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[Hideous Snake]

As part of Nintendo's latest Ask the Developer interview, Kenta Sato, Mario Kart World's programming director, revealed that the next Mario Kart game was originally planned for release on Nintendo Switch before development transitioned to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2020.

When we were developing for the Nintendo Switch system, it was difficult for us to incorporate everything we wanted, so we were always conscious of what we were giving up in return

We discussed things like toning down the visuals, lowering the resolution, and we even considered dropping the frame rate to 30 fps in some cases. It was a tough situation

Mario Kart World was originally intended for Switch 1, Nintendo reveals | VGC

Nintendo says getting Mario Kart World to work on Switch 1 was “a tough situation”…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[BlackTron]

Would have happened with all the compromises if 8 didn't just continue to sell instead

 

[BennyBlanco]

They made the right call. 30 FPS racing games are dogshit 100% of the time. Not to mention MK8 still sells like crazy, and this will sell a ton of Switch 2's.

 

[Scrawnton]

Easiest decision ever to launch Switch 2 with Mario Kart. Makes you wonder what else was intended for Switch 1 but got pushed.

 

[zedim]

We can tell by the graphics

 

[diffusionx]

This happens all the time, like Last Guardian was originally meant for PS3.

 

[BlackTron]

Maybe Mario Kart was in need of such a "reset" to come out the gate strong and it's better we just supported 8 for so long.

Zelda needed a similar reset. So they could go back to putting a new game for that new platform instead of continually leapfrogging in development hell. The next Zelda will release on the platform it started development on. TOTK is still an extension of a Wii U game...it's predecessor on Wii started as a Gamecube game...this languished on for an eternity. A fresh slate of Switch 2 games after so much attrition is badly wanted (by me at least).

 

[Walter Matthau]

Crazy to think that Nintendo was already moving development to the Switch 2 back in 2020.

They must have a lot of titles stockpiled.

 

[Certinty]

Makes you wonder what the big game for the Switch 2's first year would have been then.

 

[BlackTron]

Crazy to think that Nintendo was already moving development to the Switch 2 back in 2020.

They must have a lot of titles stockpiled.

Possibly but not hard evidence. Kart could easily be their first Switch 2 game just because they said "8 is still selling gangbusters and this looks like shit, so let's hold it". They certainly didn't have the same arc for Tears of the Kingdom, but I'm glad because it means they got the game out of the way and a new one will drop with no BS for Switch 2. But it probably isn't ready for a while.

 

[LordOcidax]

Mario Kart 8 is a WiiU tittle and managed to sell 60 Million on Switch 1 + 10 Million on WiiU. MKW is going to do some crazy numbers.

 

[clarky]

Crazy to me that a Mario Kart game has been in development for over 5 years.

 

[alf717]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a beast in sales for the Switch. I kind of wanted a copy but never got one cause I already owned the game on WiiU. If I found a used copy somewhere for like $20 or less I would of jumped in as well when I had NSO + expansion pack. Later in the Switch life span more and more 30FPS titles kept me from buying games so I would of passed on a 30FPS Mario Kart. Glad they waited and went with Switch 2 instead.

 

[BlackTron]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a beast in sales for the Switch. I kind of wanted a copy but never got one cause I already owned the game on WiiU. If I found a used copy somewhere for like $20 or less I would of jumped in as well when I had NSO + expansion pack. Later in the Switch life span more and more 30FPS titles kept me from buying games so I would of passed on a 30FPS Mario Kart. Glad they waited and went with Switch 2 instead.

I feel your pain. For some reason, the Switch version lets you hold two items at a time, holding one behind the cart with Z/L like in 64. But the WiiU version doesn't. Felt like intentional feature gating.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Would have been ass on the old console. Good move.

 

[Arcane0ne]

No doubts in this, looks switch 1 game upgraded.

 

[BlackTron]

Would have been ass on the old console. Good move.

Maybe we would all have bought it, then had to buy the not-shit version on Switch 2. Punishing day one adopters, why does this feel familiar...

I far prefer a day one complete game that I don't have to calculate having to regret later, even if I have to wait longer.

 

[Hyet]

Crazy to think that Nintendo was already moving development to the Switch 2 back in 2020.

They must have a lot of titles stockpiled.

I hope they do, it certainly doesn't feel this way when it comes to announcements so far.

 

[LordOcidax]

No doubts in this, looks switch 1 game upgraded.

Like PS4 titles on PS5?

 

[Unknown?]

They need to step it up. Only one mainline Mario Kart?

 

[Arcane0ne]

Like PS4 titles on PS5?

Yes, and? what do you mean with this?

 

[LordOcidax]

Yes, and? what dobyou mean with this?

The same as you meant…

 

[Fabieter]

So why is it 20 bucks more expensive when budget is probably somehow comparable to switch 1 games.

 

[Unfortunatecookie]

Makes you wonder what the big game for the Switch 2's first year would have been then.

Probably a new Animal Crossing.

 

[Hyet]

So why is it 20 bucks more expensive when budget is probably somehow comparable to switch 1 games.

It started pre production in 2017 and entered development in 2020 so I don't think this is in the same budget ballpark of a Switch 1 game. Then again, the fact that they decided to spend more time and money on this is their choice. They knew games sold for 60 bucks when they started this. Duke Nukem forever didn't had a higher price because they took a decade to release it, this shouldn't either.

 

[Sgt.Asher]

A 30fps mariokart would suck ass.

 

[nial]

This is a new one after Animal Crossing New Horizons being in development for >7 years.

 

[LakeOf9]

This is a new one after Animal Crossing New Horizons being in development for >7 years.

Nintendo seems to have embraced open ended dev cycles, between Mario Wonder, New Horizons, TOTK, and this.

Probably helps that with only one system to support, they aren't as pressed for time, and can afford to tinker with things until they find them exactly to their liking

 

[rodrigolfp]

A 30fps mariokart would suck ass.

Like MK64 and the 3+ split screen on others.

 

[Davevil]

 

[daclynk]

great that it was moved then.

 

[blacktout]

Pretty sure this is the case with Donkey Kong Bananza too.

Honestly, as others have said, I'm glad Nintendo went this route, because it's better than these games running and looking like shit on the OG Switch. I also think it's smart that they didn't try to force compromised cross-gen versions, even though that might potentially be more lucrative.

Wonder when we'll see our first (major) game that started development with the Switch 2 in mind. We know from the developer interview that Duskbloods started life as a Switch 1 title too. I guess there's always Age of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders, but the former just looks like a less hobbled Hyrule Warriors game and we haven't seen any gameplay of the latter.

 

[PeteBull]

"We discussed things like toning down the visuals, lowering the resolution, and we even considered dropping the frame rate to 30 fps in some cases. It was a tough situation."

Fuck that thing would look godawful in 30fps and some 900p dynamic res on top of even lower quality visuals, good thing it never happened.

 

[Zacfoldor]

I would rather have a MK with Wii-U graphics that was developed and polished for 10 years than a rushed version built on PS5 Pro.

The quality will be remembered long after the graphics are forgotten.

 

[ItsGreat]

Could this be the first Nintendo game to have its knob polished so much it falls off?

The polar opposite of miyamotos saying about rushed games? We've gone from 'a delayed game is eventually good' to 'a delayed game is never enough, if the train has left the station '

 

[LakeOf9]

I would rather have a MK with Wii-U graphics that was developed and polished for 10 years than a rushed version built on PS5 Pro.

The quality will be remembered long after the graphics are forgotten.

MK8 is already gorgeous, just something that builds on that mechanically while looking at it would have been enough.

That World looks better while being a mechanical overhaul is the best case scenario

Could this be the first Nintendo game to have its knob polished so much it falls off?

The polar opposite of miyamotos saying about rushed games? We've gone from 'a delayed game is eventually good' to 'a delayed game is never enough, if the train has left the station '

Yeah, I think that this follow up to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will struggle with selling because people have moved on

 

[Mozza]

This was never running on the original Switch.

 

[ItsGreat]

I'd just like to add. I'm so bloody excited to get my hands on this game.

I'm going to smash all the Nintendo time trial ghosts to learn all the shortcuts.

 

[Mozza]

We can tell by the graphics

Not really the game has been in development for the Switch for around five years. The original Switch is not managing this without huge compromises. Nice drive by though.

 

[Mozza]

I'd just like to add. I'm so bloody excited to get my hands on this game.

I'm going to smash all the Nintendo time trial ghosts to learn all the shortcuts.

I am going to explore the hell out of the world. Hope it's as expansive as it looks.

 

[RodriGames40]

We can tell by the graphics

For real, I called it since the beginning when I saw the results...

 

[Hudo]

I am more interested in Kirby Air Riders atm.

 

[tr1p1ex]

Crazy to me that a Mario Kart game has been in development for over 5 years.

...'in development' is a very loosely defined term.

 

[Hudo]

...'in development' is a very loosely defined term.

Pre-production begins when I think about a game for the first time on the shitter.

 

[SILKYSMOOTH30FPS]

Everything shown on the system looks like a Switch port.

 

[clarky]

...'in development' is a very loosely defined term.

Clearly says that it was in development for Switch then swapped to Switch 2 in 2020.

 

[MMaRsu]

So thats why it looks last gen

 

[Mozza]

Clearly says that it was in development for Switch then swapped to Switch 2 in 2020.

Very wide ranging term. As we do not know how far past the initial planning stage and into development they had got. And as Mario Kart 8 was selling so well it makes me slightly dubious Nintendo were planning to release another game on the original hardware. Also if this was the case why not a cross generational release on the Switch and Switch 2. My guess was they could not get this anywhere near running on the original hardware.

 

[clarky]

Very wide ranging term. As we do not know how far past the initial planning stage and into development they had got. And as Mario Kart 8 was selling so well it makes me slightly dubious Nintendo were planning to release another game on the original hardware. Also if this was the case why not a cross generational release on the Switch and Switch 2. My guess was they could not get this anywhere near running on the original hardware.

L

Thread 'Mario Kart World was in development for 8 years'

May 21, 2025

Ask the Developer Vol. 18: Mario Kart World — Part 1 - News - Nintendo Official Site

This article has been translated from the original Japanese content. This interview was conducted before the game was released. In this 18th volume of Ask the Developer, an interview series in which developers convey in their own words Nintendo's th…

www.nintendo.com

Quick recap:

• The game has been in development since 2017
• The initial pitch was for an open world racer with 24 players on screen and 60fps for the Switch. The Switch struggled with pulling this off.
• By 2020, they had worked out a lot of the technical issues, but the Switch 2 was being planned by this point, so the game was moved to that.
• A smaller team worked on the Booster Pack for Mario Kart 8 to keep that title alive.
• Counting the intermissions between tracks, there are 100+...

• LakeOf9
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Gaming Discussion

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Like I said I can't believe a Marion Kart game has been in development for over 5 years.

 

[ItsGreat]

They would have 100% used the Mario Kart 8 engine to experiment with movement and physics on the Switch 1.

But the release window must have kept moving and getting smaller as the Mario Kart 8 sales refused to die.

And in the end it has ended up like Triggers 20 year old broom, the one he'd change the handle and the head multiple times. (I.e it's not the same broom any more).