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New console releases always feel special, as they don’t happen very often. Today (5th June) marks the launch of the Switch 2, the long-awaited successor to Nintendo’s best-selling console. For racing game fans, it boasts one of the best launch lineups in a long time.
From a brand-new Mario Kart to a potential indie hidden gem, here’s every Switch 2 racing game you can play at launch.
Mario Kart World
Release date: 5th June
Price: £66.99 / $79.99 (digital) / £74.99 / $79.99 (physical)
Mario Kart is Nintendo’s quintessential racing series. With that in mind, plus the fact that the absurdly popular Mario Kart 8: Deluxe is the best-selling racing game of all time, it’s not surprising to see a new entry launch alongside the Switch 2. In fact, it’s the only first-party developed Switch 2 launch title (we’re not counting the Welcome Tour tech demo that should have been a free pack-in).
A new Mario Kart sequel is certainly overdue. It’s easy to forget that Deluxe is technically a Switch port of the Mario Kart 8 released back in 2014 on Wii U. Yes, it’s been 11 years since the last mainline Mario Kart. After such a long wait, churning out a lazy sequel with a handful of new tracks and calling it Mario Kart 9 was never going to cut it.
Enter Mario Kart World, the first open-world entry in the series featuring an explorable environment that connects the colourful circuits. Add in optional challenges and collectables to discover, and it’s effectively the Forza Horizon of kart racers.
The open-world, eliminator-style Knock Out Tour, and new abilities, such as grinding on rails and riding on walls, promise to freshen up the formula. That said, the empty-looking environments in free roam raise concerns, and the eye-watering price remains a sore point.
Nevertheless, Mario Kart World looks set to become the Switch 2’s defining racer for the next generation and an essential day-one release for the multiplayer experience alone. Let’s face it, it’s going to become another best-seller for Nintendo.
Fast Fusion
Release date: 5th June
Price: £13.49 / $14.99
Shin’en Multimedia’s Fast series of futuristic racing games has filled the void of F-Zero on Nintendo Wii, Wii U and Switch. A sequel to Fast RMX (which was incidentally a Switch launch title in 2017), Fast Fusion is set to continue the series on Switch 2.
While the Fast games are heavily influenced by F-Zero and WipEout, a unique mechanic where you must change your craft’s exhaust colour in time with coloured pads scattered on the track sets it apart and tests your reaction times. If you can keep the combo up, the sense of speed is dizzying.
With 4K visuals, HDR support and 60fps even when played in handheld, (a 120fps mode is even being considered for a post-launch update), Fast Fusion promises to be a visual showpiece of the Switch 2.
This isn’t an enhanced port of Fast RMX, either. Fast Fusion is billed as a sequel and introduces an intriguing new mechanic where you can combine parts to create custom vehicles.
While Mario Kart World is the Switch 2’s lead launch title and will inevitably steal the spotlight, Fast Fusion could be a sleeper hit if it continues the standard its predecessors set. And at only £13.49, it costs a fraction of Mario Kart World.
Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
Release date: 5th June
Price: £14.99 / $16.99
There was a time when Ridge Racer was a staple of console launch lineups. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case for over a decade – not since Ridge Racer’s PlayStation Vita entry in 2011. Luckily, this tradition is finally resuming, with the original arcade classic making a comeback on consoles.
Ridge Racer’s PlayStation home port was a revelation in the 1990s, but it wasn’t arcade-perfect. Part of Hamster Corporation’s new Arcade Archives 2 series, Ridge Racer on Switch 2 marks the first home console release of the original 1993 arcade game in all its glory.
It promises to be a faithful port, with the addition of new Time Attack and High Score modes, as well as modern quality-of-life updates, including multiple save slots and a rewind feature.
While we’re relishing the prospect of revisiting Namco’s seminal arcade racer on Switch 2 day one, we’re hoping it will pave the way for a proper sequel – especially after a planned Switch sequel was cancelled.
As well as Switch 2, Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer is racing onto PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Confusingly, a separate Arcade Archives version is also out on PS4 and Switch. Purchasing these versions gives you a discount if you upgrade to the Arcade Archives 2 version.
F-Zero GX
Release date: 5th June
Price: £34.99 / $49.99(Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month membership)
Although Nintendo’s high-speed futuristic racing series has been on hiatus with no new entries since 2004, F-Zero has been making a quiet resurgence lately. F-Zero 99 brought breakneck, battle royale-style racing to the Switch, and now F-Zero GX is getting a long-overdue re-release on Switch 2 as part of the new GameCube Nintendo Classics library.
Originally released in 2003 for the GameCube, F-Zero GX is the only entry not developed by Nintendo, instead helmed by Sega’s Amusement Vision division. It’s widely considered to be one of the best in the series, yet it hasn’t had a re-release until now.
F-Zero GX introduced a story mode featuring the series’ mascot, Captain Falcon, and is renowned for its insane speeds and impressive visuals, which still hold up today. Over 20 years on, it remains one of the most brutally difficult racing games to master.
The only caveat is that F-Zero GX isn’t getting a standalone release on Switch 2 – you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to play it, which costs £34.99 / $49.99 for a 12-month membership.
Beyond launch
Looking ahead, Kirby Air Riders was announced in April’s Nintendo Direct as a surprise sequel to the GameCube’s Kirby Air Ride, but there’s no release date yet. Other than that, no other Switch 2 racing games have been announced so far. However, we can likely expect plenty of third-party releases further down the road.
Perhaps Wreckfest 2 will eventually get a Switch 2 release following the original game’s stellar Switch port. Codemasters also recently told Traxion that it’s assessing whether the F1 games are a “good fit” for the Switch 2, so watch this space.
It’s worth noting, too, that the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with most Switch games, allowing you to transfer your old library and play original Switch games like Burnout Paradise Remastered and Cruis’n Blast on Nintendo’s new hardware.
Which Switch 2 racing game are you looking forward to playing most at launch? Let us know in the comments below.
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