It was just another summer day scrolling through YouTube when I came across Nintendo’s trailer for its newest console, the Nintendo Switch 2. However, what caught my eye in this trailer wasn’t the console itself; rather, I was drawn to a short clip featuring familiar characters riding Mario Kart’s signature vehicles. Even more surprising, the gameplay before my eyes was completely different from 2017’s “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” a staple of my childhood.
Soon, I discovered that with Nintendo Switch 2 came the newest installment of the more than 30-year-old Mario Kart franchise: “Mario Kart World.”
In Mario Kart games, players race on tracks and try to beat their competition by drifting around turns and performing tricks on ramps. Players also receive items throughout races, ranging from attack items that slow opponents down such as turtle shells to boost items such as mushrooms which allow players to take otherwise inaccessible shortcuts.
“Mario Kart World” builds on the previous games with new mechanics; most notably introducing the ability to grind on rails, climb on walls, bounce off trees and poles and even take over large vehicles such as semi-trucks, helicopters and speedboats.
“Mario Kart World” offers 30 tracks, though fewer compared to the 96 tracks in “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,”; to the creators’ credit, they are some of the best-designed in the series. Each new track has a unique theme, incorporating the game’s new mechanics perfectly to allow for spectacular shortcuts.
Longtime fans can enjoy the many classic tracks the game has brought back; tracks such as “Moo Moo Meadows” and “Toad’s Factory” have stayed true to their past versions, while others like “Choco Mountain” and “Wario Stadium” went under significant revamps.
Furthermore, “Mario Kart World” boasts a doubling of the usual player count per race, from 12 players to 24 players. This makes races twice as chaotic, with hazardous items from turtle shells to boomerangs flying all across the screen.
But “Mario Kart World”’s biggest change lies within its complete twist on the classic Mario Kart formula; rather than tracks being completely separate from one another, the game is open-world: All tracks are interconnected in the same massive landscape, and players racing on one track can sometimes see other nearby tracks in the distance. The areas between tracks are filled with various landmarks, such as a Golden Gate-esque bridge, a long waterfall, a dried out canal and even decorative tracks paying tribute to the original “Super Mario Kart.”
This concept also introduces new modes like Free Roam, where players can drive anywhere in the vast open world, grabbing collectibles and completing missions. Similarly, Knockout Tour sees players race from one section of the world to another through six tracks. After each track, the bottom four racers will be eliminated, until there are only four racers left in the final section. The constant threat of elimination allows even the most boring tracks to become high-stakes and exciting.
No matter where players may find themselves, they’ll be met with a wonderful soundtrack; there are more than 200 songs in the game, many of which are remixes of music from previous Mario games.
However, “Mario Kart World” does have multiple flaws that cannot be overlooked. Because it is an open-world game, players drive from one track to another track in “intermission” tracks, or more accurately, route tracks.
Although this is a good idea on paper, it was executed poorly. Many of these tracks are nearly straight lines with a few wide turns, and they barely utilize the game’s new mechanics. Worst of all, players only get to drive one lap of the course they arrive at, often spending less time at their destination compared to the journey.
Another aspect I didn’t like is the character selection interface. Because costumes take up new spots in the menu, navigation becomes almost annoying. To top it off, the game comes with quite a high price tag of $80 — not including the $500 Nintendo Switch 2.
However, these flaws definitely do not ruin the game; “Mario Kart World” is still very enjoyable and builds upon a historic franchise with new, creative elements. I would recommend this game to anyone who can reasonably afford the high price tag. I rate “Mario Kart World” 4.5 out of 5 Falcons.
