The recently concluded Mario Kart World Direct has unveiled a wealth of exciting details about the upcoming kart-racing title from the Mario Kart series. Dive into the specifics of the game's free-roam world and its myriad features.
An Interconnected World
Nintendo's Mario Kart World Direct on April 17 provided a deep dive into the game's features. Players can now explore Mario Kart World, navigating through familiar and new regions of the Mario universe.
According to Nintendo, "In Mario Kart World, the game's courses are interspersed across the world with roads leading from one to the next – allowing players to experience navigating roads in between courses!"
Explore the world of Mario like never before, with scenic views and iconic landmarks spread throughout. Hidden items and missions await as players roam, enhancing their driving skills outside of traditional races.
A mix of new and classic courses has been revealed, including Mario Bros. Circuit, Crown City, Salty Salty Speedway, Starview Peak, Boo Cinema, Toad's Factory, Peach Beach, and Wario Shipyard. These classic courses have been reimagined to seamlessly integrate into the expansive Mario Kart World experience.
Grand Prix and Knockout Tour
The game introduces two main racing types: Grand Prix and Knockout Tour, both supporting up to 24 racers, marking a historic high for the series. Players must navigate various obstacles, including cars that launch Bullet Bills and attacks from Hammer Bros.
In the Grand Prix, participants race through four consecutive events to win cups like the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and more. A unique feature requires players to travel to the next race location to continue, culminating in a speculated "colorful course" that fans believe could be Rainbow Road.
The newly introduced Knockout Tour takes racers on an epic journey across the world. These extended races operate as a survival mode, where only the top performers advance to the next race, adding a thrilling challenge.
Items, Characters, and More
Mario Kart World introduces a fresh array of items for races, alongside returning classics. New items include the Coin Shell, which can knock opponents away while leaving a trail of coins, the Ice Flower, which freezes opponents on contact, and the Big Mushroom, which enlarges racers to squash others.
The roster of racers features classic Mushroom Kingdom characters such as Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser, along with new additions like Goomba, Spike, and even Cow. Hidden throughout the world, alternate costumes for these characters offer players more variety and fun.
Playing With Friends
The game offers various game modes for players to enjoy with friends. Time Trials allow players to compete against ghost data from other players worldwide. VS mode provides extensive customization options for team-based races, while Battle mode includes Coin Runners, where collecting the most coins is key, and Balloon Battle, where the last racer with a balloon wins.
Mario Kart World supports both local and online multiplayer. Up to four players can race in split-screen mode on a single system, and local wireless play supports up to 8 players (2 per Switch 2 device). The new GameChat feature on Switch 2 enhances the social aspect, allowing players to communicate and view each other's screens during races.
Additional options like Smart Steering help keep players on course, Auto-accelerate drives racers forward automatically, Tilt controls add immersive motion control, and the new Joy-Con 2 Wheel enhances the racing experience.
Mario Kart World aims to revolutionize the kart-racing genre with its expansive, freely explorable map. Set to launch on June 5, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World promises an unparalleled racing adventure. Stay updated with the latest game news by checking out our article below!
