Hey! So, Mario Kart World, huh? Crazy stuff. You’d think development for that started on the first Switch, way back in 2017, you know? But nah, it somehow evolved into a Switch 2 thing. They really wanted to juice up the world aspect, so they say. And can you guess who’s the top character? No, not Mario or Bowser—I’m talking about, wait for it, Cow.
Yeah, Cow from Moo Moo Meadows is like the superstar of this whole shebang. It’s wild. Mario, Luigi? Pfft, who needs ’em? Cow strides in with this vibe that even manages to calm the most peeved Nintendo fans. I mean, with all the chatter about Switch 2 prices and whatnot, you’d think feathers would be flying, but nope. Cow’s got it covered.
Nintendo spilled these beans in a mega-long interview series—like, grab a drink because it’s a four-parter—with the Mario Kart World crew. Kosuke Yabuki, Kenta Sato, Masaaki Ishikawa, Shintaro Jikumaru, and Atsuko Asahi all spilling the tea. Pretty neat, huh?
“We were mulling over ideas even during Mario Kart 8 Deluxe days,” Yabuki said. Something about perfecting the formula of racing on single courses made them want to try a big ol’ world map. Starting around March 2017, and turning official-like by the year’s end.
Switch system had them tweaking left and right—Sato’s talking about dropping visuals and frame rates like they were trimming hedges. What a juggle! Yabuki floated the idea of moving to Switch 2 in 2020, based on some nerdy specs he’d heard. They were working on a wing and a prayer until they got proper equipment later on.
Ishikawa was all for the snazzier graphics—Switch 2 gave everyone a breather. Imagine, the designers were itching to make the art pop, and bam! Dreams can happen.
Oh, and Cow? Right, how did she hoof her way into the driver’s seat? One wacky designer scribbled her cruising down the track, and Ishikawa had this lightbulb moment—why not make her a racer? Heck, why not?! Pretty amusing mental image, though, a cow on a motorcycle. And she’s still got that animal spirit, says Ishikawa. Trust me, she’ll be as big in your life as she is in theirs.
So, what about Cow? Feeling like she’ll roll her way into your heart once you dive into Mario Kart World? Drop your thoughts.
