When Mario Kart World is released on Nintendo Switch 2, the game will feature a massive list of racers, including veterans from past entries, and a large group of newcomers. The one newcomer that’s getting the most attention so far is Cow, a simply-named racer that first debuted as an obstacle to be avoided on Mario Kart 64‘s Moo Moo Farm course. For Mario Kart World, Cow graduated to full racer status when Nintendo was looking for unique ways to expand the franchise roster. This opened the door for what the developers have referred to as “NPC drivers,” which are characters that previously appeared merely as obstacles.
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Most of the general public hasn’t had a chance to go hands-on with Cow or Mario Kart World yet, and won’t until Nintendo Switch 2 arrives on June 5th. Despite this, fans are already very taken with the character’s design, and Cow has quickly become something of a mascot for the game. Nintendo clearly knew in advance that Cow would become a favorite, too; Moo Moo Meadows has received a major redesign for Mario Kart World, which now basically acts as a shrine to the character and her racing abilities. However, there is one negative that might make players think twice before picking Cow, or any of the other NPC racers for that matter.
One of the big changes to Mario Kart World over past games in the series is that players can unlock alternate costumes for the game’s cast. Characters like Mario, Luigi, and Peach all have alternate looks that can be unlocked through gameplay, and then picked for each race through the character select screen. So far, Nintendo has revealed a lot of interesting new designs, which should add to the game’s overall variety. However, during a hands-on session I attended for Mario Kart World, Nintendo confirmed that there are no costume unlocks for the NPC drivers. That means you won’t find characters like Cow dressed up as a biker, or Dolphin in beachwear.
For some fans, this is bound to be a disappointment. The costumes are clearly one of the big new additions in Mario Kart World; the development team has found some fun and unique designs for the older cast members, and this is the first time this has been done in a mainline Mario Kart game (though costumes did appear in the mobile Mario Kart Tour). It just seems like a huge missed opportunity not to offer them for one of the game’s biggest new racers. It would have been awesome to see Cow wearing a “Cow-rio” costume, complete with red hat and blue overalls. Also, the idea of Cow in a biker outfit like Wario and Waluigi is kind of hysterical, even if a bovine wearing leather might be a bit morbid.
It’s possible we could see Nintendo rectify this with DLC. Right now, we don’t know how Mario Kart World is going to handle extra content. Presumably, we’ll see better support for the game early on than we did with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The Switch version didn’t get much in the way of support until several years after launch, and it’s a safe bet that Nintendo won’t repeat that same mistake. A Cow costume DLC pack would be a welcome addition to Mario Kart World, either as a free update or as paid content. Given the character’s immediate popularity, it has to be something Nintendo is considering, or at least will if there’s enough demand from players. It definitely shouldn’t stop at Cow either, as characters like Monty Mole could also stand to benefit from some alternate outfits.
RELATED: Mario Kart World Hands-On Preview: A Fresh Take on an Old Favorite
It’s entirely possible that Mario Kart World fans who were already planning to race as Cow won’t be dissuaded from choosing the character simply because she doesn’t have any alternate costumes. There seems to be a lot of genuine interest in the NPC drivers, and Nintendo’s designers did an excellent job making her work within the game’s world. After the stacked roster of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it was likely a struggle to come up with new characters that could be added. Expanding the roster to include those that were previously there simply as obstacles adds a nice layer to the game, even if they don’t get to play dress up the way everyone else does.
Do you plan on racing as Cow in Mario Kart World? Would you like to see alternate costumes for the game’s NPC drivers? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
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