It’s great fun and really leans into the frantic nature of Mario Kart, hurling items to get any kind of purchase on the pecking order. I did find Knockout Tour to be particularly frantic, often bouncing back and forth constantly between the front and back of the pack. But that’s Mario Kart - that’s exactly what you’re signing up for.

Mario Kart World allows you to race against 24 players for the first time. This is double the amount that it was in MK8. The game will feature the standard Grand Prix format, plus two new game modes: Knockout Tour and Free Roam.

After the Grand Prix, Nintendo showed the Free Roam mode. Players can effectively drive across the entire world however they please, which, more than anything, shows the genius of Nintendo's level design that not only do the courses work individually, but they blend together into a continuous world too.

Mario Kart World launches June 5, the same day as Switch 2 itself. More info on the game will come with a special Direct presentation on April 17. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Fans had been waiting months for Nintendo’s big Switch 2 Direct. But one thing that’s dominated the conversation following the showcase isn’t the games or the features, it’s the Switch 2's $450 price tag. Now fans are spamming the YouTube chat for the company’s ongoing Nintendo Treehouse livestream with one simple plea: “Drop the price.”

Nintendo is switching a few things up with its new console as it enters the next generation of gaming. The Switch 2 was unveiled Wednesday morning during a Nintendo Direct press conference, and Variety got a hands-on demo with the hardware and games launching on June 5.

Nintendo today held its big Direct revealing more information about its upcoming console, the Switch 2, and the very first thing it showed off was a new Mario Kart title. Called Mario Kart World, the new game is exclusive to Switch 2,

Mario Kart World is an open-world racing game in the style of Forza Horizon, in which fields of 24 racers compete across a huge map with different regions. It has many features associated with more realistic racing games, including a photo mode, dynamically changing weather conditions, and time-of-day that will affect the racing experience.

We knew a Mario Kart game was coming to the Switch 2, and now Nintendo has finally shared some real details in its latest Nintendo Direct. It’s called Mario Kart World, and it will be a day-one Switch 2 exclusive when the console launches on June 5th.