This isn’t just Mario Kart. It’s Mario Kart World. Not since GameCube’s Double Dash has so much been made of the karting series’ key new feature – a Forza Horizon-style open world that you can explore between the riotous racing fun, taking on challenges as you go.
And that’s not the only thing Mario Kart World has under its shiny new Switch 2 hood. There’s the new 24-player battle royale-style mode, and the biggest roster of characters we’ve ever seen, while the all-new track design means that the racing is as good as it has ever been.
It’s just a shame that the key selling point falls a bit flat, and, especially for an $80 game, that’s a disappointment, but everything else more than justifies it.
Mario Kart World screenshots
What is Mario Kart World all about?
Apart from when Nintendo decided to complicate things by chucking two characters in one kart (have you gathered I’m not a Double Dash fan yet?) Mario Kart has always been pretty simple to understand. Winning consistently, though, that’s a different matter.
Mario Kart rewards players who abuse powerful items to obliterate their enemies as they race around the track, but also those who can learn the perfect speed boost start, how to snake, and memorize every shortcut.
Although, there is something to be said for lingering at the back to get the best items (I see you, Bullet Bill players) and, sometimes, even if you race with all the skill and aggression of Max Verstappen, you can be smashed by a blue-shell on the finish line and be overtaken.
So the racing here is exactly what you would expect, but as we’re about to go through, there’s a lot more going on in Mario Kart World.
New battle royale-style mode takes the trophy
Surprisingly, it’s not Mario Kart’s World that’s the best new thing about the Switch 2 launch game, it’s Knockout Tour.
In this manic mode, 24 players are pitted against one another as they whizz through interconnected race tracks. The exciting twist is that you must reach each track’s checkpoint to avoid being booted out of the next race. And yes, it’s just as chaotic and nerve-wracking as you can imagine.
One memorable multiplayer match had my palms growing increasingly sweaty as I narrowly avoided Bob-omb blasts and a never-ending barrage of green shells (thanks for that Baby Peach). After making it into the top four, I got my revenge by slamming into the pint-sized princess, forcing her to eat one of her five a day with a well-placed banana.
Knockout Tour is the best part of Mario Kart World.
What followed was a mad dash to the finish line, as my Kart sped up the sandy ramp and into the sky above, before safely touching down at the finish line for a heart-racing victory.
It’s these memorable moments that make Knockout Tour so addictive. Sure, you can still queue up for the more traditional Grand Prix matches, or even blow off some steam by bullying your friends in Battle mode, but this is the go-to mode in Mario Kart World. It really is a knockout.
Great courses with a dull open world
The seamless nature of the tracks are spectacular, making the most of Switch 2’s higher resolution and performance. While they’re not your traditional lap affair, it’s hard not to admire the scenery as you sail through the tranquil waters of Cheep Cheep Falls, taking in the sights of Japanese temples and maple trees. The star-filled skies and soft glow of lanterns then fade away, and you’ll quickly be whizzing through the snowy slopes of DK Pass.
Another track that caught my attention was DK Spaceport, which started life as an unassuming construction site before evolving into a track resembling NES Donkey Kong. It’s here where I found myself dodging my fellow racers’ items, and the colossal barrels that were being hurled down the metal girders by a robot Donkey Kong.
Dexerto/Nintendo Mario Kart World’s maps are as stunning as they are ambitious.
The transition between ground, water, and aerial racing mechanics makes changing terrain flawless, and you just have to marvel at the levels of creativity.
Sadly, the same can’t be said about the open world. Sure, it’s nice to take a scenic drive, check out the sights, and see how each track is interconnected, but it is honestly a pretty shallow experience.
Nintendo has tried to liven things up by dotting challenges and collectibles around the map, but for the most part, they’re pretty dull. Hoovering up coins in an allotted time lacks the same heart-pounding moments that World’s 24-player races do. Outside of collecting new character outfits and using it as a glorified waiting room before the next race, I can’t imagine I’ll spend a lot of time here.
Colorful characters & wacky items
Mario Kart World is home to more characters than you can shake a Goomba at (yes, he is also in the game). Seemingly every side character has managed to make their way to the track, with a whopping 50 characters and a dizzying number of alternate outfits.
Did Nintendo need to add this many characters? Probably not. But is it fun? You bet it is! There’s something so daft about using a dairy cow to steal first place from try-hard Bowser players that it genuinely brightens my day.
While characters are still divided by weight classes, World has done away with kart combinations. Instead, every character has the same vehicle options, but with stat changes depending on their weight class. As someone who enjoyed making the most broken kart combos in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss this feature, but it does make races more balanced.
Dexerto/NintendoCow is the best Mario Kart character, it’s no contest.
Every character can unleash their inner Tony Hawk by using the new jumping mechanic to launch themselves onto railings and even glide along walls. The only issue I found with this wheel’s off-the-ground mechanic is that it’s tied to the same button inputs as drifting and accelerating.
This made for awkward moments where I’d slam into the railing instead of elegantly skating across it. It comes with some practice, but it doesn’t feel too intuitive. Fortunately, the new items have quickly removed my disappointment over my lack of aerial acrobatics.
None of them drastically shake up the overall gameplay, but throwing out Hammers and watching Golden Shells crash into multiple enemies, sending coins everywhere, is as satisfying as it is lucrative. However, it’s the return of the Mega Mushroom that won me over. After all, who doesn’t want to control a colossal cow as they decimate everyone who dares to get in the way?
Verdict
It’s such a shame that the key selling point of the Mario Kart Switch 2 game, its open world, falls a bit flat, because pretty much everything else is so, so good. Ok, the lack of kart customization bothers me a little, but with a crazier cast of characters, fun items, and incredibly imaginative tracks, the racing is as good as it has ever been.
And in Knockout Tour’s hectic 24-player battle royale-style matches, it’s even better, proving that Nintendo can still deliver surprises that completely change the way we play its iconic games. I never thought I needed or wanted a BR-style mode in Mario Kart, and now I’m sitting here questioning why it’s never been added before. If only it had been called Mario Kart Knockout, eh?
