Every now and again, we see developers creating indie games that bare more than a slight resemblance to famous AAA titles in the industry, and this latest example is very reminiscent of a certain kart racer on the Nintendo Switch 2!
Yes, Marcus Kart World (or is it Maria Kart World?!) is now available on the Xbox Store, and despite only being there for a few days, it immediately started attracting attention via social media when it arrived.
Unfortunately, it's not the good kind of attention either:
Now, to give the developer credit here, the actual game itself doesn't look very reminiscent of Mario Kart at all. Yes, it's a kart racer with power-ups and what have you, but look at these screenshots - they don't exactly scream Mario Kart to us!
So basically, even though the game itself looks quite different, they've just tried to appeal by using a similar name and box art style to Mario Kart World - and to be honest, it doesn't seem like they're breaking any rules in the process.
There's obviously criticism around the use of AI in the main image, and it's actually insane that they're calling it Marcus Kart World when the picture says it's Maria Kart World, but otherwise it's just another indie racer on the store.
"Marcus Kart World is a fast-paced, colorful kart racing game where chaos, creativity, and competition collide. Choose from a cast of unique characters, each with their own signature vehicle and driving style, and race across dynamic tracks filled with wild turns, clever shortcuts, and unpredictable hazards.
Master drifting, collect power-ups, and outsmart your rivals in single-player or local multiplayer modes. Whether you're blasting through tropical ruins or soaring past neon-lit cityscapes, every race is a chance to prove you're the ultimate karting champion. Easy to pick up, hard to put down — welcome to the wild world of Maria Kart World!"
So, how do you feel about games like this? Are developers entitled to use techniques like these to attract people to their games, or are they overstepping the mark and flying too close to the sun in terms of emulating their inspirations? What do you think of the whole "AI slop" argument that does the rounds as well?
Let us know your thoughts about situations like these down in the comments section below.