Nintendo Switch 2 will have several games to choose from at launch, including Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Sonic x Shadow Generations. However, the system’s biggest day one game is Mario Kart World. Not only will the game be sold individually, it will even be offered in a bundle with the system. This is the first Mario game to debut alongside a Nintendo system since 2012, and the first time a Mario Kart in particular was chosen as the big launch title. In an interview with Inverse (via Nintendo Everything), Nintendo senior vice president of product development Nate Bihldorff said that the reason for this decision was the franchise’s wide appeal to different player types.
“Mario Kart World is, in my mind anyways, one of the most broadly accessible games possible. The skill ceiling is incredibly high for people who are really into it. You saw this with Mario Kart Deluxe as well. But if you really want to play it at a high level, at the highest speed, the highest competitive level online, you’re going to spend a lot of time with this game, finding the best routes, finding the best techniques, all that,” Bihldorff told Inverse. “But at the same time, this is a game that, like Mario Kart [8] Deluxe, has as many settings as you’d like to basically make it so that a kid, really any age, or a person of any skill level can also do it, so stuff like auto accelerates, stuff like smart steering, which basically guides you back onto track, which we actually have been able to have. Those are the sorts of things that you can basically turn them all on. If you have a five year old kid, give them the controller played on 50cc, they may beat you.”
Bihldorff went on to mention that sales of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe showed “that there’s a lot of appetite for racing games” among the general public. Over the last 8 years, it sold more than 67 million copies on Switch, making it one of the best-selling video games of all-time. Launching Switch 2 with the game’s direct sequel makes a lot of sense, even if it’s not something Nintendo has ever done with the series. Mario Kart World seems like it could end up being the biggest reason to own a Switch 2 this year, at least for most people.
While Mario Kart World is the big Switch 2 launch game, it’s not the only first-party title Nintendo will have available at launch. The company will also be releasing Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a $10 digital game that acts as a walkthrough of the system’s new features. Several existing Nintendo Switch games will also be getting paid upgrades on day one, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Those upgrades can be purchased on their own for existing owners, but Nintendo will also be selling physical releases of these games with the new content on the game card.
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It remains to be seen whether Mario Kart World will be able to drive interest in Nintendo Switch 2, just as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did with the original Switch. However, in my short time with the game, I’ve come away pretty impressed so far. It already feels like a significant leap for the series, while maintaining the familiar elements fans have come to love about Mario Kart since the series launched back in 1992.
Do you think Mario Kart World is a smart launch game for Nintendo Switch 2? Or would you have preferred to see a different Nintendo franchise? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
The post Nintendo Reveals Why Mario Kart World Is the Big Switch 2 Launch Game appeared first on ComicBook.com.
