Mario Kart World – Bigger Doesn’t Mean Better

I’m not going to lie, my excitement for Mario Kart World is incredibly higher and likely will only be driven higher when the game gets its own Nintendo Direct on April 17. An open world-ish Mario Kart experience was probably the last thing I would have expected from the franchise, but it could be a positive change.

Trying to build on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is going to be one hell of a task. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the premier Mario Kart Experience – the franchise has never been better. While I would have liked them to add a Double Dash mode to that game, it was perfect otherwise. But now Nintendo has to innovate, and they are banking on bigger being better.

With a variety of different themed areas to explore, and the promise that players can drive anywhere, Nintendo has a lot more to share with us in the upcoming direct. Collectibles you find? Probably. Hidden car parts and suites to wear? Probably. NPCs with quests, much like Forza Horizons or The Crew? Probably. These thoughts are all speculation, but let’s talk about what we do know.

There are a slew of new racing features I’m a bit skeptical on, including wall riding/jumping and grinding on lips and rails. I was skeptical of jumps and the hover ability in Mario Kart 8 as well so I’m ready to be surprised and won over.

It’s the cross country elimination race event I’m most excited about. Traveling from one end of the map to the other, with players being eliminated at certain checkpoints is phenomenal. Offline it will be fun against CPUs or perhaps other local players, but this mode might actually make me spend more time online with others. There is a ton of potential here, and I’m looking forward to learning more

And that’s what we have come to expect from Mario Kart – potential. Think about new worlds being added, new courses, new zones, new concepts. It’s not so much about what Mario Kart World is going to offer me on June 5th, but what it might offer me over the next 5-8 years.

There is so much to get excited about and I cannot wait to try it all out when the Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5th, 2025. Preorders will begin April 9th.