As Mario Kart World approaches its first full year since launch, the game already includes features absent from the original release. While rare for Nintendo games, updates have been among the most well-received aspects of the Mario Kart series in recent years, especially given the typical size of them. The latest update for Mario Kart World looks to be among its largest yet, as it reintroduces an entire battle mode into the available ways to play the game, along with changing how certain tracks and items function.
The biggest change to come from the new update, the newest mode, is called Bob-omb Blast. The mode has been with the Mario Kart series for decades, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe featuring it as one of its own battle modes. In it, players are able to use Bob-ombs to deal damage to other players while driving around an arena. According to Nintendo Life, the update’s patch notes specify that players will be able to hold up to ten Bob-ombs at once, with the ability to adjust throw distance depending on how long the L Button is held.
In addition to bringing back the old mode, the update also comes with balance changes and bug fixes that have becomes common for the game. Notably, the Bullet Bill ability now allows for greater maneuverability, shortcut usage, and is faster on certain tracks. On the opposite end of the changes, the boomerang item was weakened to not travel as far and have less uses. Some of the damage interactions in the game were also made more intuitive, letting players who had just been hit avoid being crushed by Thwomps.
One of the complaints surrounding initial release of Mario Kart World was the lack of features and modes compared to its predecessor. With the latest updates expanding the scope of the game, it seems the Nintendo is intent on addressing these concerns.