Mario Kart World gets ten retro tracks from the SNES original

Nintendo is rolling out a free update to Mario Kart World today, adding ten tracks drawn from the original Super Mario Kart game released on the SNES. The new additions include familiar names such as Choco Island, Mario Circuit and Ghost Valley. All ten tracks will be playable in the game's Versus mode.

From hidden spots to full race tracks

Notably, these locations already existed within Mario Kart World's open game world, but until now they only served exploration purposes and timed P-Switch missions. With this update, they become proper tracks for racing. Another detail carried over from the original game is that question blocks, which give players power-ups, now sit flat on the ground rather than floating in the air — matching how they appeared in the first Super Mario Kart.

New routes for Knockout Tour

The update also brings two new routes to Knockout Tour, an elimination-based mode where racers travel long, interconnected paths and the slowest drivers are progressively knocked out. Although Mario Kart World has already received several updates since its release, this is the first time it has gained entirely new tracks.

Version 1.8.0 will be available to download later today. Separately, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe recently received its own free update for Nintendo Switch 2, adding eight-player split-screen support and slightly improved graphics. Both updates were announced during a recent Nintendo Direct livestream, which also revealed a new 2D Metroid game and an open-world Kirby title.