Mario Kart World is here, and it’s taken a hard turn back into the Mushroom Kingdom – with no sign of crossover guests like Link, Isabelle, or the Inklings this time around. In a move that’s left fans split, Nintendo made a conscious choice to keep the cast and environments strictly Mario-themed. 
The result? A Karting game full of charm, cows, and Koopas – but notably less variety.
According to producer Kosuke Yabuki, the decision wasn’t random. Speaking to Ouest-France, he explained, “It would have seemed incongruous to us to add characters from other games to this universe.” In other words, dropping Samus or Tom Nook into a Mario-centric open-world experience didn’t quite sit right for the team. “It didn’t seem necessary,” Yabuki added, “given everything we could already do with Mario.”
That stance feels odd considering Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had cross-franchise tracks and racers that were well-received. Now, the focus is all in-world immersion: from Peach’s Castle to Bowser’s Fortress, players are exploring a seamless Mario map instead of hopping between universes. Even your Mii is benched this time – a surprising shift from previous titles.
While some fans appreciate the tighter worldbuilding, others argue that Mario Kart was never about lore to begin with. After all, it’s a game where turtle shells fly and cows race on mopeds. Many players feel that if characters like Chargin’ Chuck or Coin Coffer make the cut, there’s no reason legacy characters from other Nintendo franchises couldn’t have as well – especially given the hefty $80 price tag and long development cycle.
Beyond the roster, fans have raised concerns about the reduced track structure – notably, single-lap races in the open world – and a lack of classic features like traditional Grand Prix cups. Others miss the fun of collecting rupees as Zelda or blazing through Hyrule circuits. Meanwhile, speculation is brewing that Nintendo might be saving crossover content for DLC or even a new game entirely – possibly a full-blown Nintendo Kart.
For now, it seems Mario Kart World is going all-in on its identity, aligning itself with the broader Mario brand that includes Super Nintendo World and the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Whether that means more depth or just more cows remains to be seen. Fans are still hopeful that future updates or DLCs might steer things in a more inclusive direction.
Need help navigating the game? Check out our full Mario Kart World guide for unlocking all drivers, including how the Kamek system works, and don’t miss our location list for collecting food items and unlocking all the game’s quirky costumes.