Thursday’s reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 showed only one device playing a game: a new Mario Kart. The gameplay footage wasn’t long, but there are some interesting details that sharp-eyed fans have noticed.
New Mario Kart doesn’t have an official name yet, and while Mario Kart 9 is a possibility, the franchise’s long list of interesting titles (Super Circuit, Double Dash, and more) means it’s not a certainty. The game’s official name likely won’t be revealed until the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct event on April 2. However, there seem to be some changes to the Mario Kart formula that could make this new game quite different from its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Check this out: Nintendo Switch 2 announced: Everything we know
One thing that is noticeable at the beginning of the new Mario Kart footage is the possible placements on the kart at the start of the race. There are 24 markers at the start of the track, which could mean the game can support up to 24 players at a time. That would be triple the number of simultaneous racers that can be played in Mario Kart 8 or its Deluxe version, both of which were expanded to a franchise high of eight simultaneous players.
Judging by the starting line, Mario Kart 9(???) seems to have 24 players per race, which is crazy. pic.twitter.com/yWCKQOyepP
— Rimea (@The_Rimea) January 16, 2025
Although 24 racers seems like a lot for a Mario Kart game, the limited footage in the trailer suggests that the tracks could be large enough to easily support two dozen racers.
That Mario Kart track looks so big that the game probably has an unseen cheat. There is no way you can have a song like that and it plays like 8. pic.twitter.com/DQwMXEVA5z
— LonelyGoomba (@LonelyGoomba) January 16, 2025
Another interesting point to note at the start of the race is that there appears to be a pit. Previous Mario Kart games have some spaces on the sides of the track that can be driven for the sake of shortcuts, but this pit lane looks more like a traditional pit stop lane, which is used in traditional races to repair damaged cars .
It would make sense if there were stops, as there seem to be fuel tanks on the kart. There are also trackside buildings, like this Yoshi restaurant, that seem to have equipment available.
haven’t seen anyone else talk about this but the mario kart 9 cheat is definitely a fuel tank
karts have visible fuel tanks now and there’s something about this track that doesn’t look like an item box
it will be a resource that you can use freely to increase pic.twitter.com/bhGnEOe8Xo– chloe (@payapaberii) January 16, 2025
It looks like Nintendo is expanding into different types of vehicles. Most importantly, Rosalina appears to be riding a snowmobile.
I think Mario Kart 9’s new mechanic will be an emphasis on off-road racing: it’s the first time the karts have suspension, they seem to actually react to your driving and the road, and Rosalina even drives a snowmobile , we have never seen it. such card designs before pic.twitter.com/gmy9t4v9tN
— Xeno (@XenoScarlet) January 16, 2025
Although unrelated to the game, it appears that Mario and Donkey Kong have updated their appearances to be similar to how they looked in the Super Mario Bros. movie.
Read more: The creators of Super Mario reveal what they really think about the movie
Not only does Donkey Kong have his own new movie design in Mario Kart 9(???), but Mario’s slightly larger cartoon-y Wonder size seems to be the default now. pic.twitter.com/McJGad4KnM
— Rimea (@The_Rimea) January 16, 2025
Expect to hear more information about the new Mario Kart game and the console it will arrive on during the April 2 Switch 2 Nintendo Direct event. Fans of the game may be able to play it at the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience when it hits NYC, LA, and Dallas in April, with more cities around the world to follow. Nintendo has yet to provide details on when the Switch 2 will hit store shelves or when the Switch 2 will open for pre-orders for fans to lock down what is sure to be the hottest console this year.
Check this out: Nintendo Switch 2 announced: Everything we know
