Latest news with #KnockoutTour
Metro
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Mario Kart World update makes the game easier but doesn't fix biggest issues
Nintendo has rolled out a major update to Mario Kart World, with a lot of welcome changes and some strange omissions. Mario Kart World might be one of the best kart racers ever, but there are a handful of questionable design decisions holding it back, many of which could be easily fixed via patches. Nintendo has rolled out several updates to Mario Kart World already, but none have addressed any of its shortcomings. In fact, the last update proved to be contentious, as it made traditional three lap races less frequent in random online matches. Another update has now been released which offers some improvements, while making changes we're not sure anyone was asking for. In update 1.2.0, which was released on July 29, Nintendo has nerfed the enemy AI 'in everything other than Battle'. While it's unclear if this impacts opponents across all difficulty levels, it might prove another contentious addition for those looking for a challenge. In the VS Race of Single Player, added No COM to the COM rules. In the VS Race of Single Player and Multiplayer, added 'Mushrooms only' to the item rules. You can now choose View Replay after downloading ghost data in Time Trials. You can now choose whom to watch when spectating in Knockout Tour and Balloon Battle in Online Play, Wireless Play, and LAN Play. You can now see the waiting time until the next race or battle starts in Online Play, Wireless Play, and LAN Play. When using CameraPlay in Multiplayer and Online Play, the game will now remember the camera cursor position and size until the player closes the game. If you change the number of people playing, the cursor position and size will return to their original settings. On the Free Roam map, when you gather all of the P Switches, ? Panels, and Peach Medallions, the colours of the various numbers will now change. Made COM weaker in everything other than Battle. Made homing of Boomerang weaker. Decreased the probability of getting a Triple Dash Mushroom in the low position, whenever the item rules in a race are anything other than Frantic. Changed it so order of getting ? Block is higher than in the past, whenever the item rules in a race are anything other than Frantic. Made it so there is a wheel spinning animation if the player presses the A button (acceleration) too early when starting a race while driving. Player will not lose speed even when spinning wheels. Increased the frequency of lap-type courses appearing in the selection when choosing the next course in VS Race and wireless races. There are some welcome quality-of-life improvements though. You can now choose who to watch when spectating in Knockout Tour and Balloon Battle, across online and wireless play, while a timer has been added so you can see how long you have to wait until the next race when playing online. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. In the Free Roam mode, Nintendo has made it slightly easier to tell when you've collected all the P Switches, Question Panels, or Peach Medallions, as the colour of the total number you have collected will change. However, this still doesn't highlight where they are on the map. Strangely, Nintendo has made an adjustment which initially appears to address the outcry from the last update. In the patch notes, it states the frequency of lap type courses has been increased, but this change is, frustratingly, only in local multiplayer races and not online. In another weird addition, you can now play single-player VS Race without any CPU opponents – if you fancy going around tracks by yourself outside of Free Roam. A 'Mushrooms only' option has been added to the item rules across VS Race too. A number of items have also been impacted by the update. The 'homing of Boomerang' is now weaker, while you're now less likely to get the Triple Dash Mushroom in lower positions. However, you're now more likely to get a ? Block. It's a peculiar update, which still doesn't address the cluttered character select screen, but it might be teeing up a bigger announcement for Mario Kart World in the rumoured Nintendo Direct for this month. More Trending All signs point to some Donkey Kong Bananza-themed additions at some point soon, with many players having noted the lack of costumes for both Donkey Kong and Pauline, when compared to the rest of the roster. Some Mario Kart staples of previous games are also absent, namely Diddy Kong and Funky Kong, who was in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so they might be added as post-launch DLC. Some other racers are also rumoured, but beware as they are a spoiler for Donkey Kong Bananza. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe got paid-for DLC via the Booster Course Pass, but it's unclear if Nintendo will follow the same strategy for its successor, or if it will wait a few years before adding new courses into the mix. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Games Inbox: When is the next State of Play for PS5? MORE: Playdate Season 2 full review – the best games on the weirdest console MORE: PlayStation sues Tencent over Horizon 'clone' Light Of Motiram
Metro
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Rainbow Road in Mario Kart World is the best track ever - Reader's Feature
A reader is impressed by the version of Rainbow Road in Mario Kart World and considers it the ultimate example of the game's joyful invention. There is something almost mythic about Rainbow Road, isn't there? Across generations of Mario Kart titles it has always stood as the final test – a kaleidoscopic gauntlet of speed, skill, and spectacle. But in the latest entry on the Nintendo Switch 2 Rainbow Road isn't just a track. It's a love letter to everything the series has ever been, and a breathtaking glimpse into what it dares to become. From the moment your kart launches off the starting line, you're not just racing, you're soaring. The new iteration of Rainbow Road is unreal. Literally unreal. The Switch 2's graphical power brings this celestial canvas to life in 4K brilliance, with dynamic lighting that reflects off your kart and refracts through the translucent track beneath your wheels. It's not just beautiful, it's well… it's alive! But Rainbow Road's beauty isn't just visual. It's emotional. There's a kind of quiet awe that settles in as you drift around a curve and see the track spiral into a double helix of light, or when you launch off a ramp and find yourself weightless, floating through a meteor shower. The music swells with orchestral wonder, blending nostalgic motifs from past games with new, sweeping arrangements that feel both epic and intimate. It's as if the game is saying, 'You've made it. This is your moment.' The track design is a masterclass in balance – challenging without being punishing, thrilling without being chaotic – well unless it's Knockout Tour mode and then everything is chaos! There are anti-gravity sections that twist and loop like roller coasters, zero-friction zones that let you glide, and shortcuts that reward daring over caution. Every lap feels like a dance between control and surrender, where the joy comes not just from winning, but from daring to take on the rhythm of the road. What makes this version especially joyful is how it embraces the open world spirit of Mario Kart World. You don't just race on Rainbow Road, you arrive there. After unlocking the Special Cup by completing the game's other Grand Prix circuits, you're treated to a cinematic transition that lifts you into orbit. It's a journey, not just a destination. And once you're there, the track feels like a culmination of everything you've learned – every drift, every boost, every banana dodge leading to this final, glorious ballet in the stars. There's also a sense of community woven into the experience. With up to 24-player races. and new multiplayer modes like Knockout Tour, Rainbow Road becomes a shared celebration. You're not just racing against others, you're marvelling together. There's laughter when someone misjudges a jump and sails into the void, cheers when a friend nails a perfect drift, and that collective gasp when the track suddenly inverts and sends everyone spiralling through a wormhole of colour. It's chaos, yes – but it's brilliant chaos. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. And perhaps that's the heart of it. Rainbow Road on Switch 2 is beautiful not just because of how it looks, but because of how it feels. It captures the essence of play – the wonder, the challenge, the camaraderie. It reminds us that games can be art, that competition can be celebration, and that sometimes, the most meaningful journeys are the ones that take us farthest from the ground. More Trending So, the next time you find yourself on Rainbow Road, don't just race. Look around. Listen. Feel the hum of the stars beneath your wheels. And remember: this isn't just a track. It's a tribute – to imagination, to joy, and to the endless road ahead. Let's-a go! By reader BaldB3lper The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: Square Enix should hire the Expedition 33 team for Final Fantasy 17 - Reader's Feature MORE: I bought GTA 5 for the third time and it's still one of the best games ever - Reader's Feature MORE: We have to accept the Nintendo Switch 2 is not for hardcore gamers - Reader's Feature
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mario Kart World 1.1.1 update patch now live for Nintendo Switch 2, fixes online bugs and gameplay crashes
Mario Kart World just got its first major update since launching on Switch 2, and it's an important one. Version 1.1.1 brings a bunch of bug fixes to make the game feel more stable. If you've been hit with crashes during online play, annoying item glitches, or map bugs, this patch should help. The update went live on June 17 and is required for anyone who wants to continue playing online. Thankfully, it's easy to install. Just connect your Switch 2 to the internet, hover over Mario Kart World, press the + button, then go to Software Update. Let's take a look at everything Nintendo has fixed. Mario Kart World 1.1.1 patch notes Fixed an issue where items would not work properly during races Fixed a problem that made the controls stop working when choosing a character in Free Roam Fixed a bug that caused the game to crash after a race replay Fixed crashes happening after online races Fixed incorrect rate changes in Knockout Tour and Online Play Fixed frequent communication errors when joining friends in VS Race or Battle Fixed a wall glitch at the end of DK Spaceport Fixed a bug where players wouldn't respawn correctly after falling between Airship Fortress and Bowser's Castle while gliding Why this patch matters for competitive players Mario Kart World update 1.1.1 (Released June 17, 2025)- Fixed an issue where items were no longer able to be used.- Fixed an issue where sometimes controls were inoperable when selecting a character and trying to start Free Roam from the 'Free Roam' map.- Fixed an issue… This patch is especially helpful for players competing online or aiming for high scores in Knockout Tour. Crashes, item bugs, and strange respawn errors could really hurt a player's rhythm or cost a race. Fixing these issues means fewer unfair losses and a much smoother experience in all game modes. So whether you're playing casually with friends or chasing top finishes online, downloading this update is a must. Nintendo has made it clear they're ready to support Mario Kart World long-term, and this patch is a good sign of that.
Metro
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
I'm going to say it: Mario Kart World is not as good as it should be
A reader is unimpressed by Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2 and argues that the controversial free roam mode is not its only issue. As a day one Nintendo Switch 2 owner I have to admit I'm a little disappointed. Not with the console itself, which I think is pretty much prefect for the price and what it has to do, but with the only game worth getting at launch: Mario Kart World. Now, I don't think it's terrible, but I do think that not only is it not as good at Mario Kart 8 but that it's kind of a flawed experiment and one of the weakest entries in the whole series. But I'll talk about the positives first, just to show it's not all bad. Knockout Tour is great, I think everyone would agree. A bit boring in single-player, but fantastic online and the game's best feature. I also like all the weird extra characters, although how you unlock them and the costumes is very random and unsatisfying. The open world is also very nicely designed in its own right, and very large, but… that's kind of all I've got in terms of praise. First, I'll get the obvious thing out of the way: the open world is completely wasted. None of the challenges in it are interesting, if you can even find them, and a lot of them are overly hard and frustrating. There's no story or dialogue or anything. You just drive around at random in free roam and hope you come across something interesting, which you almost certainly won't. If any game was born to have fetch quests in it, it was this and yet there's nothing like that. It all feels like it's waiting for the actual game to be dropped onto the world but there's nothing there. Maybe it will come in DLC, but even if it's free why wasn't it there from the start? Why wouldn't you go all out for basically your only launch game? It's baffling. But for me that's not the real problem because, rightly or wrongly, free roam is really just a side show. My problem is that the actual racing in the two main modes is very dull. It may not seem that way when you've got a dozen people firing shells at you at once, but that gets old very quickly, and it doesn't actually happen that much, especially in single-player. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Most of the time you're just driving along (even 150cc isn't that fast) and taking slow bend after slow bend in what aren't even really courses at all. Knockout Tour is worst for this, because you're essentially driving point-to-point and it really does feel like you're just road racing, with nothing in terms of exciting or unexpected track design. Grand Prix is barely any better either, with very few lapped races and too many wide roads that are too easy to take. I went back to play Mario Kart 8 and it's filled with tightly designed courses and weird and physically impossible track designs. It seems a weird to say but Mario Kart World is basically too realistic, or rather too mundane in its design. Everything about it feels flabby and under-designed. Sure, occasionally you fly vertically up into the air or down the side of a volcano, but when you get down to the actual racing it's so plain and boring. The tracks aren't designed for time trials and racing skill, they're designed for power-ups and 24 player online races, and that has ruined everything. More Trending I'm sure other people will enjoy the game but as someone that has enjoyed every previous Mario Kart it's not for me. Which means I'm now left with a neat new console with nothing to play on it, except for old Switch 1 games. And that will definitely include Mario Kart 8. By reader Lambent The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: As a former Xbox 360 owner I don't understand Xbox today - Reader's Feature MORE: The 5 worst mistakes of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch (and why it doesn't matter) - Reader's Feature MORE: Nintendo Switch 2: does it deserve the hate? - Reader's Feature
Metro
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World too hard?
The Thursday letters page admits to preferring third person Resident Evil, as a reader asks which are Suda51's best games. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ AI takeover Count me in the set of people that think Mario Kart World is mostly great. The open world is strange in the way it's used but I've enjoyed the actual racing a whole lot. However, one issue I've not really heard anyone talk about is that I feel the game is probably a bit too hard in single-player. I consider myself a pretty decently skilled gamer – not amazing but at least a little above average for most games – but I've really struggled with everything above 50cc. It's not even the random elements, with blue shells at the finishing line and whatever, but I find that the higher you go the less mistakes you can afford to make, as catching up is surprisingly difficult. Knockout Tour is the worst, as I even started to find that difficult in 50cc, let alone the higher speeds. It's got to the point where I feel I have a better chance of winning online, against human players, which doesn't seem right. Is it just me being terrible against the AI or is the game actually a lot harder than you'd think? Tolly See the fear Being able to switch from first to third person in Resident Evil Requiem seems like the obvious choice, now that it's been revealed. I'll most play in third person, like I always do, but I imagine first person will be better for some action scenes and aiming and such like. First person is always described as being more immersive but I'm not sure that it actually makes that much difference in a horror game. Resident Evil 7 was scary, but no more so than some of the earlier games, while Resident Evil Village wasn't frightening at all. It wasn't trying to be (except for that bit) but nothing about being first person made it automatically more tense, at least not for me. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. A lot of the appeal in Resident Evil is the characters and so I think it's important to see them as much as possible. I can't even remember what the main character is in 7 and Village, as I don't think you ever see his face. But I remember Rose, because she is in a lot of cut scenes. The first person-only games were a worthy experiment but I hope it's days as the only option are over. Sully The last reveal So there we have it: the Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest selling console of all time, despite coming out at a slow time of year for games (and not during a pandemic) and being expensive for a Nintendo console. Having a lot of stock obviously helped but I still think it's an impressive achievement. What matters now is where Nintendo goes from here. I agree that their line-up of games so far is not very impressive, which is not a problem I imagined the console having, knowing how well Nintendo supported the Switch 1. I hope there is a Nintendo Direct this month but I'm not sure it would have much on anything but the games that have already been announced. I feel Splatoon Raiders was probably the last reveal for the year, which is going to leave us hanging for a long time until there's any new news. Onibee Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Bananas decision It's nice to hear from Nick the Greek! I'd be up for continuing our Mario Kart rivalry at some point if we can catch each other online. I'm not sure I have enough free time to do a photo feature at the moment but maybe at some point. I'm glad he still remembers my Zelda ones. As for the Switch 2, I have mixed feelings. Mario Kart World is superb, especially the Knockout Tour, but it's noticeable we're lacking a big new single-player at the moment. For the first Switch, we had Zelda: Breath Of The Wild which made the launch much more exciting. It's a shame Donkey Kong Bananza wasn't out for launch. I really hope it's good. It'd help if Nintendo clarified if it was developed by the Mario team. I've seen a lot of complaints about the lack of Mario game announcement, but Bananza might very well be it. Guess we'll soon find out! Ryan O'D Deferred purchase Let's forget about all this new console nonsense and concentrate on what's good. I did shelve my Switch 2 purchase for a Meta Quest 3. It was time. I'm loving the hardware and interface. This feels like the future, but I've still got feelings Nintendo-wise. Quest offers brilliant product and form and I can be the Batman or anything until I'm convinced to dip a toe into the Nintendo hype. I did double down on my Switch and got a Hori split pad and a 128GB card. I'm a Ninty boy at heart. Sorry guys but a guy's got to geek out and feel the goodness. Maybe another day. I can't, for the love of me, justify Switch 2 right now. OLED model, it shall be. D Dubya Flawed genius I thought the Romeo Is A Dead Man trailer was great, which has prompted me to look at more of Suda51's work. I know his games are always a bit rough around the edges, but which games are definitely worth playing and which are more curiosity only? I thought the State of Play had a great variety of games shown but was tainted by the spectre of Sony's profligacy in how they've managed their internal development teams. I think the most obvious reason for their silence is that they've nothing first party to show right now, but hopefully that changes from 2026 and beyond. Magnumstache GC: Our favourite thing he's done is still killer7, but we don't think it's directly available on any modern format. The first two No More Heroes games are good and so too is Lollipop Chainsaw, which just got a remaster. A lot of his stuff is quite flawed, but almost all of it is interesting. He's got a collaboration with Deadly Premonition's Swery65 coming out this year, called Hotel Barcelona, so we'll be very interested to see that. First timer I'm one of those people that has never played the two most recent Zelda games before and I'm definitely impressed by the Switch 2 Edition of Breath Of The Wild. You can tell it's an older game, a Wii U game, as you say, but the smooth frame rate is very nice and the sheer scale of the world is incredible. It seems endless at the moment and I can see from the map that I've visited maybe an eighth of it so far, which is amazing really because it already seems really big. I'm not even hating the breakable weapons that much either. Art Specialist subject Limited Run games are taking pre-orders for Toaplan Arcade Collection Volumes 1 and 2 (I'm sure both will get digital releases) for PlayStation 5 and Switch and I wondered if you could help me with the quality of the games included, I've heard of very few of them (many Truxton, which is supposed to be good?) and wondered if you thought the collections sound worth it please? Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 1 includes Tiger-Heli, Flying Shark, Twin Cobra, Fire Shark, Out Zone, FixEight, Dogyuun, and Batsugun. Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 2 includes Slap Fight, Truxton, Hellfire, Twin Hawk, Zero Wing, Vimana, Truxton 2 and Grind Stormer. Thanks for you help, keep up the great work. Beastiebat (PSN ID) Still playing: Devil May Cry 3 on Very Hard, Level 18 can do one; and just started Super Double Dragon, also surprisingly difficult GC: This is the first we've heard of this, but while Toaplan were a great developer they shut down in 1994, so all their games are pretty old. Tiger-Heli and its sequel Twin Cobra are what made their name, but Slap Fight and Flying Shark are perhaps the most recognisable to UK gamers, as they were ported to 8-bit computers. Almost all their stuff is good though, including Truxton (aka Tatsujin), the R-Type-esque Hellfire, Zero Wing (the source of the All Your Base meme), and Bubble Bobble style platformer Snow Bros. (which recently got a remake). Their final game, Batsugun, is regarded as the first true bullet hell shooter. Inbox also-ransEverything about this MindsEye game is so weird. I hadn't heard about it until this week and it seems a complete mess. Why did they release it at such a stupid time? I thought the guy in charge was some kind of seasoned industry veteran? Tacle Now that we've had a new Marvel fighting game announced, and Invincible has one, it's high time that we got a new DC game. I don't particularly want Injustice 3, but I'd love a DC Vs. Capcom game. Would be a fun way to get back at Marvel, after their betrayal. Focus More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: When will Mario Kart World DLC be released? MORE: Games Inbox: When will the Nintendo Switch 2 Lite be released? MORE: Games Inbox: Does Mario Kart World have the best Nintendo soundtrack?
