The producer of Mario Kart World revealed that the game was originally developed for the original Nintendo Switch. Read on to discover how the game evolved and what changes were made when development shifted to Switch 2.

Mario Kart World Developer Insights

Prototyping Began in 2017

Mario Kart World is the latest entry in the beloved racing-kart series, launching alongside the Nintendo Switch 2. But its development began back in 2017, while the team was working on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

In the latest installment of Nintendo’s Ask the Developer series on May 21, the Mario Kart World team shared behind-the-scenes insights into the game’s creation. According to Producer Kosuke Yabuki, after building a prototype in March 2017, the team officially launched the project by the end of that year. He explained that they had refined the series’ formula with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and wanted to create something much larger in scope.

He also addressed why the sequel won’t be called Mario Kart 9, as many fans expected. Yabuki said their ambition went beyond adding more tracks or simply upgrading the formula—they wanted to redefine the experience. “We’d already added ‘MARIO KART WORLD’ to the concept art from the early stages of development,” he said.

Shifting to Switch 2

Programming Director Kenta Sato said Yabuki first considered moving to Switch 2 in 2020. At the time, the team had a general idea of what the next-generation Switch would be capable of, but they didn’t get access to actual development hardware until later. “Until then, we had to proceed with development based on provisional estimates,” he explained.

The team was determined to ensure their vision could run smoothly on the target hardware. Sato noted, “The Switch system’s performance is more than enough for many types of games, but if we’d packed in everything we wanted for this expansive world, it wouldn’t have maintained 60 fps and would’ve suffered from constant framerate drops.”

Once they got hands-on with real Switch 2 development units, their concerns vanished. “I remember being overjoyed when I realized we could express even more than we’d originally planned,” Sato said.

Upgrading to Switch 2 also meant raising the bar for asset quality. Art Director Masaaki Ishikawa said the graphics needed greater detail. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, the art team felt liberated—suddenly, they could do far more.

The transition opened up new creative possibilities: adding more trees to landscapes, enriching the visual style, and incorporating elements previously blocked by hardware limitations.

Cow Being a Playable Character

Fans were thrilled to see Cow become a playable racer for the first time. In past games, Cow appeared only as a background character—or sometimes even as an obstacle to avoid.

Ishikawa said each new Mario Kart title introduces a new playable character. “One of the designers sketched Cow cruising along, and I thought, ‘This is it!’” he laughed. “That’s when we realized the environment was full of untapped potential.” He was surprised how naturally Cow fit into the world—and it sparked ideas for adding more NPC characters in the future, making the world feel more alive.

Beyond making Cow a racer, the team poured thought into every detail to build a truly interconnected world. Diverse food elements help bring the world to life. Kart handling was fine-tuned for different terrains, and tracks were constantly redesigned to enhance flow and immersion.

With all these updates and revelations, fans are eager to see the beloved plumber return in a vast, vibrant new racing world. Nintendo is going all-in on Switch 2, bringing one of its most cherished franchises to the console on day one.

Mario Kart World is set to release on June 5, 2025 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!