8 Things We Learned From The Mario Kart World Direct

The Direct started with a showcase of different courses, including new tracks and reimaginings of old ones. Some of the courses Nintendo spotlighted were the metropolis Crown City, the Venice-esque Salty Salty Speedway, the icy trails of Starview Peak, and a drive-in theater called Boo Cinema. Some of the old tracks from previous games that will be reimagined for World include Toad’s Factory, Peach Beach, and Wario Shipyard.

The two main racing modes in Mario Kart World are the classic Grand Prix seen in previous games that takes you and 23 other players through multiple courses to see who comes out on top, and a new mode called Knockout Tour. These are lengthy, multi-track races that gradually pick off players as they go on. Racers will drive through different checkpoints that will gradually eliminate players in the lower positions. It’s kind of like Mario Kart battle royale.

Nintendo showed off new usable items that will help give you an edge in a race. Some new ones include: The Coin shell that puts coins on the track for you (or your enemies) to grab, the Ice Flower that freezes your enemies, Hammers, thrown in a classic Hammer Bros. arc, to smash and block your opponents where they land, Mega Mushrooms that make you big enough to run over your enemies, Feathers that give you more air time and let you find alternate routes, and Kamek, which seems like a bit of a wild card item that can have different effects.

Nintendo announced a few features and playstyles that will help the game be more accessible. The big one is smart steering that keeps you from driving off the side of the track, as well as motion controls for people who want to steer using the Joy-Con controllers’ support for that functionality.

We already knew that Mario Kart World would include new outfits for multiple characters, but we now have a little more insight into how you unlock them. Throughout the open world, you’ll find different meals that will unlock new threads based on the food you take to go. For example, if you eat sushi, you’ll unlock traditional Japanese clothing. Once you chow down, you’ll be able to access these costumes in the character select screen.

Mario Kart World adds a few new maneuvers to give you more options while racing. You can jump to avoid incoming obstacles, drive on walls, and rewind to get a second shot at jumping to an alternate route. However, your rivals will continue to drive normally while you rewind, so it has its drawbacks.

While the 24-player races are the big central draw of Mario Kart World, the game is including modes that let you race with friends or play in solitude. Time Trials are returning, and will include ghost data from other players for you to compete against as you try to get a new personal best time. VS Race lets you customize a race’s ruleset, and supports up to four teams so several players can group up together for a collective score. Battle modes Coin Runners and Balloon Battle are also returning, letting you duke it out with other racers. Free Roam is exactly what it sounds like, and lets you drive around the game’s open world to explore, solve puzzles, and find collectibles. While you race and explore the world, you’ll be able to use a photo mode to take cool screenshots of all your sick tricks and neat discoveries.

Part of the appeal of Free Roam is getting to zone out and ride around without the pressures of racing, and you can play it with friends and drive around the open world together. Using the Switch 2's chat button will allow you to voice chat as you ride around, and you can take photos together with the photo mode. And whether you’re Free Roaming with friends or alone, it seems the world is packed with things to discover, including P Switches that start challenges, as well as special hidden coins, panels to activate (for some as of yet unknown purpose), and more.