Nintendo teases Mario Kart as first Switch 2 title

A console is only as good as its games. While Nintendo didn’t reveal anything in the way of specs for the forthcoming Switch 2 platform, the gaming giant showed off what appears to be the first game confirmed for the hybrid platform: a new take on the racing classic, Mario Kart.

After all, it wouldn’t be a proper Nintendo launch without a familiar face. Much like the hardware, however, details on the game are next to nothing. The trailer showcased some very basic gameplay that will prove familiar to anyone who has played an installment of the franchise at some point in the last 30+ years.

If set to launch late this year, it would arrive five years after Mario Kart Live was released for the console’s predecessor. That, in turn, would mark the 16th main entry to the series, which launched for the Super Nintendo in 1992.

The original Switch, meanwhile, launched in 2017, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild serving as the flagship title. The open-world Zelda game, much like the Switch itself, received rave reviews from critics. A sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, was released in 2023 to nearly universal praise.

It’s clear that the Switch 2 has more than a little in common with its predecessor, which has sold roughly 150 units since launch. We also know that the new hybrid will be backward-compatible with the Switch’s gaming library.

Those looking for additional information on the new platform will have to wait until April 2, when the company broadcasts the first Nintendo Direct focused on the new console.

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