The subtle Mario Kart 9 reveal during the Nintendo Switch 2 first-look trailer has teased a major technological leap, with support for up to 24 players/characters.
Gameplay from what appears to be the next entry in the Mario Kart series made a surprise appearance during the Nintendo Switch 2 first-look trailer. The brief Mario Kart 9 footage shows a total of 24 players/characters racing away across the circuit. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe limited the headcount to up to 12 players/characters. The sequel appears to double this count, owing to the greater processing power offered by the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.
As far as visual fidelity goes, the early glimpse at Mario Kart 9 doesn’t indicate a massive graphical leap over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. A good portion of the new console’s horsepower appears to have been used to accommodate a larger player/character pool on the circuit as well as larger and more complex race tracks. This will essentially lead to twice as much chaos as seen in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The race track shown during the Nintendo Switch 2 first-look trailer is called Mario Bros. Circuit, and it features a Yoshi burger diner. Additionally, the character design for Donkey Kong now appears to be closer to that of his design from Super Mario Bros. The Movie. The footage also shows Rosalina racing on a brand new set of wheels.
Previously, Nintendo Switch 2 leaker NextHandheld had claimed that Nintendo is planning to launch a special game bundle for the Nintendo Switch 2 that includes a game with a “9” in its name. Given the massive success of Mario Kart 8, launching the Switch successor alongside its sequel would certainly be a smart move. Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 has been revealed alongside an early look at the next Mario Kart title, it’s highly likely that the game will end up being a launch title. It will likely have major presence at the upcoming Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2, 2025.
