I’ve never really understood theMario Karthype, and withWorld, I’m still not sure I do. This isn’t indicative of its quality, necessarily. If you gave me the best, most bananay banana ever to banana, I’d say I don’t really like bananas. However, something in the character design this time around has charmed me.
World got off a little bit on the wrong foot with me asyou can’t be Daisy from the start. However, after completing the necessary Grand Prix as Peach, my loudmouthed tomboy was in my arms again. I next unlocked Rosalina to complete the set, then went about completing the others and drifting through free roam as the four human women of the game to unlock more outfits (Pauline being the fourth), which is when this realisation struck.
Mario Kart World Features Some Of The Series Best Ever Designs
In Mario Kart World, these four women all have different body types. They’re noticeably different, but not to cartoonishly tropey levels. Daisy is a little thicker. Peach’s height comes from her legs. Pauline is slimmer, but with curvier hips. Rosalina is none of these things, which is in itself a distinction. Also she floats.
It reminds me of a time I was at a nightclub where Tim Westwood was playing (UK readers will need no introduction, US readers are better off without one) and he started listing different types of women and asking them to scream. Hair colour, skin colour, weight, height, the usual. Then he said “All the ladies who wash between their legs, make some noise!” and I remember thinking ‘well, I do, but I don’t believe I care to make noise for you, Mr Westwood’.
The point of this story is that different strokes for different folks is a common theme, but one that isn’t always matched by video games. Or when it is, it’s those aforementioned cartoonishly tropey levels or via some fantasy reality where we have elves and goblins. There is some fantasy in Mario - Rosalina flies and is from a different planet, plus there’sBirdoand Toadette - but even amongst what are regular human body types, a distinction is made to treat each one as an individual person.
The Switch 2 Is Just Getting Started With Mario Kart World
It’s not just that they have different body types. When they have relatively matching outfits, like the Aero fit they all wear, the contrasts are noticeable. But especially when it comes to Peach and Daisy, they wear a variety of unique outfits, or styles that riff on a shared theme, and these always seem tailored specifically to them. Even just on a surface level, it’s neat to see this sort of thing, but it’s also a hint at more to come.
Despitenot being much of a Soulslike fan, by far the most exciting reveal of the Switch 2 showcase wasThe Duskbloods, because it was a thoroughly un-Nintendo game.The Switch catalogue is excellent, no doubt, but most of the games have a slightly fluffy exterior thatNintendorisked being trapped in. The Duskbloods proved it was capable of something more.
In a way, the dedication to styling its leading ladies does too. While still undeniably fluffy, a lot of what we saw from Nintendo previously came from the confines of the Switch itself.The physics in Zelda worked miracles, but came at significant costs. The art style was minimalist and washed out by both design and necessity, if you turned your back for a second your items disappeared, and while other consoles offered photorealism, the Switch put up with jagged edges in place of circles.
These body types and their costumes feel like a flex that Nintendo no longer needs to find corners to cut. The game can match the vision of its creators, not offer a surprisingly effective simulacrum of it. Much like Daisy herself, it’s a small but mighty slice of evidence that this machine is capable of more, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for it.
Mario Kart World
WHERE TO PLAY
Hit the open road with Mario and friends!Zip around courses in a vast world where everything is connected. Race along grassy plains, bustling cities, wide-open waters, big ol' volcanos, and more—plus everything in between.A sprawling world of courses.Speed across plains, cities, water, volcanos, and much more. Everything is connected!Go beyond the course.There’s more to racing than just the course. Hop off the course and race the distance to the next one!Free Roam - Drive wherever your heart takes you.Where to? That’s up to you! Take off in any direction in this new mode. Explore areas that pique your interest, and maybe even snap some in-game pics at scenic spots.Play Together - Have a blast with friends, whether near or far.Up to 4 players can race on the same system. Play using your choice of button controls or motion controls. Attach a Joy-Con 2 controller to the optional Joy-Con 2 wheel accessory towheelyfeel like you’re driving. you’re able to also play using Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers connected wirelessly.
