As we continue to wait for the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2, many are choosing to focus not on the hardware that’ll be released but on the software that could get announced for the system both within its launch window and within its launch year. Nintendo knows that to try and mimic the success of the Switch, it has to come out swinging, and that means having numerous 1st party titles that gamers will race to get when they drop. To match that statement, many are curious about the next Mario Kart title and when it’ll be announced. There have been rumors about it for years now, but when will we actually see it?
If you’re having trouble remembering when the last one came out, it’s because the last console version came out on the Wii U! As ComicBook.com reminded fans, that was over a decade ago! Yes, we did get a “new title” later on via a certain mobile game, but that didn’t have the same impact as the console titles. So, when the Wii U version was brought to the Switch, and it exploded in popularity to an almost insane degree, many were stunned. As of this year, it’s sold over 60 million units and remains the Nintendo Switch’s best-selling title.
Many honestly expected Nintendo to cash in on that by releasing the next game during the Switch’s lifetime. Instead, we got the “Booster Course Pass,” which gave players 48 new tracks to race on. It was a clever twist to keep the racing game “alive” while adding something new. However, that also meant that the company was definitely not releasing a new entry on the Switch in its last few years.
Sure enough, we’re in the “final year” now, potentially weeks or months away from the Switch 2 reveal. That means it has to be coming out within the first year, right? Well, it’s definitely possible. What made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe so special was its great gameplay, beautiful tracks, and fun online modes. Nintendo will have to try to top that if it wants to get similar sales and drive people to Switch 2. That’s not an easy task, which might be why the company hesitated to make a new game for the Switch era, as it wanted to ensure the quality was there for the follow-up.
Nintendo has noted in the past that it wants the “transition” between the Switch and Switch 2 to be as great as possible. Having games like this and others coming out near and at launch will certainly help with that.
