I think it is fair to say that Mario Kart World, in spite of all its many strengths, failed to make quite the splash that Nintendo had hoped for. Sure, it’ll continue to sell well over the course of the Nintendo Switch 2’s life, and it is a genuinely great, albeit iterative sequel. However, the reception was somewhat mixed, and it feels like no one really talks about it anymore. I struggle to see it hitting the top of people’s best-ever Mario Kart games list, especially as it lacks the necessary maps to truly make it a standout title.
Of course, one solution to this would be for Mario Kart World to receive DLC. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe only reigns supreme in my household because of just how many great maps there are. While I dislike its butchering of my favorite Mario Kart Wii maps, for the most for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe succeeds because of just how much it has to offer over its predecessors and successors. Mario Kart World could trump it by following suit, but that may not be possible as it faces a pretty major issue when it comes to the implementation of future DLC.
Nintendo Has Nowhere To Put Mario Kart World’s DLC
Image Courtesy of Nintendo
It may seem a little trivial to worry about the placement of DLC, but it truly has me concerned about Mario Kart World’s future. In previous titles, Nintendo could just drop several maps and create new cups for them, ostensibly just adding an extra spot on the map selection screen. That’s not to say a lot of work didn’t go into curating said cups, but it certainly didn’t require any forethought on how to physically slot a new track into an existing open-world. Mario Kart World, for obvious reasons, doesn’t have that luxury.
If Nintendo wants to add more tracks to Mario Kart World, which it absolutely will, then it needs to figure out exactly where in its tangible, physical world it will place them. The size and layout of said maps have to accommodate the available space, as it is significantly more limited than merely adding a new option to a menu. This doesn’t even mention the fact that new tracks will almost certainly interfere with existing Knockout Tour layouts or even cups. As all of the tracks are interconnected in both modes, should a new track intercut over those layouts, the cups may need to change to incorporate them.
Even if Nintendo manages to find space within the open world that doesn’t interfere with these existing layouts, the map could end up feeling awfully cluttered. As much as the emptiness of Mario Kart World’s world is a little disappointing, cramming a whole host of new tracks doesn’t really feel like a viable solution. The feature that makes Mario Kart World so unique is being able to travel the distance between each track, and shortening that will rob it of both its atmosphere and USP.
Mario Kart World Can’t Afford To Skip DLC
Image Courtesy of Nintendo
One solution to this problem is to merely skip DLC entirely and focus on the next entry. That way, Mario Kart World would be the experimental, open-world title in the series, and whatever comes after can be a more traditional release packed with maps. However, I’d argue that somewhat devalues Mario Kart World, as, while it has a lot of content, it doesn’t feel nearly feature-rich enough to warrant its expensive price tag. You could argue that it has the same number of tracks as Mario Kart Wii, and 8 at launch, and that would be true.
However, that isn’t taking into consideration that Mario Kart World cost $5 more than Mario Kart Wii at launch, when adjusted for inflation. It also doesn’t take into account that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe went on to get 96 tracks in total, or that the concept of DLC is far more prevalent and expected now. I suspect that people, myself included, likely invested in Mario Kart World with the understanding that more tracks would be added at a later date.
Nintendo cannot afford to just skip DLC for Mario Kart World. Doing so will only devalue it over time, as those who are waiting may feel less inclined to pick it up over its far more content-rich predecessor, which is still available on the Switch 2. So, the only solution then is to either find existing space on the current map or introduce a new map. The latter option may feel like a decent enough solution, but I’d argue it once again robs the game of its USP, which is one giant interconnected map with the tracks weaving in and out of one another.
Perhaps a giant bridge can connect one island to the other to form a Mario Kart archipelago of sorts, but even then, it doesn’t feel like an ideal solution. Ultimately, I’m curious to see how Nintendo handles Mario Kart World’s DLC, should it indeed get any. It feels like a fascinating roadblock, one born out of the game’s unique structure and Nintendo’s rather clever approach to the open-world format. I wouldn’t want Nintendo to alter the original design of Mario Kart World to better fit additional maps, but I also don’t want to see the game waste away as a result of no new maps or modes. It remains to be seen what happens with Mario Kart World, and I, for one, will be trepidatiously watching from the sidelines.
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