Mario Kart World update makes playing with friends easier, one intermission track less pathetic, and finally allows you to turn that soundtrack up to the only option you need: "Loud"

Nintendo has released a new update for Mario Kart World, which features some especially good news for fans of its incredible soundtrack.

Mario Kart World may be somewhat divisive after its price debacle, intermission tracks, and the fact that, after 11 years, no Mario Kart game had a chance in hell to live up to a post-booster course pack Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with its roughly 500 (96) tracks included, but there's one thing that everyone agrees on: that soundtrack absolutely rips. Driving around that open world is an absolute joy thanks to the mountain of classic Mario tunes that received fresh new remixes for the game – and no piece of Mario history was too obscure for a nod.

In a post on the Nintendo website, Mario Kart World version 1.4.0 is detailed, and there's good news for fans of that incredible soundtrack – which felt a touch too quiet at times: Nintendo has finally given the option to toggle the music volume. When you read "Added 'Music Volume' to 'Settings,'" you likely imagine a volume slider, but no, as Good Vibes Gaming's Jon Cartwright points out on BlueSky, Nintendo has added one option, and that is "Loud." Nintendo knows you're not turning that down.

Nintendo also added another exciting musical addition – pausing the game will now identify what song is playing at a given time, allowing you to know the name of the track and which Mario game it originally appeared in.

Another solid update is that players who are gathered in a room lobby will be able to access the greater online features. Four players in a given lobby can now join in Race, Knockout Tour, and Battle modes in online play, as opposed to having to try and join via the friend menu and hoping they can find a lobby that isn't packed. So, it'll be far easier to enjoy online play with friends.

Intermission tracks involving Koopa Troopa Beach also got a tweak. Given the track was pitifully short already, the intermission tracks only allowing you one lap of the actual track was underwhelming. Nintendo has now changed it so that every Koopa Troopa Beach intermission track will have you do two laps – and of course, there's a litany of smaller bug fixes and tweaks to the game. Nintendo won't be giving up on Mario Kart World any time soon.

Nintendo wants Mario Kart World to be a Switch 2 game fans will "continue to choose for years to come" like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and I hope that means DLC could be on the cards.