@Secret_Tunnel
I think 200cc will come later, although I did spot both a left and right arrow next to the 150cc option!

Oh, and I forgot to mention the Jamboree-like support for four player portraits in the same room with one camera. That feature is really cool. I hope Smash gets updated to support it. It should replace your character's face with your actual face. Perfect Dark-style! Maybe that will be the evolution of Miis.

But probably not.

I definitely think that MK8DX will keep trucking. What would a theoretical Switch 2 upgrade bring to the table? Higher resolution, 60fps 4p split-screen, and camera support? 120fps in single-player? That would be kind of awesome, actually.

Anand said:

I think 200cc will come later, although I did spot both a left and right arrow next to the 150cc option!

That might only imply Mirror mode which is 150cc. If you go back to MK8 they had the order as:
50cc
100cc
150cc
Mirror (150cc)
200cc

Here’s my concern… Is this short jump thing going to become something that people just spam all the time? Is it going to be some technique that if you don’t master then you’re not going to be able to win at all? How much of the new mechanics will you be missing out if you can’t do this feature? I really just hope it doesn’t become this thing that anytime you’re on a straight away you have to be doing 5000 charge jumps to stay competitive. It looks like there are going to be a lot of straightaways in this game, so I’m hoping at the very least that the items can help balance things out. I really just can’t stand these kind of Meta mechanics in these games where it becomes less about the racing and more about you mastering some exploit or specific ability. I’m also trying to think about People like Amanda 👸 who I know are huge fans of having to hold down buttons to make these jumps and do all this kind of stuff, because of it becomes a lot to worry about. My hope is that this mechanic will feel risky enough that maybe people don’t want to be spamming at all the time. Like, if you perform one, it should severely severely limit your mobility, or have some kind of animation when you land so that you won’t want to be doing it all the time.

Other than that, I’m so excited. I don’t know what I think of the fact that items will always trail behind you now? In some ways, I like it, because it will prevent players from hoarding items in first place. On the other hand, I can’t imagine it’s not going to be frustrating when you’re in the thick of things and players are stealing mushrooms and stars and what have you.

I really do like the idea of ball, jumping and grinding, but I do hope that it doesn’t turn people off. You don’t like doing that sort of thing. I have so many great memories playing MarioKart 8 and Wii, so I definitely want to get a whole new bunch of great memories with the new game. I’m glad they’re doing something different, though, because I don’t know how they would’ve done anything better than 8. I’m sure they could’ve done a smaller scope, incredible looking game, but this seems more creative, and I think should put to bed a lot of statements that Nintendo keeps rehashing the same game over and over.

@PogueSquadron

I'm really excited about increased gameplay density leading to a higher skill ceiling. The more I think about it, courses designed for 200cc would just be more stretched-out courses designed for 150cc. Adding all these tricks makes the game way more interesting, assuming it doesn't turn into repetitive snaking/fire-hopping stuff yeah.

...but an increased skill ceiling also means that my fiance will get even more mad when I win by even more, heheh. But who knows, maybe the added mechanics will make the game more fun to improve at for average players.

Question: Can anyone explain what's happening at the end of this new commercial from Japan? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_OM1KZMHGQ (Last five seconds or so.)

It looks like Peach is celebrating after a win... but also where is the KART? She clearly is moving but... not sitting...

Could the game have hoverboards or something? Or am I missing an obvious reason why that clip looks like she's skating?

@Stan McStanly
Curses! Foiled again...

@PogueSquadron
Yeah, I agree. Tricking off of flat ground seems dangerous. If there are risk and reward choices associated with tricking all the time, it could be cool. But I definitely don't want to have to, like, mangle my hands snaking or wavedashing just to keep up.

I'm also a bit wary about the rail-grinding. How are they going to make grinding more efficient than staying on the ground? Ate they going to offer a respite from items at the cost of speed? Using them for shortcuts would be cool, though. Same thing for the wall-jumping. What a cool idea. Goggles Pizano!

@J.K. Riki
She's mid-trick, right?

Anand said:

@J.K. Riki
She's mid-trick, right?

IS she? That's what I can't understand. Even if mid-trick, wouldn't we see some part of the vehicle?

@J.K. Riki
I just assumed that the camera angle was modified, Sakurai-style.

I figured it was just a zoom-in on a victory pose or trick too, but JKR's artist brain pointing out that her leg placement isn't quite right to be driving a vehicle, even a motorcycle, made me question it.

Now Nintendo Today just posted a photo of Shy Guy on a snowboard. @J.K. Riki You called it!

Maybe I'm alone on this but I wouldn't mind Mirror Mode getting the axe for good! It always kind of felt like filler (or at worst even a weird unpolished user mod with the reversed text on signs etc) and it messes with my brain too much.

@J.K. Riki
Good to see you again!

@TriforceBun

I never play Mirror.

Secret_Tunnel said:

Now Nintendo Today just posted a photo of Shy Guy on a snowboard. @J.K. Riki You called it!

Ooo, nice! I mean, if there are boards in this game, I don't see myself ever going Kart again, lol.

@TriforceBun

Good to see you, too!

As for Mirror Mode, I also never play it like ST, but I appreciate that it is there for the folks that enjoy it. It can be kind of nice BECAUSE of the brain-warping aspect, as sometimes if you get a course so well memorized it makes playing with newer players almost pointless. But switch on Mirror Mode and suddenly the playing field is dramatically leveled, ha ha. Because you are busy turning left instead of right and crashing into walls. At least that's how it's been for me!

@J.K. Riki

One of the coolest magic tricks I've seen in a game is when in Mario Kart: Home Circuit, Kamek casts a mirror spell mid-race that horizontally flips both the AR camera output and the RC car's controls. For a few seconds it feels like you've been teleported to an alternate reality version of your house.

@Secret_Tunnel
I LOVE Mario Kart Live! One of the most underrated Switch games and a guaranteed riot anytime my kids and their cousins bring it out. I might rank it in the top 3 or 4 MK games if I counted it but it's really pretty different than the others.

@Secret_Tunnel

Never got to try that one, but that sounds amazing!

@TriforceBun
The reversed text is the best part of Mirror Mode! It's eerie and unsettling. The world through the looking glass.

It would be kind of awesome if everything was off-kilter and creepy in Mirror Mode. Backwards music, reversed colors for the sky and ground, paragoombas walking and normal goombas flying, cheep cheeps just walking around...

@Anand The stuff of nightmares. I'd be down for that!

@Anand

Plus it wouldn't be much of a challenge to program, really, if they kept the changes more or less cosmetic!

The main theme of this game always makes me think of Hot For Teacher.

@Secret_Tunnel
Really? I can't hear it. I freaking love the harmonica, though. That bluesy sound seems so fresh in the context of Mario Kart.

ONLY in the context of Mario Kart.