Nintendo Switch 2 is coming with several launch titles, and the biggest flagship among them is Mario Kart World. Over a decade after the original release of Mario Kart 8, this Mario Kart is taking things to the next level with some ideas and features that the series has never before attempted. If it delivers everything it's promising, Mario Kart World could truly be the ultimate version of Mario Kart.

Some of the biggest changes to Mario Kart World are hard to miss, like the addition of off-road racing and the switch to 24-player races. Others that could have significant impacts of their own might not be as obvious, however, and many of the smaller additions could be equally essential to making this a standout among the games confirmed for Switch 2 so far.

10 The Feather Has Returned To Deflect Blue Shells

Time To Smack Blue Shells

The Feather item from Super Mario Kart is coming back, and it looks like it might provide an exciting new way to block blue shells in Mario Kart World. The blue shell is one of the most hated parts of Mario Kart because it feels unfair, especially to players in first place. It doesn’t matter how well you drive; the blue shell can instantly ruin your lead, and only a few very well-timed item uses can counter it.

The Feather seems to give players a way to fight back, as timing a jump correctly with the feather might actually counter it. With more complex course design and a more varied item roster than Super Mario Kart, the new game could make the feather more interesting and applicable than ever before.

9 No Need To Hold That Defensive Item

It Will Stick On Its Own

Mario Kart World is changing how items work. In past games, if players wanted to keep a defensive item, like a shell, floating behind the kart for protection, they had to hold down a button the whole time. This was annoying because it made it easy to mess up. You might let go by accident or miss a chance to use the item at the right moment. Mario Kart World fixes this by making items automatically follow behind your kart.

Players don’t have to hold a button anymore. This might seem like a small change, but it makes for a more comfortable control scheme throughout the majority of the gameplay. Now, players can concentrate more on racing and less on worrying about when to hold or release items. This is a good change because I rarely threw a banana in front of me; it usually made me mess up. That's an item for those who keep trying to get behind me.

8 Dynamic Weather & Time of Day

Times Change When Racing

One major upgrade that makes Mario Kart World more dynamic is the introduction of dynamic weather and a day-night cycle. This is obviously a visual improvement, but it could also be leveraged into one that can change how the game works. The weather, like clear skies, rain, snow, or thunderstorms, could have subtle impacts on how the kart performs in addition to changing the appearance of the tracks. If rain starts falling unexpectedly, perhaps the tires could struggle to grip the road, making it tougher to drift around sharp turns.

Dynamic weather could mean certain karts or power-ups become more valuable in those conditions. The time of day could also introduce new obstacles or benefits. Maybe nighttime races include hazards that aren’t there during the day, or certain shortcuts only open up at dawn or dusk. There's a lot Nintendo could do here that would dynamically change the game.

7 Expanded Character Roster & Costumes

It Will Likely Get Bigger

One of the best things about Mario Kart World is its huge selection of characters and the new way to dress them up. The game doesn’t just stick with the usual characters everyone expects. Instead, it adds a bunch of surprising and fun racers, like penguins, a cow, and even the Cataquacks from Super Mario Sunshine. These unexpected choices will make the game feel a lot fresher, and show why it's one of the biggest reveals for Nintendo Switch 2.

The game’s costume system lets players pick different outfits for their racer, making characters feel more personal. You can unlock costumes by eating food found throughout the world, encouraging exploration of the locations and courses. With so many characters and outfits to choose from, racers will have a better chance of finding a racer they really love.

6 Improved Track Design For Kart Racing

These Tracks Look Great

One big improvement in early looks at Mario Kart World is how the tracks are designed. This isn’t just giving old tracks a fresh coat of paint; the game has completely redone its approach to course design, adding new routes, secret shortcuts, and interactive parts that have never been in the series before. For example, the new grind rails and wall-kicks will make the routes feel really dynamic. Now, racers aren’t stuck following the same old path.

Better track design also means different kinds of players can race in different ways. If a driver likes being aggressive, they can once again use shortcuts to get ahead, but others might work on nailing the timing for grinding and wall-riding. There are also many hidden secrets, which makes exploring the tracks fun and gives a reason to play them repeatedly. All of this makes racing feel more exciting and less predictable.

5 Knockout Tour Mode For Elimination

Time To Take Bad Racers Out

Knockout Tour mode is a big step forward for competitive Mario Kart and something I've wanted for a while. Unlike the usual Grand Prix races, this mode puts players into a fast-paced, high-pressure series of connected tracks. Instead of racing three laps on a set course, players drive through checkpoints across a large, open-world map. The stakes are high, and if a driver falls behind, they could get eliminated. So, being aggressive is the way to go.

This risk of being knocked out adds a new kind of excitement and tension that wasn’t in older games, where races were more relaxed and followed a standard multi-lap format. Knockout Tour also creates a one-of-a-kind competitive experience that gets more intense as racers get eliminated. There’s no time to relax because where players place in each race counts.

4 Fun New Item Variety For Players To Use

The Items Are Changing A Bit

Mario Kart World has updated its item system. The game adds brand-new items while keeping some old favorites, making the racing more strategic than in past versions. For example, the coin block isn’t just a fun callback; it pushes players to take riskier routes and play more aggressively to collect items since they're not always easy to get. Now, it’s not just about going fast and drifting well. You have to think about whether it’s worth leaving the main track to grab something like the coin block.

This fresh way of thinking also applies to changes made to existing items. The lightning bolt, which used to be annoying because it was so random and could completely turn a race around, seems to have been reworked. The new version of the lightning bolt is more balanced, stunning only players in front with a shorter effect, so it doesn’t feel as unpredictable or unfair.

3 Free Roam Mode Outside of Races

Take A Good Look Around

The new Free Roam mode in Mario Kart World is a big change from how the games usually work, and it could make this one the best in the series. Instead of just racing on set tracks in Grand Prix or Knockout Tour mode, players can now drive anywhere they want in a huge, connected world. You can find hidden paths, secret spots, and collectible items while exploring. This game likely became one of the day-one releases to show that the hardware could handle big worlds.

Players might find shortcuts outside the normal races, which could help them win in new ways. Since there’s no timer or pressure, they can also test out different cars and characters to see how they handle them. The mode could even hide special challenges, mini-games, or unlockable outfits, giving players more reasons to explore than just looking around. For example, finding a secret area might reward them with a new costume for their favorite racer or a tough time trial in a tricky part of the map.

2 Improved Driving Mechanics

Grind, Jump, Spin, & Drive On Walls To Get Ahead

One big change that could make Mario Kart World the best game in the series is adding more ways to drive and race. Features like driving on water, grinding on rails, and riding on walls would make movement more exciting and give players new strategies that weren’t possible in older games. These wouldn’t just be small tweaks—they’d make the game harder to master but also more rewarding for players who put in the time to learn them.

Past Mario Kart games mostly stuck to the same basic controls and just changed the tracks, but Mario Kart World could make the actual racing feel realistic. Grinding on rails and riding on walls could let players move up and down in ways they couldn’t before, opening up cool tricks and surprising ways to other racers. There's plenty that's been added to the game that will make it stand out in big ways.

1 Open-World Interconnectivity

Look Around The World To See

While it might not be a tiny change overall, Mario Kart World's approach to open-world design has a lot of smaller benefits that might not be obvious. All the tracks feel connected instead of separate, like in older games. This creates one huge, smooth racing world instead of individual levels that feel like their own spaces. The biggest advantage is that Grand Prix racing will no longer feel like disconnected challenges.

Instead, the karts actually race from one course to the next, providing a smooth transition between the main racing areas and making the world feel vibrant. This could make Mario Kart World a lot more fun than the previous games, reducing the sense that the only things connecting different locations are the menus that appear between them.