Mario Kart World's Battle Modes Can't Afford to Miss One…

While several classic Battle modes are making a comeback in Mario Kart World, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 launch title should seize the opportunity to capitalize on new features like its open world in combination with its multiplayer structure. Besides the main racing focus of Mario Kart World's multiplayer modes, such as Knockout Tours and VS Races, the return of the series' Battle mode offers a refreshing alternative when playing with friends. Although Mario Kart's Battle modes have never been central to previous games, Mario Kart World could have potentially pushed the envelope with both new and existing Battle modes.

Out of the six Battle modes previously featured in Mario Kart games, Nintendo has only confirmed that two modes, Balloon Battle and Coin Runners, are returning in Mario Kart World for now. More could be done with Mario Kart World's Battle modes, especially when its other new Free Roam mode pushes players to explore the game beyond the racecourse. With this in mind, it might be worthwhile if Nintendo revisited Mario Kart World's Battle modes and explored new ideas for multiplayer experiences through post-launch updates.

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By Martin Wood

Mario Kart World's Open World Could Have Enhanced Its Battle Modes

Traditionally, Mario Kart's racing and Battle modes take place in different courses, with the latter typically using arena-like battle stages. Given that Mario Kart World has merged all its courses into a seamless open world that even requires players to race between tracks, the usual separation between racing and Battle modes seems no longer possible. This could explain why Nintendo has scaled back Battle modes for Mario Kart World's in favor of modes like Knockout Tour and Free Roam, though that shouldn't have necessarily been the case.

Despite the new hurdles an open-world Mario Kart game might pose to its past Battle modes, it could have been possible to work around or even capitalize on these challenges to allow Mario Kart World to introduce its own versions of Battle modes or enhance existing ones. For instance, previous Battle modes such as Mario Kart: Double Dash's Shine Thief or Mario Kart DS's Shine Runners, could have returned in Mario Kart World, similar to Coin Runners and its gameplay. But even then, Mario Kart World could have used its open world to its advantage and added its own spin to existing Battle modes.

Past Mario Kart Battle Modes Could Have Been Revamped

While some Battle modes (such as Shine Thief or Bob-omb Blast) could be adapted to Mario Kart World with little to no changes, other modes might benefit from its open world. For example, to differentiate it from Coin Runners, Mario Kart World could have leaned on Super Mario Odyssey and reworked Shine Runners into Moon Runners, hiding Moons across its open world for players to find the most of in an allotted time. Alternatively, Mario Kart World could have amplified Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Renegade Roundup by capitalizing on its online capacity for twenty-four players, with gameplay spanning multiple areas of the open world.

Mario Kart World Could Have Introduced New Battle Modes

Beyond Mario Kart's existing six Battle modes, Mario Kart World could also have used new features alongside its open world to add Battle modes of its own. For instance, Mario Kart World introduction of larger vehicles such as boats and UFOs could have inspired a new Battle mode with players competing to locate and use these vehicles. Additionally, the new Free Roam mode in Mario Kart World could also have led to a hide-and-seek-style game, potentially serving as a less competitive and more casual, family-friendly multiplayer substitute for Battle modes like Shine Thief.

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