I thought Nintendo had forgotten the incredible N64-era water tech that powered Wave Race, but Mario Kart World is bringing it back on Switch 2

News
By published

The spirit of Wave Race 64 lives

Mario Kart World
(Image credit: Nintendo)

I played Wave Race 64 for the first time last year – it's incredible how impressive the water tech still is after all these years – and it seems Nintendo has finally remembered how fun wave-based gameplay is with Mario Kart World on Switch 2. A recent video clip shows how explosive effects on the water-based portions of the tracks can give you new opportunities while racing.

In the clip, posted by Andre Segers of GameXplain, we see a blue shell strike a racer in the water, creating a massive shockwave that ripples outward. That wave has a physical presence in the world that you can use as a ramp to jump off of and do a quick boost trick off of.

It's arguable a tiny detail, but that kind of dynamic water deformation – with an effect on gameplay – is still relatively uncommon these days, and it reminds me of just how much fun the chaos of that tech made Wave Race. Here's hoping it shows up for more than just blue shell encounters in Mario Kart World.

We're about to learn a lot more about Mario Kart World is part of a dedicated Nintendo Direct later this week, but the early gameplay from the Switch 2 reveal and recent public events has already told us plenty. It's got Tony Hawk-style rail grinding, a proper open-world layout, massive character variety, and an $80 price tag that's been pushing the limits of what Nintendo fans are willing to accept. Only time will tell if it justifies the price, but for now it's been an impressive showing.

Mario Kart World gets my gold medal thanks to the thrilling 24-player Knockout Tour, and I can't wait for another lap.

Dustin Bailey
Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.