After being glimpsed during the Switch 2 reveal, Nintendo formally announced Mario Kart 9 during this week’s Switch 2 Direct livestream–the game is officially called Mario Kart World. This new look at the kart-racing game showed off several of the familiar faces who’ll be hitting the track, including everyone’s favorite plumber Mario, several members of the Mushroom Kingdom, and other racers like Donkey Kong.

Mario Kart 9 has some big boots to fill, as it’s a sequel to one of the best-selling Nintendo games of all time, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. As of December 31, 2024, Mario Kart 8 has sold 67 million units on Switch and it has a significant lead on other top-selling games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons (47.44 million units sold), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (35.88 million units sold), and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (32.62 million units sold).

Developing…