Review: Mario Kart World Is a Perfect Welcome to Switch 2

Mario Kart World feels not only influenced by entries that came before it, but what Nintendo always wanted the game to be. There are clear cues from mainline installments, in terms of course influences, modes, and vehicles. Mario Kart Tour feels equally important, given the idea of going around a whole region and the inclusion of so many character costumes. But it also feels like a type of title that highlights exactly what the company wants the Switch 2 to be, and that’s a powerhouse that encourages as many people as possible to come together. After spending four days essentially dedicating my life to racing, it feels like the ideal title to welcome in a new console generation.

Mario Kart World pairs staples with innovation. The hallmarks of the series are here. Grand Prix works as usual, with a person selecting a Cup that consists of four courses played one after another at 50cc, 100cc, or 150cc. It feels very much like the base version of Mario Kart 8 at times. Some of these might feature entirely new tracks, such as the Mushroom Cup with the original Mario Bros Circuit, Crown City, Whistletop Summit, and DK Spaceport, or may consist of ones that are “inspired” by past tracks like Flower Cup with Desert Hills, Shy Guy Bazaar, Wario Stadium, and Airship Fortress. The gimmick this time around is that after a race at one course is done, you actually drive along roadways and the map to the next, with that part of the trip being a part of the experience. It’s genuinely novel and I love the distinction between biomes. 

This design decision means the different courses in Mario Kart World tend to feel like real-world roadways, instead of manufactured tracks designed specifically for races. This is when I first started to feel the Mario Kart Tour influences, since I always felt those tracks seemed to sometimes feel like standard streets. This doesn’t mean whimsy is abandoned. There’s a lot of opportunity to do fun things here! Lots of jumps are available for tricks. It’s possible to drive along walls or grind along rails. Boosts appear. Item boxes and coins are plentiful. Roadsite dinners with food that provide a boost and maybe a costume are great. Plenty of secrets are strewn about as shortcuts, which can be investigated in Free Roam. 

Because everything is interconnected and there’s an effort to make tracks more exhaustive and expressive, that means returning  courses in Mario Kart World feel incredibly different. I’d say it is more like they are “inspired” by the classic tracks than 1:1 recreations as in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mario Circuit, Moo Moo Meadows, and Choco Mountain felt the most different to me while I went through them, while Shy Guy Bazaar and DK Pass perhaps seemed most familiar. I consider this more of a positive. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is wonderful and feels fantastic on the Switch 2, so someone in search of more traditional courses could go for that. Mario Kart World’s takes on tracks is much more inventive and interesting.

My one complaint is that the only challenge I experienced in Mario Kart World stemmed from the chaos of racing alongside 24 other people in Knockout Tour. The actual courses here never felt as challenging as any I experienced in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Double Dash, or other installments. I’m not asking for something as broken as Super Mario Kart. I do think the tracks here can be incredibly creative and visually stunning. They’re a joy to explore in Free Roam. They just are too easy. I suppose the best example I can give is this incarnation of Rainbow Road. Typically, I might actually attempt to avoid item boxes as I race, for fear of getting a Mushroom or Golden Mushroom that will send me careening off the course. Here? There’s no fear. There’s no danger. That paired with Smart Steering on by default and 200cc’s absence made me wonder if Nintendo put too much effort into courting a younger or amateur audience this time around.

In Knockout Tour, Mario Kart World absolutely feels like a challenge. One that console handles without any issue, which feels like a triumph given 24 people are involved. I didn’t experience any lag. Matches ended up being plentiful. Loading was nonexistent. It’s hectic in a way that still doesn’t feel unfair. Yes, there is some rubberbanding early in a match when there are larger groups of characters. I experienced most of that when trying to get in the top 16 and 12 at the third checkpoints. But once you’re in the top eight, it feels more like a standard race and, if you’re lucky enough to be in the top four, it’s incredible. I managed it only twice, and both times it felt like my opponents were the actual best of the best Mario Kart players. 

I will say the new execution of tracks in Mario Kart World does feel like it favors every mode other than Grand Prix. The design is great for cohesive Knockout Tour rallies. It offers more to explore when evading or collecting in the Balloon Battle and Coin Runners modes. The layouts are exemplary for Free Roam. 

Free Roam is the absolute best, by the way, and I feel it and Knockout Tour are the two options that really sell Mario Kart Tour and it being the poster child for the Switch 2 game everyone needs. Driving through the tracks reveals all of these hidden secrets and challenges that you wouldn’t expect in each area. There are personalities, such as happening upon Nabbit and needing to chase the character down. Most importantly, it can be genuinely relaxing. I love to hop into Free Roam and drive around, exploring nooks and crannies, while listening to some music or putting on a stream or podcast in the background. It is so easy to play around with possible strategies in this mode and do recon on courses. If you’re trying to get extra costumes for characters, finding a spot with Dash Food and camping out is so stress-free here.

I will say I’m a bit split on opinions when it comes to the character costumes in Mario Kart World, some of which are directly lifted from Mario Kart Tour. I do appreciate their inclusion, since discovering them is super fun and the designs are cute. However, I’m a bit disappointed too. There are a lot of costumes from the mobile game omitted, and clear favoritism is shown. Why is Peach’s farmer look here, but Daisy’s isn’t? Why do only babies get their Sailor outfits? None of Pauline’s are present, and she only gets one Aero variant. Cow doesn’t get a costume, but Shy Guy does? The new Super Mario series NPC racers are a fun addition, especially ones like Cow and Dolphin, but all of the Koopalings got left behind in Mario Kart 8. Also, all vehicles are set appearances, though you can customize them with earned stickers, but we can’t adjust parts like body, wheels, and glider for more personal elements.

Mario Kart World is incredible alone or with others online or offline, and it really shows off what might make Switch 2 special. It’s fantastic in more traditional modes like Grand Prix and Battle or new ones such as Knockout Tour and Free Roam. It pays tribute to past games, but feels totally different and innovative in some fun ways. I do wish Grand Prix felt a bit more challenging and perhaps that Koopalings came back, but getting characters like Cow and happening upon new options with Kamek or Dash Food can be a fun surprise during a race. It feels like a must-have game for the new console, while still also leaving a place Mario Kart 8 Deluxe too.

Mario Kart World is available for the Switch 2. 

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