Namely, the two most notable games I played were Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong: Bananza. The latter isn't a launch game, but they both made strong first impressions – not only as games themselves, but also as demonstrations of what the Switch 2 can do. Let's dig in.

Mario Kart 8 is probably my most-played Switch game, which means that Mario Kart World was easily my highlight of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. But even as Nintendo pins its launch campaign around its karting phenomenon, the Switch 2's real system-seller is lurking in the background.

Nintendo will retail the Switch 2 for $449.99 at launch, which is significantly higher than the original Switch's $299 price tag. A separate bundle that includes the new "Mario Kart World" game will also be available for $499.99.