Love Weird Lil Guys? Mario Kart World Is The Game For You

by

There’s a well-known fact about me that I have a fondness for peculiar, small characters. This affection transcends game genres and platforms, and it’s why Toad has been my preferred Mario Kart racer since I was a child, huddled on the carpet near the TV playing Mario Kart 64. The upcoming Mario Kart World excites me because it’s packed with these adorable little quirky characters.

By now, it’s common knowledge that Cow, who made her debut at the Switch 2 unveiling event, has become a fan favorite. The innovative move of taking a creature from the backdrop of Mario Kart and transforming it into a racer was widely appreciated. According to Nintendo, Cow was the epiphany that shaped their entire concept for characters in Mario Kart Universe. With Cow joining the race, no ideas are off-limits.

I appreciate the unique aspect of Cow as a character in Mario Kart, but I’ve never been drawn to fast, heavy racers. Instead, I feel most comfortable when controlling lightweight and agile characters with quick maneuverability. Therefore, while I can certainly admire Cow, I don’t anticipate using it for races often. However, the concept of Cow has given rise to a variety of other unusual racers, and during a recent extended play session, I tried out as many as I could get my hands on. In fact, I might have discovered a new favorite character (sorry Toad).

As a gamer, I jumped into the action this time around as the lovable Penguin character. Known for their charm, this penguin has had a bit of history with Mario that’s less than friendly. With the opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine by knocking him off a ledge, I was ready to let out a wicked laugh. But it wasn’t in the cards for me this time. Hopefully, in the final game, I’ll get my chance to show Mario who’s boss and send him tumbling down from a cliff.

However, Penguin wasn’t the only unusual racer; I also tried out Chargin Chuck. Despite my doubts about larger racers, his gruff, meathead personality while driving was entertaining. I raced as Swoop, the often-forgotten little purple bat from Super Mario World. I also competed as Monty Mole, a charmingly plump character who looks like he should be sipping tea with a badger in a fairytale. The variety of characters just keeps growing.

Among all, Para-Biddybud is the one I adore most. This tiny insect, resembling a Poke Ball with eyes and wings, fits perfectly with my preferred racing approach. Plus, it’s incredibly cute!

Each racer has a unique personality expression when you press the weapon button without a weapon. Para-Biddybud, for instance, faces the camera, smiles subtly with his eyes (also known as “smizing”), and makes a soft trilling sound. Furthermore, all the racers I encountered had themed karts to ride on, and Para-Biddybud’s kart is stylish, resembling a small rounded cart adorned with the same ladybug pattern as his body. Within just 15 minutes of play, it enraged me intensely when other racers harmed my innocent little Biddybud. He’s merely tiny! What’s your issue?

One potential issue with the enlarged team is that not all members have multiple outfit changes. The main Mario crew does, which primarily consists of humanoid characters or recognized racers such as King Boo. However, I don’t see any costumes for Cow, Swoop, or Para-Biddybud. This also means that lunch bags no longer transform you into a random costume; they only provide a speed boost instead.

But hey, they have to save something for the DLC, right?

Read More

2025-06-03 19:40