The launch of a new Mario Kart game is a momentous occasion in gaming, and it’s been a very long time since we’ve had a new one. I’m sure for most people reading this that the Mario Kart series has been an important part of their gaming lives, and I’m no exception to this. Some of my very earliest memories are of waking up in the middle of the night to find my parents furiously racing in Super Mario Kart, which was their routine for a good couple of years despite not being hugely into video games. Now we finally all have Mario Kart World to make wonderful memories with, and this ambitious Switch 2 launch title will certainly assist with that.
As you’d likely expect from a Mario Kart game, Mario Kart World features lots of races – but not quite in the form you’ll be used to. This is because Mario Kart World is all set in one big open world, with themed tracks scattered around a vast expanse of racing goodness. In your standard Grand Prix you’ll still compete against opponents in four races, but after the initial three lap contest you’ll be racing to the next track instead of around it. The way the world has been constructed to facilitate this is really impressive, and lends itself to some wild races.
It wouldn’t be Mario Kart without some chaos, and the series has never seen chaos like this. A lot of this is down to the fact that races now feature twenty four people all throwing shells at each other, but the tracks themselves are rather chaotic too. You’ll be weaving between Goombas, fireballs, and barrels thrown by giant mecha monkeys, and thankfully whatever kart you choose to race in is perfectly capable of darting between these obstacles with a capable driver at the wheel.
Just like the sensational previous entry (and frankly all entries in the Mario Kart series) Mario Kart World features wonderful controls that just feel right. Veterans will be drifting around corners for boosts after mere minutes of play, but there are also some extra ways to get around in World too. There’s the ability to grind on rails and ride sideways on walls, which are moves you can chain together in a full on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater style. By mastering these abilities you’ll be able to find shortcuts that’ll help you take that coveted first place, and even find some secrets in free roam mode.
Another first for the series, Free Roam mode lets you explore the vast map of Mario Kart World at your own pace. This is by far the most relaxing way to play this usually much more frantic game, and you can use it to familiarise yourself with various stages or just go hunting for collectibles. There are Peach Coins and Question Mark Blocks to find that’ll unlock stickers for your online persona, and P-Switch challenges that provide mini missions to complete; like rushing to grab silver coins from near Piranha Plants or escaping a chasm with expert wall riding and jumping. Don’t go in expecting a Forza Horizon style sandbox though, this is a much more minimalist mode that’s perfect for Sunday drivers and photo mode enjoyers.
Like any good kart racer, Mario Kart World features a whole host of vehicles, characters and outfits to unlock in a variety of ways. You’ll get access to a selection of Mario’s friends and foes by winning a Grand Prix or transforming into them via magic during races, and lots of these characters have outfits to unlock too. You do this by collecting food while driving, which changes your look on the fly and allows you to select this attire at any time afterwards. Bumblebee Wario is clearly the best of these, but there’s plenty of other silly options for other tastes too.
Playing the standard Grand Prix mode and Free Roam is fun, but the star of the show in Mario Kart World is Knockout Tour. Combining Battle Royale sensibilities with wacky racing creates the most explosive and ridiculous mode ever to grace a racing game. Made up of linear tracks, Knockout Tour races are split by gates that only allow a specific number of players to continue. This means the bottom four will be eliminated entirely, and makes for a seriously tense experience. Nothing hurts more than getting knocked from first to ninth and getting kicked out early, but nothing feels better than stealing a victory over twenty three other colourful foes.
Like everything else, Knockout Tour can be played against the AI, locally with friends, or online against the sweaty masses. Mario Kart World is an absolute blast online, and seems lag free with very little downtime. Grand Prix is there too if you want to play something less stressful, as well as the return of Battle Mode for more violent racers. You’ll build up a ranking in each of these modes that you can show off to your friends, or if you’d rather just be the ultimate serious racer you can dive into time trial mode. There are so many ways to enjoy Mario Kart World, and you’re bound to find one you love.
Above all else though, it’s the Mario charm that makes me smile most when playing this wonderful kart racer. Nothing beats racing around Boo Cinema and drinking in the spooky vibes, or the SNES throwback of Mario Circuit. The theming of each track is sublime, and this is only bolstered by the vibrant visuals and exceptional soundtrack. The amount of retro Mario themes that have been modernised for this game is jaw dropping, and if you’re anything like me you’ll get punched in the nostalgia gut again and again.
Mario Kart World is a truly magical game, but it does have a few pretty significant issues to mention. Having to race in a straight line in most modes means you spend much less time on the actual themed tracks of the game, and often will be competing on less exciting and, dare I say it, slightly generic dirt tracks. For me this meant I connected so much less with the individual courses, and even now I struggle to remember routes even after dozens of hours of play.
The free roam mode features a particularly large issue too, which is that there’s no proper way to track the collectibles you’ve found or have yet to find. For me this meant it just felt sort of pointless to explore when I didn’t know there were rewards to find in a given area, and with even a few basic checklists it would be a much more engaging mode.
The final issue involves playing online, and feels like a massive oversight. When you have a group of friends to play with, you can’t take that group online to face other real people. The only options you have are to play with just the people you know or to add bots to the races, and I cannot begin to fathom why this limitation exists. It just means that both multiplayer with friends and with randoms is significantly worse, and I really hope down the line this issue is corrected.
Despite a few pretty major issues, Mario Kart World is undeniably a fantastic karting experience and a top notch launch title. I have spent multiple full days glued to this game, switching between modes and loving every minute of it. Mario Kart World is easily the most ambitious entry in this series, and the risk of shaking up the Mario Kart formula has absolutely paid off for Nintendo.
