Switch 2 announcement reveals new Mario Kart game

Nintendo has finally revealed its forthcoming Switch 2 console with gameplay of a new Mario Kart game.

The new console is seen playing brand new Mario Kart footage, with characters racing on Mario Bros. Circuit set in a desert, with Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Toad and more featured on both karts and bikes.

The final shot shows a wide highway next to a Yoshi fast food outlet and a wide expanse of desert. Could this be some sort of open world? And more importantly, what kind of burger is Yoshi selling?

Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer

There appears to be 12 characters racing at the start of the clip, as is standard for the series, though the starting grid on this Mario Bros. Circuit does have 24 placements (a series first) and the final shot appears to show more than 12 characters.

No title or release date has been given, but its inclusion in the Switch 2 announcement suggests it will be a launch game.

This would be the first new Mario Kart since Mario Kart 8 released on the Wii U in 2014, followed by its Switch Deluxe version in 2017.

Below are more screens of the game from the reveal trailer:

One small detail is that Donkey Kong appears to have been redesigned and now looks similar to his film counterpart. Or is the cuter aesthetic of all the characters a callback to the original Mario Kart on the SNES?

The Switch 2 was announced today after months of leaks and speculation.

The announcement provided a look at its new, larger design and magnetic Joy-Con as well as the Mario Kart footage.

A Nintendo Direct will take place on 2nd April where presumably we'll see more of the launch line-up, Mario Kart most likely featuring heavily.