While everyone is excited about Mario Kart World’s new features and characters, not as many are talking about the game’s title. Instead of following in Mario Kart 8’s footsteps, Mario Kart World does away with the numbering system and puts the “world” aspect of the game at the forefront.
In an Ask The Developer interview recently published on the Nintendo homepage, Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki reveals that the game’s title was already decided during the early stages of development. The idea was to take the Mario Kart series to the next level, which meant more than just adding new maps and making an overall improvement to Mario Kart 8. With the idea of connecting the maps into a cohesive world as the central driving force, the game was called “Mario Kart World.”
Yabuki explains that the decision to incorporate an interconnected world came as a result of working with more advanced technologies. Whereas past Mario Kart games would bring you to a menu or teleport you to another track after finishing a race, the Mario Kart World development team wanted to create a new Mario Kart – one that allows you to drive to the different courses and experience things only possible in a more open world.
Mario Kart World will include new Knockout Tour races that make use of race tracks as well as the paths that connect them. There will also be a day-night cycle and a weather system that changes depending on the biome that you are currently in. You will be able to appreciate the game’s massive scale in Free Roam mode, where you can drive around at your leisure.
Mario Kart World is scheduled to release on June 5 for the Nintendo Switch 2, alongside the console’s launch.
