Image: NintendoIt's been a busy couple of weeks in the Nintendoverse, and we're all a bit excited around these parts. Despite some bumps in the road around pricing, if you look past all the noise and the Nintendo-like messaging that can present more questions than it answers, the software looks per-itty good. Sure, for multiplatform gamers who've already had their fill of Elden Rings, Cyberpunks, and Street Fighters, Switch 2's 2025 lineup won't hit quite the same. And although Nintendo's own slate is fairly slim at launch, it's managed to turn the head of an old karting curmudgeon with a launch game that has me genuinely excited — with the tingles and everything — to play a new Mario Kart, something I honestly thought was beyond me at this point. Is it going to be 'Mario Kart of the Wild'? 90% of the NL team has now sampled the demo at the Switch 2 Experience events, but it is still a limited look at a game which promises a vast reworking of the basic Mario Kart formula beyond manic races to a finish line. We still don't quite know the extent of open-world component, but all signs point to something a bit special. And something special is exactly what Nintendo needs, not just for Switch 2's launch, but also to rejuvenate the series. Image: Nintendo I've always been of the mind that there's not really a 'bad' Mario Kart - not when you've got three friends and a multiplayer setup. Your favourite MK is invariably the one you've played most with three other people in the same room. My first was Mario Kart 64, so going 'back' to the 2D style with Super Circuit on GBA — and playing solo only — didn't get my motor running. MK64 wasn't never the best-looking game in the world and the PAL version... well, it's the PAL version (except in some courses with three players when, if memory serves, it magically sped up to 'proper' speed), but even running like soup, it was a fantastic time and showcased brilliantly why every console should have four controller ports on the front. But it was in university with Double Dash, three housemates, and a crate of cold brewskies that Mario Kart really came into focus. Maybe if we'd played Mario Party instead, I might understand people's obsession with that (that's definitely a 'me' thing, it's just never clicked for me), but Double Dash is my personal party-gaming pinnacle. Tapping to switch between characters with different items added just the right level of strategy and satisfaction on top of the racing. I've never felt as engaged by a Mario Kart since. That's not to say there haven't been great entries since 2003. As I said, it's the ones you play with pals in the best possible setting which grab you the most. Personally, I found Mario Kart Wii a bit bland. I barely touched the handheld DS and 7. Across the two versions and the Booster Course Pass tracks, I've put hundreds of hours into Mario Kart 8, though. Objectively, it's the biggest and best, but given the situations I've found myself playing multiplayer in... it's still never toppled Double Dash. Online just can't compete. Images: Nintendo World, though, looks so promising, I'm looking forward to Thursday's Direct more than any Nintendo broadcast in recent memory - honestly, even more so than the Switch 2 Direct. There is an element of relief that it's focused on just one game and I should be able to enjoy just watching the thing (as opposed to having it on in another tab with a suboptimal, hotel-room setup and scrambling to cover everything for you lovely lot!). 'Mario Kart X BOTW' is reductive, but it's exciting - at least to me. Not everything needs to be open-world, but I'm really pick up what Nintendo's putting down with this one. And let's not forget that the devs have had the best part of a decade to dream up what a Mario Kart sequel looks like as we slide into the second quarter of the 21st century. Breath of the Wild itself is over eight years old now, so its influence and mechanics appearing in other Nintendo games is absolutely to be expected. Looking at the system, it's a fine bit of kit, but I suspect your mind and body will very quickly adapt to Switch 2's 'new normal' after you pull the trigger and upgrade. There's not much that can be done about that, except keeping the supply of blistering new games coming once a month for as long as possible. MKW doesn't need a massive, 120-hour open-world component to keep us occupied until DK Bananza, but it would help. Images: Nintendo I've barely mentioned the price; $80 is obviously a huge ask. $50 as part of the launch bundle feels better, but that's accompanied by the 500-note sting of the hardware. As painful as it is, though, one look at our 'most wanted' reader survey suggests that 82% of Nintendo fans are as enthusiastic as me about this one. Nintendo makes some weird choices, but it knows the game looks great and knows we'll pay to play it. There's a lot riding on the Direct, but even with people looking for holes in that $80 argument, at this point it feels like Mario Kart World is Nintendo's ball to fumble. Thursday could be a dud. But right now? I'm surprised — delighted, even — at how jazzed I am to find out more about a Mario Kart, of all things. The series needed a new direction, and it's got it. And hey, if Nintendo can get me animated about this, maybe there's hope yet for GameChat. Maybe that's the secret sauce I need to bring back the face-to-face factor and return online play to the realm of the living room - to recapture the excitement of four dudes in Swansea lounging around a CRT and a GameCube 20 years ago. Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube807k Mario Kart: Single Dash!! "If they pull it off, others will follow" The World Wide Road Related Games See Also Share:0 1 Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles Upgrade Pack Price For Zelda: BOTW And TOTK Has Been Confirmed A pleasant surprise! Nintendo Confirms US Price For 'Switch 2 Welcome Tour' Quick, act surprised! My Nintendo Adds A Switch 2 Reward (North America) It's a keychain! 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