direct gave us an extended, nearly 17-minute look at Mario Kart World, introducing the series’ most ambitious entry yet.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Fully Connected World: Courses are now part of one seamless map. Drive across deserts, cities, oceans, and more, with no menus between tracks, just roads that lead you from one course to the next.
- Grand Prix: Classic four-race cups return, but now you drive between tracks. Mushroom Cup starts at Mario Bros. Circuit and continues through open-world transitions to other courses.
- Knockout Tour: A gauntlet-style mode with checkpoints, hazards, and eliminations. Fall behind and you’re out, think of it as Mario Kart’s take on a battle royale sprint.
- Free Roam: Explore off-road areas, discover secrets, take missions via P Switches, snap in-game photos, and cruise solo or with friends.
- Battle Mode: Coin Runners and Balloon Battle return. Eliminate opponents by popping all their balloons to win.
- New Moves: Charge Jump lets you hop obstacles, grind rails, and ride walls. A Rewind option resets your position during solo or Free Roam, but time doesn’t stop for rivals.
- 24-Player Races: The most racers in Mario Kart history. Grand Prix and Knockout Tour support up to 24 players online.
- Multiplayer Options: Split screen for up to four players, local wireless for eight, full online play, and Free Roam meetups. You can warp to friends in the open world at any time.
- GameChat: Built-in voice chat through the Switch 2’s mic, with no Nintendo Online membership required until March 2026. You can also spectate friends’ screens.
- CameraPlay: With the Switch 2 Camera (sold separately), your face appears next to your racer. One camera supports up to four players locally.
- New and Remixed Courses: From Starview Peak to Boo Cinema, new tracks mix with reimagined classics, all integrated into the open world.
- Playable Characters: Drive as Mario mainstays like Peach and Bowser, or go wild with picks like Goomba, Spike, and Cow.
- New Items: Highlights include the Coin Shell (drops coins on hit), Ice Flower, Hammer, Mega Mushroom, Feather, and Kamek’s chaos-inducing magic.
- Drive-Thru Bonus: Grab Dash Food from spots like Yoshi’s for temporary boosts or unlockable outfits.
- Extra Modes: Time Trials (with ghost data), customizable VS Races, and team racing options offer more ways to play.
- Accessibility Options: Smart Steering, Auto-Accelerate, motion controls, and Joy-Con 2 Wheel support.
