Mario Kart World Review – Hitting the Open Road

Mario Kart is back and it has undergone its biggest evolution in years. Mario Kart World opts for the open world designs commonly affixed to multiplayer racing games, such as the Forza Horizon and The Crew series—although such racing genre trends extend further back including Need for Speed Underground 2, Burnout Paradise and much earlier titles. Now it’s Nintendo‘s turn to take a stab at this more freeform driving experience with the cast of the Mushroom Kingdom. The result is a new era of Mario Kart that shifts towards something new while largely remaining familiar.

Mario Kart World arguably leads the Switch 2 launch lineup as the primary system seller. The storied series is no slouch when it comes to moving units, selling roughly 190 million copies as of this year. The last mainline entry, Mario Kart 8, managed almost 40% of the franchise’s lifetime sales across Wii U and the original Switch. Clearly, Nintendo is banking on that high engagement to make the Switch 2 enticing and justify the company’s new $80 price point for certain first-party titles. Needless to say, a hefty price tag comes with hefty expectations, in addition to those already in place for the latest installment of a beloved series.

The shiny new iteration comes packing a whopping 50 characters, comprised of 24 main characters and 26 from other NPCs tied to the world. It’s the largest Mario Kart roster yet, although previous DLC racers like Link and Isabelle seem to be reserved for future content add-ons. On that note, some of the racers missing aren’t exactly balanced by the inclusion of generic competitors “Cow” and “Snowman.” Mario and his extensive entourage are eager to hit the open roads (and hidden roads less traveled) in pursuit of the coveted first place spot. Classic racing options Grand Prix, VS, Battle and Time Trial all make their return, albeit without any of Mario Kart 8‘s antigravity, ensuring that longtime fans can comfortably burn rubber just as they have in prior years. And they can partake in friendly competition across revamped original tracks like Dino Dino Jungle and Peach Beach, as well as standout additions Boo Cinema and DK Spaceport. That said, there’s an argument to be made that Mario Kart 8 contains consistently stronger racing locales in its enclosed structure.

A Whole New World

While these modes have long been the bread and butter of Mario Kart, the Mario Kart World exclusive modes are likely to turn heads and eat up countless hours of playtime. Knockout Tour is a prime example of an all-new and exciting race type that livens up the existing formula. The extended race sees 24 players chaotically scramble to remain toward the front of the pack, lest they find themselves eliminated across successive checkpoints until only four racers remain. The progressive elimination essentially creates battle royale from behind the wheel, and it works. The start of this event is hilariously anarchic given the heightened player count, with each passed checkpoint marking a small triumph.

The long stretches of winding racetracks all exist within the confines of the expansive open world map, which can be freely explored outside of dedicated races. It’s an impressive feat, melding raceways into an overarching design. The map houses a handful of minigames, such as challenges tied to P Switches, and collectibles (e.g., Peach Medallions) to divert players from the usual races. Leaping off of snapping crocodiles, gliding around tyrannosaur rexes, and drifting through oncoming traffic all make for short, thrilling activities. That said, the novelty of the open world wears a bit thin once the freshness of such activities subsides after so many hours, revealing itself to be more of a playground for practicing wall rides, the new grinding mechanic and other tricky shenanigans (especially while waiting for a race to start).

Regardless of the chosen mode, racing in Mario Kart World remains a joy. Green shells ricochet about, fire flowers spew flames and the first place driver still sits in constant anxiety of the impending blue shell. There are new and long-absent items to look out for, too. The coin shell barrels through racers and leaves a bunch of coins in its wake; the ice flower inverses the elemental focus of the classic fire flower; the mega mushroom steamrolls the competition by supersizing the driver and kart; hammers can be tossed in an arc to nail the opposition or create road hazards; the feather provides a strong vertical leap; and the Kamek orb transforms rival racers into different characters. There’s plenty to love in the item department.

Smart Kart

The kart and driver selection process has also been streamlined. Mario Kart World removes the stat-tweaking customization of its predecessor, a decision some may find controversial. However, I believe most will be pleased with the simplified performance system tied to fixed attributes: speed, acceleration, weight and handling. There’s still value in understanding the nuances between karts, but it doesn’t take up as much time and tweaking as before.

The racers firmly seated in their karts also come in a variety of shapes. Not only is this in reference to the aforementioned 50 characters, but also each racer’s alternate outfits. Dash Food is littered around the map that can be picked up and activated to change up the current cosmetic. And doing so permanently unlocks that particular cosmetic, providing incentive to roam as multiple characters. It’s just one more way that Mario Kart World keeps players engage in its multifaceted progression system. However, the progression system isn’t a complete homerun, as unlocking limited-use (and limited visibility) stickers for challenges doesn’t feel as rewarding as other unlocks.

Mario Kart World Review Verdict

[Editor’s Note: Mario Kart World was reviewed on Switch 2 and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]