The Switch 2 and Mario Kart World are almost here – in fact, in some parts of the world, they already are – but the question remains, just how positive are the new racing game's reviews going to be? Ex-Nintendo marketing leads Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang have been trying to predict just that, discussing if the game's controversial $80 price tag could have any impact on its reception.

In a recent episode of the Kit and Krysta Podcast (below), the former Nintendo Minute hosts (also, respectively, Nintendo of America's former director of social media marketing and original content and senior manager of creator relations and original content) each share the average Metacritic score they think Mario Kart World will receive. Yang optimistically suggests 92, while Ellis aims a little lower, at a still very respectable score of 88.

Explaining his thoughts, Ellis points to the big "drop the price" controversy that dominated conversations online following April's flurry of Nintendo Switch 2 news, when it was confirmed that Mario Kart World is $80.

"I think there are some things about this game that make it a bit of a target for reviews," he begins. "Like there are people who are still, like, big mad about the price of this game, and it doesn't take many of those people who have an outlet, who are writing a review on Metacritic, giving this like a six out of 10, that's going to take it down from a 92 to an 88. I think there are things about this game that are more lightning rod-ish than we've had in Mario Kart before."