Mario Kart 9 appears to take the Switch 2 back in time, swapping out Princess Peach’s sleek racing suit for the outfit she wore when she debuted in the kart racing series

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It's not aerodynamic but it is really cute

A screenshot from the reveal trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2, showing the console playing a Mario Kart game.
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Switch 2's sequel to go-kart bonanza Mario Kart 8 – unofficially, Mario Kart 9 – appears to dole out a makeover to its hopeful racer Princess Peach, replacing her utilitarian cycling suit and ponytail for a flouncy ballgown and her hair down.

It's not the most practical look for taking a Green Shell to the brain on Rainbow Road, but it does carry a bit more poise than what seems to be Donkey Kong entering his cocoa puff era. But, like DK's fluffier Mario Kart 9 model, which is apparently based on his lumbering appearance in the Super Mario Bros. movie, Princess Peach's redesigned outfit also seems to call back to an earlier version of her character.

In Mario Kart 8, all princesses – Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina – wear full-body racing suits emblazoned with gems or stars while riding bikes or ATVs. They haven't mastered sidesaddle Jump Boosts, I guess. To be extra lightweight, Peach also wears her blonde hair in a ponytail, regardless of what kart she's buzzing around in.

Ashley Bardhan
Ashley Bardhan
Senior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.