One of the biggest questions about the Nintendo Switch 2 going into its launch was about the software lineup. We discussed the many ways that The Big N could handle this particular question on the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast. While none of us correctly predicted what would happen in full, we all did guess that a certain racing title would be the “killer app” for the new system. Sure enough, Mario Kart World was announced, and the company went big with its presentation and expansive gameplay to ensure that it captivated people.
Yet, even with it looking like the biggest and best title in the series, you still have to ask, “Why go this route?” To answer that, you need only ask Nintendo’s senior vice president of product development, Nate Bihldorff. As revealed by Nintendo Everything, he did an interview where he felt that it was “accessibility” that allowed the game to be worthy of being the first big 1st party title on the Switch 2:
“Mario Kart World is, in my mind anyways, one of the most broadly accessible games possible. The skill ceiling is incredibly high for people who are really into it. You saw this with Mario Kart Deluxe as well. But if you really want to play it at a high level, at the highest speed, the highest competitive level online, you’re going to spend a lot of time with this game, finding the best routes, finding the best techniques, all that.”
He also noted that you could “give it to a 5-year-old” and have them play, and they could possibly win, which is not inaccurate at times. Plus, given the success of the previous entry on the OG Switch, you can see why Nintendo leaned the way it did:
“Mario Kart 8 clearly demonstrates that there’s a lot of appetite for racing games, broadly speaking, because it sold very well over the course the entire Switch generation, but really, it comes back to that idea that this is a game that really is going to satisfy any kind of Nintendo gamer. Even somebody who isn’t a Nintendo gamer yet might be later. For that reason, it really matches perfectly with the system.”
We’ll find out if this gambit paid off on June 5th!
