Summary
The latest Nintendo Direct was full of big surprises after its in-depth look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, many of which are brand-new games coming to the console when it launches in June. One of those games,Mario Kart World, was an especially big surprise, as it aims to reinvent the series with an open-world take on its well-oiled formula. It’s too soon to tell whether such a drastic change to that formula will pay off, but if it does,Mario Kart Worldcould very well end up beingMario Kart’s ownZelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis one of themost ambitiousZeldagamesever made, as it turned everything the series had done for decades on its head and offered a fresh approach to gameplay. Needless to say, it changed theZeldafranchise forever, and now thatMario Kart Worldseems to be heading down a similar path, it’s possible theMario Kartfranchise will never be the same after its launch, especially if it ends up hitting a home run with its new formula.
Mario Kart World Could Have a Breath of the Wild-Sized Effect
Breath of the Wild Has Changed Zelda Forever
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildmay have been a hard sell for longtime fans of the franchise who have remained committed to it for itslinear dungeon-crawling adventures, but it’s difficult to argue that it fundamentally altered the series' DNA upon its release.Breath of the Wildthrew out the linear dungeon-crawling format the series had built for decades in favor of a massive open world with minimal hand-holding, dropping players into a massive iteration of Hyrule with the freedom to go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted.
Nintendo actually calledBreath of the Wildan “open-air” game instead of open-world, emphasizing nearly limitless exploration over the traditional structure of an open-world game.
Despite how divided someZeldafans may have been aboutBreath of the Wild, it went on to become the best-selling entry in the franchise’s history, which says something about its unconventional design. Because of that fact alone, there is really no turning back forThe Legend of Zeldafrom here on out. It doesn’t necessarily mean that things won’t ever change again, but considering bothTears of the KingdomandEchoes of Wisdomhave followed a similar approach toBreath of the Wildsince its release, future games in the series are likely to do the same.
Mario Kart World Following the Same Model Could Ripple Far Into the Future
Just asBreath of the Wildwas for theZeldafranchise,Mario Kart Worldmarks a significant turning point for theMario Kartseries.Open-world racing gameshave been done plenty of times before, butMario Karthas always been about tracks and the characters that race on them — never about exploration and the activities that often fill larger worlds. InMario Kart World, players can explore a vast, interconnected world, racing through unique environments like grassy plains, bustling cities, and wide-open waters. The game even features a Free Roam mode, which allows players to venture off traditional tracks and discover off-road areas.
Despite how divided someZeldafans may have been aboutBreath of the Wild, it went on to become the best-selling entry in the franchise’s history, which says something about its unconventional design.
Given all thatMario Kart Worldis introducing to the series in terms of its open world, it could be headed down the same path thatBreath of the Wildlaid in front ofThe Legend of Zelda. IfMario Kart World’s open-world formatends up working, it might be difficult for the series to revert to its traditional formula after its release.
