‘Biggest surprise’: Mario Kart is changing forever with release of new game
The iconic Mario Kart franchise is getting a drastic makeover with the release of a brand new game – and here’s a sneak peek.
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Nintendo announced the details of its brand new Nintendo Switch 2 console overnight, along with many of the games coming out during the console’s launch window.
But it was the huge changes coming to the latest game in the Mario Kart franchise that has gamers and casual fans most excited.
The new game is called Mario Kart World, and allows up to a massive 24 players to compete in races – a record number for the fan favourite title.
The headline new mode is Knockout Tour mode, where 24 players compete across back-to-back courses, but the bottom four players are eliminated each lap.
Strategy will play a huge role, given the wide variety of power-ups available.
I had the opportunity to play this mode at an exclusive event in New York immediately after the announcement, and it’s exactly as fun and chaotic as it sounds.
Imagine a big room with 24 gamers competing against each other on individual TVs, racing for bragging rights.
A blue shell hits that much harder when it takes you from first to eliminated halfway through a race.
I found that I was less willing to try shortcuts because of the threat of elimination, but significantly more willing to use power-ups as soon as I got them instead of trying to save them for the perfect moment.
Another huge change is the introduction of Free Roam.
This has never been a part of Mario Kart before, and will give players the chance to fully explore the off-road parts of the tracks that they’ve only been able to glimpse at while driving past.
It means that younger players who enjoy the driving but aren’t ready to be competitive can just explore with their parents, and it allows friends who want to hang out in a game to just drive around together and chat rather than focus on trying to win.
I used my open world time to scout out the various shortcuts on a new course, test the limits of turns and try to find hidden areas. It really opened the game up for me in ways that I’d never experienced before, and gave me a new perspective on how much artistic talent goes into building these courses.
There’s more to them than meets the eye.
It also gave me a chance to work out how some of the new features work, like grinding on rails.
I liken Free Roam to those first few seconds of any fighting game where you and your opponent agree to take a moment to work out the controls.
Being able to grind your car on rails in Mario Kart as though it were a skateboard gives players the opportunity to go faster, and try different modes of traversal to gain an edge. Much like shortcuts, they’re another way to potentially get an advantage, but may sometimes backfire.
Of course, one of the most important features of any Mario Kart game is the character selection, and there really is something for everyone this time.
Because there’s so many more players able to jump into the one race, there are of course many more costume choices.
The biggest surprise for dedicated fans was the reveal that the cow from classic track Moo Moo Meadows will be playable for the first time.
A personal favourite is the new fancy outfit for Boo; it makes him look like a saloon owner in a high-budget film set in the wild west.
Fans on Twitter have pointed out that Nintendo has cast the net surprisingly wide for character inclusions in this game, with the trailer suggesting that you can even play as the dolphin from Super Mario World.
THEY REALLY ARE ADDING ANYBODY LMAO https://t.co/UcvrIXxg57pic.twitter.com/JJdofUopVe
— No Context Super Mario (@SuperMarioOOC85) April 2, 2025
The good news is that not everyone will have to own the game to jump into online multiplayer, because with the new GameChat feature, up to four people with Nintendo Switch 2 consoles can play online using one digital copy of the game.
There is also local network play between Switch 2, Switch Lite and Switch OLED, with only one person needing a copy of the game.
Of course, you can also still play with one console, one game and four controllers.
But with new features comes a new price tag, and parents aren’t going to be happy.
First-party Nintendo Switch games previously cost between $60-$80, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe retailing for $79.95.
The new Mario Kart World’s price tag, however, is a whopping $119.95.
Mario Kart World is also available in a bundle with the new Nintendo Switch 2 for only $70 more (the base Nintendo Switch 2 bundle retails for $699.95, while the Mario Kart World bundle is $769.95).
Mario Kart World and the Nintendo Switch 2 are available in stores from June 5, 2025, with preorders available now.
Alice Clarke travelled to New York as a guest of Nintendo
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