After a decade of playing with Mario Kart 8's driving mechanics, we've all got pretty used to the techniques required to nab a win. However, it looks like Mario Kart World is taking us back to school with a new roster of cool moves.
Today's Direct presentation introduced us to the first of these new techniques: Charge Jump. By holding the drift button (ZR) and driving straight, you'll be able to build up charge, which is released with a burst into the air. You can use this move to hurdle obstacles, dodge attacks, and get to new areas, and it'll give you a speed boost when you land. Expect to see this one a lot on open sections of track.
While we're on new areas, the Direct also gave a slightly closer look at Wall Riding — a technique that you might have spotted in the Switch 2 showcase, but had some more time in the spotlight here. By jumping towards a wall, you'll be able to skirt along it for a short period, building up even more of a boost in the process.
And if you're trying to get to a very specific spot that requires a tricky jump, the new Rewind feature might just help you get there. You can use this technique to turn back the clock on your race, moving your kart in reverse so you can try the manoeuvre again. Your opponents will still move forward at the same speed, so we wouldn't recommend pulling this one out at every turn, but it sure looks like a solid way to map out ideal routes.
Ah, we should also point out that it looks like Rewind will only come in handy in Free Roam and when playing races solo, so don't expect to be able to pull it off in the middle of an online head-to-head.
On top of all of that, we've already seen the new Grind move in action, and we're sure there will be a handful of other techniques for us to discover on 5th June. Man, the prospect of a new Mario Kart really is getting us excited.