Here's why Mario Kart World is bundled with the Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo has its reasons, and it isn't just because "it's Mario Kart"
🤔 Nintendo has explained why it chose bundled Mario Kart World with the Switch 2
🌎 Nintendo picked Mario Kart World because of how accessible and far-reaching the game is for both new and seasoned players
💰 The successes of its predecessor, Mario Kart 8, demonstrated the large appetite for racing games on the system
📆 Mario Kart World launches alongside the Switch 2 on June 5, alongside a wide range of other launch games
Nintendo has given an interesting reason as to why it chose Mario Kart World as the game to accompany the Switch 2 as a pack-in title.
In an interview with Inverse last month , Nintendo's senior vice president of product development, Nate Bihldorff, described the latest Mario Kart title as one of the “most broadly accessible games possible”, arguing that because of its “high skill ceiling”, it is “very appealing to both hardcore and casual players”.
Bihldorff went on to state that players will likely spend “a lot of time with this game finding the best routes, finding the best techniques”. Although, he also noted that Mario Kart World, as with its predecessor, also “has as many settings as you’d like to basically make it so that a kid, really any age, or a person of any skill level can also do it”, such as auto-acceleration and steering that keeps you on the track.
In addition, Bihldorff noted that because of how well Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold, it highlighted that “there’s a lot of appetite for racing games” on Switch 2 because of how widely accessible it is. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling game on Switch, with over 68 million copies sold.
“It comes back to that idea that this is a game that really is going to satisfy any kind of Nintendo gamer, and even somebody who isn't a Nintendo gamer yet but might be later,” Bihldorff explains.
Mario Kart World is one of many Nintendo Switch 2 launch games set to release alongside the Switch 2 on June 5, including other first-party options such as the Switch 2 Welcome Tour (that Nintendo is charging for). The console also has impressive third-party support, with games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0 and Hitman World of Assassination: Signature Edition making their debuts on a Nintendo system.
Nintendo is following up Mario Kart World with Donkey Kong Bananza in July, and fans can look forward to Switch 2 Editions of Metroid Prime: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We’re also waiting to hear more about Kirby Air Riders and Drag X Drive.
If you haven’t got your console yet, Nintendo shared a My Nintendo Store Switch 2 pre-order update that should give fans hope. Basically, if you registered your interest and have met the requirements to buy, there’s a good chance an invitation is on the way. Just keep an eye on your inbox.
GameStop also announced that it will have more Switch 2 stock ahead of launch in-store and online, while Best Buy revealed “most stores” will have Nintendo Switch 2 stock at midnight June 5.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.