During today’s Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, the company showcased a brand-new entry in the Mario Kart franchise. Just a brief snippet of footage was shown, but in that clip, there were a lot of surprising details, offering a hint at what’s to come. One notable change is the number of racers on a track at a given time. That number seems to be increasing from 12 to 24, which should change things up pretty significantly. At the very least, races are going to get a lot more frantic, and it’s going to be interesting to see how tough it is to go from last place to first!
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was not a launch title for Nintendo Switch, but the game came very shortly after, and helped to generate huge sales for the console. In the last 8 years, Nintendo has released the mobile title Mario Kart Tour, and the side game Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. However, we haven’t had a true successor to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The closest thing we’ve had is some DLC, and fans have been desperately wondering how Nintendo might change up the formula. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has offered what is basically the definitive Mario Kart experience. With more than 60 million copies sold, it was always a safe bet that Nintendo would have a new Mario Kart close to the launch of its new system. Clearly, Nintendo has spent the last 8 years thinking about how to shake things up, and the number of racers per track is certainly one way to approach it.
While the number of racers is one change we can expect to see, today’s trailer offered some additional hints about the future. For one thing, the character model of Donkey Kong has been changed. Rather than the look we’ve seen in the series since Mario Kart 64, the new Mario Kart game has a design that more closely resembles the character’s appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. That’s an interesting design choice, and it could mean that Nintendo will be going with that look for future Donkey Kong games as well. While some fans might be disappointed to see things changed up, this isn’t nearly as drastic as the change between Super Mario Kart (which featured DK Jr.) and Mario Kart 64!
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As of this writing, further details about the new Mario Kart are very slim. However, a Nintendo Direct has been announced for April 2nd, which will focus on the new console. That’s where we can likely expect to see more details on Mario Kart, as well as other games coming to Nintendo’s new platform. That wait is going to be tough on some Mario Kart fans, but considering how long they’ve been waiting for a new game in the series, it’s safe to say a few more months won’t be too painful!
Do you think the change in the number of racers will be a good thing? Are you excited for the new Mario Kart? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
