Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World is an amazing-looking and sounding title on the Switch 2. I love all the new tracks and characters, though the way you unlock them feels unfair.

When it comes to racing games, the Mario Kart franchise is one of the few that immediately come to mind. It’s an iconic mash-up of all Nintendo characters, not to mention recognizable guests that do battle while in their little automobiles. It’s something Nintendo has been able to do over the years: take their massive catalog of games and create unique and entertaining games with them, be it award-winning fighting games or sports games.

Mario Kart World is an ambitious take on the tried-and-true mascot racing formula that mostly succeeds in its ambitions. The open world could use a bit more content, and I’m not quite sold on 24 players, but the visuals, new Knockout Tour mode, and multiplayer make this a more than worthwhile Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.

I am disappointed with Mario Kart World's Free Roam, but the game nails everything else. It's good for near-endless hours of entertainment, and it will definitely stay in my Switch 2 rotation for years to come. Mario Kart World is the best the series has ever looked or played and a definite must-have for Switch 2 early adopters.

It has been 33 years of Mario Kart, and while there have been more characters than the initial eight added, there has never been a real overhaul of how the games work. That is, until now. Who knows if it’s the power of the Nintendo Switch 2 bringing Nintendo much closer to on par with the current generation of consoles, or just finally deciding something needed to change from the original formula. Simply put, this is the first real overhaul since Double Dash trialled duos. Now, before you g...

Mario Kart World launches the Switch 2 era with style and ambition. With future updates likely on the horizon, World is already a celebration of everything that makes the series great—and a promising look at where it’s headed next.

If you liked Mario Kart 8, you’re likely to like Mario Kart World, and I can enthusiastically encourage you to try it if you’re on the fence. There are many kart racers on the market toda,y but there is a good reason why only Mario Kart has stood the test of time for over 30 years.

Summary: Mario Kart World offers neat twists on the classic Mario Kart formula, but its open-world ambitions are somewhat let down by some classic Nintendo quirkiness.

Although its open world is wonderfully designed, Mario Kart World's undercooked Free Roam mode means it's not utilised to its fullest, turning what should have been an exciting new direction for the series into a disappointment. This is thankfully salvaged by the traditional Grand Prix, VS Race and Online modes, which are as brilliant as ever, and the exceptional new Knockout Tour battle royale, meaning the overall package is still well worth your time.

Mario Kart World is easily the standout launch title on Nintendo Switch 2. And while that may not be saying much, I anticipate it’s comfortably going to be the best-selling Switch 2 game for the entire console generation. Nintendo has created a visually stunning kart racer here, chock-full of its trademark charm and personality. But it’s not without its issues - like the daftly organized character select screen and a Grand Prix format that has a bit of an identity crisis - but what’s here is an undoubtedly impressive racing game that I hope Nintendo continues to build and improve upon.

Mario Kart World takes the series in a bold new direction that mostly pays off. Each of the tracks has been expertly designed, the new Trick mechanics make Mario Kart more fun than ever, and the soundtrack is almost unbelievable. Nintendo has established the bones of an outstanding product, yet the new intermission tracks and online functionality troubles hold it back from being what it could be.

Mario Kart World takes Nintendo’s racing series to the open road with uneven results as charming character animations and a killer new mode in Knockout Tour collide with a sparse open world and new pacing tensions thanks to tracks melding into one another. A solid enough, if exorbitantly priced, new platform for a new generation, Mario Kart World has a bit more distance to cover before it can cross the finish line.