Mario Kart is one of the most illustrious franchises in Nintendo's history, as it has been present on all of the Japanese brand's consoles. Not surprisingly, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has emerged as the best-selling video game of the entire Nintendo Switch generation with over 60 million copies, demonstrating the community's commitment to the arcade driving title with the franchise's signature characters. With this, the arrival of the Kyoto-based firm's new machine had to come with a megaton announcement that would capture the attention of players to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 from day one of its arrival on the market.

June 5th marks the start of Nintendo's new generation, and while all fans were expecting a Mario Kart 9 to follow in the wake of its successful predecessor, the company surprised everyone during the Nintendo Direct presentation dedicated to the new console with the reveal of Mario Kart World. The numbering for the series ends, giving way to a new dimension in the arcade driving of the franchise, adapting to an approach that has already been visited by other famous Nintendo series and promises to take the experience to a new level, aiming to bring together all players who enjoy the new generation and, additionally, gather them to enjoy with their friends beyond the classic races on the new circuits that debut on this occasion.

In this way, Mario Kart World arrives to reinvent the formula of one of the brand's most sought-after games, with an opening to uncharted territory and additions to the core gameplay so that both veterans and newcomers who delve into the title can fully enjoy the offering throughout the years of the Nintendo Switch 2 generation.

The open-world Mario Kart experience

The great innovation of Mario Kart World compared to any other entry in the series to date is the opening up to an open world. One of the most unpredictable surprises in this regard is the free driving through a map that interconnects all the circuits on which the action of the new Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive title will take place. With this, Mario Kart World will feature a campaign mode to unlock these circuits and enjoy their races as challenges, something similar to what was seen in Crash Team Racing on PlayStation, but taken to a new level.

Because Nintendo's idea is that this entire journey through the open world of Mario Kart World can be shared with friends, so the multiplayer in the new installment of the driving saga is not only limited to the races themselves, but players can also experience this new sensation of exploration in company, making it serve as a meeting point for players who want to discover all the secrets hidden in these free environments where you can drive without any kind of limitation. Undoubtedly, one of the most revolutionary ideas that Nintendo has included to date in relation to its driving saga, which is expected to be supported throughout the entire generation.

On the other hand, given the importance of Mario Kart World as the major launch title for Nintendo Switch 2, the game comes with its own steering wheel peripheral for those who want to experience the most complete sensations with the offering, demonstrating the importance that the Mario Kart saga holds today on the Japanese company's consoles.

New power-ups and brand new game modes as a major attraction

The other major innovations in Mario Kart World come in pure gameplay. Nintendo is aware of the tremendous success the franchise has enjoyed over the last few years, so they haven't wanted to make major changes in this regard. Therefore, beyond the new circuits that have been included this time, the debuting power-ups stand out, such as the feather, which allows you to dodge some of the most powerful attacks from rivals, or the coin box to collect them all in an instant. Another major new feature is the golden shell, which follows a specific trajectory.

There are many more innovations in this sense to bring greater freshness to the gameplay, but none like the new survival game mode, which brings even more tension to the races, since players are eliminated in each section until only four of them remain to face each other to determine the winner. Without a doubt, a mode that looks set to be the star feature of Mario Kart World, offering a different dynamic to the series' races and bringing much more excitement to online matches with friends.

There's no doubt that Nintendo has done its homework with Mario Kart World to make it a success both at the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 and throughout the duration of the generation.