​Mario Kart World Review

---

Mario Kart World delivers an engaging blend of high-octane racing thrills, impressive innovation, and chaotic multiplayer, confidently standing as Nintendo’s flagship launch exclusive for the Switch 2. Positioned as the essential game for new console owners, it immediately sets the tone with exhilarating 24-player races, doubling the previous maximum number of 12 from Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8/Deluxe respectively. Opening moments in the all-new Knockout Tour events vividly resemble the turbulent and unpredictable nature of a Formula 1 turn one, instantly showcasing both the console’s capabilities with rock-solid performance and the game's ambition. This massive field intensifies the classic Mario Kart scenario, one moment you can taste first place only to see everything crumble in the last few corners, or as I call it, getting "Mario Karted."

There is no doubt in my mind that Mario Kart World is a worthy successor to its predecessor and best-selling entry to the franchise Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch, although some bewildered design decisions open the door for content updates to further enhance the overall package. World genuinely feels fresh and distinct compared to the previous entries, largely due to Deluxe being an enhanced version of the Wii U offering, which already felt and played quite similar to Mario Kart 7 on 3DS (still enjoyable to play online to this day). Its expansive open-world design (a first for the series), visually vibrant and varied environmental biomes, and engaging new gameplay mechanics clearly set it apart.

The entire map is seamlessly interconnected, linking the entire continent together, helping with the illusion of it being alive and inviting. Buses wait for backpacking toads and other Mario franchise staple characters at bus stops, cheep-cheeps swimming in formations surrounding Koopa Troopa beach, and piranha plants scouring the hot sands of Desert Hills. Subtle shifts from daytime sunshine to nighttime glow add a natural rhythm to exploring the open world as well as during races. Dynamic weather, such as rain and snow, can alter the sensation of drifting around tracks, affecting kart handling. Thinking about using the lightning item to stun your opponents and you may end up triggering a rainstorm, along with more intense weather elements, hello tornadoes and are those item boxes raining down from the sky? I often found myself, across the dozens of hours I’ve already put into the game, lingering between races, soaking in the detailed environments and humming along to nostalgically remixed Mario tunes, a testament to Nintendo’s careful craft and rich history.

I’ve already briefly touched upon it, but Mario Kart World is the showcase title for Nintendo Switch 2, and it does not disappoint with unwavering 60fps performance when playing single-player docked or in handheld mode. This also translates into the smoothest online experience I’ve had with a Nintendo developed title to date (although it is not without faults), although local multiplayer drops down to 30fps with three or more players. The overall tone of Mario Kart World notably shifts away from previous entries, embracing a lighter and more playful mood with one of the most remarkable soundtracks to date. Characters are noticeably more expressive and cheerful throughout races, marking a clear departure from the intense and meme-worthy "death stares" from Mario Kart 8. Karts feel almost organic, further enhancing these playful sensations, dynamically bending, twisting, and bouncing as you race; perfectly complementing the whimsical charm that defines the game. Remarkably absent is any way to customize your kart (no optional wheels/tires and gliders have been removed for plane wings built into each kart), besides adding one of the hundreds of earnable stickers that may not even be visible on your kart of choice.

200cc doesn’t make an appearance in the game at least not yet, so you’ll have three different options when playing single-player; 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. If you’ve been playing 8 Deluxe up until the release of Switch 2, you’ll find that drifting does not have the same tightness that it did, almost feeling more akin to the Wii version than anything else. Not that there's anything wrong, as it feels outstanding, once you’ve settled in after the adjustment period (we’ve been playing 8 for over a decade now!). Mario Kart World introduces a robust trick/parkour system that significantly expands upon the classic boost and power-slide mechanics. Players can chain tricks together, almost skateboarding-like, creating consecutive boosts and significantly enhancing gameplay depth. For example, a well-timed feather (a returning fan-favorite item) can propel you upward to reach a higher-tier grind rail, which can then be transitioned into a sideways leap to wall-ride off a ramp and flip through the air and back onto the track, ideally landing directly ahead of another driver (bonus points and a speed boost for landing on someone). Mastering these sequences feels rewarding and adds a genuinely fresh layer of strategy, skill, and luck to races.

This is where free roam shines, allowing you to experiment with various items, such as a mushroom granting a temporary speed boost and when it is the best moment to use it to cut corners of sections of tracks to come out on top of the competition. Yes, I’m sure influencers will ruin the surprise and mystic surrounding the gameplay by releasing “meta” videos, but I encourage you to try things out for yourself; sometimes the journey is more rewarding than the end goal. The included rewind feature, activated by holding down on the d-pad can only be used in single-player modes as well as free roam. There isn’t much use, as it doesn’t affect the CPU drivers, so only use it if you think it will be faster to reset yourself than waiting on Lakitu to come collect you after falling off the track. Sure, I’ve used it to avoid a blue shell if timed perfectly, but since no one else is affected, I still lost places during the race anyway.

Nintendo thoughtfully integrates assistive options like steering assistance and intuitive tutorials, ensuring Mario Kart World remains welcoming to players of all skill levels. Strategically timing a golden mushroom, allowing you to trigger multiple speed boosts over a set period, gives you ample opportunity to get back in races and swiftly climb the ranks. There are several notable new items that make their debut in Mario Kart World, along with returning favorites from 8 Deluxe. Coin shells, golden in appearance, leave a trail of coins in their wake, cutting through opponents before exploding and showering the track with coins. Ice flowers can freeze other racers with balls of ice, the antithesis to the classic fire flower power-up. Hammers may be my favorite new addition, as you toss multiple hammers in an arc, smashing through the ground, and forming temporary obstacles.

Kamek’s purple crystal needs a special mention, as once triggered, Kamek, Bowser’s right-hand man...err...koopa flies through the pack of racers, transforming them into various creatures or non-playable characters in the Mario universe (such as Spike, Penguin, Nabbit, Goomba, etc.), summoning obstacles in his wake along the track, such as multiple Spikes tossing spiked balls from their mouths. You may be transformed into Cow (the internet’s fan-favorite), and larger than life cows will litter the landscape as if every track is Moo Moo Meadows. Besides the characters unlocked by completing each cup in Grand Prix (nothing unlocks from Knockout Tour), Kamek’s magic is the only way to unlock these NPC characters, gating a sizable amount of them behind complete randomness. Not to mention, everything about Kamek is randomized, with no guarantee you will be transformed, not to mention you need to be on the right track for the specific characters you are missing.

Similarly, unlocking alternate outfits for characters is completely randomized, with no discernible pattern regarding why one food power-up (known as Dash Food) unlocks a new costume and another does nothing. Sometimes you are only on the receiving end of a speed boost from the exquisitely detailed and themed food power-ups tied to each region and circuit of the map, and other times you have a chance of unlocking a new costume, but also have a chance of transformation into one you already have. Once you unlock a bunch of outfits, the character selection screen turns into a slog, as you will have to scroll through page after page of these costumes to find the character you want. There’s an option to sort the costumes together, but it does result in a cumbersome menu experience, and one that could have easily been avoided by limiting the main selection by unique character and having a costume option after character selection. Many of the outfits come from Mario Kart Tour (mobile), and you’ll need to locate one of Yoshi’s eateries in the right region to unlock the outfit you are after. Mario and Luigi’s Happi outfits can be unlocked by locating a restaurant near Cheep Cheep Falls and eating a plate of Sushi, whereas a food truck parked outside of Boo Cinema is the only location selling Cinema Popcorn.

Visually, the game shines with vibrant environments (HDR really makes everything pop when properly set up in docked mode), detailed character animations, and standout moments like the genuinely astonishing redesigned Rainbow Road, which sets a new visual benchmark for the franchise. Vehicle handling remains accessible yet nuanced enough for both casual gamers and veteran players, striking a satisfying balance. The accessibility features, like smart-steering, and auto-accelerate genuinely help beginners join in quickly, though veterans may find some assists overly restrictive. There’s even an option to auto-use items, which appears to be timing based on the power-up. Smart-steering is turned on by default when you first boot the game, so ensure you disable it in the settings menu if you are not interested in using it.

Mario Kart World shakes up traditional Grand Prix events by mixing familiar three-lap races around dedicated circuits with single-lap, rally-style segments that seamlessly link the open world together. Only the first event of the four within each cup plays out in the traditional sense, as each subsequent race requires you to drive from track to track across open highway sections. There’s certainly been some heavy discourse with people voicing their displeasure, especially since there are zero customization options in Grand Prix to have four circuit events like in previous entries. I think the reaction to “change” in a longstanding formula is certainly overplayed at this point, as it certainly is a creative way to break up the monotony of simply doing the same circuits over and over, not to mention there are so many different shortcuts and locales to experience in these sections that I don’t hold any ill will towards them, but do understand the reasoning to want a more traditional setup.

Knockout Tour further ramps up the excitement, offering a marathon-style race that continuously eliminates racers at checkpoints, injecting constant tension and a sense of urgency throughout. This significantly improves the rally-style approach to the game that you simply don’t get in Grand Prix. This mode shifts racing tactics as players become noticeably more aggressive and defensive early on, making the race feel more like a strategic survival battle rather than a standard kart sprint. It makes you wonder if the open world was designed with Knockout Tour in mind, which seems to be the case, and begs the question why shoehorn the highway sections into Grand Prix at all?

Track selection is consistently strong, offering standout courses that range from thrilling snowy mountain descent of DK Pass, to the volcanic circuits of Bowser’s Castle and Dry Bones Burnout. The vividly detailed tracks are teeming with animated wildlife, each delivering unique visual flair and distinct driving challenges, with Acorn Heights being one of my absolute favorites. With 30 tracks already populating the entire map, it’s hard to see where and if Nintendo will expand the gameworld to add new or returning tracks or maybe DLC will exist on a new map entirely.

Similarly to Mario Kart 8 on Wii U (not as bad), Battle Mode fans will be disappointed that while it is serviceable in its current state, it almost feels like a complete afterthought. Only two modes exist, Balloon Battle and Coin Runners, excluding fan-favorites Shine Thief and Renegade Roundup. Options are almost non-existent, with no way to remove the required time limit, or customize the power-ups outside of two presets.

Free Roam is another new addition, available both solo and online, providing a rewarding downtime experience, albeit a bit dull. Players can leisurely collect Peach Medallions, drive over Question Panels, and tackle intricate P-Switch Missions requiring precision driving and perfect timing. These skill-based or time-sensitive challenges range from consecutive boosted jumps through rings up a cliff, to elaborate multiple rail-grinding sequences, to competing in a time trial on the SNES style Mario Circuit, complete with the track's original musical score. Completing 10 of the over 300 available P-Switch tasks are necessary for unlocking Mirror Mode, alongside finishing all Grand Prix and Knockout Tours, locating 10 Question Panels and collecting 10 Peach Medallions, so you'll definitely want to explore Mario Kart World's expansive map thoroughly. Curiously, the beloved 200cc mode is missing at launch.

Accessible via the game’s main menu or while waiting for the next race/battle to start in an online lobby, Free Roam has interconnected and enjoyable moments with those you are playing with, along with a couple caveats. There’s no way to enjoy multiplayer Free Roam locally without resorting to a workaround: when waiting for a race to start online or wireless, you can drive around with up to two players in split-screen. However, P-Switch Missions are removed when exploring the map online, and there's a limitation on how far players can stray from one another. There’s no online leaderboards for the challengers, no way to compare your time against a friend, or even a way to see your own best times.

There are over 100 Question Panels hidden throughout the various track circuits, all of which can be found offline or online. Peach Medallions are often located in tough to reach locations, requiring you to think about how to best use the environment, such as using grind rails to parkour up a wall, or using a ramp to launch yourself into the sky. While viewing the map, you can see how many panels you've collected (or missing) around each of the 30 track circuits, as well the alternate costumes per character. Despite these engaging exploration elements, some features underwhelm. Stickers, while plentiful, suffer from limited placement options; disappointingly shallow for a feature so central. Not every vehicle supports sticker placement, and even those that do offer only a single fixed location without customization options like resizing or rotation. This limitation becomes particularly frustrating when certain karts, such as those featuring character-themed liveries (like a giant W for Wario) on the classic Pipe Frame kart, don’t display stickers at all.

Additionally, the only navigational aid while exploring is a barebones mini-map, providing a top-down 3D representation of your immediate surroundings. Without a compass indicator, it becomes needlessly complicated to determine which direction you are heading, but considering you can’t access the full map while actually playing, it's a moot point. Rainbow Road, which has always been a fan-favorite track in every game (maybe not on Wii) can't be accessed during Free Roam. In fact, you’ll probably barely/never see it online as well, as it needs to be selected from a “random” track choice. I have yet to race on the amazingly designed track online, and it isn’t even an option in any of the seven Knockout Tours.

I do find the free-roaming experience of exploring the expansive game world thoroughly relaxing, particularly when paired with the exceptional piano lounge-style remixes of classic Mario Bros. music (please add a jukebox!). One standout moment nearly brought me to tears as an upbeat, piano-driven remix of the themes from Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2 flowed beautifully through my surround sound setup, capturing a perfect blend of nostalgic warmth and comforting exploration.

The online experience with friends particularly highlights how Nintendo still struggles to understand modern multiplayer expectations. In 2025, the inability to properly matchmake together feels archaic. Knockout Tour, despite being one of the game's standout modes, can only be enjoyed with friends if you're content with CPU opponents filling the remaining slots. This baffling limitation undermines the chaos and competition that makes 24-player races so thrilling. VS Races prove equally frustrating; attempting to join a friend often results in extended lobby waits or outright rejection if their room is full. The lack of basic party systems or group queuing that have been standard in online gaming for over a decade makes playing with friends feel like an afterthought rather than a core feature. It's frustrating to see Nintendo nail so many innovative gameplay elements while fumbling fundamental online functionality that other developers perfected years ago.

Simply Put

Mario Kart World is a visually stunning and exhilarating racer that delivers substantial innovations and some of the best gameplay mechanics the series has ever seen. The massive 24-player races justify the $80 price tag, even if it causes initial sticker shock. While held back by restrictive customization options, limited Battle Mode offerings, awkward online experiences when playing with friends, and an unintuitive character selection interface, the game still manages to deliver plenty of excitement and charm. Despite these notable caveats, Mario Kart World remains a must-buy title alongside the new system.

Note: ​Mario Kart World was reviewed on Switch 2. A digital copy of the game was purchased by SelectButton.