La video game history of Nintendo teaches us that maintaining tradition is a duty toward the franchises that made it great, solid milestones as massive as the boulders hurled by Donkey Kong and that have always supported the kingdom of Kyoto’s house of ideas.
Yet, in recent years we have witnessed a slow but radical process of renewal in regard to its IPs: all in pure Nintendo style, mixing elements that break with the past while at the same time embracing its foundational aspects with greater vigor.
With this philosophy, Mario Kart World comes to the starting line with all the right ingredients to make people talk about it like never before. With its official release set for June 5, 2025, the launch title of the new Switch 2 era is set to become the killer app of the year, just as the previous iteration was.
At the wheel of the numerous karts and their two-wheeled variants, we will find the huge roster of Nintendo characters in fine form, from the ever-present Mario brothers to Peach and the sneaky Shy Guy, plus a whole series of juicy new entries.
From the trailer released some time ago, it is clear that there is a desire to go beyond the concept of “car race,” and certainly one cannot speak of realistic driving simulation when we find ourselves chased by giant bullets, banana peels left behind by fierce mischievous opponents, and a legion of traps and wandering enemies ready to send us crashing windshield-first into walls of cheese and tropical pools!
Yoshi’s motorcycle stunts and the royal Daisy’s water drifts are already the stuff of legend as far as I’m concerned: the trailer reveals and does not reveal, but the developers have widely let slip the main new features that await us when we get our hands on the game.
Come I mentioned at the beginning, modernity and tradition can go hand in hand if properly guided by an expert hand, and Nintendo knows well how to ferry its old and new fans through the sea of change: the open world nature of the game was revealed by the incredible new feature that will see the various tracks, the “game worlds” in full Super Mario style to be clear, interconnected with one another. It seems like madness, and indeed everything seems to point toward this prejudice without having yet played the title in question, but Nintendo is eager to redefine a genre and the Mario Kart World project is certainly ambitious.
Not just offline and online races, then, offering the usual ton of modes to compete with AI-controlled and human racers, both locally and on the internet: explorations and free roaming in the various game areas also await us, in search of secrets, hidden areas, and easter eggs to uncover.
Come if… yes, exactly, that’s precisely what we’re both thinking. As if we were playing a driving game that, when needed, could transform into a real platformer on karts! Among the many new features introduced in Mario Kart World, my competitive streak made me prick up my ears when I read about the Knockout Tour: a mode destined to ruin friendships forever and make you sleep on the couch all weekend if you’re one of those who plays Mario Kart with your significant other. In practice, the race will unfold across a series of interconnected circuits with checkpoints set up along the way: competitors will only be allowed to continue the race if they are above a certain threshold in the standings, while anyone who fails to meet this requirement will be eliminated and, as someone once sang in the Italian theme song of The Knights of the Zodiac, in the end only one will win!
Needless to say, the premises are astonishing, but the downside is represented by the fear that perhaps, this time, Nintendo has taken a gigantic step, compared to the leg it has.
Personally, I can’t wait to hop into my blazing green kart with Luigi and shoot defiant looks at anyone who dares try to pass me in a corner.
Let’s gooo!
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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