Latest news with #MarioKart8
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Best Characters For Every Track In Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World ended the legendary 11 year run Mario Kart 8 held as the 'current' Mario Kart. While Mario Kart World isn't coming out the gate with the 96 courses its predecessor received over the course of the decade, it still features a standard roster of 30 courses. This is almost on par with most Mario Kart games, though Mario Kart World will repeat two courses throughout the Gran Prix mode to make up the difference. Of course, that doesn't quite tell the whole story. Mario Kart World also features an interconnected world, featuring over 100 'intermission tracks' that you'll drive on between tracks. There are also collectibles and optional challenges to complete in each stage if you explore them in the Free Roam mode, so it's not exactly like the Mario Kart games that came before. Read More: Every Mario Kart World Track Has A Closed-Circuit Version, But It's Not Easy To Play Them One thing we can compare, though, is that Mario Kart World doesn't differentiate between new and returning courses the way past Mario Kart games did. New and retro courses are instead interspersed between all eight cups, and the returning locales often have new elements that differentiate them from their original counterparts. If you'd like to take a gander at the full course list yourself, as well as which racer's stats are most conducive to winning each track, here's every standard cup in Mario Kart World. Note that all commentary here is largely based on the fastest times in Time Trial mode, which does not include Intermission tracks. That said, the last lap is always the most important in Mario Kart due to how items can disrupt the race. These characters should let you finish each race strong, regardless of the intermission track you take to get there. Read More: Your Kart's Stats Are As Important As Ever In Mario Kart World Do keep in mind that, since these times are based on the time trial environment, these racers may not necessarily be the 'best' when contending with fierce racers online. You may need to play racers with higher acceleration to contend with the barrage of items you'll have to endure, but these are solid choices to start. Mario Bros. Circuit: Ultra-lightweight characters like Baby Daisy fare well here, particularly on lightweight bikes. Crown City: Wario's heavy stats kill it here; the top runners for this track favor the Hot Rod kart. Whistlestop Summit: Super lightweights like Baby Daisy perform well here, once again with a preference towards bikes. DK Spaceport: Wario once again dominates, especially paired with balanced karts like the B Dasher. That said, shoutout to the current 5th place record holder for using Hills: Bowser's super heavy stats dominate here. The Reel Racer will help you contend with the sandy terrain. Shy Guy Bazaar: Lightweights reign supreme through these winding tight corridors, with most record holders opting for Baby Mario. The Baby Blooper kart is popular here. Wario Stadium: Another showcase for lightweight characters, with Baby Daisy being the popular pick here. That said, the Reel Racer is currently a popular pick here too. Airship Fortress: Not to sound like a broken record, but lightweight characters once again win out here. Baby Mario dominates on bikes like the Mach Rocket, though Goomba is a surprisingly competitive pick here Pass: Super lightweights once again reign supreme here, but interesting enough, the dominant character here is Para-Biddybud. Baby Daisy also works here, and bikes like the R.O.B H.O.G fare well on these snowy peaks. Starview Pea: It's another peak, but a different optimal character. Bowser on the Reel Racer occupies nearly every fastest time recorded here. Sky-High Sundae: Wario is your go-to if you're doing laps around these treats. The Baby Blooper vehicle is most popular here. Wario Shipyard: Despite the aquatic terrain, Bowser on the Reel Racer is the popular choice here once again. Koopa Troopa Beach: Koopa Troopa Beach? More like King Koopa Troopa Beach, because Bowser holds all the fastest times here. Interestingly enough, trucks like the Chargin' Truck perform well. Faraway Oasis: Funny enough, this course doesn't have a clear 'best' combo. The current record holder uses Penguin atop the W-Twin Chopper bike, but Bowser, Mario, and even Birdo are all used in close runner-up rankings. Crown City: Yes, this is the second time Crown City has appeared in a cup. To refresh your memory, Wario in the Hot Rod is the top pick. Peach Stadium: Current record holders predominately use Wiggler, typically paired with the Big Horn Beach: Peach Beach, similar to the Koopa Troopa Beach, favors Bowser. However, the popular vehicle of choice is the Reel Racer. Salty Salty Speedway: There's no clear dominant character, as Wiggler, Wario, and even Pianta have achieved top times here. However, all of them have used the Reel Racer to get there. Dino Dino Jungle: Now please hold your excitement, because I know how widely beloved this racer is, but Cow is the top pick for this course. What's more, the best racers use the Li'l Dumpy truck here too. There couldn't be a more deserving combo to succeed. Great ? Block Ruins: As you might expect from a track with so many tight corners, the super lightweights reign supreme. The likes of Para-Biddybud and Baby Daisy have achieved the fastest times, all while using relatively balanced bikes like the R.O.B Cheep Falls; It's lightweight time again, except we're not going for the lightest of the light characters this time around. Nabbit currently rules the falls while using the Reel Racer. Dandelion Depths: The heavyweights will plunge you furthest into the depths, as Wario using the Reel Racer is the dominant pick. Boo Cinema: In a huge change of pace, the best racer on Boo Cinema is none other than King-... nah I'm just playing, Wario using the Baby Blooper has all the top times here. Dry Bones Burnout: Wario and the Baby Blooper. Everywhere I go I see his Moo Meadows: No fakeouts this time: Cow very appropriately is the top pick for Moo Moo Meadows. Surprisingly, the top vehicle choice here is the Dread Sled. I couldn't think of a less appropriate kart to drive around a farm, let alone at top speed, but let's not apply logic to the Nintendo universe. Choco Mountain: Bowser with the Reel Racer chews through this mountain the fastest. Toad's Factory: Interestingly, the top times for this track are a tossup between our usual heavyweight champions: Wario and Bowser. That said, both of them use the Baby Blooper kart. Bowser's Castle: This fearsome fiery world is a rare track where characters of all weight classes are in close contention. Wiggler does have the top spot, though. The B Dasher vehicle is a popular choice default, you'll only have access to the courses listed above. To unlock the final Special Cup, you must first best the other seven cups in Grand Prix mode. This will trigger a special cutscene that will play upon earning your last trophy, and Special Cup will appear in the Grand Prix menu. If you've completed every race in Grand Prix mode and didn't unlock Special Cup, make sure you've earned a gold trophy in each cup. Getting first place in every race or playing on 150cc isn't Heights: It's another ultra lightweight extravaganza here! Swoop is interestingly the record holder, though Baby Daisy isn't far behind. Both use the W-Twin Chopper. Mario Circuit: It's another fan favorite's time to shine, because Toadette holds the majority of record times for the standard Mario Circuit. The Baby Blooper appears once more as the ride of choice. Peach Stadium: Yes, Peach Stadium does indeed appear in two separate cups as well. As you'd expect, Wiggler with the Big Horn still succeeds. Rainbow Road: Last but certainly not least, we have the majestic rainbow road. Wiggler is the king here, either using the Billdozer or the ever reliable Reel are all the tracks in Mario Kart World! An elaborate credits sequence will play once you beat the Special Cup, so sit back and enjoy the show before you dive back into exploring the world or racing online. Make sure to check out our tips for improving your racing skills if you're planning on conquering greater challenges, and don't take out your frustration on your brand new system if you face some losses along the way. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Metro
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What will be the first Mario Kart World DLC?
The Wednesday letters page asks why so many Marvel video games don't sell, as one reader wonders if 2K will ever make a FIFA game. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ More to come It has its faults, but I am now settled with Mario Kart World and while it's not as good as Mario Kart 8 it's definitely a good game. The empty open world is much less of a problem if you treat it as a failure of marketing rather than game design and I agree that they should've never hyped it up and, if they do have plans for DLC, they should've told us about it already, at least roughly. The fact that Donkey Kong and Pauline only have one skin is super suspicious but if that's connected to Bananza they're not exactly in a rush to tell us about it. I'm guessing there was no talk of it at GC's preview? My guess would be that the first DLC will be new costumes for Donkey Kong and Pauline and perhaps a new character of young (not baby) Pauline. The question for me is whether there'll be anything more than that? Would they add a new area to the map? That seems like too much effort for free DLC. Maybe they'd add a little Donkey Kong themed village or something in an existing space? There are a lot of empty plots in the game, and you could easily imagine them doing a little pop-up area to promote a new game. But is that really what they're going to do? As usual with Nintendo, we just have to wait and see. Onibee GC: There was no mention of Mario Kart at the preview, no. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. No competition I've been playing Rematch and it is quite fun, but at the end of the day it's an arcade style game and it has very little in common with actual football. It may become popular but there's no way it can work as a serious replacement for EA Sports FC. The problem is that nothing can without the official licences and while EA has those it's basically untouchable. I'm not clear how many of them are exclusive, given Konami does use some, but nobody has ever been willing to step up and spend the money necessary to compete. There were rumours that 2K were going to get the FIFA licence next but if that's happening they've still not said anything about it. The FIFA licence alone won't help them though, they need all the clubs and players too. If that doesn't happen, given how rich 2K are, then that means EA Sports FC is never going to have anything to worry about. RInce It's-a not me Nice preview of Donkey Kong Bananza. It looks and sounds pretty good, but I can't imagine I'm the only one that wouldn't have preferred a 3D Mario instead. It's over eight years since Super Mario Odyssey and we still have no clue about what comes next. I really hope Bananza is the B-team or whatever, just so that we have a chance of getting a new Mario before the Switch 3 arrives. I know the theory about a movie tie-in next year, but I have a feeling that's more likely to be a 2D game, just to make it as a casual friendly as possible. We'll see I guess, but if Bananza is the only game we're getting from Nintendo's top team this gen, or close to the end, I'm a little underwhelmed. Korbie Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Who's on third? Was Donkey Kong Bananza being developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team really a surprise to yourselves? After that DK Direct I kind of knew instantly, it looks extremely similar to Odyssey's aesthetic. The wardrobe for gear changes is copied pixel for pixel, for one, and the vistas when burrowing deeper into the earth is very reminiscent of traveling to new worlds in Odyssey. In fact, I'd likely guess that DK himself was originally Mario and Pauline was his whatever gimmick 'sentient gloves' to help him smash and bash the world around. Which is no bad thing, it was after all, Super Mario Odyssey that prompted the purchase of my Switch in the first place. big boy bent GC: Yes, and it should've been a surprise to you too, because if they're making Bananza who's making the next 3D Mario? There are now three options to explain it: someone completely different is making it, there isn't going to be one for circa five years, or Nintendo stretched the truth as to what it means by the same team. The latter seems the most likely. Halo finite I don't want to dunk on Halo anymore than Microsoft already has but I will be shocked if there's any real interest in a reboot or whatever they're planning. You'd have to have had a long period of time without it for people to start to miss it, and want it to come back, but Halo Infinite is still being played online and it was less than four years ago it was out. That was meant to be a forever game, but it was dead on arrival and never really had a chance. I remember when Halo was the biggest thing in gaming, but the second Bungie left it all fell apart. It's been bad for too long now and I really don't think there's any coming back. Ragman Superhero fatigue It always seems weird to me how a lot of Marvel games don't sell. Basically, only Spider-Man does well and it's not a question of quality but people just not being interested in playing anything to do with the Marvel universe, beyond that and the Lego games. And Marvel Rivals, but that's free and I'm sure it wouldn't be as popular if it wasn't. I wonder if it's because they're not part of the MCU, but I doubt that would really make much difference. We'll see with the Iron Man game, which I assume is going to work at least somewhat similarly to Spider-Man. If that's a flop, then you can wrap it because nothing else is ever going to sell. Especially not Captain America x Black Panther. Funny thing is, all these failures came before the current superhero fatigue at the cinema. People just weren't interested at any time, for any reason. I don't pretend to understand it, but after hitting your head against the wall so many times, at some point you've just got to give up and accept things are the way they are. I think the only game we know of that has any real chance is the Wolverine game. I'm not sure what that's taking so long, because of the hack I guess, but whatever special sauce Insomniac have will definitely be put to the test with that and if even that isn't a major hit then it's definitely just Spider-Man and no one else. Vector Old Vegas Thinking of that Fallout deal in the Steam sale, it reminded me that we still haven't got a remaster of Fallout: New Vegas! I really can't believe that hasn't happened after all that time, it's such a licence to print money, especially after the Oblivion remaster. I don't care what they say, I think Bethesda definitely resent it being the most popular and are upset that they didn't have anything to do with it. I bet you if there is a Fallout remaster it'll be number 3 and they'll pretend that it's because it's chronological order that they had to do it first. Cole Mild approval So we're about a month into the Switch 2 and I'm, I don't know, content with it? My partner and I play a lot of Mario Kart World now, instead of Mario Kart 8. I was addicted to Devil May Cry 3 for most of June, although that was on my Switch 1, and now Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom has its claws in me again and I'm loving the graphics upgrade. Hardly a monumental change from my previous set-up but novel enough, I suppose. My feelings are similar to those when I got my PlayStation 5, in that it was a bit of a chore to pay for one and set it up, but I needed it badly as my old launch PlayStation 4 stopped playing discs and was ready for the bin. I'm still glad I got the Switch 2, because it's a nice new way to play the games and there will be lots of new software for it in the next few years, but I definitely feel like new consoles are less of a big deal than 20 years ago – the upgrade from N64 or PS1 to new hardware was huge and I don't get that feeling anymore. But ultimately there's no loss for me to get one at launch, because it's not like the old days where a console would shed £100 after a year (if anything they are more likely to increase in price). So yeah, a nice piece of kit that will hopefully serve me well until I have to buy a Switch 3 in seven or eight years, and I'm looking forward to playing Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4 over Christmas. ANON Inbox also-ransI hear today is the day that Microsoft is going to announce its new round of layoffs, so best of luck to everyone working for them in the UK today. I know they have a number of game developers here. Focus David Dastmalchian as M. Bison in the new Street Fighter movie is definitely a choice. He's no Raul Julia but here's hoping he understand the amount of cheese necessarily to make it work. shadow_ninja More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Why I sold my Xbox Series X to get a Switch 2 MORE: Games Inbox: Is EA Sports FC 26 going to be a flop? MORE: Games Inbox: Is AI going to ruin video games?
Metro
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: Do video game exclusives still matter?
The Tuesday letters page thinks PlayStation made a mistake relocating to the US, as one reader is surprised by how little Sonic the Hedgehog sells. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Lost exclusives I do wonder if we are making more of a big deal of exclusives than actually necessary. The weekend feature said 'It's all pretty bleak and depressing really. Good games will continue to be made – this year has been great so far – but not by Sony, or at least not more than once a year or so.' When you are initially choosing between formats, exclusives are pretty important, and particularly as launch titles near the start of a generation. However, once console sales slow and users have made their choice, how much does it matter who makes the games, as long as they are good? I can see the logic that says it matters long term to the platform manufacturers, but you could almost argue that more multi-platform games are better for the actual game players and game developers? Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID) GC: Sony games are very distinctive and nobody else makes anything quite like them. That's doubly true for Nintendo. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Blue shelled Mario Kart World is definitely not as good as Mario Kart 8. The worst part of Mario Kart World is when you get swamped by the field and can't get out of the hole that is being constantly hit by shells or fireballs or boomerangs or whatever else the AI has up its sleeve. So upping that field to 24 is, in my opinion, not good. The next worst part is one that this game has introduced me to: dull tracks with never-ending, impossibly wide straights. The best way to beat the rubber band AI in Mario Kart is being better round the corners, which this game has absolutely minimised in favour of long stretches of nothing. Apart from the first race of each cup, which is on a proper track, most other races feel like a complete gamble, where you're just hoping for a well-timed blue shell against the AI two corners before the end, or a triple/super mushroom to boost yourself back into contention. This entry, for me, is a bit of a swing and a miss. Or a turn and a spin in race car terms. StellarFlux Souls I like I am nearly at the end of the magnificent The First Berserker: Khazan. For anyone not familiar with it, it's an awesome Soulslike/Sekiro hybrid. I really dig the fighting, the enemies, and all of the customisation available. I also quite like the relatively linear level design – it's like a gauntlet to each of the bosses. It is up there with the most difficult games I've played and honestly much harder than Elden Ring/Shadow Of The Erdtree (which I found pretty easy with the right build and with the available summons). There's also a lot of ongoing support from the devs – including a new patch coming soon, which will offer the ability to save loadouts (this is going to be super useful). Overall, I would highly recommend, even if the story is quite generic and the central hub area is really average (it is functional but feels a bit bland). Anyone else enjoyed it like me? Tom GC: We thought it was pretty good too. Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Between two stools Nice review of Death Stranding 2 but I can't help but be disappointed that it seems so similar to the first one, except with the main gameplay apparently dumbed down by the use of vehicles. I don't know exactly how this work, because I haven't played it yet, but the balance and difficulty of walking through the terrain was the whole point of the first game. I also don't like the idea of just shooting BTs, which seems to turn them into ordinary video game monsters. It sounds like the original will remain the best in my eyes and while I can see the desire to try and turn the game into something that's more straight-up 'fun' who exactly is that going to appeal to? It'll upset existing fans and new ones will be put off by the reputation of the first. Much better to have just created a whole new game, I think, and I think Death Stranding 2's sales will suffer as a result. Manny Skynet's revenge Does anyone else feel like the AI in Mario Kart World is a bit broken? I've managed to get gold in all the cups in Grand Prix mode but am struggling with Knockout Tour. I've still manged to get a couple of first place finishes but it's very tricky. It seems like the computer-controlled players are stupidly fast when you get to the last four and unless you've attained an unassailable lead going into that last section of the race it's near impossible. And if you're second or third you can forget about it, there's no catching up. In better news, I fared better online and managed my first ever Knockout Tour victory the other day. matc7884 World's slowest scramble I think the most likely explanation for PlayStation's lack of activity this generation, rather than 'arrogance', is that they made a spectacular misstep with their live service plans and are still playing catch-up. It obviously helps the bottom line that they aren't being punished for their lack of first-party output, but I don't think they are treading water because they aren't being pushed by Xbox. it's more likely that diverting pretty much all of their internal studios onto live service games (for at least a spell), plus the delayed hit from Covid, has left a gaping hole in their first party line-up that they're now scrambling to fill. So the reason they're not saying much is that… they don't have much to say. Personally, while they might come good in the latter half of this generation, they've lost a lot of what made them a unique proposition in the gaming space. Consolidating the different business units (America, Europe, and Japan) and becoming more Westernised meant that some of their previous quirkiness was lost, while decimating their first party single-player output by pursuing (and failing at) live service has come at the expense of the prestige that they had as a developer of boundary-pushing games. There's still loads to play on PlayStation 5, and I think the hardware is great (including how it looks, surprised it's so polarising!) but it does feel like a bit of a soggy explosive of a generation from PlayStation Studios so far. Magnumstache GC: We always said that centralising the PlayStation business in the US was a big mistake. It was one of the first things Jim Ryan did when he took over. Where the money is Seeing how little Sonic the Hedgehog games seem to sell I'm almost kind of shocked that Sega is still going as a business, especially before they bought Atlus (or rather their parent company bought Atlus and they were lumped together). Sonic is the only game series I can think of where it makes more money selling T-shirts and lunchboxes than it does the games themselves. No wonder the games have been so bad for so long, I can't imagine that is much of a morale boost knowing you're less important and profitable than a colouring book. Dench Uncertain future The PlayStation 5 generation being the most profitable generation makes for interesting musing. The PlayStation 5 generation profit starts from 2020 and includes PlayStation 4 income. The lack of PlayStation 5 games taking advantage of the hardware has been a big complaint this gen. But having an extended cross gen period hasn't impacted negatively on income, console sales and profit at all. I expect the PlayStation 6 will have an even longer cross-gen period. I think it said 50% of the PlayStation Store revenue is made up from a handful of titles, like FIFA, along with spending on microtransactions. It's no wonder Sony want their own live service games, where they get 100% instead of 30% of that lucrative vein of revenue. That doesn't excuse though, the seemingly cavalier and incompetent manner they've pursued that. Going multiformat by releasing on PC hasn't hurt them either, in console sales or profit. Former CEO Andrew House made the point that when budgets on a game get too high exclusivity becomes unsustainable. Some predicted a mass exodus to PC when Sony starting releasing on it. It hasn't happened. In truth Sony's record profits come from traditional sources of revenue of services, game content, and third party. It's just those, now it seems, account for a bigger part of the pie than ever. The long-term effect on the first party single-player games I and the core fans want will not be fully known for a while. If they don't return the same higher profit margins of game content, services, and live service while also being less important doing their original job, of making people buy consoles to make money from those other things, then you'll commit less resources to them. I'm not hitting any panic buttons yet. But I've a few more lines on my forehead from the furrowed brow I get reading a lot of gaming developments these days. Inversely though I've got more excellent games than I can play in a lifetime, it seems. Who knows where it's all going to end up. Simundo GC: Very few of the Sony exclusives have been successful on PC, just Helldivers 2 and Stellar Blade (primarily in Asia). Inbox also-ransI have many very happy memories of playing Mario Kart 64. I know that's partly nostalgia speaking, but I refuse to accept that it is a bad game. It's not even the worst Mario Kart, that is surely Double Dash!! Onibee We should make a list of all the times Xbox has done a U-turn on things they've said before. Although I have to say, I never had an Xbox VR headset on my bingo card. Walters More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World better than Mario Kart 8? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the hardest video of modern times? MORE: Games Inbox: Is the next gen Xbox a console or a PC?
Metro
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo explains why Zelda and Splatoon racers aren't in Mario Kart World
The developers behind Mario Kart World have explained why they chose Cow over Link and Isabella in its character roster. Before Mario Kart World was announced, some fans hoped it would take some cues from Super Smash Bros. and become a crossover of all Nintendo properties. The precedent for this was set in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where Splatoon Inklings, Link from The Legend Of Zelda, and villagers from Animal Crossing made the roster. This was the first time Nintendo characters outside of the Mushroom Kingdom had made it into Mario Kart, with courses based on F-Zero and Excitebike thrown in too. While it seemed logical that this would continue in Mario Kart World, the sequel doesn't feature any other Nintendo characters – instead opting for an influx of minor Mario freakos like Conkdor, Cataquack, Penguin, and the Cow from Moo Moo Meadows. Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki has explained why this is the case in an interview with Ouest-France, where he described the potential inclusion of other Nintendo characters in the sequel as 'incongruous'. 'As developers, it would have seemed incongruous to us to add characters from other games into this universe,' he told the outlet (via machine translation). 'And it didn't seem necessary to us, given everything we could already do with Mario.' More Trending Yabuki, who also served as a producer on ARMS, was asked if he ever considered adding characters from that game to the roster. 'Absolutely not!' he replied with a laugh. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Speaking about the slew of new minor Mario characters, he added: 'We were hoping that the addition of these new drivers would be a pleasant surprise for players. But the reception has been so warm that it surprised even us! It definitely exceeded our expectations.' The big question is whether his comments rule out any potential Nintendo crossovers for Mario Kart World in the future. Characters from Zelda and Animal Crossing were added to Mario Kart 8 via DLC packs, and the open structure of Mario Kart World lends itself to extra courses being added as a potentially separate island down the line. Based on the success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which sold over 68 million copies and received DLC in the form of the Booster Course Pass, new tracks and characters for Mario Kart World feels inevitable – but then again, Nintendo has a knack for doing the unexpected. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Xbox VR headset leaks and its release date is a bit of a shock MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World better than Mario Kart 8? MORE: Video games are great for my mental and physical wellbeing – Reader's Feature
Engadget
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Video Games Weekly: Mario Kart World is the opposite of punishing
Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday (or Thursday?), broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who's covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget. Please enjoy — and I'll see you next week. I've been playing the Switch 2 alongside 3.5 million of my closest friends since Nintendo's new console came out on June 5, and I'm having an excellent time. Although to be perfectly transparent, a vast majority of my play has been dedicated to Mario Kart World , a game I've been looking forward to for months and that perfectly scratches the couch co-op itch I've been meaning to ask my doctor about. Mario Kart World is colorful, bright and infinitely replayable, and one feature that's getting a lot of attention is its elevated skill ceiling. This installment introduces new mechanics like wall riding and rail grinds, which significantly alter how the game is played at its highest levels, where shortcuts and strategic pathing are a must. There's too much variability in Mario Kart for it to be a professionally competitive franchise, but that doesn't stop people from getting extremely good at it , and players are already trying to milk the most milliseconds out of the new moves in Mario Kart World . It's going to take a while, since these mechanics are surprisingly complex, and I'm excited to see what secrets the community uncovers in the near future. While that's happening, I'd like to highlight something on the opposite side of the skill spectrum. Mario Kart World is far less frustrating in moment-to-moment gameplay than Mario Kart 8 , and I think this is one of its greatest strengths. I don't have empirical data here, but it's a distinct feeling I have every time I play: Getting hit with shells, running over banana peels and bouncing into obstacles is more forgiving than ever. These moments are less jarring than they were in Mario Kart 8 specifically, and it takes noticeably less time to recover and get back into the race after taking a red shell to the behind. Either the stun time is shorter, the post-collision acceleration is faster or there's some witchy combination of these factors happening, but whatever the cause, I deeply appreciate the effect. Mario Kart World is flow-friendly and accessible, and these subtle tweaks diminish some of the series' most annoying aspects, like resetting after a barrage of explosive bullshit gets hurled into your bumper. The only item in Mario Kart World that feels like a true hard stop is the lightning bolt, but at least that one affects every character around you with the same momentum-jamming force. Meanwhile, the tracks in Mario Kart World are so very, very pretty — looking at you, Starview Peak and Rainbow Road — the character roster is stacked with super adorable fresh faces, motorcycles are more stable than previous games, and the 24-player Knockout Tour is a fun test of skill. With the potential for 23 items to be aimed at your back, it makes sense that Nintendo would try to make recovery more seamless this time, and I just wanted to say that I notice it and appreciate it. Now, to figure out this wall riding thing. Xbox is preparing for a post-console world Xbox president Sarah Bond announced that the company's next generation of hardware will be powered by AMD, just like the Xbox Series X/S and the coming ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. That's cool, but it also offers some clues about the future of Microsoft's gaming division, and things are looking more decentralized with each new morsel. Xbox appears to be positioning itself as a platform-agnostic software provider, leaning into PC and handheld play, and running an all-inclusive storefront that follows you across devices. It really sounds like the next Xbox could be more of a PC that lives under your TV, rather than a dedicated, closed-system video game machine. Ouya was just 12 years too soon , it seems. Did you hear that sonorous, well-articulated sigh of relief? SAG-AFTRA suspended its strike against 10 major video game studios, following nearly a year of negotiations over AI use and actor compensation. The union and the studios signed a deal that includes wage increases for more than 24 percent of performers and protections around the deployment of AI and digital replicas. Maybe this is for the best. Bungie has indefinitely delayed Marathon , citing a need to overhaul the game as it currently stands. The delay follows a slew of bad news out of Bungie, starting in July 2024, when the studio laid off 220 employees , or 17 percent of its workforce. In May 2025, Bungie was caught using stolen artwork in the Marathon alpha and several former employees accused the studio of fostering a toxic environment . Whether Marathon really requires a revamp or Bungie just needs a moment to breathe, a delay feels like the right move. It will cost $70. It's official — Bloober Team is remaking the original Silent Hill for Konami. The project follows Bloober's highly successful reimagining of Silent Hill 2 , which landed in October 2024 and garnered oodles of acclaim from critics and players alike. There's no word on a release date for the new remake, but it's joining a trio of other in-development projects in the Silent Hill universe: Silent Hill Townfall from Annapurna Interactive and No Code, Silent Hill: Ascension from Bad Robot and Genvid, and Silent Hill f from author Ryūkishi07. Senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford is a beast for collecting all of his thoughts on the Switch 2 so quickly and with such fabulous insight, and it'd be a shame if you didn't get to absorb all of that delicious knowledge for yourself. This has been my review of Sam's review of the Switch 2 — a console that is also pretty fantastic, by the way. Summer Game Fest 2025 officially wrapped up on June 9, but the embargoed stories, interviews and our hands-on impressions from the show just keep on coming. Since we last spoke, Engadget's SGF 2025 crew has published articles about Resident Evil: Requiem , Mixtape , Mouse: PI for Hire , Onimusha: Way of the Sword , Grounded 2 , End of Abyss and Pragmata . Every Saturday morning on Engadget, contributing reporter Kris Holt publishes a roundup of fantastic-sounding and freshly available indie games, so be sure to check for that regularly. This week , the Kris list features The Alters , Dune: Awakening and Instants , among other shout-outs. In related new-game news, Remedy's extraction shooter FBC: Firebreak and Bithell Games' isometric action experience Tron: Catalyst are also available now. And finally, we're halfway through Playdate Season Two, which has already provided a firehose of oddball experiences — all lovingly parsed through each week by Engadget weekend editor Cheyenne Macdonald.
