Polygon.com / 15.06.25

Mario Kart World wouldn't be in the running for Game of the Year even if it was perfect

Following Grand Theft Auto 6s retreat into 2026, last weeks launch of Nintendo Switch 2 will likely stand as the gaming event of 2025. And at the center of that launch is Mario Kart World, an ambitious sequel to one of the best-selling games of all time from perhaps the single most revered game studio in the world: Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (to give Nintendos game development arm its full title). Youd think such an auspicious title would be a near-automatic contender for Game of the Year at The Game Awards in December. Not so. Mario Kart World has gone down well with critics, if not as well as its predecessor or as some other 2025 games. But the fact is that even if it had a Metacritic rating of 96, trouncing all its competition, it still wouldnt be a credible contender, and probably wouldnt even get nominated. Thats because its a racing game. Ive discussed The Game Awards jurys genre bias before: the short version is that action-adventures and role-playing games ar...
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