When the Nintendo Direct for the Nintendo Switch 2 dropped, fans were excited to see the trailer for Mario Kart World, the next game in the insanely popular Mario Kart series. The trailer further fueled the hype that we will be getting yet another awesome entry in the series. Mario Kart World looks like it will provide more hours of high-speed racing, fun locations, and hitting each other with Koopa shells. To fuel the hype even further, let’s look at five of the most exciting things the Mario Kart World trailer showed us.
1. Jet Skis, Snowmobiles, and Planes!
Mario Kart 7 introduced racing underwater and flying through the air with gliders, but Mario Kart World takes the concept further by introducing vehicle transformations. The trailers show the karts turning into jet skis when they hit water, snowmobiles when the terrain demands it, and planes when it’s time to take to the air. In addition, the trailer shows the racers sitting on rails and jumping off walls. Mario Kart World should give us more dynamic racing than before and encourage the use of strategies to win.
2. Mario Kart World is an Open World
Probably every Mario Kart player has tried to drive off the track at some point, only for Lakitu to point them in the right direction. However, in Mario Kart World, players will be free to drive wherever they want. The tracks are all part of a larger interconnected world with day-and-night and weather cycles, and there is even a free-roaming mode where you can just drive around for fun. Let’s hope there will be secrets to find in this mode.
3. New Outfits!
Who doesn’t love a little video game fashion? The trailer shows Mario eating a hamburger, and BAM, his outfit changes! There also appear to be multiple possible outfits for each character, since we see Princess Peach in a sunhat and a Boo headdress. Whether the outfits boost stats or if they are merely decorative remains to be seen, but either way, it’s a fun addition.
4. 24-kart races
Did you think Mario Kart 8’s races were chaotic with twelve racers? Mario Kart World doubles that number, which should mean even more flying Koopa shells and good-natured fights with friends and online strangers. The trailer also showed a power-up that makes players huge so they can steamroll through the other players, adding to the chaos. Hopefully, this means that couch competition will also allow more players. Mario Kart 8 only allowed four players at a time for split-screen play, but what if Mario Kart World took inspiration from Super Smash Bros. and doubled that number to eight?
5. A Cow
Just when you thought Mario Kart had run out of playable Mario characters, in comes one of the cows from the Moo Moo Meadows track in Mario Kart 64, arguably one of the most classic entries in the series. The delightful little farm that was home to the track can also be seen off to a track’s side in the Mario Kart World trailer. Probably no one expected a cow to be playable in a Mario Kart game, but come on, who wouldn’t want to race as a cow?
Conclusion
The Mario Kart series has never had a bad game, and it looks like Mario Kart World will be a unique entry in the series. Features like the free-roaming open world and the transforming vehicles should give Mario Kart World its own identity, setting it apart from the other games in the series. The game launches on June 5th, the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2 launches, and will be available either as a bundle with the Switch 2 or as a separate purchase. Let’s-a-go!
