We've played the new Mario Kart and Donkey Kong on the Nintendo Switch 2

We know so much more about the Nintendo Switch 2, but how does it feel to play? 

Nintendo flew me to New York this week to go hands-on with the system and its games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. 

Here's everything you need to know. 

READ MORE: Nintendo Switch 2: Every detail revealed

The Nintendo Switch 2

It takes all of about two seconds to get used to the size of Nintendo's new Switch. 

Yes, it feels bigger in your hands but not dramatically. 

The thumbsticks are larger, and more comfortable, and snapping the new magnetic controllers in place is satisfyingly easy. 

I did my best to yank a Joy-Con 2 from the side of the system without pulling the release trigger and they didn't budge. I was shocked by how strong they were and pleasantly surprised that they didn't seem to flex at all while connected to the Nintendo Switch 2. 

Its 1080p, 120Hz display has arguably had the biggest upgrade and while I wasn't analysing every pixel in the few short hours I had to play with the system, at first glance it looks great. Nintendo hasn't confirmed the exact LCD technology it's using but the addition of HDR really makes the screen pop.  

Similarly, it's hard to judge pixel density in a warehouse full of the world's gaming media, but what I did play on TV screens was noticeably better than what was output on the original Switch. 

Nintendo's upgrades were most noticeable while watching others play upgraded versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The image is so much cleaner and smoother on Nintendo Switch 2. 

What I saw of Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch 2 wasn't as impressive. It's a miracle that the game runs on the Switch 2 in the first place, but don't expect games like it to look as good as they do on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. By comparison, Street Fighter 6 looked much better. 

READ MORE: Every game announced for the Nintendo Switch 2

Mouse Mode

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was my favourite demo of the show and I played through the entire thing with Nintendo's new mouse controls. 

It works better than you'd expect and I was shocked at how easy it was to switch between control styles. You don't need to jump into menus to swap to traditional thumbstick controls, just pick up the controller. And when you want to return to mouse controls, just put the Joy-Con 2 down on its side. Well done design team. 

I wouldn't describe it as comfortable and - given the opportunity - I'd play with a Pro Controller every day of the week because Metroid Prime requires a lot of input from the face buttons, as well as the triggers. 

Comparably, it was much more comfortable to play through Mario Party's new mini games or Nintendo's take on wheelchair basketball, Drag x Drive, which are almost entirely focused on motion controls. 

The Drag x Drive demo has us sitting behind a large, empty desk. I can't ever imagine having that at home and I couldn't test what it would be like to use the controllers on my legs because they were cabled to the table. 

Did it show what mouse mode could do? Yes. 

Would I buy the game? Not from what I've seen. 

The new Pro Controller, GameCube Controller and Camera Accessory 

Again, the new Pro Controller feels incredibly familiar but slightly different. 

Like the Switch 2 itself, the Pro Controller is coated in a new matte finish that feels smoother to the touch. 

Besides accidentally squeezing the new GL and GR buttons during a particularly heated race in Mario Kart World, it plays exactly how you'd expect it to. 

Same goes for the updated GameCube controllers. All of the new buttons, including the 'C' button, are tucked away on the top of the controller. If it wasn't for the Nintendo rep pointing them out I probably wouldn't have seen them at all!

Compared to the chunky Wavebird controller I had as a kid, this new wireless GameCube controller is comparably sleek. 

I didn't get a chance to hold the steering wheel accessories that Nintendo has announced, but I did get to play some Mario Party Jamboree with the new camera accessory. If your first thought was that it's basically a PlayStation EyeToy, you're not wrong. 

The camera's ability to track faces, cut out players from their surroundings and represent them on screen is respectable, but far from perfect. It did a solid job representing me and three others on screen during a few rounds of Mario Party's new modes but - if you stray too far from your starting point - you can physically bleed into another player's space. 

Seeing the look of despair on your friend's face while you steal their stars in Mario Party is half the fun, so I can immediately see how the camera will add value to online gaming sessions. 

I'm not sure how many games will fully integrate the camera function however. If it wasn't for GameChat, I'd be worried that the $69 accessory would be left gathering dust after a few play sessions. 

We didn't get to test GameChat at our preview event. I'm just happy Nintendo is finally getting its act together with voice chat. I'm sick of calling my friends over Messenger!

Mario Kart World

If you thought Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was chaos, wait until you play Mario Kart World.

I can not overstate how many interactive elements there are on screen at once. It's overwhelming (in a good way). Between the coins and the items, 24 racers, oncoming cars, grind rails, jumps and water sections that feel like Wave Race, not to mention unfamiliar course layouts, I was having more fun playing than I have in years. 

Linking the courses together is a stunningly simple and brilliant idea. 

I got knocked from 2nd to 21st in my first knockout race thanks to a brutal sequence of shells and fireballs. I was disqualified at the first checkpoint and desperate to try my luck again.  

Importantly, after 10 years of Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart World feels different. 

Drifting has certainly changed. You can now collect up to 20 coins to increase your top speed. There are heaps of new items, including a gold shell that leaves a trail of coins and the returning mega mushroom. Oh, and you don't have to hold a trigger to trail an item behind you, they just automatically do (and I wasted a few shells as a result!).   

In the demo I played, you couldn't customise your car and the character select screen was limited to residents of the Mushroom Kingdom (sorry Link, Inkling and Villager) and a host of their costume variants. 

Tracks are much wider and have fewer tight corners. Mario Kart has never been a pure racer, luck plays a massive role, and it feels like Nintendo is dialling that up to 11 in Mario Kart World. In many ways, it felt like skill wasn't as important as exploring the tracks and learning their secrets.

I didn't get much time to freely explore the interconnected world. When I did, I looked away for a moment, drove into a wall and went tumbling down into a ravine. Where I landed wasn't particularly interesting or pretty, and I hope Nintendo has a lot for us to find outside of the tracks themselves to make the mode worthwhile.  

I can't wait to race every one as the 'Cow' when Mario Kart World launches alongside Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5.  

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza was arguably the prettiest game at the show.  

The demo took place in what I assume was the game's opening area and felt very Super Mario Odyssey at times. 

There's a lot to collect and a simple yet complex set of controls to master. 

You can punch forward, up, down and jump with the four face buttons and DK can rip up chunks of earth to throw (or skate on) with the right trigger. 

DK can punch through his surroundings, allowing you to burrow holes and destroy walls to find treasures and hidden areas. The camera doesn't always handle these 'burrows' particularly well but controls wonderfully in more open areas. 

Like PlayStation's Astrobot, the screen is often flooded with an embarrassment of interactive riches as DK smashes his way through jewels.  

The great Ape's career in mining doesn't last long, however. A vortex appears in the sky above DK's mine, Ingot Isle, and crushes it beneath the surface of the earth. 

The demo picks up with DK on "Ape Cape: Sub Level 100".

Typically I'd take my time and explore every inch but the clock was ticking, so I powered my way to the end of the level, discovering a few hidden areas along the way before breaking open the purple dome at the end of the level with a bomb and dropping down to "Sublayer 101".

There were plenty of collectible fossils to uncover and special, shiny bananas to break along the way. I can't wait to peel back every one when Donkey Kong Bananza launches on July 17.  

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Eight years since it was first announced, I've finally played Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.  

It's so good. 

Only the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was available at Nintendo's preview event, so it's hard to say how much better it looks, but it is gorgeous. Think Metroid Prime Remastered but at 120 FPS and with HDR. It was buttery smooth.

As mentioned earlier, I forced myself to play with mouse controls for most of the demo; which followed the same opening area shown off in gameplay trailers and culminated in an incredible boss fight.

This massive creature, enraged by a Metroid, was clearly designed to test a player's accuracy. Four areas on its body needed to be damaged before exposing its weak spot, and it did a damn good job at blocking my shots. 

I picked up the controller a few times to try my luck with the thumbstick and gyro combination. The gyro only kicks in when you lock onto a target with 'L' which is great for accuracy but takes some getting used to. 

The opening area waxed between atmospheric exploration and intense battles. It was a very linear experience, but I expect the game will open up later on.

From the demo I played, the game felt done. 

Here's hoping it releases sooner rather than later.    

Nintendo Switch editions

Upgraded versions of both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were playable at our preview event. 

While I didn't get any hands-on time myself, I spent quite a while watching others play and the games undoubtedly look and run better. 

Nintendo says you'll get faster load times too but no one died or entered a shrine while I was watching to see for myself.  

The demo also didn't plop players directly into the Korok Forrest (which was notoriously choppy on the original Switch) to really show off the upgrade's chops. 

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will get both of these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions for free if they own the original titles. 

While it won't be the first game I play on Switch 2 (it has to be Mario Kart), the upgrade was impressive enough to coax me back into Hyrule.