Nintendo Direct: Mario Kart World: Every Announcement - How Would You Rate It?

Personally, I think the game could've instead costed no more than $70 maximum, but I still think it looked really cool and fun in this Direct. It helped that I was able to watch and discuss it with my fellow game-loving dad, who works at Nintendo of America in the technical department and has already been able to try the game himself a little bit, including with the new GameChat feature lol.

One of the things I think is most underrated about the Mario Kart series in the last few installments, especially Mario Kart 8, is how "real" it feels, perhaps more so than anything else in the whole Mario franchise. I see the world the games take place in with all of the fake brands dotting the courses (Fuzzy Battery, Boomerang Bros. Airlines, Rainbow Exploration Agency, etc.), as well as the in-universe Mario Kart Television broadcasting company filming it all, and it really feels like an inviting, believeable universe where Mario Kart is a major televised event watched by millions around the world. Mario Kart World definitely looks to be a natural evolution of that core design philosophy.

Overall, I'd give this Direct a 9/10. I'm very hyped for it! =)

This game looks fantastic. I haven’t been this excited for a new Mario kart in ages!

24 racers on a track...
For me less is more.

Open world games can be great, I really don't think Mario Kart needed it.

I feel with a lot of franchises that Nintendo are, excuse the pun, running out of road.

As for price, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds is a lot cheaper; is Sega that much richer than Nintendo?
Presumably it's about Nintendo feeling they can get away with asking for $80 a game.
And maybe they're right, but the backlash to the price and the lukewarm reception to this direct suggest that may not be the case.

"But Nintendo have always been greedy, they've done research and this must be the right price!"
Like how they had to drop the 3DS price?
Like how they had to be persuaded to include Wii Sports with the console that became a runaway success?

Yes, Nintendo has always been about maximising profits like most companies, but let's not pretend that they always get that equation right.

I wasn't optimistic about the accessibility options returning (namely the smart-steering and auto-acceleration options) given the open world nature of the game, but I'm glad to see that they are back for younger/novice players.

The Kamek item is probably the one thing I'm most excited about though.

The camera being able to pick up multiple people's faces in the same room and assign them to specific players is also very impressive, though I have no intention of seeing my mug plastered all over our massive TV.

I'm also slightly disappointed that local wireless play is limited to eight players/consoles again, but this likely boils down to technical constraints.

"More interestingly, you can now Rewind during a race! This reverses your movement, so you can go back and nail a jump or shortcut you missed. HOWEVER (big however), everyone else keeps moving forward when you rewind, so you'll need a pretty decent lead to make using it worthwhile. This can be used in Free Roam mode and also in races."

and here I thought the "R" on my shift lever stood for "Reverse!" 😂✌️

there didn't seem to be any actual news. Nothing seemed new enough to need this extra time after the Direct and Treehouse previously

@-wc- : For maximum chaos, they could have introduced a rewind item that reverses everybody at once, which could be a boon for the user, and a massive annoyance to everybody else.

The game itself obviously continues to look excellent, but I'm not convinced we needed a dedicated Direct for what was essentially a rehash of the information we got earlier this month via the initial reveal and Treehouse sessions.

4 - poor

• only 28 courses? (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 48 courses - day one, for $60)
• i dont like free roam
• i did not like Balloon Battle mode with too huge open worlds. I prefer confined arenas, with more chaos and fast strategy and fast thinking, more intense battles. This mode is the most important for me, because i play it 95% of my Mario Kart - Time. My wife also did not like it, and i always play with her. So....
• Teaser showed 4 player split screen in 30fps only. Terrible.
• Old courses, between these only 28 courses? Really? It must be all 28 new courses, for $80.

The nice:

• camera during 4 players split screen.
• new gimmicks

Forza Horizon has a lot of more content for...hmmm...i paid $17 equivalent, on steam

Mario Kart is the only game i am interested in Switch 2. So...i can buy the deluxe version on Switch 3 and continue playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch 1, the only Nintendo IP i still play...

Did it warrant a Direct? No, not really.
Am I still excited? Absolutely!

It look great even at that awful $80 price point. I hope it gets free updates, then I’d have no problem at that price. It seems they did away with picking your glider and wheel set for each cart. I’m most excited for the open world to explore.

Game looks bonkers good to me. My body is ready!!

I do NOT like how they specifically mentioned that you will NEVER get good items if you are in the lead!
1: I know it's been that way since either the 64 of Cube, but for them to come out and say it this time... That sucks and means they refined it even more against the first two racers!

2: Costumes should NOT have a separate character slot!

3: Still NOT worth more than $50!

I am so hyped for this and I thought the Direct was great.

Gets a 7 from me, but that’s because I’ve already seen/played what was in it. Had there been stuff I hadn’t seen, I might have gone 8 or even 9.

Watching the boys’ discussion now I’m back from work, being a bit bummed about only there only being 30 tracks… we already know there are day and night looks; what if there are differences on each track between each time… and each direction? Would a course have noticeable differences if you’re going the other way down it? That comparatively measly 30 courses suddenly becomes a much meatier 120.

Other stuff I want to see down the line in updates:

• Custom Tours - it’s an open world, allegedly, so how about we pick our OWN routes?
• Follow The Leader - pick the first course, then whoever’s leading at each checkpoint gets to choose, OutRun-style, where the race goes next.

…and another one drilling down on my theory above…

• There And Back Again: Go through a full tour, then head back to where you started - either down the same course you’ve just done, or by any possible route. Time of day progresses as you go. If it’s a knockout tour, the number of racers knocked out is either halved to keep as many in as possible, or the knockout checkpoints alternate.

I didn't know what to expect, but I felt underwhelmed. Maybe because the free roam felt like the biggest change to Mario Kart, so it had the most to prove. What seems to be the biggest feature are the DS style missions, which was nice but that's it. I thought they might have had some kind of custom cup creator, that you could share through Online Tournaments.
Really didn't like all the whole outfits mechanic, just Nintendo thinking that something that exists to squeeze money from whales in a mobile game, it's a good idea to put it in a full console game.
They could have least given the Cow a name.
What I will say that is positive, is that the music sounded excellent and I'm very much looking forward to the game being added to Nintendo Music, hopefully sooner than later.

This probably would've been better received if it came right after the Switch 2 Direct. Don't think the wait was worth it.

As for the game itself? Looks good. Looks like another Mario Kart, meaning it'll still be good fun even with its hangups(and I'm not just taking about the price).

Honestly all I wanted was free roam on the water and I got that so I am sold. I am pretty much gonna spend my time noodling around. Snowmobiles and jetskis/skidoos means waverace and kinda 1080 by proxy. With a dash of mario kart. This is basically 3 games in one for me.

Plus NSO is likely gonna add the gamecube versions of waverace and 1080. Please someone talk me out of buying this at launch! I was supposed to wait for Zelda edition!

Looks nice. Still not worth $80

@Spider-Kev you'll never get stronger items in the lead because realistically speaking, if you're a good enough driver you won't really need them.

As a Direct, I’d give it like a 5/10. But as a game, it’s looking like a solid 9 to me. I just hope it’s as fun as MK8D and not too bogged down by trying to be something that reinvents the wheel.

I’m also hoping the game will get free updates with more tracks and characters. I mean, for the price, I think the game needs ongoing support for at least a couple years.

You had me sold at Cow.

YOU CAN PLAY AS COW!!!

Really hoping Battle Mode has a lot more to it than what we saw. Also, what’s the point of Kamek?

That photo is more than enough to justify this game’s price.

I think it was on the video as an option, but nothing mentioned on here or in the video.

Do we have the Mario kart 8 deluxe standard
Online racing mode against random human competitors on line?

When you start with 1000 points and gain and loose points depending on the race result.

Nothing was really explained, also will it be 12 or 24 players on line.

Also again it looked like in the video two players can do this on the same switch, but nothing confirmed.

Is it really that hard to tell us Nintendo or Nintendo Life.

8. It was good. Not everyone sees the treehouse sessions and this was a good way to expand and at the same time resume the new features of the game. I like that there are hidden costumes and missions and battle mode is still there. The only thing I didn't like is how they handled costumes on the roster as it could have been a submenu accessed when selecting a character.

I'm kinda baffled how angry and miserable people choose to be over almost everything nowadays. I understand the complaints about the new price of games, but it's just not with this. It's with almost every game and everything I see. The world is very crazy right now.

@Rykdrew

I think they said old stages would be 'reimagined', but that's a good point, that amount is quite tawdry.

Promising game, puzzling Direct. Mostly repeated information with a couple of original bits here and there.

I'm upset that Cow is just called Cow, like what lol.

It was fine for mario kart content, i was just hoping for a little extra news on preorders

I haven't been this excited for MarioKart since MarioKart 8 launch. This game looks like awesome fun.

Great! Got it in the bundle and for just 40 € more it’s a steal. Can‘t wait!

I think the Direct was disappointing, 4/10. It was pretty much a recap of the Switch 2 Direct, Treehouse Live and the hands-on previews meanwhile game specific Directs in the past have had surprise announcements.

Game itself looks great, it’s more Mario Kart, but the Direct showed nothing new and more importantly NOTHING that somehow justifies being an $80/€90 game.

You can easily get Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for half the price of World and it arguably has more content, the only thing missing is the free roam open world which is by far the most disappointing thing they showed about the game, I’m not thrilled at all about exploring and finding outfits and P-switches tbh.

@N00BiSH
Bull!
I need red/green shells or banana to block the absolute barrage of incoming Red/Green Shells!

The game actually penalizes you for being great!

I feel like having to drive between races could get really tedious.

I mean there's no chance I'm not buying a Mario Kart game. I don't think 8 was the end all be all, outside of having the best balanced difficulty to date. I keep longing for the missions and bosses from DS. Open world might scratch an itch I've had since Beetle Adventure Racing. This might be better than 8 or other high points, might be a little worse. But there's no way this won't bring the usual joy the series always delivers.

@DemonKow

Well that's the biggest problem with the game,
I had been previously led to believe that they were called Moo Moos.

@Rykdrew
To be fair 8 deluxe was more of a definitive edition rather than a new game.

@N00BiSH
https://makeagif.com/i/h6evkF

It didn't blow me away and felt like a rehash of stuff already covered in previous informational events and analyses from content creators. But the game still looks good. Enough to justify the standard $70 of next-gen games but definitely not $80

That was a bad Direct for an excellent game. It's just like the summary videos that Nintendo usually puts out for an upcoming game a month or two before launch. A lot of repeated information for those of us who do a little research.

I'm disappointed by no story mode, battle modes not being fleshed out enough and several characters like the Koopalings, crossover characters and Miis being no-shows for now, but I love everything else. I'd be way more hyped if only I just knew I can get Switch 2 itself here in the USA.

The Direct was disappointing for me MAINLY because Doug Bowser was like "Wait until you see the Direct, then you'll realise why it costs what it does!" then hardly anything new was shown... Nintendo's messaging and decision making seems to be awful at the moment. They need better PR.

@Uncle_Franklin Good old supply and demand. As far as I could find out, Team Sonic Racing sold around 4 million copies. Even on the WiiU, Mario Kart 8 sold twice as much! The Switch version sold 60 million copies and most people still pay full price for it. If I was Nintendo and wanted to establish higher prices, I would probably try it first with a new Mario Kart as well.

did not live up to my expectations..

@Spider-Kev that gif is from Mario Kart Wii, a game with far more unhinged item balancing than 8.

I strongly dislike open world gameplay, so obviously this is not going to be my favourite Kart. Sucks even more that the big world is probably why they're charging so much for it.

@N00BiSH
I know, but this happens to me in EVERY Mario kart, 8 Deluxe included! And constantly!

I'm not going to vote because I don't want that to be a reflection on what I actually think of the game. As Directs go, it was ok. I like them to have more than 1 game haha. As an advert, I think it was a 10. I am more than excited to get my hands on it. It just exudes quality.

Game looks great. Direct was a good primer if you don't know much about the game, but a poor follow-up to the reveal two weeks ago and lacking new information.

It was solid but nothing incredible as it didn’t really reveal much we didn’t already know or expect. I will say, the gameplay looked fantastic, which is why I didn’t give it a bad score. But yeah… I wish they revealed more new stuff.

The game looks great and I'm so hyped to play it. I was watching the Direct with my kids and wife and we all can't wait for the release date.

@Uncle_Franklin

completely agree with what you said. 👍

That was horrible. They said "wait for the Mario Kart Direct" then we'd understand the $80 pricetag, and we learned minimal new information. This only convinced me I should be buying the bundle, because I find it hard pressed to pay more than $60 for this

@SillyG i like your idea TEN times better than what nintendo is actually doing. 😊✌️👍

3 out of 10. Absolute waste of time.

And I don't like saying that because I love Mario Kart and I'm sure I'll still love the game regardless. But this Direct was one hundred percent not worth tuning in for.

In case I missed it, is there no way to skip the drive to the next track? I really don’t want to have to bother with that all the time, even more so when the novelty wears off (see: Forza Horizon).

The key thing though, and keeping in mind I’m nearing 40 and been playing this series since the snes. They. Just. Aren’t. Grabbing. Me. But then, perhaps I’m out of that demographic they want to capture anyway.

@Max_M exactly the same here, we saw almost nothing new and it just convinced me I should be buying the bundle, nothing shown made this worth $80, and maybe not even worth $70

The worst thing about the wasted world is that it's crying for DLC that will be paid on top of the premium yet bare-bones version or repackaged as a pseudo-sequel that brings the content in, a la Tears of the Kingdom.

@countzero

I mean, the DS is one of the best selling consoles ever, yet they still priced the 3DS too high.

@JumpingJackson

ill bet fast travel is a thing in this game but good lord, this is the very definition of a solution to a problem we didnt need to have in the first place.

The number of characters thrown into the roster is getting out of hand. There's nothing wrong with the main and secondary characters, so why throw in so many minor characters such as Goomba? It would be more fun to see more cross over characters, because I am starting to realise I have to race without Link and he was really happy, because he deserved to be there.

I'm glad I get to play as that one annoying enemy from Mario Sunshine that likes to throw you around.

The game looks quite good and does have me excited but I was excited for MK8 as well and in the end that one ended up being pretty weak so whether or not it will actually end up a winner remains to be seen.

I wish there was just clean gameplay of the game available without some dingus always talking over it.

I thought that was pretty good, I’m still excited for the Switch 2 even though it feels like no-one else is. I’m not interested in any of the multiplayer stuff but the single player looks like it will be a lot of fun.

The open world is definitely either going to make or break this game. Hopefully it will be the latter and the world will be exciting to explore and not just be a long slog between tracks. I got slight Diddy Kong Racing vibes from the exploration so this could be really special.

@Uncle_Franklin
People are still going to buy Mario Kart World and enjoy it and the Switch 2

I would have liked a more "direct" style direct, and maybe one more surprise, but that doesn't take away from the game looking fantastic at all!

The game still looks cool, but there was no news here worth making an event out of it, and definitely nothing that makes it worth more than every other AAA game. I don't know who's taking the reins on this console launch, but aside from the one hour between the start and end of the Switch 2 Direct, they have not been doing a good job.

a nothing burger Direct, basically showing everything the Switch 2 Direct and the Treehouse showed up 2 weeks ago, i saw nothing that justify it expensive $80 price point.

@SwagaliciousJohnson
Yeah, can we get less Mario characters in our Mario Kart game please?

@-wc- Rewind is the interesting bit. Can you rewind to avoid getting hit by a shell and/or cause someone else to get caught in your blue shell blast radius? I feel like someone is going to find a way to seriously break this feature rather quickly.

@h15c0r3r,

June the 5th still seems a long way away....

Eh, is it worth the 80 bucks? Not really in my opinion. Probably just an added cost so they can try to pay for the "discord for families" gimmick.

I think it justified the $50 price. I don't think it justified a $80 price point. I was hoping to see that Diddy Kong adventure mode....

I thought $80 was fair before the Direct (as a reminder, $80 in 2025 has the same purchasing power as $60 in 2017), but I'm absolutely positive it will be a reasonable price that's worth it.

Nice for what was demonstrated. The free roam has more going on for it than I thought and knock out tour interests me. Nice to have battle modes back though that was to be expected. Don't. know how I feel about the addition of enemies and creatures for the roster. Like the cow and dolphins but Goombas and Pokes I'm eh on.
I think what would've definitely convinced me of its $80 is if it had a single player campaign and elimination prix along with some other Nintendo guest stars like 8 did and might do. Though if its paid, then no for me. I'm still waiting on Kirby Air and Sonic racing before I decide

The game looks fantastic, it's really got me hyped. I didn't know how they'd go with the series after 8 because 8 was just so good, but they really have taken the series forward another step with the open courses, extra tricks, and even a little bit of single-player Mario fun (hitting switches, collecting coins, etc.).

The price still sucks, though. There's no changing that. I definitely want this game someday.

@johnvboy yeah, I’ve got a countdown on my phone and I’m not sure that was a good idea. The more I see the more excited I’m getting.

6 from 10 because NO Mii, NO vehicle customization like Mario Kart 8, NO Anti Gravity.
Mii presence is really meaningful to me.
But I like the Free Roaming.
I like to explore the beautiful places, perfect for having cozy and relaxing gameplay.

Sounds like you need multiple copies of the game to wireless local play. Good work nintendo. Good work.

@h15c0r3r,

I am on a media blackout. I just want to explore every inch of the world and see it for the first time. I have only watched the nintendo Switch 2 direct 5 min trailer.

@cylemmulo That didn't make sense to me, as they've always been called "Moo-Moos".

We shall see what the missions are like in the free roam sections, but I am hoping it will be like the challenges in Lego City Undercover.

@sixrings You mustn't judge a book by its cover, and this particular book's got a lot of pages to flip through. Keep in mind that direct was only scratching the surface of what this game's got to offer.

@Zeebor15 You're not going to get anywhere if you continue to refuse giving these kinds of things a chance. I'm unsure as to why you wish to be that way when they're doing the best they can to make this the biggest Mario Kart game ever.

I’m a teacher and I run a Mario Kart club at lunchtimes at the school I work at, managed to bag a Switch 2 pre-order and everyone’s very excited so I’m happy 😊 bit of a shame 4 player is still in 30fps but no big deal really, we’re so used to it anyway. frame rate was probably half that when I was playing MK64 when I was in school and we still loved it! Game looks fun I’m looking forward to it 😄

I give that Direct 4 out of 5 Cute Kittens.

You just know for the online crowed will find free roam pointless and no one will ever do it after the first week lol. They need to incentivize going out into the open world. Might be cool for the niece and nephew though.

I really don't think Mario Kart needs a sprawling overworld that you have to wander around to find collectibles and unlockables. But I guess we'll see how it turns out.

As someone who wasn’t too excited for this game, the info in this direct changed that a bit. The charge jump is a really great addition and the rewind function could allow for some creativity. Anytime a blue shell heads my way I’ll be hitting the rewind. I also liked that there were free roam missions, those looked fun. I liked it

@johnvboy that’s a good shout and I’m tempted to do the same. I wasn’t going to watch the Direct today but I caved. Opinions will vary but I thought it was really good.

@h15c0r3r,

To be fair this was more important when it was just simply tracks. This open world looks pretty big and will take a while to fully explore so I bet we have only seen a tiny bit so far.

Ordered the Mario Kart switch 2 bundle. Mario Kart World game is literally only £30 then

I gave it a ten, contingent on it getting content updates like Tour. I think there’s a ton of content, even for the $80, but I am preordering the bundle for $50. It’s a gorgeous game, and I hate to admit it bc I always wanted the Switch to have its unique version, even with the added DLC, I felt cheated. I think this is cool enough to justify holding off on a better Switch 2 release.

The direct felt more like an overview trailer... but I get it. It's a lot of stuff that, if you are a casual or just stopping by, may not have known and helped show off the basics of the game.
I am excited for the game so i have been in the discussion and speculation lobbies. I knew a lot of this cause i watched gameplay by others online and "deep analysis". My copium is that I am thinking they are still hiding many characters, especially in free roam with the P switch-missions. Holding out hope for the Sprixie Princesses and elephant characters.

it was good but I wanted a little bit more.

This 'Direct' could have been a tweet.

This direct gave as barely any new info to chew on. We knew 80% of this from the last direct, and 19% from all the coverage of the game.

@DonkeyKongBigBoy “but…but….what if they turn off the servers in 2085???? What will you do then????!!???? 😫”

@Zufolobelisk at 13:34 in the Nintendo of America mario kart world direct when discussing local wireless play in small font at the bottom of the screen…

“Additional games, systems and or accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. games, systems and some accessories sold separately.”

Good job Nintendo. Good Job.

The open world and having to drive to the next track look so unnecesary so far. It looks like this may become the lowest rated Mario kart game once it's out.(thou still good enough)

@Rykdrew How much did you pay for Forza Horizon the day it was released?
You are comparing prices between a game un sale and a game that hasn't been released? Really?

@Uncle_Franklin I'm not sure if they will get away with it but if they want to try, Mario Kart is their best option.

For me the higher prices aren't a deal breaker but I won't complain if they have to lower them because of poor sales, either

It looks awesome. I look at it this way. I was prepared and willing to pay £60 on this game anyway. So, is the new stuff, ie new tracks, free roam, grinding, pit stops etc, worth £20 more?
Yep! I’m in.

I'm now on the fence about cancelling my preorder. On the one hand, 8 year old hardware, that was already behind cutting edge at the time, is desperately in need of a hardware update. On the other hand, this looked like MK8 in places, and not a game I can get excited about. The other 'selling' points of the SW2 (to a PS5 pro owner) are updates to games I already own and the extra cost of a memory card just to house my existing collection. As much as I was sure about upgrading when I slapped my money down, this hasn't really reassured me. As for £75 for it, not a chance.

I'm not a Mario Kart fan, but this game looks jam packed. Normally I would give it a shot, but at the higher price it isn't worth it for me. I will likely get the physical version on sale some day, play it for a few months, and then sell it just like MK8 Deluxe. But I think a lot of people are going to be sinking hundreds of hours into this. Cool for the fans!

Won't be for me after all, but very happy that so many people are excited for it. I was hoping for a story mode I guess. I appreciate and respect Mario Kart, and love to see people loving it. I am just not good at racing games and don't do much for me. I am banned on medical grounds to even attempt learning to drive, so maybe I am just not that inclined to anything driving related I guess.

I am happy with the Mario Kart games I have on NSO should I feel the need.

I do feel a bit sad though, as everyone here will all be playing together! Hopefully there will be another game I can play with some people here that takes my fancy. I would really like that. I don't get to play with anyone these days.

Useless Direct (outside of those sick new moves wooooooooh), but I was already hyped for it, I preordered the Switch 2 with the game so, yeah, already convinced

Mario Kart looks really good, but the direct was unnecessary. They really needed to show why the game was going to be $80 outside of the bundle, and I don't believe they showed that off. It's a quick review of most things we've already seen before.

What the hell was this Direct, man. Everything about this console is really making me feeling meh. It will probably the first time since the Game Cube that I don't buy a Nintendo console at launch (yes, I bought the Wii U at launch).

Specifically about MK, I don't like that the costumes are just, well, cosmetic, and also seem to make a mess of the character selection screen. I also don't feel good about them not disclosing if you can just play a normal GP without having to traverse the world from track to track.
And of course I haven't played it and Bandy has said it looks great, but from the videos it just looks like MK8 to me.

ALL OF THAT SAID, the penguin is playable so I've already pre-ordered the console with the game

I thought it was surprising when Doug Bowser and Bill Trinen hyped up this single presentation in response to questions about the game’s price. That’s unlike Nintendo and suggested there was a Breath of the Wild style leap in store.

Now in retrospect, it seems outright unhinged. Did they know what would be in the presentation? It was fine, but it was like a routine prerelease overview trailer.

61% for 6/10 or higher. Gives this an passing grade for a basic direct.

Absolutely not worth $80, let alone $70/$60. If it reviews well and there is no paid DLC might be a good pop-in and pop-out game. Grinding, new items, food based costumes and new characters? All cool and new great stuff, but seems very baseline for a new entry.

It seems the most safe boring/but changed Mario Kart ever. They are finally in the Xbox 360 generation.

Did not saw anything that would justify the price. Not at all.

@BlackenedHalo I feel the same thing when shopping at the groceries store. But those are the times, sadly.

@sanderev you need to continue to eat. But you could continue to play Mario kart 8 deluxe.

@sixrings Yes, humans require food to survive. Humans who create video games do as well. With higher food prices, the wages of these developers (etc) need to be raised as well. And this in the end translates into one / more of the following:

1. people getting fired
2. people being replaced by AI.
3. people getting paid more, which raises game prices

Nintendo has chosen option 3. Would you have prefered option 1 or 2?

Whatever exuse you make, there is none that would protect games from price inflation.

I remember when they announced this Direct on the big Switch 2 Direct, I thought it was going to be as slick and direct as that one, with a presentator (maybe the game's developers themselves) explaining the secrets of the game to us. Even in just 15 minutes, they could've done the Elevator Pitch approach and explained to us in a very short time how much value this game would mean.
Instead, what was there was not a Nintendo Direct, it was a glorified Overview Trailer elongated to 16 minutes. With a somewhat generic tone, explaining things that were mostly already shown before, which so far are honestly just essential parts of a Mario Kart game. There are still so many parts that make this game shine, but not enough to justify the price tag.
Apart from the open-world, I still have to see how different this game is from that previous game, which is to day the biggest one with 96 courses. How can this Mario Kart be different? Maybe they could take inspiraton from the Forza series and how Horizon differentiates itself from the Motorsport games. You know, focus on make the world immersive, adding a story mode (!), get crazy with content and unlockables... there's just so much potential here to make it the craziest game in the series yet, but this presentation wasn't convincing.

I don't doubt they haven't revealed everything yet. Not even close I mean, the sticker customization, what the coins, medals and ? Panels do, those strange UFO sightings.... I know they're holding off tons of secrets and things we don't know about the game. Maybe intentionally, as we're still one month and a half until the game releases, it made sense they decided to hold off things until later, or maybe nothing until the game releases to keep the surprises to the player (except a Story Mode, if there is one, that should be definitely announced before the game releases)
Maybe it was just a weird timing from Nintendo, they have their roadmap until the Switch 2 releases of games, announcements, details... this "Direct" was just part of it, for good or bad.

At least they didn't announce paid DLC... I do think it can get DLC though, just not paid please.

@Uncle_Franklin After you feed Moo Moo a hamburger mid-race, you can call it Mad Cow

It is Mario Mario with a beautiful world to explore. I think I will love it.

10/10 toads factory mentioned

If the Treehouse streams and hours of demo footage didn't exist, I would say this direct is fine. I understand the value of having all this info in a single place.

However I believe most people interested in getting a Switch 2 with Mario Kart World at launch would have already been actively looking into the game before this direct and those who are casually interested but waiting for more Switch 2 titles won't even get the game months or years after launch. And most notably, those who aren't sold on this game likely still won't be after this direct.

So I'm kind of left with "Who is this direct for?"

@Seacliff
The enjoyment of the people.

Racers!
Mario, Toad, Lakitu, Spike, Goomba, and last but not least...
cow.

@WiltonRoots hahaha! All the switch games will be on whatever the newest Raspberry Pi by then. I'll also be 105.

@sanderev I agree with this if this game was a brand new F-ZERO game I'd highly consider it. But it isn't, and I'm happy for people excited about this game.

If DK Bananza was $80 I'd still buy it (when I do get a Switch 2). I don't think $80 is the problem, it's the perceived value of this game that is the problem. And it seems others that are more MK fan than me see this problem as well.

Cost is the cost... Im sure ill play more hours than it takes to buy the game rather quickly. Im excited

Underwhelming direct, but only because we knew most of the information presented from the last two weeks. It’s odd Nintendo left it this long.

I’m sure there are a lot more surprises awaiting (and DLC in the future), but I did honestly expect more modes and other reveals.

That said, it shouldn’t understate that this is the largest Mario Kart game offering with content that Nintendo’s ever given us on Launch. Even without all the other modes I was hoping they’d discuss… It’s staggering.

Personally speaking, I’m just super happy that there will be a shed load of single player things to do outside of the regular racing modes, 100’s of mini P switch missions? Collectables? Secret ? Pads to uncover? Hell yes. Not to mention all those costume unlockables, the series is overdue this feature and I’m glad to see it function as in game unlock than a microtransaction. This is the way it should be.

I will say it is disappointing about 30fps on split screen - but it’s also understandable considering it’s rendering an OPEN WORLD 4 times on the same console / screen. This won’t be the experience when played online in multiplayer or in single player, so I’m fine with that trade off.

Worst and most useless Direct I've ever watched. Told us basically nothing we didn't already know. If only they at least hinted at more characters and things being in the game, perhaps unlockable by doing the missions in free roam, it would've made me more excited for the game. Now I'm left thinking we know everything there is to know about the game, which is very disappointing.

Still gonna get it day 1 though.

I voted for a 6, really didn't sell me on the game or swing me either way. I believe it will still be a great game but I don't believe this changed many people's opinion.

@sanderev wait a second. You don’t want the billion dollar company to treat the customer like a charity but you want the customer to treat the business like a charity as if the money from these increases will go to the developers. It’s going to the shareholders holders.

Other companies sell a fraction of the units that Nintendo games do and then they eventually go in deep discount. The fact that they are selling way more units plus only go as low as 33% off means that Nintendo has a winning strategy. Take away gold points and vouchers and Nintendo is even better off.

The very best selling call of duty sold 43 million.
Mario Kart 8 deluxe sold 68 million.

Nintendo has its money right. They just want more money.

The direct was basically just a longer trailer just so they could re-explains all the four modes again and the rewind feature. I think the game would be fun and will probably sell well at launch but at the moment I think I'm good with just Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for another 3 years which I probably may play it on Switch 2 anyways.

@Uncle_Franklin it’s Nintendo’s open world tax

Correction on the rewind: rewind can only be used in free roam and SOLO races (see disclaimer written at the bottom during the Direct).

The article suggests it can be used in multiplayer and this is false: "HOWEVER (big however), everyone else keeps moving forward when you rewind, so you'll need a pretty decent lead to make using it worthwhile. This can be used in Free Roam mode and also in races."

@countzero Team Sonic Racing really sold that well? That's shocking considering how much from Transformed was stripped away.

@Anti-Matter I’m so glad that antigrav is gone, and underwater driving 🙏 Gave it a “whatever” feel. This is more focused again.

@GinMiguel There are no officially revealed total worldwide sales data for Team Sonic Racing. I would imagine if they were that high, SEGA would have stated something as those figures outsells every 3D Sonic game.

As for “useless direct”, don’t forget that not everyone consumes everything. You might have religiously watched every ‘treehouse’ and summary, but many (most) people haven’t. So Nintendo is right to keep the promotional videos coming.

Personally I hadn’t watched much of the treehouse cause I can’t stand the fake vibe. So this was in large parts the first time I’d seen the scope of this game. Love the dramatic verticality they’re using.

@Axecon
MKWorld just doesn't look all that exciting or nearly as inventive or innovative as I was hoping for. Sure, 120fps, HDR, the improved art style & visuals(Although it's not a full-on next gen leap with any real wow factor compared to DK bananza), Wall jumping, Rail grinding, charge jumping, new items(Feather is even Back) etc.

But nothing so far as ignited any wonderment and magic. It just feels like a half-way there some what safe sequel, ala MK8D.5+ if you will. Definitely wouldn't want this as my main launch title. I'm just hoping 200cc becomes a thing ASAP, and the turning/hugging corners is more responsive, tighter & deeper this time around compared to MK8D.

Kirby Air Riders debuting at launch would of felt far more substantial and original. Along with Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond all getting a simultaneous release, including the NS2 editions of Kirby, LOZ: BOTW & LOZ: TOTK. Plus, as so many people have already mentioned, Welcome Tour, like Wii Sports, should of been free, with a more imaginative and appealing presentation, rather than roaming around in some simplified flash-animated looking joy-con mother board grid.

I might pick it up, if I can find it used or at sale, around $50-$60.
Nothing of what I saw, felt like a game worth paying AAAA prices for.

Nothing truly surprising in this whole direct.
In The Netherlands the suggested price is €89,99 ($102USD Equivalent). It’s just way too expensive. I’m sure it will be loads of fun. It’s just a scammy practice and I lose some respect for Nintendo for it.

@Uncle_Franklin that's only if they're from the Moo Moo Meadows region of France. Otherwise it's just a sparkling cow.

Holy moly need it now!

@NintendoWife Antigrav is partially there in the wall surfing

@jezepy

those are interesting thoughts! 👍 the whole feature seems very un-MK to me but im still interested to see how this game turns out. ✌️

@Pipulitoch the difference is....Forza price dropped 6 months after, while the sales was high, and i bough on sale 1 year after.

1 year after, Mario Kart will be $80..and forever....like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be forever $60...

Now, Forza is about $17 each 3 months.

I feel like taken on its own, that was an excellent Direct. Our scores were all lower because we've already been following along and knew 80% of what was shown.

I wonder if day/night cycles will change anything other than lighting.

I can't believe there are "hundreds" of P Switches. That means at least 200, but possibly at least 300. Wow! I'm very excited.

I've always bought Mario Kart, but never really put a ton of hours into any of them. This is without a doubt the most exciting Mario Kart has ever looked to me and I can't wait to play it!

Free roam looks neat. But I'm not seeing an $80 game.

@kuu_nousee How much is a movie ticket these days and how much value is derived from it. Mario Kart will easily give most players 10x that value. How is $80 not justified based on the value of the total package? We will be playing this for years

@fenlix The open world will allow for all kinds of shortcut shenanigans. It’s not unnecessary.

The game looks fun and all but that price point, can't be justified. If I happen to grab the Switch 2 bundle i guess will be going for it but I don't like to buy AAA games Digital, I want to be able to resale my games if I want to. As a Consumer, I don't want to not have options and this, at least to me, feels like Nintendo cutting my options short.

At least not everything was fully shown, but what is a disappointment is that they seemingly confirmed 4-player split-screen is once again capped to 30fps. Why, and what does that mean for the alleged 120fps mode? I don't know, but I doubt it'll be avaliable on the free roam modes
On the bright side, they could justify that by upgrading Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, that game was truly max settings on the Switch 1 already.

Very impressed with the social features for MKW; it's shaping up to be the ultimate social game for Switch 2 for the foreseeable future. Jump in a game session seamlessly with your friends, go on a joy ride around the world, do some races or battle mode, take pictures with a photo editor, etc.

I can see why a lot of hardcore enthusiasts feel disappointed with Mario Kart World so far. It looks tailor made for the casual- and social gamer crowd instead. Definitely positioned for mainstream appeal first and foremost.

Since I'm not a big fan of Mario Kart I still wouldn't buy it at $80, but now I'm much more interested in the Switch 2 bundle, especially with the convenience of booting up the digital copy any time. As long as it still costs $500 that is...

I think I’m in the minority but the cow just being called ‘Cow’ made me laugh, I like it!

I knew the free roam would be full of secrets, I’m glad to see it’s not just finding costumes and there’s also a bunch of challenges. The costumes do look great though and sharing where we found them with friends will be fun, also a good reason to play different characters.

I do wonder how many costumes there will be? I really hope everyone has a bunch. It would be disappointing if Mario and Peach had say 10 each but Cataquack has 1 or none.

Also loving the silly sense of humour in a lot of these. Dolphin riding a bike shaped like a dolphin. Toad with a helmet that just looks like his own head. Everything Waluigi wears. It’s looking to be an absolute joy to play!

@GinMiguel I didn't find anything official and just wanted a rough estimate to prove my point. The one I found is a bit sketchy as it claims 3 million sales on PS4, half a million on Steam and only 3300 on Switch. But I'm pretty sure that last number is just what they sold physically in Japan in the first week.

https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic

It looks great and it’s obviously going to be great, but we didn’t need a direct if they are wanting to hide stuff from us, which they obviously are.

@WaveBoy I can’t see how any one thinks this isn’t a substantial mix up in the formula.

Also saying Air Riders would be a better launch title is insane I’m sorry.

I am more than ready for this game, but that is in no way due to the Direct. Rather than showing off something new, it felt like an annoyingly long, drawn-out infomercial about things I already knew. But my excitement remains!!

@NintendoWife
I personally prefer the Anti Gravity circuit for more creativity of track shape.
Well, it's Defying Gravity anyway.

Game looks great, but this directly barely revealed anything new, and it's still not worth $80. Def going to try and grab the bundle at launch.

@SuperBro64
Even though $60 in 2017 is $80 in 2025?

Some of these broke jokers don't seem to understand inflation. Yikes, I'm glad I pay for what I value instead of the freeloaders.

@OTBC87 it's the Biggest game for the summer of 2025 and it didn't need it's own direct? Huh?

This game looks like it has serious depth and replayability

@Rykdrew you don't like free roam? Then you don't like wide open levels with stuff to explore for years.

@WaveBoy Maybe we haven't seen that game in action. It or Sonic could be the more robust racer in the long run.

Still disappointed that the tracks in-between courses is a REQUIREMENT for Grand Prix. I just want to do 3 lap courses that aren't a straight line without need to do VS race or whatever.

Total F of a Direct. Not worth 60 bucks...the actual track layouts are a step backwards from interesting things 8 was doing. This is a pass for me.

i gave the direct a 5 i expected more this direct convinced me i am not paying 80 for a brand new game will look to find a used cheaper copy ..

It looks like Mario kart. I don't see a reason to buy an s2 for it. .I didn't buy a switch for 3 years after it released. So I'll wait awhile for it. /Shrug

It looks pretty good. I'll wait on reviews. I'm mostly a single player guy but it looks like it has a robust single player mode with ton of content and secrets in the open world so I might pick it up for that.

@cylemmulo RIGHT! I mean... not Moo Moo?

I'm still perplexed that the Koopalings seem to have been given the axe. My wife is not happy that Wendy is out.

I can't wait for this game, I think it looks amazing. But the Direct itself was a bit of a letdown. Hardly anything we didn't already know.

Still no idea why you drive between courses. It seems like a complete waste of time.

I would like to have seen an overview of each cup, and a brief look at some of the retro courses. Otherwise, a good Direct and it covered a lot. 8/10!

Edit:
I like Cow as the name. It's iconic and so Nintendo! Moo Moo is the name of courses, anyway.

Still there's whinging about the $80 price. MKW is $10 more than Zelda TOTK on Switch. Both are regarded as premium games. DK Bonanza, at $70, is $10 more than than regular Switch games. People act like there's been no increase costs in game development over the years, and the world is generally more expensive too. To be fussing over $10 extra is irrational and, now, boring. If the $10 is such a detriment, don't buy! In regards to the 3DS price drop, that was radically too expensive and the 3DS wasn't selling. Only a similar consumer response will see Nintendo reduce Switch 2 prices.

@Antraxx777 that can be said for any game even single player games through replay value. I don't have an issue with $80 or even $100 due to how much games with all DLC and explanations cost now.

My issue is the perceived value of this game. I don't see it for myself but others I understand the same type of Mario Kart is worth it. And that's fine.

Given all the controversy about this, and the fact they were saying “stay tuned for the direct”, it did not do what it needed to do.

Don’t get me wrong, the game still looks great, but you’d hope they’d have pulled all the stops out. In some areas, the direct made the game seem smaller. Like why are there less battle modes? Why are there named characters missing from the roster? I mean I’m excited to see all these newcomers, but I’m not convinced I want them at the expense of others.

outside free roam mode having missions, the direct just showed us more things for aspects we already knew (theres new characters, courses, and items). everything else seemed like minor, if not cool, additions

outside of open world courses, idk what else a MK could do to hype us up. everyone already just plays MK8D for the online vs and battles already, now its just a matter of if you pay for that again on a new console

@N00BiSH @Spider-Kev this is why I have always regarded Mario Kart SNES as the best Mario kart in the series. It gives the rest of the pack a chance to catch up without punishing the first place racer.

Mario Kart SNES is a racing game with items, whereas, the rest are items games with racing.

As a single player only person, actually having the world populated with secrets excited me.

Finally something different about this Mario kart to 8, gameplay-wise

@SillyG That’s kinda what Lightning Bolt already accomplishes. Everyone else’s game becomes less fun for several seconds.

@Dinglehopper You can still probably race those back to back in VS / Quick Play mode

@GinMiguel What? Goombas have been a mainstay of the series since Super Mario Bros., and you don’t think they deserve to be playable? How can you not love that little Oscar-the-Grouch face?

@blindsquirrel The in between areas are to give you a place to practice moves and riskier driving before a real ranked match happens again. Besides you can still vie to win the in between races too— stick it to the second place rival that’s constantly on your tail from the real races.

More importantly, the in between areas really serve Knockout mode and give the whole thing an Outrun feel, and, like that series, it helps to gradually blend in new environments as you near new biomes and vistas

@coolioam
Releasing Kirby Air Riders as a launch title instead of MK World would probably be an insane decision, strictly in terms of sales. MK World is a total safe bet and a cash cow. It doesn't get any safer than that considering MK8D, unless I'm mistaken, is the highest selling switch game of all time.

I'm just saying Air Riders is going to feel much fresher, new and unique, since it's a sequel to a 20+ year old one-off title, and then you have to factor in how much Sakurai has improved over the years as a game developer. The first Kirby AR was always just mid' to decent. But it had great ideas, but it wasn't always executed wonderfully.

@Uncle_Franklin

Wow !
And I thought you were just a score board.

@DemonKow
Meuh Meuh Ferme.
(ta gueule)

I kept waiting to be blown away. The game looks fun but nothing extraordinary, especially for the price

@Axecon The new standard will be $80, $90, $100 (GTA). The production costs of these games are getting too big, when you can make something much quicker for mobile and likely rake in more.

"$80 is too much, but I'll still buy it."

• Every Nintendo Life pundit

@RogerFederer

I didn't realise you had enough time away from tennis to play Nintendo.

@kuu_nousee DK Banaza is actually the cheaper game. I think that would say enough.

@sixrings as far as I know does Nintendo absolutely put a lot of money to their developers. And sure, shareholders also get a large cut. But keeping them happy literally keeps the company afloat. Because what are they going to do if Nintendo would underpay their developers of sell games at a loss?

Sure Nintendo wants more money. Nintendo is a company. They need to make more money. Do you know what happens to companies that DO NOT make money? They go bankrupt.

And by reading your post I am going to assume that you want Nintendo to go bankrupt.

I don't. I love playing Nintendo games.

@prw_88
Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Advance are the best of the series!

The Direct might of actually convinced me to hold off on the game and maybe even the Switch 2 lmao.
Doug Bowser blustering about "wait and see there's so much you haven't seen that makes this game worth $80", just for the Direct to show almost nothing new.
Yep, somehow success Nintendo manages to be Nintendo at their absolute worst, go figure. I don't think I want to support that.

@Anti-Matter
Anti-gravity was shown, it was quick

I dont have a problem with the price, it’s heavily discounted with the bundle.

As both console and game are launching on the same day, there is no reason to buy the game a la carte for $80.00 (or your regional equivalent) it seems like reasonable value.

The issue for me is that the more I see of the game, the more I find myself considering cancelling my preorder or selling my Switch 2.

The tracks look extremely uninspiring, the open world is a glorified sandbox and I’m not entirely sure that we’re racing anymore; we just seem to be jumping, bouncing and grinding around wide, straight “courses”.

I hate being that guy, but it’s truly how I feel about the game. Regretful before it’s even released.

Surely I’m not the only one?!

@Kingy with you 100% on that one

@Dev-N this is EXACTLY how I feel. Thanks for your comment. I am excited about team races though! I wasn’t sure if that will be an online mode though. I hope so!

Is split screen menu only or can you free roam in it as well?

A weird one. I was left feeling kind of disappointed that there was no major surprises and not much new, and some additions haven’t really convinced me yet. But…

I still overwhelmingly can’t wait to play it! It just looks so inviting and I’m excited to explore the world and the new tracks and mechanics.

So I’d say the direct was a bit meh (we still say meh, right?) but the game looks like it’ll be brilliant.

@RadioHedgeFund I don’t know the answer, but I read that as a question about whether you can get your pals together to roam the menus in split screen 😁

@Nintendo-or-Noth
Not disagreeing it's a big game (one I'm very much looking forward to) but there was very little information in the Direct which we didn't already know from the reveal earlier this month.
I think many (myself included) assumed the reason they were hosting a dedicated Direct was because there was far more to see, but that didn't end up being the case.
Not a big deal though, the game looks great

The trailer made me hype. It looks huge. It’s taken 10 years to make. So many unanswered questions. Kinda wish there was a story mode - but all the options and the single player objectives etc have made me very excited

I never played Mario kar very seriously before, but the open world and all the new possible tricks make this one extra interesting to me. I am excited even though my expectations for this direct were too high

I was waiting for options.
Let us set how many laps we want.
Let us get rid of npcs altogether.
Since it's an open world game, let us create our own races, our own custom championships. That last thing might be there in some capacity from what we've seen, so finger's crossed.
This series needs options. It never really had options, that really should change.

@Antraxx777 Yeah the wall surfing seems more palatable than the antigrav sections were. I just thought it never really had the desired effect - it didn’t feel spectacular or dramatic, but instead took away the sense of height (cause, if there’s no gravity, what does it even mean).

But I didn’t dislike antigrav as much as underwater sections. Felt sloooooow and floaty. Flying sections not my favourite either, sadly those seem to stick around. Oh well. Game looks great.

I’ve gone from wanting the game, to thinking I can hold off getting the console as it died my look “that great” to me

It’s not a Mario odessey moment

There wasn't a single thing I saw that justifies it costing more than 60 dollars. It looks like Mario kart just borrowed a bunch of modes from other racing games that again are 60 or less. I can't understand how people are working to get ripped off like this

4/10. Boring, pointless, and absolutely did not justify the $80 price tag.