Mario Kart World Switch 2 Direct Breakdown & Analysis - Kinda Funny Gamescast

Summary

Summary of "Mario Kart World Switch 2 Direct Breakdown & Analysis - Kinda Funny Gamescast"

Release Date: April 17, 2025
Podcast: Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast
Hosts: Tim Gettys, Greg “GameOverGreggy” Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr., and Andy Cortez
Episode Focus: Breakdown and analysis of Nintendo's Mario Kart World Direct unveiling the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive, Mario Kart World.

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1. Introduction to Mario Kart World Direct

Andy Cortez [01:39]: "We just watched the Mario Kart World direct from Nintendo, exclusively on the Switch 2, hopefully coming in just over a month on June 5th. But we shall see."

The hosts kick off the discussion by addressing the recent direct from Nintendo announcing Mario Kart World for the Switch 2, tentatively scheduled for release on June 5th. There's noticeable uncertainty regarding pre-orders and bundle pricing, which the hosts express concern over due to the lack of information provided during the direct.

Barrett Courtney [02:17]: "They did not say the price of the bundle either. Even though they said it before, they didn’t."

The absence of pricing details is a recurring theme, raising questions about the game's accessibility and affordability.

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2. Key Features of Mario Kart World

a. Customizable Costumes

Joey Noelle [04:44]: "The direct was beautiful, informative, great look at a bunch of different costumes. Customizable costumes totally make sense... It’s a large amount of work because all these characters are so differently shaped."

The introduction of customizable costumes is one of the standout features. Hosts express excitement over the variety and creativity, noting the significant effort required to ensure each costume complements the unique shapes of Mario Kart characters.

Barrett Courtney [06:18]: "The amount of costumes they're offering is impressive. Instead of one or two alternatives per character, it's like they're making it rain costumes."

The extensive customization adds depth to character personalization, potentially enhancing player engagement.

b. Knockout Tour Mode

Barrett Courtney [07:49]: "The Knockout Tour continues to be the standout feature I'm most excited about. It’s the best new feature of the game."

Knockout Tour Mode is highlighted as a primary attraction, building anticipation for its unique gameplay mechanics and how it differentiates Mario Kart World from its predecessors.

c. Free Roam and Open-World Elements

Barrett Courtney [07:49]: "I'm a bit nervous about the Free Roam mode. They showed outfits and P blocks that unlock unique challenges and collectible coins, which is awesome, but I'm worried it might be limited to just that."

The inclusion of an open-world free roam mode introduces a new dimension to the Mario Kart experience. While the collectibles and challenges add exploration elements, there's skepticism about whether the open world will offer sufficient content beyond these features.

Nick Scarpino [08:39]: "I feel like they're still committed to the release date. Will it be June 5th in America? Who knows. We'll see."

Despite uncertainties, hosts remain cautiously optimistic about the release timeline and the game's potential.

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3. Character Design and Speculations

a. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong Redesign

Andy Cortez [22:30]: "They're trying to redefine the future of Donkey Kong. Diddy Kong's redesign remains a topic of speculation."

The discussion shifts to the redesign of iconic characters like Donkey Kong and the absence of Diddy Kong, sparking theories about the future direction of these characters within the Mario Kart universe.

Barrett Courtney [27:24]: "If you're going to have a redesigned Donkey Kong, you can't have Diddy unless you also redesign him. It’s part of redefining the franchise."

Hosts contemplate the implications of redesigning major characters and how it aligns with Nintendo's broader vision for the series.

b. Speculative Plot Points from Donkey Kong Bonanza Trailer

Joey Noelle [27:24]: "Donkey Kong Bonanza trailer hints at a multiverse. Maybe Mario becomes the final boss."

Speculations arise regarding the storyline teased in the Donkey Kong Bonanza trailer, suggesting complex narratives involving Mario taking on antagonistic roles.

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4. Gameplay Mechanics and Innovations

a. Charge Jump Mechanic

Andy Cortez [14:45]: "The charge jump is a very interesting new mechanic. It might add depth to races once we play more of the game."

The charge jump introduces a strategic element to racing, potentially allowing players to access new areas or gain speed boosts, enhancing the dynamism of races.

b. Momentum-Based Physics

Andy Cortez [11:18]: "Unlike Mario Kart 8 where getting hit halts you completely, here it feels more like you keep moving forward, maintaining momentum."

Improvements in physics aim to create a more fluid and responsive racing experience, addressing criticisms from previous installments.

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5. Online Multiplayer and Community Features

Andy Cortez [50:02]: "The promise of having 24 players on the track is massive. If Nintendo can pull this off with smooth online functionality, it could be one of the biggest games of all time."

The potential for large-scale multiplayer races is discussed, with hosts emphasizing the importance of robust online infrastructure to support such features.

Barrett Courtney [50:39]: "How do you fit Knockout Tour into an expanding open world? It’s exciting to think about how future DLC packs might integrate seamlessly without cluttering the map."

Future expansions and downloadable content (DLC) are anticipated to further enrich the game's world and gameplay, though the integration poses design challenges.

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6. Battle Modes and Competitive Play

Barrett Courtney [49:36]: "I don't know how to fix battle mode. It’s a legacy feature where its existence is necessary, but it's hard to innovate without alienating fans."

The hosts delve into the notoriously inconsistent Battle Mode, debating how to evolve it to meet modern expectations without losing its nostalgic appeal.

Andy Cortez [50:00]: "Battle mode didn't blow my mind, but team modes with 24 players have potential if there are enough engaging activities for groups."

While Battle Mode remains underwhelming, the introduction of team-based competition offers new avenues for competitive play and community engagement.

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7. Music and Audio Design

Andy Cortez [25:00]: "The music in the direct included remixes of Mario Kart songs and other Mario-related tracks, which was exciting. I'm curious how these will be implemented in-game."

The soundtrack features reimagined classics and new compositions, contributing to the game's vibrant atmosphere. Hosts express interest in how players can interact with the music, such as through a potential jukebox mode.

Barrett Courtney [25:20]: "Can we have a jukebox mode to control which songs play? I'd love to listen to specific tracks like the Mario 64 theme."

The idea of player-controlled music playback is proposed, aiming to enhance customization and personal enjoyment.

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8. Visual Design and Map Aesthetics

Andy Cortez [19:02]: "The overworld map looks incredibly designed, fitting the Mario Kart aesthetic while allowing future expansions. It reminds me of the seamless map transitions in Burnout 3 and Forza Horizon."

The hosts laud the map's design for its aesthetic appeal and functional layout, drawing comparisons to other open-world racing games known for their expansive and interconnected environments.

Joey Noelle [18:35]: "The overworld map is visually stunning, and I'm excited to see how new areas and DLC packs will integrate without disrupting the existing structure."

The map's scalability and potential for expansion are highlighted as strengths, ensuring longevity and continuous player engagement.

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9. Community Feedback and Speculations

Nick Scarpino [45:24]: "Guests on the panel have mixed feelings about whether the open world will live up to expectations. Some feel it won't match the depth of titles like Tears of the Kingdom."

Community expectations are varied, with some anticipating a deep, content-rich experience akin to acclaimed open-world games, while others remain skeptical about Nintendo's execution.

Andy Cortez [39:08]: "Jesse Fatelli mentioned mysteries like Mario being abducted by a UFO, adding intrigue to the game's narrative. It opens up possibilities for hidden secrets and lore exploration."

The incorporation of mysterious elements hints at a richer narrative layer, enticing players to delve deeper into the game's world and uncover hidden stories.

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10. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Andy Cortez [51:35]: "If Nintendo can provide enough engaging content and ensure smooth online functionality, Mario Kart World has the potential to be a monumental release."

The hosts conclude with a mix of optimism and cautious anticipation, recognizing the ambitious features Nintendo is introducing while highlighting the importance of execution in delivering a satisfying gaming experience.

Barrett Courtney [53:05]: "Overall, it's an exciting step forward for Mario Kart, and we're eager to see how it all comes together upon release."

The summary encapsulates the hosts' enthusiasm for the new features and their hopes for the game's success, emphasizing the need for Nintendo to balance innovation with the series' beloved traditions.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Barrett Courtney [06:18]: "The amount of costumes they're offering is impressive... they're just making it rain costumes."

• Andy Cortez [11:18]: "Unlike Mario Kart 8 where getting hit halts you completely, here it feels more like you keep moving forward."

• Joey Noelle [04:44]: "Customizable costumes totally make sense... it’s a large amount of work because all these characters are so differently shaped."

• Barrett Courtney [27:24]: "If you're going to have a redesigned Donkey Kong, you can't have Diddy unless you also redesign him."

• Andy Cortez [50:02]: "If Nintendo can pull this off with smooth online functionality, it could be one of the biggest games of all time."

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Final Remarks

The Kinda Funny Gamescast hosts provide an in-depth analysis of Nintendo’s Mario Kart World announcement, highlighting both the innovative features and areas of concern. The introduction of customizable costumes, Knockout Tour Mode, and an open-world free roam marks significant evolution for the series. However, uncertainties around pricing, character redesigns, and the depth of Battle Mode raise questions about the game's final execution. The hosts remain optimistic, emphasizing the potential for Mario Kart World to set new standards in the racing genre if Nintendo effectively balances creativity with the core elements that have made the franchise a beloved staple in gaming.

Transcript

[Tim Gettys]

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[Greg Miller]

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[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

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[Andy Cortez]

What's up and welcome to the Kind of Funny Games cast for Thursday, April 17, 2025. Of course, I'm your host, Tim Gaddis. I'm joined today by Blessing. Adio. Yeah, Junior.

[Barrett Courtney]

Good day, Tim.

[Andy Cortez]

Greg Miller. Hello. And Andy Cortez. Hey. We just watched the Mario Kart World direct from Nintendo, exclusively on the Switch 2, hopefully coming in just over a month on June 5th. But we shall see. They're sticking to it. Nothing ended. Still said June 5th. So we'll, we'll see how this goes. No pre order though.

[Barrett Courtney]

They did not say the price of the bundle either. Even though they said it before, they.

[Andy Cortez]

Didn'T want to say they don't need it. Does that give you any concern?

[Barrett Courtney]

Bless I maybe a little bit. Right. Like it's hard to, to say if this was a reaction to, oh, we don't know the price, let's edit that thing down. Or maybe it just never had the price to begin with. Right. Like I'm not going to speculate.

[Nick Scarpino]

The big direct didn't have a prize.

[Andy Cortez]

No, it did not.

[Barrett Courtney]

Correct.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nick Scarpino]

And so this isn't out of the ordinary. It's more that, like, yeah, that's the.

[Barrett Courtney]

Thing is that doesn't concern me more so just the state of everything concerns.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, yeah, I'm right there with you. Andy. Greg, do you guys feel differently?

[Joey Noelle]

I think the video ending so abruptly.

[Andy Cortez]

Kind of maybe that is true. That is true. It did feel like there might have been something else.

[Nick Scarpino]

I of course worry about the price. I don't worry about June 5th. I feel like they're still committed to that. And I mean, will it be June 5th in America? Who knows?

[Joey Noelle]

Blah blah.

[Nick Scarpino]

But like, we'll see.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, we will see. Because this is the kind of Funny games cast for each and every weekday we get together to talk about all the biggest reviews, previews and topics in video games live on YouTube, Twitch and podcast services around the globe. If if you love what we do, and I really hope that you do, you should get the kind of funny membership it gets you. The shows ad free and you get a daily exclusive. Greg way Greg, what is it today.

[Nick Scarpino]

When we should re review the outer worlds?

[Andy Cortez]

Okay.

[Nick Scarpino]

We make the content plan live in my car.

[Andy Cortez]

I like that. I like that. You can check that out if you support us on Patreon, YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcast for a chance to be part of this show though. YouTube Super Chat in if you have any thoughts on Mario Kart World, whether it's something from the direct or something that wasn't in the direct, please message them to us and we'll get to them. A little housekeeping for you. We are an 11 person business all about live talk shows. Today's schedule's a little weird because we wanted to react to the Mario Kart World direct. We just did that. So if you wanted to watch our reaction, you can check that out. Here's our gamescast breakdown. After this we'll be doing kind of funny.

[Nick Scarpino]

Did I say Wilds? I meant Worlds. What's Everybody's talking. I can't keep it straight in my own fucking. The RPG from Obsidian, the one that's getting a sequel. When are we re reviewing the first one?

[Barrett Courtney]

We're reviewing Outer Wilds and Outer Worlds in the same year.

[Nick Scarpino]

I know, right?

[Barrett Courtney]

We're not up.

[Andy Cortez]

But yeah, we got a Games Daily after this and then after that it is going to be a WrestleMania predictions episode where we predict all the matches of this weekend's WrestleMania and then after that it'll be a gameplay stream where Mike, Nick and Joey play more of that Monaco too.

[Mike Howard]

That's probably very different.

[Andy Cortez]

They'll probably play something very different. It's gonna be great. Anyway, great day of content for everyone here at Kinda Funny today, we are brought to you by Imperial Factor and Shady Rays. Our Patreon producers are Anatoly Ass Delaney Twining. Carl Jacobs, Make a Buster. But we'll get to all that later. For now, let's start with the topic of the show. Mario Kart World. Andy Cortez, I want to start with you. What did you think of that?

[Joey Noelle]

Direct, beautiful, informative, great look at a bunch of different costumes. And I think that's. That was obviously one of the first surprises that I had was like, oh, customizable costumes. It totally makes sense. I don't know why. That wasn't something that I initially thought would even be a possibility, but I think I kind of undersold myself on how excited I'd be about the. The customizable costumes. Then they all look freaking cool, and it's. It them all having to sort of take shape to whatever character you're using just seems like such a. A large amount of work because all of these characters are so differently shaped. And seeing Toad near the end of it with a gigantic helmet on his head just looks so hilarious. I. I'm stoked about this, man. I. I don't know what episode it was. I think it may have been a game daily that me and Bless were on, and we were kind of thinking about what the. The. The rundown of, like, games. This is before the. The Switch 2 reveal even happened with us knowing that Mario Kart and Metroid prime and all that stuff were gonna happen. And I, at one point, I looked at Bless, I was like, yeah, but Mario's Mario Kart is Mario Kart. And you're like, yeah, it's what, you know, it's a known quantity. We know what it's going to be. But, like, how stupid of me to have even said that, because this thing just looks right there with him. I can't believe how amazing and how exciting or how excited I am for a Mario Kart game that I'm never. It's a known quantity to the point where I just thought, yeah, I'll be happy with it when it comes out, but I don't feel like I'm going to. No life. It. I feel like I'm going to know life. This bus.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. I mean, you know, yesterday me and Mike did our hopes, dreams, and predictions, and I feel like as far as what we got out of this direction, it kind of hit the. The standard that I was looking for. Right. It had everything that I wanted. Of course, there are certain dreams where I'm like, these are dream, dream things that we're probably not going to get. And we didn't necessarily get, like every single thing that I was looking for out of that. Right. But like, as far as what they delivered is exactly what I expect. The game continues to look great. The. I'm with Andy. As far as the amount of costumes it seems like they're throwing at you, seems pretty impressive, right? Like, I would expect maybe one or two alts per character. And it feels like we're just. They're just making it rain costumes here. Right? To the point where one of the main features that they're showing for the free roam mode is you pull into a drive through and you collect a thing. Guess what? Based on whatever food you pick up, that then transforms you into a specific costume. I think that's really cool. The Knockout Tour continues to be a thing that I'm like, man, I cannot wait for this game to come out my most. You know, the future that I'm looking forward to the most, me and you, Tim got to play it at the NYC event. And like, I think both of us came back being like, yo, this is the best thing about this game. This is the best new feature about this game is the Knockout Tour mode. Continue to look forward to that. I think my. The biggest thing that I'm happy about but also kind of nervous about is the Free Roam overall where I. The. The main things that they showed off were the outfits. They showed off the P block things. Right. That'll unlock like these unique challenges around the world and then like collectible coins. I think that's awesome. I'm with Andy as far as I'm going to no life that to a certain extent. But I worry that those might be the main and slash only things in the open world.

[Andy Cortez]

Right.

[Barrett Courtney]

I think for a Mario Kart open world, I wanted to feel a bit more filled to the brim with content. And I'm kind of worried that it's gonna be a. Oh, no. Drive around and then find the cool little collectibles. But beyond that, right? It is. It almost reminds you of a Mario Sports game as opposed to a Mario Odyssey.

[Nick Scarpino]

You were looking. There's been so many comparisons. Stop me if I'm wrong.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Nick Scarpino]

You were looking for Forza Horizon. Correct. Where, hey, there's a race there and there's this thing there. Okay.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yes. So, yeah, I was looking for more of a Forza Horizon like experience. That is a high bar to hit. In fact, nobody hits that bar except for Forza Horizon. But you know, I Think for a Mario Kart game that is looking to be a bit more collect. Collectible Focus, Right. Doing these challenges and stuff. I think this was an opportunity. We'll see when it comes out of how cool this P block stuff is and how cool it is collecting the coins. But I think that's the one thing where I'm like, oh, man, I'm worried you might not go as hard with this as I want you to drag.

[Nick Scarpino]

Yeah, I can see that. That complaint from blessing or that worry, I should say. I think I'd be more stoked for the open world. Yes. If it was. That was the game you, you know, you booted up, you're in it, and there are the races, there are the thing, blah, blah. But I think also breaking it up in a more traditional way isn't the worst thing in the world where go through here, look for the coins, look for the P block, do the thing, get the collectible. I've had enough of this. I want to race, I want to go to this. I want to do that. I think what's interesting for me is watching this today, I had a realization that I hadn't had before. When you came back, Tim, you said, dude, Mario Kart World is gonna be Ben's favorite game of all time, right? Of course. My three and a half year old at home who loves racing games and plays Hot Wheels and plays Mario Kart and does all this different stuff. And I was like, oh, yeah, sure, sure, sure. Watching this, it suddenly dawned on me that this is gonna be the first game that's Ben's obsession and my obsession. Like, we haven't had that as father and son yet. Right. Where it's been, oh, sure, he's playing Mario Kart with me on Switch, but I've put down Mario's cart switch years ago, of course. But, I mean, I put it down years ago, right? In terms of, like, I haven't. I'm not like you and Barrett, who go and run it and run it and run it and run it like, I had my fill and I put it down and I love it, but whatever. And so to even play with him is like, okay, cool. But I know all this so well. The idea now that I'm watching this and I'm like, do I need to buy this three and a half year old based on price? His own switch, too, as well, because it is that thing of, like, how I have so many questions now about how local play will work. It'll work for sure. Obviously, they showed a bunch of different Things. But are we both unlocking things? Is it one of those where I need to be grinding stuff on my own? Should we be grinding on our own and then playing online together with our switches that way? You know what I mean? But like, that is such a amazing thought to have. But him and me just free roaming and doing P blocks and him doing whatever and me coming to help him in my cart rather than him passing me the switch. All the auto again, back to all the auto assists they have on there that he probably won't need for the most part because the kid plays and drives so well already. But I'm sure for the more complicated courses with more fall offs, you will. Yeah, like this is a very fascinating place to be where I look at this and I'm like, shit. Like, especially with it being SGF that weekend, right? Where it's like, so I, I can't introduce him to it on Thursday and then take this Friday, right? So it's like either I give him his own that he has to play with the babysitter or I, you know, it's like these are all fascinating questions to have. And then also like when I got to book a day off work just to sit there and play with him, like that's all we're going to want to do. That's really crazy.

[Joey Noelle]

He walks in and he's like, father. I heard that. I heard on the Giant Bomb.

[Nick Scarpino]

Do you gear going?

[Joey Noelle]

I hear, I heard Giant Bomb and GameSpot talking about that. It's out today.

[Barrett Courtney]

I know you have to switch.

[Joey Noelle]

I know you're going to summer game fest.

[Andy Cortez]

Man, that, that looks awesome. Right? Like we, we got to play it. I was obsessed with it. I've been obsessed with Mario Kart forever. I think that Mario Kart 8 and 8 Deluxe, like that is the pinnacle of how Mario Kart and Kart Racer should feel. And having played this, they're just continuing that and I think really improving on most, if not all of the. The mechanics of it. I was saying this during our reaction, Barrett was asking how the rail grinding felt. And something that I really like about Mario Kart world is it feels a little bit more momentum based than 8 did where an 8, like if you got hit by a shell or hit by something, you just halt. Like you were just done and you have to start again. This time if you get hit, it feels a bit more like just rolling forward and you roll it. It kind of just feels more like you can like keep going with it. So it's not like it doesn't Feel like every item you get hit by is like a pre canned animation that you're. You're falling the exact same way. And I think that goes a long way in just improving the feel. However, the rail grinding stuff does feel pre canned. It does feel like you're Tony Hawk. It. No, it doesn't.

[Barrett Courtney]

It just.

[Andy Cortez]

It just feels kind of like you're just on this thing and you're going at a pretty set speed and haven't played enough of it to see if maybe that is the point. Like maybe that is like a risk reward type thing of like maybe you get some type of boost or something if you do jump back and forth between rails or combo or whatever it is. But the charge jump I think is a very interesting new mechanic here that I didn't get to experience and in playing it. And I think is. I agree with everything. Bless that about the single player free roam stuff here where like I am whelmed by it. Like I want more but like I'm not really going to complain because I. I'm going to lose my life to this, like Andy was saying, and I'm going to want to do it all. I think that the examples they showed here were a little basic and reminded me of the mission mode in Mario Kart ds, which was fine, but now it's just kind of. Instead of it just being like a menu, it's. You have to drive somewhere to get the thing and I just don't know how engaging that's all going to be.

[Nick Scarpino]

Sure.

[Andy Cortez]

But the charge jump does make me think that there might be levels to this where we're just seeing some of the early stuff and it is going to get progressively more interesting.

[Barrett Courtney]

Kind of like in the way that Cappy and Mario Odyssey, like if you. Once you get a hold of how to really start to around with throw hop off of it, do this, get to certain areas. Maybe the charge jump can get you to certain points where it's like, oh man, I didn't realize I can get up here and now I have a new P block that I collected or whatever.

[Joey Noelle]

So for Bless and Tim, the charge jump is obviously a function and mechanic that they really focused on. Was it not. Was it not applicable there at the demo?

[Barrett Courtney]

It probably was. How would you know? Yeah, that's like the way this thing.

[Andy Cortez]

It's like a.

[Nick Scarpino]

It's when you're going straight drift.

[Barrett Courtney]

It's like you drift and then. Is there a jump button? I guess I didn't get a. Yeah, jump button. Oh, you're right there's a jump button. Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

So, yeah, I guess we. Yeah, I wouldn't have known to even try that.

[Nick Scarpino]

Okay.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah. They just threw us into play and it was. They didn't talk at all. It was just like, go, man.

[Joey Noelle]

At least you could dodge turtle shells. It's great.

[Andy Cortez]

But, yeah, that's the thing is, I feel like the charge jump is going to open up a lot of cool potential, like fun race modes and stuff. So. Yeah, overall, I, I think this was great. I. Before this was saying, I hope that it explains to me why it's $80. This doesn't, you know, this doesn't seem like it has the, the kind of shrine level of stuff that I'm looking for. Right. Or hoping for. I also don't know what that could look like, really. Right. But it's on them to show, to tell me.

[Joey Noelle]

Well, when Bless talks about, like, him wanting it to be Forza, I totally agree with that. And I, I do wish that there were was a random NPC by that stop, by that pit stop, at that store, or random NPC by this area. Yeah. And says, oh, I. You. You want to do this challenge or whatever you want. You're trying to get this collectible. Let's do this, like, three circuit or whatever. Like, I, I do enjoy the sort of improvisational feel of Forza a lot. And I, I don't know if this is offering exactly all of that, but I hope maybe there's just a decent amount they haven't shown off and it's not just, you know, collecting a coin near a barrel.

[Nick Scarpino]

I don't think I, I bet there isn't.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, that's.

[Nick Scarpino]

This is it. I don't think there's not a decent amount they haven't shown off.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's where I'm at. And I'm like, I'm still fine with it. I will say, like, as far as the what you can do with the world stuff. Right. Like, I, It's. It's crazy to say that, like, oh, man, we'll see with Mario Kart World 2 of how they expand that out. The reason why I'm okay with it for this one is it the way that they built out the world does still allow you to do those Knockout Tour things. And I think they needed to have some kind of connected tissue. They needed to have some kind of world built out so you can have those races and those races will be worth it. Right. Like, for me, as I'm watching toward the beginning where they're talking about Knockout Tour, they showed off like the maps of connecting the different tracks and how you can have the different tracks connected. And for me it like brought me back to playing Burnout 3 of. In Burnout 3, they. Burnout 3 had like a similar campaign mode that had like, it wasn't free roam or anything, but there was like the overview map and there were certain races where it is. I believe there was like one called Coastal Dream. And like they would basically be, hey, you're driving from this part of the map all the way across to this part of the map. And I, when I tell you I yearn for that experience, like, I'm like, I. I think about that all the time. As far as great things racing games have done. I think Forza Horizon also does stuff like that as well. Where it's like, here are these long ass races that you're doing that is from one end of the map to the other end of the map.

[Joey Noelle]

They take like 30 to 40 minutes to complete. Yeah.

[Nick Scarpino]

And like I laughed at the crew and that's.

[Barrett Courtney]

That stuff is so fun. That stuff is so amazing. And I think that is, that's more so where I'm looking at this as far as what we're really getting out of that open world map is being able to do that with it, which I think is, is worth it. Like maybe save the like all the open world stuff. We're talking about talking to characters, getting like shrine, like quest or whatever for Mario Kart World 2 when you have.

[Mike Howard]

On the Switch 3.

[Barrett Courtney]

On the Switch 3. Yeah, when we get there.

[Mike Howard]

For me personally, really quick, just this stood out to me is like you activated a question mark panel of I think the open world interactivity that like. Because I wasn't expecting much like the first stuff that they show like coins and like kind of race challenges where you're like dodging enemies and stuff, trying to beat a time. That's kind of the level I was expecting. But like seeing like kind of question mark panels and then hearing the story from shout out to Jesse Fatelli, who at the Nintendo event that y'all went to when he played Mario Kart, he got abducted by a UFO at one point. And so like I'm stoked for like what are the secrets and like mysteries to like go out, go off and find that aren't necessarily just like, here's a mission and go do it for this character type of like I'm, I'm excited to just kind of get lost and do we type? Exactly. And honestly that's more than I was expecting. So I'M cool with it.

[Joey Noelle]

I think. I think I also just really get really excited seeing the. That overworld map and wondering how do they expand this in the future and how does. How do possible DLC packs look? And it seems like a really tough task because this world seems so extremely designed to and fit to what they needed to be that adding anything. It seems like it's really impossible for them to add a course in between two courses without having different islands do a whole lot of. But that's the thing.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

The real road, right.

[Andy Cortez]

They hinted at here.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

The expansion sort of aspect of like a random other, you know, continental drift or whatever the you know, Pangea type. A new island has appeared over here or whatever. Yeah.

[Nick Scarpino]

Fortnite, like a meteor smashes into it, changes the entire map.

[Joey Noelle]

Global warming has knocked out all of the icebergs and you know, this part is now flooded. But yeah, I just. I get excited at what the possibilities are for future content.

[Andy Cortez]

You saying that though, even for not future content, but this content. I. One thing that I was really impressed by when we played is how it remixes old maps. Like it is not like the other Mario Karts where it's like, hey, here's just the old map. But it has the graphic style of GameCube. It's. Or Mario Kart 8, I think did the. The most drastic difference because of the gravity stuff and how the courses would like so even like an oval course all of a sudden is now this like twisted figure 8 thing. Like that was so cool visually and like very fun. But we've been doing it for 10 plus years at this point. But I really liked when we were doing some of the Knockout Tour stuff how seamless from one lap of a course to a lap of a different course it would be. But then all of a sudden be like, oh, this is like their version of the Wario level from the snow level, the snow mountain level. But it looks completely different. So it's like elements of it and like the map layout, but it has like a completely different style. Like it's not even the same thing anymore. And I feel like those moments were such a fun like, oh shit, this is that. But then that'd be followed up with like you going up the Donkey Kong.

[Nick Scarpino]

Like the Redhouse stuff, girders.

[Andy Cortez]

And on top of that, what we didn't get to experience or at least I didn't in what we played was more traditional. Oh yeah, it is three laps. You are just doing the same lap three times and then confirming that here. That's Cool. Like, I'm happy we're going to get kind of a balance of all of it.

[Joey Noelle]

I have a question for the Mario Kart pros on the panel today. Barrett, Courtney, Tim Gettys, Blessing Junior. Greg, you're here as well. You can listen to this question for more possible DLC packs. There's obviously a very noticeable lack of squid kids. Link is. Do we think that that has anything to do with the fact that Kirby's Air ride, Air Riders coming back is its own IP and like, Kirby's racing over there. So we can't really have Kirby racing over here or we can't bring in Link here because then that would mean Kirby should also probably be here, but Kirby's over there air riding it up. Like, I. I'm just kind of blown away by this only being Mario Kart characters with as many characters as they are, like, touting, hey, you could have 24 players on the track. I think it's kind of odd that we don't see anybody from any other ips.

[Andy Cortez]

I think they're trying to make a clear distinction From Mario Kart 8 as much as possible that this is not the same game. So I think that them being, like, it's all the Mario characters, like, if a character's appeared in Mario, probably going to be here. I think that's a smart call. And over time, I do think those things are going to come because those.

[Mike Howard]

Other characters, like, even though they launched with Deluxe, like when Mario Kart 8 was just Wii U, those were DLC characters. Right. So, like, they. That didn't launch with Link or whatever. So, yeah, to me, that seems like a very clear. Like, there will be a clear rollout with, you know, other island expansions or whatever of, like, different characters and Zelda.

[Barrett Courtney]

Island, you just get a Zelda Grand Prix or some shit.

[Joey Noelle]

I mean, I guess 8 had a decent amount of. I don't know. I just. I was shocked by them not just being here. I think we have been spoiled by those games. DLCs kind of just becoming core to me because they haven't been around for so long.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah. And the other thing about Air Riders is, like, it's not a kart racer. It's like it's. It's more of like a.

[Joey Noelle]

Well, I just mean, like, racing game. The other racing agency.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, it's just funny because it is a racing game, but it's also not. It's more like a, like, extreme sports game kind of. But I do think we'll eventually see Those characters. But I. I also understand why they're not here. I think it's weird. Did. He's not here. Did he. Did he's the one.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, man. They got him in lockup. You're taking a break? No, I up. But I do think. I. I do think it's the fact that they're rebranding Donkey Kong. Right? Like, yesterday on the show, I kind of compared it to how when Beyonce left Destiny's show. Of course, like, you got to. You got to prove that you can do it on your own. You got to prove that. And then, like, we're gonna get Diddy, and in some years, right? Like, Diddy's gonna come back, but right now, it is dk.

[Nick Scarpino]

What if he's like Kelly Rowland? You know what I mean?

[Joey Noelle]

Kelly Rollin was great.

[Barrett Courtney]

Kelly rolling came back.

[Nick Scarpino]

She had one song with Nelly and then never came back.

[Andy Cortez]

Great song. Fantastic song.

[Barrett Courtney]

I love that song.

[Joey Noelle]

Damn, that's a good.

[Barrett Courtney]

That was really good.

[Andy Cortez]

So I have a big question. What the hell was going on in the end of this thing with that truck? They're like, oh, let's talk about game chat. And you're playing with your friends, and they snuck in this thing of, like, all of a sudden, you're driving a goddamn truck.

[Mike Howard]

Notice that in the other trailer, I think.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah, that's just like an open world kind of fun, cute thing to interact with. I thought, like, you could just. That seemed like a free roam thing to. Just similar to Barrett mentioning Jesse Vitelli getting abducted by a UFO or whatever like that. It just seems like there will be kind of things to have in the world that aren't in race events, you know?

[Andy Cortez]

That's super cool. I like. Like what Barrett was saying. I hope we get a lot more of that, because that will fill out.

[Barrett Courtney]

Are you controlling this truck, or is this truck control?

[Mike Howard]

Seems you're controlling.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's cool.

[Mike Howard]

I mean, I imagine it's hard to control because it's a big truck, though. Big old truck and school fast.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, it's neat.

[Joey Noelle]

I really want these stupid cameras.

[Nick Scarpino]

Do you?

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah. Do you? For the content of our faces.

[Nick Scarpino]

Oh, that's fine. Web webcam.

[Joey Noelle]

Oh, yeah, that's true.

[Nick Scarpino]

That piranha plant.

[Andy Cortez]

I mean, we played with the. The camera for Mario Party, and, like, it was, like, incredibly red lights beaming down on us. So, like, it was not an ideal situation. And even having said that, we were surprised at how well it captured us. Like, it was doing the shitty, glitchy.

[Barrett Courtney]

Stuff, but, like, it did capture me well. I was struggling. I don't know if you saw my care or like the tracking on mine. Mine was way well.

[Andy Cortez]

I think that's because of Roger though. Like I think both of you guys, like, but I was surprised at like at how well it functioned given how horrible the conditions were. But like the. Mainly what I'm saying is the implementation of it of like popping in like on the game. I was like, I think it's going to be fun for people. Goofy as hell, but I think it's going to be fun. Yeah, I'm not buying that camera though. Put my foot down.

[Nick Scarpino]

That's where you're strong.

[Andy Cortez]

I'm not buying the Nintendo fucking camera.

[Nick Scarpino]

What about the Piranha plan?

[Andy Cortez]

Definitely not the product.

[Nick Scarpino]

Coward.

[Andy Cortez]

Shout to the music. We were talking about that before we went into it and God, they just nailed it. Like, I love how many remixes of Mario Kart songs. But then also just other Mario related music was in there, which I'm very interested. Like, what's that going to be? Like, where's that Mario 64 Bob OMB battlefield song going to play?

[Barrett Courtney]

I mean, I have so many questions and I love. Yeah, I love the remixes of it.

[Andy Cortez]

I love.

[Barrett Courtney]

I think it was the Mario. Was it Super Mario Brothers too? Yeah, that had kind of like a jazzy remix to it that was fudgeing awesome. My question is, yeah, like, how are those songs to be implemented? But then also can I have a jukebox mode? Like is. Can I even go to a menu and be like, turn these songs on more like turn these songs off. Like, I just want to listen to the Mario 2 theme.

[Joey Noelle]

If you buy the Nintendo MP3 jukebox player.

[Barrett Courtney]

Don't you fucking dare. The fact that my worry is that Nintendo with their directs, they're usually good about talking about every single fucking feature that's in their thing. So when something's not in it, it does worry me.

[Andy Cortez]

I'm with you.

[Nick Scarpino]

That shit ain't in it then.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, so I don't think. I don't think there's going to be a jukebox mode.

[Joey Noelle]

No, man, I really. Can we. Can you cut back to that? Just that still image of Mario. We just. I just got to Photoshop him with a fucking Michelob Ultra. Yeah, Mario, don't take the wheel.

[Andy Cortez]

I will say there's one thing about this game.

[Nick Scarpino]

Okay, I'm sorry, stop. Do the whatever. Yeah. Put a beer in his hair and then erase free roam and put buzz. Driving is driving.

[Andy Cortez]

I really love how much character is in this game. Like we're so used to seeing the Mario characters look a certain way. And, like, I love that they're like, of course there's the Donkey Kong redesign. But even just seeing the characters dance around on the character select screen and, like, all of the renders they have here, it's like, it. It's oozing a personality that I feel has been missing from these characters for a very long time.

[Joey Noelle]

At this point, please, Bear, can you just get to the point? With Toad in the goddamn big helmet, Nothing's made me smile more all week than this. Like, it's just the cutest goddamn little thing. It was definitely near the end somewhere.

[Andy Cortez]

I'm not gonna lie.

[Nick Scarpino]

Mickey's eyes all red, too.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm thinking more about Diddy Kong.

[Joey Noelle]

Look at that guy.

[Andy Cortez]

Good guy, man.

[Joey Noelle]

God, I love, love this.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm in space.

[Joey Noelle]

He's so cute.

[Barrett Courtney]

So not to get deeper into Diddy Kong conspiracy theory, because this is now very conspiracy theory. That's great. That's fantastic. Do you think that maybe it's a thing of. Diddy Kong does appear in Donkey Kong Bonanza, and he's also redesigned, too, but they don't want to ruin his redesign.

[Andy Cortez]

Bless you. Don't want to hear my theory about Donkey Kong Bonanza being a prequel that starts it all. And that's where he meets Pauline, and then it's going to end with the final boss fight against Mario. Okay.

[Barrett Courtney]

Because, like, right now. Because we stumbled upon something.

[Andy Cortez]

I think we did. Because the fact.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, 1000% that's gonna happen. Like, Mario will be the final boss of Don combination.

[Andy Cortez]

Can you imagine? Andy, have you heard this end of Donkey Kong? Because here's. Here's the thing, Greg. Here's Barrett. I might need you to Google some stuff. I don't know.

[Nick Scarpino]

I also think we need to watch.

[Mike Howard]

Do we need to talk about the Kong war at all?

[Andy Cortez]

Not yet.

[Barrett Courtney]

No, not yet. We're not there yet.

[Joey Noelle]

We're not.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, exactly. This is where it all starts. So, like, you guys saw the Donkey Kong bodanza footage, right? Like, the key art and all that stuff? There's like, this little purple guy that's, like, hanging out with, like, a little purple, like, gem Rocky guy that's, like, on his shoulder and kind of hangs out. There was some, like, Nintendo of Europe or Nintendo of Canada or something put out an alternate version of that art. And it had, like, a little baby Pauline.

[Joey Noelle]

I saw that.

[Andy Cortez]

And it's like, what's going on here? And, like, obviously, stretching. We're big stretching here. Okay. But it's like, well, what if this is like how he met her? And this is like kind of more the origin of how we get to eventually getting the like, you know, the Donkey Kong one thing. And then. Yeah. And he'd be the perfect final boss. Super Mario.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. It's like you at the top of a structure, he's coming in the girl.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like essentially throwing barrels down. Dude, the whole I poke in this is that Cranky Kong is in Donkey Kong Bonanza. And you talk to him and he references like old Donkey Kong shit.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Unless it could be cyclical, like portals, multiverse universe.

[Andy Cortez]

It's a Donkey Kong multiverse. But like we're here.

[Barrett Courtney]

But to really back to my thing. If you're going to have a redesigned Donkey Kong here, you can't. You can't have Diddy unless you have a redesigned Diddy. Because like, if you're planning to add in Diddy later to the donkey would.

[Joey Noelle]

Have been maybe 1 years old at this point.

[Andy Cortez]

More.

[Barrett Courtney]

So it's like, what's the new vision for Diddy then, like. Or do you want to maybe keep that?

[Mike Howard]

There is none.

[Andy Cortez]

We see he's canceled. You hush. Barrett says.

[Joey Noelle]

Please don't say it. Honestly, I'm surprised they had Luigi at this trailer. Let's be. Let's be real to me.

[Andy Cortez]

But the thing about the Diddy redesign, like the trailer starts off with a whole bunch of other little chimps. You know what I mean? Yeah. None of them are Diddy. None of them are Diddy.

[Joey Noelle]

But like, oh my God, no Wanky.

[Mike Howard]

It's fucked up.

[Joey Noelle]

Check this out.

[Andy Cortez]

We can imagine. What did he look like? Just put a little red shirt, no pants on the ones.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, but they want to work on that.

[Joey Noelle]

Andy, Tim, check this out. At the very, very end, like you making a great point and a great prediction that it's Mario the villain come alternate history. We were looking at it wrong the whole time. Yeah, you were always playing as the villain back in the day. Yeah, exactly. He's. He's gonna come kidnap this woman. Right. And when he does turns around and has that sort of coloration. When Bowser Jr. Was the colored weird looking Mario dude in Mario Sunshine. And his eyes do like the. The Michael Jack where his eyes at the end of the yellow, you're like, oh, shit. That was. You were always Bowser Jr. Which makes sense timeline wise.

[Andy Cortez]

It does.

[Nick Scarpino]

Couldn't it just be Dark Mario or whatever? There's a Dark Mario, right?

[Joey Noelle]

Dario Dark?

[Nick Scarpino]

Doesn't Mario fight himself sometimes? Any Shadow Mario?

[Andy Cortez]

That's what he's talking about.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, yeah, yeah. You're talking about.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah. Because here's the thing. It's unshine.

[Barrett Courtney]

You're thinking of Metal Mario then.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

You think maybe.

[Barrett Courtney]

Or one of the Fighting Polygon.

[Joey Noelle]

Go on. Maybe you think a Dark Link, maybe. Yeah, whatever. Because. Yeah, in. In Super Mario Sunshine. Great. The whole time, everybody. The authorities are after Mario, of course.

[Nick Scarpino]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

Warren out for his arrest. Like he's all over the news or whatever. And it's because there's a figure that looks just like him who has been doing all sorts of crimes. Murders, kidnappings.

[Andy Cortez]

Also mainly graffiti.

[Joey Noelle]

Lots of graffitis. But we don't know. Murders possibly.

[Nick Scarpino]

Of course.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

And it's a slippery slope.

[Andy Cortez]

Graffiti confirmed murder.

[Joey Noelle]

It really is. Yeah. Yeah. And then you end up finding that figure and it looks just like him. Silhouette is exactly the same.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

And the goop kind of goes away and it's just like Bowser Jr.

[Andy Cortez]

But if there was a cut scene, Andy, of Mario reacting to this, what would it look like?

[Joey Noelle]

That's the best cutscene ever.

[Barrett Courtney]

That mini map, though, you know, that mini map looks great.

[Andy Cortez]

We gotta talk about that mini map.

[Joey Noelle]

That mini map looks wild.

[Andy Cortez]

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[Andy Cortez]

That mini map looks good though.

[Barrett Courtney]

It looks so good. Well, can we look back at it again? So it was the. Just the world re rendered but like top down. Is that what it was?

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah, just a different camera angle. Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

Crazy.

[Joey Noelle]

That's kind of wild. And obviously only used for this free roam mode.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

They were back in the map or back in the race. You would see the track sort of.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah. Old school style. Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

But I think that's kind of really cool and unique and we haven't really seen that a whole lot. Power of the switch two man power. The switch two two cameras rendering things.

[Andy Cortez]

Let's get to some super chats. So. So sort some conversations here. Said Nuggie says I need thoughts on something but the link won't send in the super chat.

[Barrett Courtney]

Damn. Thank you for your money. That's crazy.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah. I don't know. Help us help you with that one.

[Joey Noelle]

Barrett in the chat says shout out to me pointing out the mini map. All them ignore me. You were kind of like really low over the music, Barrett. We weren't ignoring you. Yeah, it was hard to hear the game was playing. We just heard like I thought it.

[Nick Scarpino]

Was about pop punk.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

Out of two times says damn. Just hit six months. Been watching you all for about two years though. That's awesome. Side note, I was underwhelmed with this direct. Personally. Can't wait for your thoughts.

[Nick Scarpino]

I think it was the most thrilling thing of all time, but I didn't expect the most thrilling thing of all time. Yeah, I thought, you know, I mean like this is a deeper dive into stuff and I'm excited for this game and again I'm looking forward to.

[Mike Howard]

I'm at the same point with Tim where it's like, yeah, they didn't show me why this is worth $80. But it's also like I'm a Mario Kart sicko. So it's like, yeah, yeah, cool.

[Andy Cortez]

Wolframes47. Where does a animal crossing Zelda and splatoon fit in? And future dlc? I mean like, do they make new islands for their own respective tracks or fit them in somewhere in the current seemingly packed map? I. This is not a concern of mine at all. Like I feel like what they showed with what it looks like Rainbow Road is like, yeah, just fly it in the sky. You know what I mean? Like, there'll just be ways for them to do whatever the hell they want or Sky Islands or think about, like, Mario Odyssey even. Of just, like, there's, like, many levels within New Donk City of just like, you go through a door, and all of a sudden you're in this other place. Like, they can figure that shit out.

[Barrett Courtney]

The thing I wonder then, is how do you fit within Knockout Tour, where it is, like, you kind of have to connect them in some way in order for you to go from point A to point B. But also, I'm less concerned and more excited for how you figure that. That out. If you figure it out, right? Like, because I do think that there is space for. If you're dropping these packs in the similar way of the waves that we've. That we saw for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. If you're dropping. If you're giving us four tracks at a time, or if it is a thing of. These are all going to be crossover tracks, right? Or, like, you know, Grand Prix A's, all crossover tracks. Grand Prix B is like new original tracks or returning tracks. I think you can turn that into original archipelagos or like. Or like, original planets or what? However you want to frame it as, hey, here's your land that is connecting these four land that's connecting these four tracks. And this will be your Knockout Tour mode for this specific run stretch of. Of tracks. I think there are ways you can figure it out, and I think they're going to.

[Andy Cortez]

Chrono Rig says, I think Mario Kart World is going to be like Tears of the Kingdom in depths where we won't actually know how big it is until we start playing it.

[Nick Scarpino]

I hope so. It's just not the vibe I get. I like what I'm seeing. I'm excited to play it, but I feel like, okay, cool. Now we know what it is. I don't foresee us going into open world and finding all this stuff we didn't. I mean, there'll be things we don't know about, but not like the depths, the UFO factors.

[Andy Cortez]

The one thing for.

[Nick Scarpino]

And this is from who?

[Mike Howard]

Jesse Fatelli, who is at the Nintendo preview.

[Nick Scarpino]

Who does Jesse work for?

[Mike Howard]

There are freelancers.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, freelancers everywhere.

[Nick Scarpino]

Okay, so you're telling me this freelancer who's desperately looking for a job made something up, and we're all just gonna believe it?

[Barrett Courtney]

Okay, don't do that.

[Mike Howard]

Don't do that to the homie.

[Andy Cortez]

Adam two Times says. Do you think the costumes are perma unlocks or temporary considering it's consuming food?

[Nick Scarpino]

They are perma unlocked according to the press release.

[Andy Cortez]

Oh, really? Okay, great.

[Nick Scarpino]

Let me throw it back open for you. And closed it.

[Andy Cortez]

I'll say I don't love it, but I. I am kind of a minimalist purist when it comes to this shit. Like, I've been a Koopa standard card all the way guy since day one.

[Nick Scarpino]

From the press release. Drive through and roll out. Make a pit stop at Yoshi's for a local delight dash food. These to go orders will give you a speed boost and sometimes unlock outfits that can be dawn from the character selection screen. There are plenty of dishes and outfits to find, so drive through when making your way around Mario Kart world. If they're on the character select screen. I mean, I guess it's possible that they're limited time after you eat, but that doesn't sound right.

[Andy Cortez]

I don't. I don't really love that it immediately turns you into it. Like there's no option not to do that.

[Nick Scarpino]

That's a cool way to. Hey, I unlocked it neat.

[Andy Cortez]

And I don't like the. The character select screen at all. Like, it's super busy and unorganized and I don't like that they're all just random costumes.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like, I would have loved that. If I pick Mario, then it is.

[Mike Howard]

The next man shy guy where it's like you press on them and then it shows you all the different colors.

[Nick Scarpino]

Well, that's interesting. Yeah. Can you go back so they're all in the costume. I wonder if it is the next use you can do it or if it is something you put on ahead of time.

[Barrett Courtney]

Right.

[Nick Scarpino]

Of like, oh, I'd love the sushi costumes or something.

[Joey Noelle]

And also can you focus on each in the character select is why this white lady's got no rhythm. Like, she's just like everybody else got.

[Andy Cortez]

Like a little one that stood out to me.

[Joey Noelle]

She just doesn't know what she's.

[Andy Cortez]

Dude.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. No.

[Nick Scarpino]

One thing I also dance like me at a wedding.

[Joey Noelle]

It also looked funny when Mario is. I guess he's about to put on the cowboy hat. Like that bag of chips. Looks like back in the day when they would have Doritos implemented.

[Nick Scarpino]

Dude, what it looked like to me was a weird JPEG in Peace Walker when they had the Doritos or in the Mountain Dew thing. And then when they re released and they didn't, it was just a generic thing.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah, it looked very, very odd there. Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't like how that pizza looked either.

[Andy Cortez]

That's some real Tim.

[Nick Scarpino]

Let's get people. Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

I don't know how I feel about the food stuff.

[Nick Scarpino]

Yeah, I like Andy's comment. I just. I can't wait to see how racist.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah. We got art saying, y'all see they enter a helicopter at the end. No, I didn't. But I'm very intrigued by this.

[Joey Noelle]

What?

[Andy Cortez]

Get to the chopper.

[Barrett Courtney]

Kind of like the trust of the chopper.

[Joey Noelle]

Fast and furious type or what?

[Andy Cortez]

I don't know.

[Nick Scarpino]

Look how cool.

[Joey Noelle]

If you land on a car. All of these little accessory looks are just so exciting.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't like y'all hating on the snowman.

[Nick Scarpino]

I'll see you play snowman. You gonna play a snowman? There was the hell I'll choose him.

[Barrett Courtney]

Sometimes I'll choose. Sometimes you'll just still me has legacy.

[Andy Cortez]

Interesting.

[Nick Scarpino]

It looks like it's kind of like the semi truck.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

It's just from my angle. Bless. Everybody popped off for cow, right?

[Nick Scarpino]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Mike Howard]

But that's because, like, should have been named mumu.

[Barrett Courtney]

We with cow. But also. Yeah. Cow's such a whack name that now I'm less excited to play as cows.

[Andy Cortez]

Very true.

[Barrett Courtney]

I thought moomoo was gonna be mumu.

[Mike Howard]

I just think it's called Moomoo Meadows.

[Barrett Courtney]

I just think Meadows is it.

[Mike Howard]

If not the cows.

[Joey Noelle]

Snowman's, like, trying to take that prestige away from, like. I want to be the cow of this.

[Barrett Courtney]

I feel like Snowman.

[Nick Scarpino]

Valor. Stolen valor.

[Barrett Courtney]

I feel like snowman came before moomoo.

[Mike Howard]

Yeah, that's true.

[Barrett Courtney]

Snowman was in Mario 64. Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

So Penguin.

[Barrett Courtney]

No, but he was there. Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

Supremacy, man. Penguin.

[Nick Scarpino]

You shut your eyes. Yeah. I was going to say you shut your eyes and think of Mario 64. You think of the penguin.

[Andy Cortez]

I'm playing as the penguin.

[Barrett Courtney]

I mean, penguins. Awesome.

[Joey Noelle]

You're going to be a penguin main.

[Andy Cortez]

I don't know about me. Koopa troop is always my guy. I don't think I'm ever going to go away from that. But. But I'm definitely going to. You know, I'll try them out.

[Joey Noelle]

I would like to find a main. I never had a main. I think I would go squid kids back in the day, but it was like, you know, I was very on and off. I feel like I'm going to establish a new identity.

[Andy Cortez]

I like that. That's good for you. Bless. Who's your main?

[Barrett Courtney]

Norm Tanooki. Mario.

[Andy Cortez]

It's good.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

I like that.

[Mike Howard]

Barrett150 would be link200 a shy guy?

[Andy Cortez]

Hell yeah. Wow.

[Nick Scarpino]

That's how you know he's a fucking pro.

[Mike Howard]

They have different stats from different speeds.

[Nick Scarpino]

I know, I get it.

[Jesse Fatelli]

I know.

[Nick Scarpino]

I'm just like. But you know me, I was always dry bones. Wiggler cart, purple wheels. Let's go. I don't give a. What's going on.

[Joey Noelle]

200Cc players are like the vegans of gaming. Like, they'll let you.

[Mike Howard]

They gotta let you.

[Andy Cortez]

You're bringing up. There's no explicit 200cc thing here.

[Mike Howard]

Yeah, I'm trying to find it. Again, it's hidden away, but there was at one point when they were showing off. I think it was here.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah.

[Mike Howard]

So they're showing off this menu of.

[Nick Scarpino]

Like, it's not grayed out.

[Mike Howard]

Yeah, not grayed out. But like also right now for audio listeners, we see the. The class select of 150cc. It has two arrows left and right. That neither of them are grayed out. Kind of maybe implying a. A200, but I think at one point, calm difficulty, they show easy. And that's not grayed out to the left. So I'm.

[Andy Cortez]

Did they go.

[Barrett Courtney]

Did they go from hard? Yeah, because then that makes me think they scrolled right.

[Mike Howard]

And then it sort of calm difficulty starts on easy. Unless there's a very easy.

[Andy Cortez]

Right.

[Mike Howard]

And then they go down to it and then.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, and then they scroll to normal.

[Mike Howard]

Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

Here's my thing about tuna cc. I didn't like it in Mario Kart 8. I am very much more open to it in this one because playing it. We played it in. I think at 50cc it might have been 100, but I don't know. It was slow as hell. Yeah. And it felt slow because of how wide all the courses are. So I think the. In this, every course is so much wider for the 24 racers that I think 200cc will actually feel like it was like more designed around. Bill Silva says Forza took numerous games to get where it is today. I think world's a big step in that direction without flipping the table on fans in one shot.

[Nick Scarpino]

Yeah, I mean it's a great point that this is the first Mario Kart. So.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, Greg's on one today. Hayden Nolan says birthday tax. Thanks for all you guys do. If GTA 6 comes out this year and Mario Kart Worlds launches, which one will sell more copies? Happy birthday, Nolan.

[Joey Noelle]

Happy birthday. That is a silly question everywhere.

[Andy Cortez]

And it's like, that's the thing is like this is limited to a. A new console. So the install base isn't there. And it's exclusive to one console, as opposed to at least two of the big ones now.

[Joey Noelle]

Talk to us in 12 years. Yeah, we'll see where we're at.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Same GTA 6, GTA 5 sold like 100.

[Nick Scarpino]

Something drop off of GTA 6.

[Andy Cortez]

Kebab says cranky's design wasn't changed. So in my opinion, Diddy won't be either.

[Barrett Courtney]

That was Cranky's design not changed in Dong Kong with Nanza.

[Andy Cortez]

I'll.

[Mike Howard]

I'll bring it looks. I'll look at the evidence.

[Barrett Courtney]

Bring up the evidence, Barrett.

[Mike Howard]

Also, Diddy Kong won't be getting changed because Diddy Kong not coming back.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's the other thing that I didn't. I neglected to bring up. Is like, Diddy Kong is a creation rare. Although Cranky is also a creation of rare.

[Andy Cortez]

They're not giving up on Diddy.

[Barrett Courtney]

No, they might give up on.

[Andy Cortez]

They're not giving up. Is your entire thing about them giving up on Diddy actually based on. They want to disassociate delayed Earth Day.

[Nick Scarpino]

Stream Tears of the Kingdom to the.

[Barrett Courtney]

UK because of the Queen's death.

[Andy Cortez]

Tim.

[Barrett Courtney]

It's not. It's not weird as shit. It's not solely wnd throw them up. It's not solely based on Puff, but partly based on Puff. I think it's a good excuse. They're redesigning anyway. They're. They're trying to redefine the future of Donkey Kong. Sometimes people get lost in the shuffle. Diddy might end up being one of the people. Lanky Kong stopped in here for a minute.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Where's Lanky?

[Joey Noelle]

Where's Lanky?

[Barrett Courtney]

There's always space for a new Diddy. You can create a new. Did he call right?

[Andy Cortez]

Oh, my God. What you say?

[Mike Howard]

I'm trying to find Cranky. I can't find him.

[Andy Cortez]

Oh, yeah, he's. He's at the top of the mountain. I found him. Did you find him when you played Cranky? Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. Well, he was at the top of the mountain for you.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, you know what? I didn't. I found him in a video or I didn't find him in a video. I saw him in a video. I didn't find him. I watched a preview that had in there.

[Joey Noelle]

They're gonna say, man, he was in a different spot for me. Like, dynamic. Dynamic storytelling.

[Nick Scarpino]

Found him in a video.

[Barrett Courtney]

I mean, yeah, but like, we're. I don't know. Find me the game where he looks exactly like this. He's in the art style of Donkey Kong. Bananas. Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

I think he is redesigned. Like, look at his eyes. Same ass. They're gonna do that today. Can you go back to the beginning of the Donkey Kong Bonanza trailer?

[Mike Howard]

Hold on. That's not the trailer. Hold on. But I'm just gonna look up Cranky Kong.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, D. Yeah.

[Nick Scarpino]

Okay.

[Mike Howard]

He's pretty much the same.

[Barrett Courtney]

You know what? I'll allow it.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, I'll allow it.

[Mike Howard]

You want the beginning of this trailer?

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah, I want to see these little chimps. And then I want us all to close our eyes and open them again and imagine him in a little red shirt, sleeveless.

[Nick Scarpino]

Okay.

[Andy Cortez]

No pants.

[Barrett Courtney]

Whoa, whoa.

[Joey Noelle]

We could see a fan. Edit's probably out there.

[Andy Cortez]

Where are these chimps at?

[Barrett Courtney]

At what point did you realize it was Donkey Kong?

[Andy Cortez]

Once we saw the champs?

[Barrett Courtney]

Because for me, it was when we saw Donkey Kong.

[Andy Cortez]

Well, we were so hung up on it being a Mario.

[Barrett Courtney]

At this point, I was like, oh, this is a weird looking Mario game.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

No, I mean, you can't just put a red shirt on this guy and call him Diddy.

[Andy Cortez]

You 100 can.

[Mike Howard]

No, you could.

[Barrett Courtney]

You can call them a different name.

[Andy Cortez]

There's more of them, too. Like, they're all over the place.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like, you call him Jeezy Kong.

[Joey Noelle]

I think you could put a red shirt on him.

[Andy Cortez]

Oh, thank you, Andy.

[Joey Noelle]

Thank you.

[Nick Scarpino]

I think you could.

[Andy Cortez]

He's the vision. Other things I want to talk about battle mode, team mode. Like, there's a lot of stuff in here. Nothing too surprising. Battle mode didn't blow my skirt up, as they say. You know, we've talked about this a lot of, like, why was it that Mario 64 had an amazing battle mode we all loved, and then they just kept doing the exact same thing, but we didn't like it.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, I don't know what it is because, yeah, looking at the. I mean, me and Mike talked about it yesterday of like, all right, this is your chance. You have Knockout tour. What if you translated that to battle mode somehow? Like, made it a cool, I don't know, battle royale kind of thing? And, like, they just did another battle mode. I don't. I don't know how you fix it, though. Like, I don't know. Yeah, maybe battle mode is just a legacy thing where people. If it's not there, people are going to be mad. But if it is there, people aren't going to play it. But you do it anyway.

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Let's make a big map.

[Andy Cortez]

The team stuff's interesting. I mean, this being 24 players, like, I really do wonder if the online is going to work well enough. And I think that the easy assumption to say is like, no, it's Nintendo. Lol. But I also think Nintendo's online has improved drastically the last couple years. So I'm kind of going to this expecting it to just work. And if it doesn't, that's going to be a major fucking problem and just work as well as any big online game does. Right. But the promise of this game of like being able to have that many people, that many friends together, all just hanging out, doing stuff, if they pull that off, this is going to be one of the biggest games of all time.

[Nick Scarpino]

Do you think they pull?

[Andy Cortez]

I don't know. Like that's the thing is like there has to be things to do, enough things to do that are worthwhile as a group. Because like some of the group chat stuff they were showing there, like I'd go as far as saying it looked lame. Let's go, let's go, let's go. I don't know man. I can't see us doing that. But if we could be team kind of funny out there trouncing kids, that'd be kind of Hell yeah.

[Joey Noelle]

The most delicate fist pound I've ever given.

[Nick Scarpino]

I appreciate it though. You know, I got sensitive knuckles.

[Joey Noelle]

Yeah. I think the idea of having four squads with a bunch of different players on that, that excites me. Like I, I love the idea of all of us having to collectively try to destroy other teams.

[Barrett Courtney]

Rick L. With the membership says chimps don't have tails. I had to say it. Diddy is a monkey.

[Andy Cortez]

So I, you know, there's certain.

[Barrett Courtney]

They're not going to change Diddy to a chimp.

[Andy Cortez]

There are certain things that I, I stand by, I don't want to hear about. Gone.

[Mike Howard]

Those monkeys did have tails though.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, did they?

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, never mind.

[Mike Howard]

And that's like Diddy's whole thing, especially in 64 Blessing, if you remember, he's got the big jump that he does with his long tail.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Andy Cortez]

I don't want to hear about monkeys. Andy knows we did plan of the apes in review. We got it wrong every single goddamn time. What type of monkey it was. Excuse me? What type of whatever the hell thing it was. Whatever dude, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it here. I just want Diddy back. Put the shirt on the monkey. Anything else you guys want to talk about?

[Nick Scarpino]

I don't know why you're so mad.

[Joey Noelle]

Cinemaniac says there is 200cc was at the LA event and they confirmed to understand cc ours was stuck at 100.

[Barrett Courtney]

Now, who confirmed it?

[Andy Cortez]

Yeah. Was it one of the demo people? Because we can't fucking trust those.

[Nick Scarpino]

Can't trust them. They say don't talk to them.

[Andy Cortez]

I'm interested about that. Well, that's it.

[Joey Noelle]

How about that? Let's just end it like the.

[Andy Cortez]

I can't read whose name that is. Iron says the way Tim says chimps makes it sound like a star.

[Joey Noelle]

Show me the chimps.

[Barrett Courtney]

Jesus.

[Joey Noelle]

Jesus. All right, we got at the show.

[Andy Cortez]

We're at the show. We're doing more shows. Bye.

[Nick Scarpino]

You guys are horrible.

[Tim Gettys]

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[Nick Scarpino]

I still want to kill the word podcast.

[Tim Gettys]

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