This week Nintendo hosted a Mario Kart World Direct, providing further details on the highly anticipated launch title for Nintendo Switch 2. Mario Kart World (and the Switch 2) will release on June 5.
Mario Kart World offers a seamless open world that includes cities, deserts, rivers, the ocean, and all the courses. For the first time in the series, players can drive between courses — and for the Grand Prix mode, it’s a requirement!
Completing all the Grand Prix courses will unlock a “certain colorful course.” Hello, Rainbow Road! World will include a mix of old and new courses, with Boo Cinema, Crown City, and Starview Peak joining classics such as Toad’s Factory and Peach Beach.
Other game modes include the usual mix: Time Trials, VS Races, and Battle Mode. The new Knockout Tour uses the open world design as a cross-country rally with everyone surviving hazards along the way. Racers who fall too far behind are eliminated.
Free Roam is another new game mode. It’s a chance to explore the interconnected world, with or without friends, finding shortcuts, hidden P-switches, and other secrets. Photo mode is also available in Free Roam.
As with previous Mario Kart games, up to four players can play splitscreen on a single Switch 2. Up to eight players can play locally (up to two per console), while online multiplayer allows for up to 24 players (up to two per console) in Grand Prix and Knockout Tour modes.
Mario Kart World adds a couple new abilities for all racers. The new Rewind feature reverses costly mistakes at the cost of losing ground. The new Charge Jump allows anyone to quickly jump onto rails, dodge vehicles and attacks, or even wall-ride.
World also features a huge roster of racers, with newcomers including Goomba, Spike, and, er, “Cow.”
Unlocking new outfits is as easy as driving through Yoshi’s Dash Food while traveling between courses. Outfits appear to unlock randomly depending on the food you receive.
Mario Kart World also adds new support features to help new and younger players. These features include auto-accelerate, smart steering, and auto item use. Players can also utilize the new Switch 2 camera for overlayed webcams and the new GameChat feature.
Mario Kart World will be available on June 5 as a separate purchase ($79.99) or as part of the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle ($499.99 MSRP). It’s rated E for Everyone.
