Freely Jump and Rewind in the World of Mario Kart

So, hey, this morning was like Christmas for Mario Kart fans, at least the digital kind. You know, there was this big Nintendo Direct thing — spilling the beans on all sorts of new stuff like outfits (who knew kart racers cared about fashion?), courses, and these shiny new items. But hang on, the real head-turners were these wild new tricks they threw into the mix: charge jump and rewind. I mean, come on — that sounds like they’ve been eavesdropping on our daydreams or something.

Alright, charge jump. Here’s the scoop: you hold down those drift buttons — yeah, on those parts of the track that are so straight they could put a ruler to shame. You let go, and boom! Your kart bounds into the air. I’m talking hopping over cars like they’re nothing but traffic cones. Plus, your character does this nifty little trick mid-air, and you land with a pop of speed. It’s like cool points and a turbo charge got married. Oh, and you can dodge attacks with it, too! So, basically, if you’re not mastering this, consider yourself the official back-of-the-pack mascot. No pressure, right?

Then there’s this rewind feature — straight out of a sci-fi movie, but, like, cartoonish and fun. When you’re just cruising on your own or in solo races, you can hit the rewind button and your kart moonwalks back a few moments. Something about seeing your kart backpedal feels oddly satisfying. Not sure it’s gonna help you win any races though because, spoiler alert, it just rewinds you. Everyone else keeps zooming ahead. If that sounds like a recipe for falling behind, well, it probably is, but great for those pesky shortcut practices!

Here’s the deal, this “open world” thing they’ve got going makes it seem like they’re pushing us to actually — I don’t know — think while we drive? Who even does that? But yeah, brushing up on your map knowledge might actually be a thing now because apparently, testing skills against other players is gonna be part of the fun. Strategy, in a racing game… imagine that.

Anyway, circle June 5 on your calendar because that’s when Mario Kart World decides to crash into reality. And only if you have a Nintendo Switch 2, because exclusivity is apparently still a thing. Get ready to press some buttons and feel like a pro!