It was a curious twist of destiny for the fans of the original Mario Kart series, though, as new Mario Kart World is set to add even more power to the series’ already breathtaking lineup of drivers. Yet a certain element of the game has been unveiled, which filled a sense of disillusionment in among the hype, initially reported by Comic Book.
Mario Kart World is going to unveil a huge amount of new playable characters, opening up the reach of the racing experience. Among the new faces are some non-player character (NPC) drivers, including the very lovable Cow. Although their addition is a welcome expansion of the game’s universe, it has now been unveiled that the NPC characters won’t get to take advantage of one of the game’s new features: unlockable costumes. This is a change from mainline characters such as Mario and Yoshi, who will be able to use a range of cosmetic changes.
The new costume feature enables players to unlock several clothing items for avatars within the game’s free roam mode. Players do this by traveling from one point to another and eating special “Dash Food” items, which prompt the player’s transformation into a new outfit that corresponds to the area they are in. These costumes, once players have unlocked them, are locked permanently, providing a type of customization and replay value for those who like to collect content within games.
In addition to the look, Mario Kart World also promises an expansive variety of gameplay modes, ranging from the competitive Grand Prix and the tactical Knockout Tour to the discovery-based Free Roam. Japan’s initial advertisements have also teased the possibility of including a Mirror Mode, whereby players would be able to race on inverted copies of the game’s tracks, presenting a new challenge for skilled drivers.
Mario Kart World will launch on June 5, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch 2. Although being unable to change NPC character costumes is a small downside, the rest of the package otherwise looks like a giant step forward for the popular racing franchise, with new characters, massive modes, and game-changing features awaiting gamers to indulge in.
