Platform:
Release: July 17, 2025

For the last several years, I’ve struggled to answer a question that has long plagued me: Where in the world could Nintendo possibly take the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. franchises after the culminating entries that appeared on Switch? Both Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate possess similar DNA in that they bring together the majority of content from past games and deliver an experience that feels like not only the best entry in those legendary franchises but also a climax that will require a different approach for the next game. 

When it was revealed that a new Mario Kart game – the first all-new entry in over a decade – was coming to Switch 2, I couldn’t wait to see how Nintendo would approach following up one of its most successful first-party titles of all time. Now that I’ve gone hands-on with Mario Kart World, I’m pleased to report that Nintendo has cracked the code on where to take Mario Kart after 8 Deluxe.

Mario Kart World brings the world of Mario Kart to life through open-world-inspired design. You can drive around in Free Roam, go off-track during races, and compete in massive events that span multiple regions of the world. When you play Grand Prix, you even drive from one track to the next to deliver an immersive feeling of connectivity.

My Mario Kart World session begins with Grand Prix. The course was incredibly intricate and involved, with lakes of lava, twisting tracks, and obstacles galore. With 24 racers in a match, the start of each event feels chaotic as characters fight for position. This also means items are constantly being used, but it never felt overwhelming. In fact, thanks to various indicators to show you where items were approaching you from, I found it easier to avoid incoming attacks. If you do get hit by a shell, Bullet Bill, or other projectile, your driver’s reaction is less of a canned animation and feels more physics-based than ever before seen in the franchise. I also enjoyed grinding on rails during races – I was surprised that it felt more like a Sonic game’s grinding mechanics (complete with the ability to hop between rails) and less like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

Cow

With so many characters in each race, Nintendo dug deep into its character roster, with mainstays like Mario, Wario, Peach, and Yoshi being joined by less common characters like Cheep Cheep, Wiggler, Goomba, and even a cow named Cow. At one point, I thought the obvious next step for the Mario Kart franchise was to open the floodgates to other franchises beyond the small crossovers we saw in 8 Deluxe. That would have been a fun idea, but not nearly as fun as these obscure and oddball characters from the Mario franchise.

After completing my Grand Prix race, I move on to a Knockout Tour match. This mode takes the 24 players and pits them against each other in a map-spanning elimination race. Each lengthy segment ends with a checkpoint that accepts a set number of racers, and any player who comes in after the stated placement is eliminated from the match. I breezed through the first checkpoint near the front of the pack, but after taking the lead and holding it for a while, that signature Mario Kart madness unfolded as I was hit by a couple of shells shortly before the next checkpoint, and I arrived at the checkpoint as number 13. The problem? You needed to be 12th or better to continue. 

From there, I spent some time in Free Roam. I didn’t snap any photo mode pictures, but I explored a vast field with flowers you can bounce on and a ravine where I dropped down, floated along, and found a star and a pile of coins. To exit, I found a giant pipe, which transported me up to the main road. Though I didn’t discover anything earth-shattering during my Free Roam session, I love the idea of rewarding exploration with fun discoveries like these. The ability to go anywhere has me so excited about what the creative team of Mario Kart developers can come up with.

Mario Kart World feels like it walks a tightrope of delivering something completely new while still feeling definitively like Mario Kart and not feeling like a step backward from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With Mario Kart World, Nintendo appears to have followed up its most successful title from the Switch in superb fashion, giving Switch 1 owners an intensely enticing reason to upgrade to Switch 2 as soon as possible.

Mario Kart World arrives exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day, June 5. Ahead of that, we’ll learn more about the flagship Switch 2 launch title through a dedicated Mario Kart World Direct on April 17.

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios

One of the most anticipated games for the entirety of the Nintendo Switch lifecycle has been Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. After its announcement in 2017, development was restarted under the original trilogy’s developer Retro Studios. Unfortunately, that means the game that was announced the same year as the original Nintendo Switch still isn’t out as that console’s lifecycle is about to end. Now that the game is finally ready, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is still coming to Switch, but with Switch 2 a mere two months away, Nintendo announced this week that the game is receiving an enhanced version on Switch 2.

On top of crisper visuals, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond provides the option of playing in Graphics mode or Performance mode. Graphics mode delivers 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, while Performance mode grants 1080p HD visuals running at a smooth 120 frames per second. My hands-on demo uses Performance mode, showcasing Switch 2’s ability to reach sky-high framerates with even visually demanding titles.

My brief demo shows off a gorgeous cutscene with Space Pirates attacking a Galactic Federation base. A ship swoops down, firing off a couple of shots at enemy crafts before landing. Samus emerges from the ship and my playthrough begins.

After navigating the destroyed facility using Samus’ various moves like her Morph Ball and Scan ability, I encounter my first enemies. Samus can fire her energy beam from the hip, or you can more finely aim by holding the left trigger down to lock on a target, then use motion controls to target with more specificity. I’m not the biggest motion controls fan, but this became my preferred way to become hyper-accurate with Samus’ attacks. 

However, as many shooter fans know, the most accurate way to aim is using a mouse. On the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Metroid Prime 4, you can turn your Joy-Con 2 on its side at any point to seamlessly use the mouse functionality with no need to enter any menus to change your control scheme. The little touch of not needing to take yourself out of the action to change your control scheme feels magical, and whether I was playing Metroid Prime 4 or Super Mario Party Jamboree, I was consistently impressed by the mouse’s accuracy and reliability.

After blasting through a few waves of Space Pirates, completing a Morph Ball sequence where I dropped bombs to open a path above a room full of enemies, and targeting specific areas of doors using the aforementioned motion-controlled aiming, I enter into a boss fight against Aberax. This hulking beast fuses with a Metroid and unleashes energy blasts and shockwaves Samus’ way. 

Thankfully, Aberax has obvious weak spots, which I target using the left trigger and the motion controls. While locked on, I can also dash to the side with a button tap. As the shockwaves come my way, I can use Samus’ double jump to launch over attacks or transform into her Morph Ball form to avoid airborne shockwaves. After taking some damage, I begin to worry I might not take down the monster. Thankfully, as I destroy Aberax’s weak spots, some health pickups spawn. I can run up and grab them, but that would open me up to attack. Instead, I charge Samus’ beam, which also attracts nearby items. 

After a straightforward but somewhat tense battle, I finally take down Aberax and a final cutscene plays with the powerful bounty hunter Sylux showing up and launching an attack of his own. Shortly after that, my demo ends and I’m mad I have to wait at least a few months before I can play more.

My time with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was brief, but I exited my demo completely wowed by the experience. This segment is presumably right at the start of the game, but I was completely entranced by the action on-screen. I already thought Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was one of the most promising games of 2025, but after playing through this sequence, it’s not even a question that it’s one of my most anticipated of 2025.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond arrives on Switch 2 and Switch later this year. 

Developer: Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch launched on March 3, 2017, not only pulling gaming’s most iconic name out of its Wii U downturn but also revitalizing and revolutionizing the handheld gaming market due to its innovative hybrid nature. Now, more than eight years later, Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtains on its direct successor, Nintendo Switch 2.

Though the elevator pitch is that it’s a bigger and more powerful version of the system that has sold more than 150 million units in its eight-plus years of life, I walked away from my recent extended hands-on session with Nintendo Switch 2 rather impressed.

Hands On with Nintendo Switch 2:

The sleek design of the Nintendo Switch 2 immediately catches the eye, whether behind a display case like my first encounter with the upcoming console or resting in my hands as I play the hotly anticipated launch title Mario Kart World. The 7.9-inch LCD screen looks big even when compared to the 7-inch Switch OLED model, and it absolutely dwarfs the 6.2-inch screen of the original Switch model.

I was initially concerned when I heard it was an LCD screen instead of what should be the industry standard for handheld devices going forward in OLED, but the system’s creators are confident in their display decision.

“There are a lot of advancements that have been made in LCD technology,” Nintendo Switch 2 hardware design lead Tetsuya Sasaki says during a Switch 2 developer roundtable. “During the development, we took a look at the LCD technology that was available to us now, and after a lot of consideration, we decided to stick with LCD.”

My initial fears were immediately dashed away as I fired up Mario Kart World during my first hands-on session. The 1080p resolution and smooth framerate look terrific on such a small screen. With support for up to 120 frames per second, it delivers exceptional performance in a form factor that is the same thickness as the original Nintendo Switch. However, the biggest differentiator in my time with Nintendo Switch 2 is its ability to display more vibrant colors and lighting thanks to its HDR capabilities. 

Mario Kart World

“Even with the OLED version of Nintendo Switch, we hadn’t had support for HDR, but that’s something we have support for now,” Nintendo Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto says. 

Most of my demos took place in docked TV mode, but Mario Kart World looks terrific on the Switch 2 screen. Nintendo also touts better speakers in Switch 2, though it was difficult to test that out due to a loud gameplay environment. 

If you’d prefer to play in Tabletop mode, the kickstand is substantially more durable and adjustable than that of the original Switch, making Tabletop mode much more versatile and viable. I don’t anticipate worrying that I’ll accidentally snap this stand off or that it’ll be unstable in any way. 

Though the ability to play on the go is one of Switch and Switch 2’s main attractions, I typically enjoy my games on the TV, and that is precisely where most of my gameplay sessions take place. Removing the Joy-Cons from the Switch 2 is not quite as easy as the rail-based system of the original Switch, but the button-release magnet system that holds the Joy-Con 2s in place feels much sturdier than the Switch 1’s rails. Removing and replacing the Joy-Con 2s to the Switch 2 has a tiny learning curve, but after completing the process a few times (and learning that it’s easier if you connect the bottom of the Joy-Con, and then the top), I had the process down.

I didn’t get the opportunity to try out GameChat or any of the social elements involving the built-in microphone or the additional camera, but I did spend some time playing camera-based games in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Party Jamboree. These games, which involve squatting and standing when the Talking Flower from Super Mario Bros. Wonder tells you to, waving your hand to hit a block as many times as possible in a short period, or just moving and making as much noise as possible, work well. The camera aptly separated each of the four players in their side-by-side playspaces, removed the background, and transposed each person to the in-game environment as individual entities. 

There was only one occasion where the camera had difficulty recognizing that one of the players stood up at the correct time, but it could have been because the player’s shirt color was nearly identical to the wall behind us. The applications of the camera and microphone outside of GameChat give me a lot of hope for ideas developers might come up with in future titles, and after this short demo, the camera went from a potential pick-up at launch to a must-have for me.

Civilization VII

As well-utilized as the camera is, the Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality was perhaps the most pleasant surprise of my entire demo. By turning the Joy-Con 2 sideways, you can instantly activate its mouse capabilities where supported. Switch 2 versions of games like Civilization VII and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond allow you to use the mouse functionality, but rather than going into a menu to select it, you simply turn the Joy-Con 2 sideways and place it directly onto the table or even your legs. I was shocked at how I could go from traditional controls in Civ VII to using a combined control scheme where my left Joy-Con functioned almost as a PC’s WASD while my right Joy-Con turned into a mouse with a simple turning of my wrist. Similarly, my gameplay session of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond allowed me to go from traditional FPS controls with motion controls for fine-tuned aiming to mouse-style aiming with no menus whatsoever. 

Not only is it simple to activate in those cases, but it works remarkably well. And with small pads on the sides of the Joy-Con 2s, I never felt like I was in any danger of damaging the controller, even with aggressive mouse movements like with the wheelchair basketball game Drag x Drive or the newly added Super Mario Party Jamboree mouse minigames. 

For the other games I checked out, I used the Switch 2 Pro Controller, which feels similar to that of the original Switch with two changes: the inclusion of the C-button for GameChat and the addition of two mappable back buttons similar to those found on high-end controllers. The back buttons weren’t mapped in my gameplay sessions, but as someone who often uses those back buttons on my Xbox Elite Controller, I’m excited to have more options with this new Pro Controller. However, if you already have a Switch Pro Controller and don’t want to drop additional money just for the back buttons and C-button, all Switch 1 accessories work with Switch 2.

When you combine my hands-on impressions of the Nintendo Switch 2 with the proven track record for the Switch brand, an excellent opening game-lineup salvo, and other features like 256 GB of internal storage, sweeping backward compatibility, and bigger SL and SR buttons for more comfortable sideways Joy-Con play, the Nintendo Switch 2 feels like a worthy successor to one of the best-selling video game systems of all time. With just around two months to go until launch, I’m already eagerly anticipating getting my hands on my own Switch 2 and beginning this long-awaited next era for Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch 2 arrives on June 5.

The Switch 2 had its grand unveiling today, revealing its features, the initial batch of games, pricing, and a release date. As the dust begins to settle, what do you think of this first big showing for the upcoming console?

How do you feel about the hardware specs and pricing? Do games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza have you hyped? How about those GameCube games finally appearing on Nintendo Switch Online? And let’s not forget the glut of third-party titles making the jump to Switch 2. Needless to say, Nintendo gave us a lot to digest. 

So now it’s your turn to sound off: what’s your reaction to all of the Switch 2 announcements? Let us know in the comments.

From the moment Nintendo announced it was going to make a follow-up to the Switch consoles, speculation about what its name could be had been rampant. One of the most common expectations for what we now know as the Switch 2 was that it would be called the Super Switch, following the naming structure established with the update from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

In a long interview on Nintendo’s website with producer, entertainment planning and development department Kouichi Kawamoto, senior director entertainment planning and development department Takuhiro Dohta, and general manager technology development division Tetsuya Sasaki, Kawamoto explained the naming decision.

“There were a lot of ideas for the name, and we really struggled to find the right one,” Kawamoto says in the interview. “We even considered ideas like ‘Super Nintendo Switch.’ However, Super NES, which came out after the NES, couldn’t play NES games. Since Switch 2 can play Switch games, it didn't feel right to use the same naming convention as Super NES. Switch 2 is a new system with improved performance, but we'd like players who get their hands on it not to focus on the specs, but rather to think of it as the latest system developed by Nintendo.”

You can read the full discussion that dives deep into all things Switch 2 right here.