Latest news with #MKW
Irish Independent
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Mario Kart World review: Karting evolution opens up a new world of racing
You can easily declare Mario Kart World the best new Switch 2 game of the launch line-up – but that's largely because it's a tiny field you could count on one hand. MKW has far more competition from previously released and upgraded Switch titles (eg, the two recent Zeldas) or ports from other platforms (such as Split Fiction and Cyberpunk 2077). Nonetheless, if you want one Switch 2-only title that demonstrates the potential of the new platform, MKW fits the bill with a riotous combination of kart races featuring up to 24 competitors at a time and a voluminous open world. Oh, and it costs an eyeraising €90. MKW faces the unenviable task of matching up to its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 – a Switch gangbuster that sold more than 76 million copies thanks in no little part to its copious tracks (96 at last count) and finely tuned mayhem. On the surface, the new game is still Mario Kart as we know it – but with bells on. You can perform new tricks such as wall riding and rail grinding to trigger speed boosts and reach new areas in ways reminiscent of Tony Hawk's skateboard antics. A host of new characters are at your disposal, and the tracks teem with shortcuts, opportunities for advantages and even some new special items such as outfits. This glow-up of the core experience allied to a generous bunch of new tracks and returning favourites probably wouldn't have been sufficient to distinguish MKW from MK8. Thankfully, Nintendo has also rethought the Mario Kart experience, with the result that MKW doubles the player count for additional pandemonium and elevates the space between lap-based races into a sprint competition itself. The main menu presents the usual options, including single-player and multiplayer, with obvious modes such as Grand Prix and Time Trials within. Select the familiar Grand Prix option – a series of four races, with the winner being the racer with the most points at the end – and MK veterans will be right at home. You'll immediately notice the impeccable frame rate – no slow-downs here – the immense track detail and the delightful chaos of competing against 23 other lunatics (not to mention obstacles such as wandering zebras or rolling boulders). If you've bought the €70 Switch 2 camera (or any other compatible webcam), you can superimpose your face above your kart to taunt your race rivals mercilessly. These upgrades come courtesy of the Switch 2's upgrade under the bonnet. Of course, all of Mario Kart's long-standing greatness is also on show, from the comedy crashes to the self-inflicted insults where you blunder into your own bomb or, most heinous of all, you launch the infamous leader-killing blue shell at yourself. Instead of just whisking you between stages, though, MKW makes you sprint through the neighbourhood to the next race, which exposes the other card up Nintendo's sleeve – the open world underpinning the whole game. It's reminiscent of the innovation in other racers such as Forza Horizon, although not nearly so fluent. In fact, you may not fully realise the sprints are different from the multi-lap races but the open world is waiting patiently for you on the main menu as a much more relaxed option. Drop into the map at any point and you can explore to your heart's content at your own pace. The entire land mass with its varying biomes is open to you and driving from one side to the other can take up to 10 minutes. Along the way, you'll find loads of mini-challenges and oodles of opportunity to just mess about with the terrain. Alas, the concept feels incomplete compared to the likes of Forza Horizon in that you can't launch races from within the open world, see online players or easily keep track of the mini-challenges, which are each denoted by a P-switch haphazardly dotted around the landscape. It feels as if Nintendo has a way to go to crystallise the open world into something beyond a random meander. Despite this reservation, Mario Kart World elegantly nails Nintendo's goal of showcasing the Switch 2's horsepower while shifting the series into a new gear to surprise and thrill a legion of fans.
CNA
06-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
China's pro wrestling scene dealt one-two blow by sluggish economy, lack of support
BEIJING: In an event space on the fringes of Beijing, two heavyset wrestlers in spandex and masks stare each other down in the middle of a ring. They spring off the ropes with surprising agility, poised to strike. A third figure, clad in a traditional Chinese gown, storms onto the squared circle. With swift, kungfu-style power kicks, he sends both fighters crashing onto the mat with thunderous thuds that echo around the arena. "This is awesome! This is awesome!" the crowd roars in English. While the venue sold out all of its almost 400 seats, the overall number of Chinese pro wrestling spectators is a far cry from what it once was, with its standing ticket sales far below expectations. A few years ago, Middle Kingdom Wrestling (MKW), one of China's few homegrown wrestling promoters, was riding a wave of momentum. Viewership was increasing – its roster of pro-wrestlers sold out shows and profited from the sale of merchandise. But since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it has struggled to recreate the buzz. As China's economic slowdown continues to bite, its ticketed shows – which used to be held once every two months – are now organised just twice a year. 'We kind of had to slow down a bit and try to find opportunities. The economy continues to be sluggish for a lot of industries,' said Adrian Gomez, president of the organisation. Its shows are infused with a distinct local flair – wrestlers don gear with Chinese embroidery while traditional music blares from the speakers. A ticket at the front row costs about US$70, while the cheapest is priced at around US$26. Hardcore fans said they are willing to pay the relatively steep price, given that the live atmosphere at such events is electrifying and "incomparable" to watching on a screen. Some said they would even travel from other cities just for the experience. "I don't think it's very expensive. Here, I can experience the live atmosphere, see some of our top fighters, and also some of our top-tier pro-wrestlers. It's totally worth it,' said a ticket holder. MKW also live streams its shows for free, which typically attract several thousand views. UNTAPPED POTENTIAL In January, Chinese authorities relaxed rules for staging large-scale commercial performances as part of efforts to spur consumption. But pro wrestling is still struggling to carve out its audience in the country as debate persists over whether it is a violent sport or staged spectacle. The community lament a lack of official support, recognition and understanding of the sport. The scene's largely underground following is a world of difference from its far more glitzy and well-known counterpart – the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in the United States. WWE's flagship Raw programme still sees about 1.7 million viewers in America per episode, and made its Netflix debut in January with 4.9 million global views. Industry players said they believe there is enormous untapped potential for pro wrestling in China, the world's second most populous nation. They added that the sector just needs a breakout star to give the sport a fighting chance. 'The Chinese wrestling industry is still quite new and the main thing is that we need to cultivate an environment where it's going to allow a Chinese wrestler to break out. That is what's going to build up the scene,' said MKW's Gomez. For now, the sport remains a niche pursuit powered by passion, not profit. 'I was a full-time professional wrestler for a while, but it was only for a period of time. Most wrestlers have to work other jobs to make money,' said a Chinese pro-wrestler known as The Slam. 'Wrestling can only be a side hustle – there are some who do it full-time, but they're the very few.' Still, there are hopes that pro wrestling could gain ground. In southern China's Guangdong province, where WWE used to air on cable television, a restaurant went viral on Chinese social media last year for featuring its own wrestling ring. MKW, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, said the next step is to expand domestically beyond traditional fan hubs like Guangdong and Shanghai, into new markets like Beijing. "Beijing hasn't had a wrestling show in over 10 years, so that was a very calculated decision," Gomez said of the promoter's organising of the recent event in the Chinese capital. "If we go to Beijing, we've got to make sure that's it's the right time, that we have the right resources and that we do it right." He added that featuring international stars can also help boost the profile for local talents.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
China's pro-wrestlers search for a star to bring the sport out of the shadows
Rising from the ground with 73kg of writhing muscle on his shoulders, Wang Tao grimaced. The man whose legs were wrapped around his head was not giving up, pulling at Wang's silver-tipped hair, dyed especially for the occasion. But Wang knew what he had to do. Reaching up with one arm, he grasped his opponent's neck, and pulled forwards, flinging him to the ground. Seconds later, Wang had him pinned to the floor for a three-count, and had successfully defended his title as Middle Kingdom Wrestling's 'Belt and Road' champion. Advertisement The crowd in Beijing went wild. 'It was so much better than I expected,' said Wang, beaming with a post-match adrenaline rush. 'The audience reaction was really, really good'. Even Wang's defeated opponent, Shaheen Alshehhi, was impressed. 'You're fucking awesome,' he , said after the match, inviting Wang to compete in Dubai. Wang is the 25-year-old poster boy for an industry that has struggled for years to gain a foothold in China, despite a huge potential market and a culture that enjoys its own rich history of martial arts and professional fighting. Less than 10% of households with internet access watch pro-wrestling, according to a 2023 survey by S&P Global, a market intelligence company. For sports like basketball and football, the figure is over 50%. Some in the industry hope that Wang could make the sport popular in China the way it is in America. Wang fell in love with wrestling after watching The Wrestler, an American movie starring Mickey Rourke, as a 15-year-old in rural Henan, one of China's poorest provinces. Two years later he ran away from home to train at a wrestling camp hundreds of miles away. Advertisement Related: Inside China's pro wrestling scene – in pictures Saturday's event – to mark 10 years since the founding of Middle Kingdom Wrestling (MKW), one of China's few pro-wrestling organisations – was the first time that the teenage runaway had ever been to Beijing. He couldn't sleep the night before with excitement. Now his brawn, showmanship, and the glitzy all-American spectacle of pro-wrestling is set to take the boy from the Chinese countryside from the middle kingdom to the Middle East. 'If it wasn't for wrestling, I probably wouldn't even have a passport,' he said. Sports or entertainment? World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) launched in China in 2016, signing a streaming deal with a local platform and scouring China for homegrown talent. It is still pursuing an audience in China, and in 2020 reportedly signed a new partnership agreement with iQiyi, a Chinese streaming service. Events are also broadcast on some regional channels. Advertisement But the sport's reach is limited because of a lack of official support and cultural understanding. Chinese authorities often confuse the choreographed events for actual fighting, or disapprove of the general air of anarchy that surrounds raucous matches. The sports-or-entertainment quandary has baffled Chinese regulators, said Ho Ho Lun, a 37-year-old wrestling producer and performer who also competed on Saturday. Wrestling's 'theatrical elements' mean that sports authorities often punt responsibility for events to the entertainment bureau, while the entertainment bureau often wants to punt it straight back. 'So we're in between, that's our challenge,' Ho said. Later that night, he entered the ring at MKW's sold-out event dressed in metallic green and silver trousers and a T-shirt emblazoned with a kung fu cartoon of himself performing a flying side kick. It's not just regulators who are confused. 'Most Chinese people still think wrestling is fake compared to real fighting. They don't understand it,' said Zhang, a 21-year-old student who travelled to Beijing from neighbouring Hebei to watch Saturday's match. The winners in pro-wrestling matches are pre-decided, but fans insist that the athleticism and storytelling on display make it just as, if not more, compelling than other types of sport performances. Advertisement Adrian Gomez, a 37-year-old wrestling fanatic who founded MKW in 2015, is on a mission to change that. 'You can't just throw money at a market and expect it to work,' said Gomez, who hails from Arizona. 'I think that WWE underestimated the fact that there still needs to be more connection with Chinese fans … they still want something that feels a little bit more authentic'. In that vein, many of MKW's wrestlers incorporate traditional Chinese elements into their characters. At Saturday's soiree, one wrestler wore a long black Qing dynasty-style robe complete with a high mandarin collar and Chinese knot buttons. Another donned a red-and-gold Peking opera style mask, not dissimilar to the colourful wrestling face coverings worn by fans in the audience. Han Guangchen, a burly wrestler and film-maker from Shanghai, said videos that include elements of traditional Chinese martial arts do vastly better on social media. The search for a breakout star But what Chinese wrestling really needs, according to the aficionados, is one big name. 'Until we have one Jay Chou of wrestling that creates a big superstar, [going mainstream] will take some time,' said Ho, referring to the Taiwanese singer who is arguably the biggest Sinophone pop star in the world. Advertisement In 2016, as part of its China launch, WWE signed Wang Bin, a young Chinese athlete who was scouted in Japan. He caused a buzz as the American company's first mainland Chinese wrestler, but he terminated his contract just two years later. 'American wrestling focuses more on performance,' Wang said at the time, while his first love, Japanese wrestling, 'focuses more on fighting style and real skills'. Wang claimed to love both, but WWE deemed that he didn't have the acting charisma necessary to excel in the idiosyncratic universe of American pro-wrestling. Could Wang Tao be the answer? Now a full-time wrestler, he barely makes ends meet by competing in matches and making online content. But his reach is limited, with even the most popular videos attracting only about 1,000 viewers. Many of his friends have dropped out of the nascent industry because of the financial insecurity, he said. Although it hasn't made him rich, it's taken him to places he couldn't have dreamed of a few years ago. 'When I get into the ring, with all the lights on and the crowds cheering, I feel that all the effort has been worth it,' he said. MKW's fans seem to agree, going wild for fist bumps and high fives when he stepped out of the ring. Laurel Burns, an American drama teacher in Beijing, was among the chanting and cheering crowd. 'I was so excited to touch him,' she said.
