Mario Kart World Reviews

Mario Kart World brings fresh visuals and smoother gameplay to Nintendo’s beloved racing series, but longtime fans might find themselves wanting more speed. Built on the foundation of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this latest entry prioritizes accessibility and stunning presentation over the breakneck pace veterans expect. In our review of Mario Kart World, we’ll explore how the game balances welcoming newcomers while potentially leaving experienced racers feeling like they’re stuck in first gear.

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 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 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.

Mario Kart World has a lot of big ideas, but its execution on them can feel shaky. It has a massive, interconnected open world, but there’s not much to do in it and you barely spend any time on the carefully crafted racetracks. It bumps each race up to 24 participants, but can feel so chaotic as to be unparsable at times. The driving in and of itself is great, it’s just everything that surrounds it can feel half baked.

Mario Kart World is the most visually impressive entry of the series, and its Knockout Tour mode is the best addition to the franchise. However, its open-world component feels shallow and doesn't encourage players to pursue it.

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.

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It’s been a while since Mario upgraded his wheels. To be fair, Mario Kart 8 is a pretty tough act to follow, selling over 75 million copies between its Wii U and Switch iterations, but with the long-awaited launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, the Mushroom Kingdom crew are once again hitting the asphalt in Mario Kart World.

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...

As far as launch titles go, Mario Kart World is a real banger. The races are more chaotic and intense, the world feels huge, and there’s a ton of racers to choose from. Also, the skill ceiling feels higher. I wish the world were as big as it feels, but we’re in pretty early days yet. I’d also love a splitscreen Free Roam mode, but that’s pure wishlist stuff. Buying a new console is always a little intimidating, to be sure. And racing games aren’t for everyone. But if you’re into Mario Kart even a tiny bit, you’d be a fool to pass on Mario Kart World.

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.

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.

Free Roam is a major disappointment, but Mario Kart World is still an excellent game that helps justify purchasing a Nintendo Switch 2. It's the console's day-one killer app backed by an incredible soundtrack, well-rounded roster of characters, and addictive gameplay. There's so much more than meets the eye here. Nintendo has rightfully come under fire for skimping on content with their games, but that thankfully isn't the case here. After putting thousands of hours into Mario Kart 8, I can see myself doing the same with Mario Kart World. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to go back online and participate in more Knockout Tour races.

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 bold, ambitious, and utterly charming, and even a couple of hiccups don't spoil the pure joy and chaos it presents.

How do you follow up a nigh on perfect video game? It’s a problem that Nintendo has faced more often than most, yet with each generation they release a game that brings new perspectives and twists while also refining the core ideas further. Mario Kart 8 in particular was the culmination of this iconic series first two decades. Sure, everyone might have their favourite that they grew up with or spent years playing in split-screen with siblings and friend, but Mario Kart 8 game refined and honed everything so, so brilliantly.

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.

However, the first thing that struck me while playing this latest entry in the series is the fact that Mario Kart World's courses are incredible. We may not have the plethora of 96 tracks that we enjoyed by the end of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's lifespan. However, it's important to remember that many of those Mario Kart 8 courses came in DLC packs that were released long after the original launch of the game. Therefore, it is entirely possible, if not probable, that Mario Kart World will also see additions in the coming years.

Mario Kart World is indisputably the best first-party launch game for the new Nintendo Switch 2 console, and its new major departures for the franchise – like Knockout Tour and Free Roam – are delightful, but it remains to be seen if the kart racer can keep up the pace for the long haul.

Mario Kart World redefines what a kart racer can be, blending freedom with innovative race mechanics and unforgettable charm. While its unstructured approach won’t click with everyone, it’s an impressive, polished, and endlessly fun new direction for the genre.

The big Nintendo Switch 2 launch title delivers in all of the ways that matter.

Mario Kart World powerslides onto Nintendo Switch 2 as the de facto launch game to play in the absence of much competition. It’s a vibrant and joyful racer, perfect for playing with friends and family (or against the world online), but not all the tweaks to the classic Mario Kart formula are successful, with the new open-world mode being particularly underwhelming.

Mario Kart World may not make the most convincing case that going open-world was the boost the series needed, but excellent multiplayer racing, incredible polish, and the thrilling new Knockout Tour mode still more than live up to its legacy.

For some family and friend groups, Mario Kart is an institution – a foundational memory of competition, silliness, and fun that has endured for decades of new tracks, racers, and games. That reputation for entertainment is at no risk of being lost by the arrival of Mario Kart World, which offers tons of thrilling and bonkers courses, an intense awareness of adrenaline-fueled speed, and the best feeling controls to date. It’s also true that this new Mario Kart stumbles in some important wa...

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.

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.

The whole world is your racetrack in this massive evolution of the Mario Kart series! The courses you race on are all connected in a seamless world. Drive the paths between them to traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more. Take in the sprawling vistas as you explore at your own pace in Free Roam—or watch how a sudden shift in the weather can mix up a dead heat in a tense Grand Prix. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Mario Kart World is an excellent launch title that serves as an evolution for the long-running racing franchise.

In most regards, Mario Kart World is the best entry in the series yet. There are a wealth of characters to race as and lots of vehicles, with many more to unlock, and the courses are absolutely brilliant. On top of that, a Mario Kart game has never felt so good to play. It's just a shame that its open world feels like an afterthought for the most part, and that it's so expensive.

Mario Kart World expands on almost everything that made Mario Kart 8 such an enduring success, laying the foundation for years of raucous racing to come.

With a new Nintendo console comes a new Mario Kart but what does Mario Kart World do differently to previous installments? Let's race.

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.

Nintendo's boldest kart yet trades some track-tight thrills for open-world ambition, and not every detour hits top speed.

Mario Kart World is out now, and Stevivor’s got a head start on our review thanks to hours of hands-on time provided by Nintendo Australia.

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.

The Knockout Tour mode is something that racers will continue to return to, and even get their friends who don’t play games involved in the mix. Even the Free Roam is a fun escape from madness, but you shouldn’t expect a Forza-like experience. Judging by what Nintendo did with Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart World has already proved itself by being the new face of Mario Kart in the future.

Right now, Mario Kart World doesn't quite feel like the reinvention of Mario Kart people wanted or expected, but there are few games that bring me as much laughter and joy as this. World refines and expands the formula in meaningful ways while upping the charm in many others. There's still many an open-world surface to scratch, and I need to test my patience with some of those straighter or more familiar courses in Grand Prix, but if you need a pick-me-up, Mario Kart World is sure to bring a smile, and it feels like the perfect start to the Switch 2's life.

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But when it comes to playing and unlocking new content, you can get new racers, karts, and other items passively, too. There are lifetime challenges like distance traveled, coins collected, tricks performed, and many others to keep players racing for hundreds and hundreds of hours.

Due to its Deluxe Edition and numerous upgrades that have spanned almost 11 years now, it almost doesn’t feel that long ago when we first got our hands on Mario Kart 8. Arguably one of the most fully fleshed out kart racers of all time, it has almost felt definitive, with a gigantic cast of characters and tracks that have ensured it stays culturally relevant for over a decade. Hell, when I visited Tokyo last year for my wedding, a highlight included battling some local gamers in a kitted-ou...