It’s finally begun. The Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially revealed, and we’ve been keeping you abreast of any and all updates in our Nintendo Switch 2 live coverage all day.
Now what stood out to me most in the official Nintendo Switch 2 reveal trailer – aside from the hardware itself of course – was the unveiling of a brand new Mario Kart game. And no, it doesn’t look like another port of Mario Kart 8, thank heavens.
As a Mario Kart superfan, I’ve spent the last hour poring over the gameplay footage frame by frame, and I’ve come away with a surprising amount of information. Nothing’s set in stone until we get a full reveal of course, but there’s plenty here already to speculate on how the new Mario Kart game will shake up the series formula.
Up to 24 racers on a circuit?
The very first shot we get of the new Mario Kart game is an overhead look at a brand new course: Mario Bros. Circuit. We also see that the start line has a total of 24 race start positions marked onto the track.
While this could of course be nothing more than a scenery element, having 24 racers on any given track would double the maximum amount from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Not only that, it’d be a great showcase of the Nintendo Switch 2’s increase in power and performance.
It’s a little hard to make out how many racers are on track in the gameplay footage, but in the very final frame – where the camera pans back to reveal a track with exceptional breadth and draw distance – we can make out around 16 karts racing at the same time. I’m pretty confident, then, that the new Mario Kart game will be a favorite among Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
Everyone is here, and they’re looking very retro
There appears to be a good mix of familiar faces in the new Mario Kart game that we can play as. In the initial shot, we can see Mario and Luigi alongside Bowser, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Daisy, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Wario, Koopa Troopa and Pauline. Elsewhere, we catch glimpses of Waluigi, Baby Luigi and Shy Guy.
What’s more notable is a significant shift in art style. Both characters and karts are noticeably, well, rounder in design, looking quite a lot like their original Super Mario Kart renditions on the SNES. I’m a big fan of this change as I did feel there wasn’t much to distinguish their Mario Kart 8 Deluxe models from other entries like Mario Party and the like.
Absolutely massive tracks
Mario Kart 7 introduced gliding and underwater racing to the series, while Mario Kart 8 went with anti-gravity. On that note, we may already know this new Mario Kart game’s unique gimmick: utterly enormous circuits.
This is most evident in the final frames of the reveal, where we see a huge American-style highway complete with a Yoshi-themed burger joint off to the side. The track is incredibly wide and stretches off into the far distance. The draw distance here is unlike anything we’ve had in previous entries.
You can just about make out a long row of item boxes in the distance, too, as well as a glowing yellow pickup next to that Yoshi burger joint. I’m not sure what this could be; potentially a super speed power-up or maybe even some kind of fuel mechanic where you’ll need to keep your kart topped up in order to race as efficiently as possible.
A significant visual upgrade?
At first glance, this new Mario Kart doesn’t look like a massive jump in graphical fidelity from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. But upon closer inspection, this new game seems to be offering much more in terms of detail.
Surface textures such as the road and sand are rich in detail here, and there’s a noticeable uptick in trackside objects and scenery. I’ve already mentioned the colossal draw distance, too, which is probably the most notable step up from previous games.
It all points to Nintendo Switch 2 being comfortably more powerful than its predecessor. If not in raw graphical power, then at least in overall performance and optimization.
So what’s next?
We are likely to learn more about the new Mario Kart game at the next Nintendo Direct presentation. That’s happening on April 2, 2025, and will be focused on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Furthermore, Nintendo will be hosting Switch 2 Experience events across the world’s major cities between April and June. I find it very likely that this new Mario Kart game will be playable in some capacity. And we’ll be looking at bringing you all the latest news and updates as they happen.