Mario Kart World
As the main launch game of Nintendo's next-generation hybrid console, the pressure is on for Mario Kart World to provide an experience worth buying the console for, and fortunately for returning fans of its excellent 2017 predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, on the Nintendo Switch, the latest title's core gameplay fundamentals remain identical. Players will still be racing down vibrant tracks with their friends or against the AI, drifting through sharp corners and collecting power-ups to gain an upper hand.
The difference in Mario Kart World , then, lies in the various new additions that enhance the racing formula rather than shake things up too drastically. Take the new movement mechanics, for example, as apart from the aforementioned drift boosting and air tricks from the previous game, players now have three additional methods of gaining extra speed.
These consist of a charge jump, which is performed by holding down and releasing the drift button while not tilting the left stick, a move that not only grants a short boost upon landing but can also transition into a wall ride by charge jumping into a vertical surface. Maps are also now littered with grindable rails, which players can grind automatically upon contact or charge jump into, granting a further boost in speed upon pressing the drift button to jump off at any time.
These three moves don't just provide new ways to gain speed, but also new opportunities for shortcuts, allowing players to reach previously impossible areas to gain an advantage in races, offering additional ways for competitive players to study and plan out the best routes to take in each map.
And yes, while the characters and vehicles remain the same, maps and races are another facet that have seen a substantial update. In addition to the traditional three-lap courses, new 'intermittent' or 'intermission' courses have been introduced and these are races which consists of two laps worth of straight roads, usually presented as highways of long stretches of dirt roads leading from the end of one track to the start of another, before one full lap of the actual stage. These new courses play a huge role in Mario Kart World's new Grand Prix stage re-design, as instead of taking part in four separate courses in the traditional three-lap formula, players only take on the first course in this format, with the subsequent races presented as being part of this new 'intermittent' course design.
While this design change makes sense from an in-game world perspective of moving between tracks, the main issue here is that the new course designs aren't as interesting as the traditional races, as after the initial novelty of these stages wears off, each of the maps boils down to lengthy stretches of straight and wide roads, which is nowhere near as exciting as the twists and turns of traditional courses. And since each Grand Prix cup consists of one traditional map and three straightaway ones, tedium quickly sets in, and it feels like a missed opportunity for Nintendo to include an option to have a more traditional four-course system from the previous title.
So why did Nintendo choose to include such maps? The answer lies with Mario Kart World's biggest new feature and also its namesake, its open world. Once in the main menu, players can now enter Free Roam mode and freely explore the game's new interconnected map, a massive playground of sights and sounds that serve mainly to let players enjoy a leisurely drive and take in the views.
Despite being such a heavily advertised feature, Free Roam is unfortunately as bare-bones as it gets. Yes, there are side activities to do, but these mostly consist of collectables like Peach Medallions, hidden Question Panels that reward stickers, and food powerups that unlock costumes for characters. Mini side activities, known as P Switch missions, are also scattered around the map, but these eventually boil down to the same few templates, such as reaching a set goal or collecting a certain amount of blue coins within a time limit. These missions are obviously designed to help newcomers learn the ropes, also some do ramp up the difficulty drastically to offer veterans an apt challenge.
As a whole, then, free roam is mostly targeted at two main audiences – those who wish to take a relaxing drive and explore the game's world in between matches, and avid collectable hunters who wish to unlock all of the games stickers to customise their karts, of which there are over 1,000 total in the game. While extensive, it's also a daunting task that the average player probably won't bother engaging with.
Probably the best use of the game's open world design lies in its new Knockout Tour mode. This elimination-style race essentially tasks competing players to travel from one end of the map to the other over six back-to-back segments, operating like a Battle Royale game of sorts, gradually eliminating the bottom four of its 24 total racers with each checkpoint until one emerges victorious. It's chaotic in the best way, and witnessing players using all the power-ups at their disposal in a frantic rush to stay out of the bottom four never gets old.
Due to its cross-map design, each Knockout Tour route also presents the best way to appreciate the game's many different locations, as players can end up driving through snowy mountains, peaceful farmlands, picturesque beaches, and intimidating castles, all in the same race, a true showcase of the variety of locales on offer.
In terms of course count, Mario Kart World offers 30 in total, of which 16 are brand new, including Dry Bones Burnout, Peach Stadium, and a completely different take on Bowser's Castle. Due to the game's interconnected world design, even returning courses barely seem recognisable on first glance, such as Choco Mountain, which has seen a glow-up with new twists and turns, additional grind rails, and far more detailed background scenery. Meanwhile, other returning maps, like the ever-recognisable Moo Moo Meadows, don't see the same amount of changes, essentially playing out virtually identical to what fans know and love.
Apart from its maps, the game's character and vehicle roster have also been substantially increased, now featuring 50 racers spanning both iconic mainstays like Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi, but also side characters too, like Rocky Wrench, Cheep Cheep, and a personal favourite, a literal cow. Most of these new characters will need to be unlocked by completing Grand Prix Cups, or being affected by a special Kamek powerup during races.
For completionists, there are also the dozens of unlockable outfits for some characters, like Mario, Peach or Donkey Kong, which can be earned by collecting a new power-up known as Dash Food, which is scattered around the world at specific points in both races and Free Roam.
Finally, there are the karts, and although the customisation system from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are gone, the game makes up for this with an expanded roster of 40 karts in the game, with players having access to 11 at the start, unlocking a new one randomly for every 100 coins they collect while taking part in races. With so much content to unlock, it goes a long way in providing players a reason to keep playing long after experiencing all the maps the game has to offer.
All this is supplemented by the game's rock-solid performance on both handheld and docked modes, never dropping once from its 60fps target, no matter how many simultaneous power-ups were activated on-screen at once. The one exception to this lies in its split-screen mode, as despite the advances in technology for the Nintendo Switch 2, playing split-screen with three or more players is somehow still hard-locked to 30fps, and although this doesn't really affect the gameplay due to its simple control scheme that doesn't require players to constantly pan the camera, is still rather jarring especially coming from the smooth single player, online and two-person split-screen modes.
So, where does Mario Kart World stand when compared to its 2017 predecessor? In a way, it's equal parts a step forward and back. The game's main Grand Prix mode is by far better in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe due to the more traditional three-lap races over Worlds' inferior 'intermittent' maps, while the new Knockout Tour mode is the clear standout improvement among this game's latest additions. The highly-touted Free Roam, however, remains the most disappointing of the lot, boiling down to nothing more than a gimmick catered to only the most hardcore of collectable hunters.
Still, Mario Kart World shouldn't be faulted for trying new innovations, and the game, at the very least, serves as an intriguing starting point for things to come, similar to how its predecessor was greatly expanded via its Deluxe version's content since its 2014 release on the Wii U. As it stands, the game does have a solid foundation but it still has a long drive ahead before it can stand on the same podium as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe .
Summary
As Nintendo's shiny new Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World expands upon the formula of its predecessor, although the largely uninspired use of its touted open world format means this kart still has some tuning-up to do before it can truly outpace the competition. Gameplay - 8.5/10
Presentation - 9/10
Value - 8.5/10
Geek Satisfaction - 7/10
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Mario Kart Mario Kart World Nintendo Nintendo switch 2 Review
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