While the online multiplayer supports up to 64 players in bracket-style tournaments, the Story Mode is your best friend at the start. Completing the story unlocks the bulk of the characters, tracks, and customization options. It serves as a necessary "onboarding" process for the mechanics.
If you are exploring the NSP format to access the game, it is vital to ensure you are sourcing the combined with the latest DLC unlockers . Many of the early 2022 NSP releases floating online contain the broken, microtransaction-heavy version of the game. To get the "better" experience, you would need to manually inject the later patches. Given that the game has been re-released without the paywall, the official copy is now the definitive and simplest way to play. chocobo gp switch nsp update dlc better