Confirmed: Need for Speed Will Be Like Mario Kart

A leaker has just revealed some gameplay footage of the next Need for Speed game... and it's ridiculous. Seriously, it looks like Mario Kart. Check it out.

Need for Speed Mario Kart
What the hell is this? | © Nintendo / EA

Need for Speed is cool, right? It's about superfast sports cars racing down neon-lit streets. Or at least, it should be. But apparently that's changing, and they want to take the franchise down a more cartoony route. If you're already raging, then get ready to really lose it...

Need for Speed Gameplay Footage

We can now confirm that Need for Speed is leaning into a super-cartoony style, thanks to some leaked footage. This was anonymously uploaded on to Reddit, check it out:

View post on imgur.com

For further info on the new game, you can find leaked gameplay details below.

Need for Speed Gameplay Details

Redditor u/TopRamanNoodl3s took to the site earlier in the month to leak some info about Need for Speed which they claim comes from an inside source; "I got this from a buddy of mine who's an employee over at EA". The details corroborate previous leaks we've heard about this game, which suggest it's going to be super cartoon-y for a Need for Speed game.

Here's exactly what u/TopRamanNoodl3s had to say about playing the 2022 build of the game:

When driving along, if you hit something like a lamppost and break it, it says bang on the screen (cartoon/ comic book style.) When you spin your tires or drift, instead of proper smoke you'll get like a bit of smoke- barely any- Instead, some lines go in circles that mimic the direction of the rear tires.Out on the map, there are cars that could be stolen. Once taken, loads of cops out of nowhere. Straight away you are in a high-heat chase, with cop corvettes and SWAT vans- very brutal!You could have some sort of weird noise that taunts people when you pass them like doing a ‘Roar’ etc.

Very odd. Who wants that from a Need for Speed game? I guess no-one is making Burnout games anymore, but still? It seems as ridiculous of an idea as the recent Squirrel-based GTA game.

What do you think about a Mario Kart-style Need for Speed? Stupid, or genius?

It probably won't make it on to this list...

Jon Ramuz

Jon has a BA and an MA in English Literature, and as Content Lead for EarlyGame has written over 1,500 articles. He focuses on shooters, but also writes about entertainment and gaming in general....