Mario Kart 9 Has Officially Arrived & It’s Seriously So Much Fun

OK, Mario Kart fans, our time has come! Nintendo served up a ton of exciting updates in April during the Nintendo Direct about Mario Kart 9, revealing the official release date and what it’ll be called (yup, it’s breaking out of the number mold). Plus, it gave us a good look at the new features — and now that the game is finally out and available to play, we’re finally getting a chance to see how it all comes together. So, let’s get into it.

First things first, what we’ve all been referring to as Mario Kart 9 has its own official name: Mario Kart World. For good reason, too — you’re playing all over the globe on a scale that just feels, well, like a whole new world, even for Nintendo. Here’s everything we know about what you can expect, when more details (and the game itself) will drop, and whether this new Mario Kart will be compatible with your current Nintendo Switch.

When does Mario Kart World come out?

Mario Kart World’s release date was the same day the Nintendo Switch 2 becomes available, on June 5.

But if you were banking on playing it on your existing Switch, there’s a bit of bad news: Mario Kart World is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. Honestly, this could very well just be a logistics thing. Mario Kart 9/Mario Kart World looks to be considerably more advanced than any prior version of Mario Kart, so it may simply be too taxing on the existing Switch’s hardware.

Are there new characters?

Ahead of the release, Nintendo didn’t make any direct announcements about new characters, but in the fast-paced trailer, one certainly stood out: the Moo Moo Meadows Cow! Definitely didn’t see that one coming. I also saw Penguin and Chargin’ Chuck driving in snippets of the trailer. So, that made me wonder if other little auxiliary characters will be unlocked at some point, like Luma or Fuzzy. And Nabbit was in the mix, too.

Now that the game is in players’ hands, more information is available: We know that Mario Kart World boasts 24 main characters and 26 creatures and NPCs from other beloved Mario games that you can now use as your racer.

As far as the familiar faces we know and love, the Nintendo Direct preview confirmed Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Pauline, Birdo, Princess Rosalina, Toadette, Lakitu, King Boo, Shy Guy, Hammer Bro, Wario, Waluigi, Bowser, Koopa, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Bowser, Baby Daisy, and Baby Rosalina. NPCs and creatures include the famous Piranha Plant, Cheep Cheep, a Coin Coffer, a Snowman from the original N64 Mario Kart, and many more.

And every character can have new outfits unlocked as you explore maps and pick up to-go bags from the little Yoshi eateries around the maps. Once you’ve unlocked an outfit, you can then choose it from the character menu before starting a race. IGN has a full interactive list of characters and their outfit options on their website.

The biggest update regarding racers is that this new version supports up to 24 racers on the course at one time (including my personal favorite, Ludwig), the most in the franchise’s history.

What other new courses and features are there?

There’s a ton to be pumped about. Lots of new vehicles and various customizations. Like, the racers all look accessorized AF — King Boo in a bomber jacket? I see you, sir.

Big ramps into the air transform your kart into a glider, and dropping into the water isn’t a problem anymore, because karts also transform into jet skis now. (You can boat right out into the middle of big bodies of water and hang with whales, bounce on top of giant jellyfish… it’s great.) You can also grind railings and train tracks for speed boosts, parkour off certain walls, and more.

Oh, and weather, time of day, and region can all affect the conditions of courses and change throughout races.

As far as new courses, there appear to be plenty. We’d already seen the desert-themed Yoshi’s Diner course when Nintendo made the initial reveal, but in this new trailer, we can see a Peach-themed temple, a land with dinosaurs, and much more.

Any other cool new updates?

I feel confident that we’ll continue to learn fun little details as more people play the game, and Nintendo loves to keep some things secret for fans to figure out. Another cool twist about Mario Kart World we now know, though, is the fact that there are some new modes of play.

In Free Roam, racers can drive off-road “virtually anywhere” to explore new lands and possible shortcuts. You can even “take scenic drives with your friends” and stop to take pictures together. Mario Kart World has auto-accelerate and smart steering controls you can toggle on, so if you have little kids who love Mario and want to “play” but haven’t mastered the controls, it’s easy to set them up to explore in the free-roam maps.

In Knockout Tour, the goal is to race nonstop from one corner of the world to another. The catch? There are checkouts all along the route. If you’re below the placement that shows up at one of these checkpoints, you’ll be eliminated.

One of the things I’m most excited about, which Nintendo discussed in more depth during the Nintendo Direct about the Switch 2, is the dedicated chat feature. My friends and I often play online together, but literally just group call and talk on the phone while we play. Now we can play and chat through the game/console, and if we get the camera that goes along with this feature, we’ll even be able to see each other in-screen and take snapshots of our group chat play.

How much does Mario Kart World cost?

According to Nintendo’s website, the game costs $79.99, which is a bit more than their typical new game pricing of around $59.99. However, if you buy it as part of the Switch 2 Mario Kart bundle, you’ll save $30. Pre-orders start on April 9.