The excitement levels at Retro Dodo Towers have hit a fever pitch since the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 console today. We’ve been waiting (not so patiently) for months now to find out what the new console would look like and what games might be dropping onto the console, and while the short announcement trailer was pretty aloof when it came to details, we did see new magnetic joycons, a bigger screen, and a look at a new Mario Kart game that could well be Mario Kart 9.
One of the images from the Mario Kart section of the Switch 2 trailer that sent me into a bit of a wild frenzy was an overhead shot of the start of one of the courses. There are 24 spaces for karts to line up on the starting grid, meaning that we might be about to double the number of racers in matches for some real frenzied racing. That would be unbelievable and add a whole new dimension to the game, especially in online play. It also means that I will probably also come 24th instead of 12th when I play with my friends… who am I kidding, I don’t have 23 friends.
Another thing I’ve spotted as a self-confessed Donkey Kong fanatic is that Donkey Kong has a new look in this new Mario Kart trailer. You don’t see him for long and I’ve had to zoom into the picture, but he looks more like Donkey Kong in the Super Mario Bros. Movie and the old Donkey Kong images from the 90s. It’s the eyes that I spotted first; they look a little more relaxed, almost gormless compared to the heavy brow that we’ve become used to over the years. Perhaps Nintendo are favouring DK’s look from the movie if they’re thinking of pushing him for new games in the coming years, especially since he was such a fan favourite when the movie came out.
Nintendo have promised us a Direct about the new console in April, but that doesn’t mean more details won’t drop about Mario Kart 9 in the meantime. I’m looking forward to seeing if the rumours and the speculative thoughts we’ve had on the game end up being correct!
