There are racing games and there is Mario Kart. Everyone has heard of it, and most have sat behind the wheel of some iteration at least once. It's the perfect party game – affordable, chaotic and instantly fun. Learn in seconds: press A for gas, blast your opponents with a wide arsenal of power-ups and taunt them when you successfully prank them with a banana.
I have fond memories of my student days when the team would come to visit, we would order pizza and play Mario Kart 8 for hours. I can't think of another game that brings people together so naturally. The formula is simply perfect - ever since Mario Kart 64.
And yet, with each new game, Nintendo tries to further improve the recipe and add something new. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was almost perfect, with its 96 tracks, huge roster of characters and vehicle tuning, it offered hours and hours of fun.
I sad smo tu. New console - nova game, i to launch title. Mario Kart World nudi new smjer za franšizu, s povezanim stazama, Free Roam modom i novom, eliminacijskom utrkom Knockout Tour. Je li ovo sljedeći veliki korak or samo sjajni, but prolazni eksperiment?
Buckle up, we're taking off
Big world with small rewards
Mario Kart World brings an open, branching world made up of 30 tracks and the world between them, all available for you to explore and explore. There's still a menu where you choose your game mode, from the good old Grand Prix to the new Knockout Tour, but now you can immediately press Start and set off into a brand new world. Wherever you want, you can go: whether you're driving on the open road, exploring the trails at your own pace, or drifting on the beach and sailing on the sea. In Mario Kart World, the world is your shell.
As you explore the world you will come across various P-switch missions and Peach medallions. When activating the P-switch, you start a short challenge, such as collecting coins within a time limit or performing specific tricks. Some of them are simple and are there to teach you the basics, while others can be a little frustrating. The rewards are mostly stickers for your card, which is a bit disappointing. Although there are many P-switches and the missions are varied, it gets a bit monotonous over time.
In total 200 Peach medaljona skriveno je u svijetu – iza zidova, po krovovthere is, na liticama... For svaki dobijete sticker (čemu ta opsesija stickerthere is?), a deset njih je potrebno za otključavanje Mirror moda.
Free roam is a nice idea, and it's pleasant to drive for short periods, but it seems like an unfulfilled opportunity for a story mode. Why not throw in real NPCs around the world who give quests? Why not save the princess in a new, Fast and Furious way? Everything is subordinated to a random challenge for which you only get a sticker. In my 10 or so hours of playing, it never occurred to me to check my sticker collection.
A burger and a Coke for takeout, please
In order to navigate the relatively large world, the game also offers fast travel in zones, and on your travels you can also enter green warp tubes that will launch you somewhere further. A cute detail, when you turn off the trail, the wheels get bigger, which visually confirms that you've entered the wilderness.
Grand prix: a journey, not just a race
Grand Prix mode brings the standard 8 cups with 4 lanes, available in 50, 100 and 150cc, while Mirror mode is unlocked later. If you win the 150cc cup, you automatically get a star and for lower levels, you don't have to grind each one separately (supposedly it's a general culture, but I had no idea).
What differentiates Grand Prix from previous iterations is the structure of the races: you no longer drive 3 or 4 laps around the same track. Instead, the tracks are connected in one big section. After the end of the first race, you move to the next "highway" section that leads to the final track. This transition is mostly a flat road with environmental obstacles, which in theory gives a "road trip" impression, but in practice it comes down to a mini-chaos section where the aggressiveness is the greatest, while only the last lap is a new track.
The transition paths are mostly flat and serve as a place to settle
Lanes are now wider as they support 24 players creating real chaos. The AI is much more aggressive and quite often literally three people chase me before the finish line, so I finish seventh, but I was first. The game has Smart Steering turned on by default - an option that automatically corrects the map when you deviate from the track. It seems quite unnatural, at first I thought it was part of the game and I only found out through Nintendo's "tips & tricks" email that I can turn it off. Nintendo, let us be wrong. If I need to crash into a bush or fly off a cliff, so be it - you learn from mistakes.
Knockout mode – Mario Kart on steroids
Although Free Roam has received more media space, the real MVP of the new era is called Knockout mode - a tense, adrenaline-charged variant of the battle-royale format. As in the Grand Prix, you choose different cups, but here 6 tracks are driven in continuity, and the driving is based on elimination.
The goal is simple: to survive. After each checkpoint, the last four players are eliminated from the race, until only four remain. In that final, things heat up even more and the game turns into a real war of nerves.
This mod brings a fresh and very welcome twist to the Mario Kart formula. The ride is tighter, the stakes are higher, and with 24 players, there's never a moment to relax. One fatal mistake can send you crashing below the line, and the race is over.
Knockout Tour requires you to play smart: use the boost when it's safe, be careful when you throw the red shell and when you save it for defense. It is an excellent combination of the well-known Mario Kart chaos and the competitive "last man standing" feeling.
The colors of the world and the sound of chaos
Without a doubt, this is the most beautiful Mario Kart yet. The game looks fantastic, especially on the big screen. The colors are more vivid, the effects of explosions and sliding on the track are spectacular, and the dynamic lighting and the daily cycle give additional depth to the vivid world.
Nintendo paid special attention to small details - when you crash off a cliff, Mario holds on to the steering wheel and his legs fly together with the vehicle that transforms into a mini-plane, and when you jump over the ramp, the animation it performs depends on where you point the analog, and I like the animation when someone electrocutes you the most. Every track really looks like it's part of a living world – little Toads and Koopas drive on the road in cars and trucks, cows from the pasture cross the road, and on the side Yoshiji's are served in drive-in restaurants.
Rainbow road is a real visual treat
Staze there isju svoj jedinstveni karakter: od dobrog starog Rainbow roada koji nikad niis andzgledao bolje do nthis one, Boo's Cinema in which ulazite u kuću duhova who vas na kparadiseu šalje u staru noir movie rolu iz 60tih. It's a game puna malih anthere iscija koji zaokružuju cijeli dojam.
All this is complemented by an excellent soundtrack that remixes old, well-known melodies with new arrangements, and the screeching tires and the sound of a shell when you shoot someone perfectly accompany the chaotic driving. Each track has its own intro, outro and dynamic transitions, and Free Roam has over 200 tracks.
New power-ups and Tony Hawk moments
The power-up system has undergone several changes. Although almost all the classic power-ups are still present, the game introduces a number of new, creative additions.
There's the Mega Mushroom, which enlarges you and lets you run over opponents like giants. Hammer creates a series of hammers that you throw around the track, making it more chaotic and dangerous for everyone behind you. The Feather provides a vertical jump that you can use to get out of trouble - even avoid a blue shell, with perfect timing. Ice Flower allows you to freeze opponents with ice balls, while Kamek's power transforms opponents and places new obstacles on the path in the form of enemy NPCs. The Golden Shell leaves a trail of gold coins behind.
Move, Daisy, PAIN is coming!
Speaking of gold coins - they still appear as power-ups, which is frustrating. When you're in a close fight to win, a coin is the last thing you need. It doesn't increase speed significantly, it doesn't offer protection, it does nothing but contribute to unlocking the vehicle after the race. Ideally, the coins should only be on the collecting track, and not come from mystery boxes.
A new addition are orange food bags - which give you a short speed boost and occasionally unlock new skins for your character. Each region has its own bag menu. However, not everyone gets the skins, only the basic lineup.
I would especially like to point out the new Tony Hawk moments - it is possible to perform tricks, drive on walls, slide on rails and stairs and jump over lowered ramps of trucks driving on the road. These parkour opportunities are many, they look very cool and never get boring.
Parkour on walls, rails and fences is a lot of fun, but you need to time it well
Roster and vehicles: more choices, less depth
The number of drivers has grown significantly – as many as 50 drivers, of which 24 are classic characters (Mario, Luigi, Toad, etc.) and 26 additional NPCs such as Goomba, penguins, and even cows from the Moo Moo farm. Classic characters are unlocked by playing Grand Prix cups, and NPCs are obtained when you or someone activates Kamek's power, depending on the region you are in. The skins are charming and add variety, but selecting them isn't the most practical - why, for example, do I have to specifically scroll to Mechanic Mario, instead of it offering me all the skins when I select a character?
Drivers are still divided into light, medium and heavy categories, but the vehicles are now simplified – no more micro-management of tyres, chassis and parachutes. Instead, each vehicle comes with fixed characteristics, which makes it easier to choose, but takes away some of the depth from previous games.
So far, some old characters and tracks from other Nintendo franchises like Diddy Kong, Koopaling crew, Isabella, Link, Inkling or Villager are missing, which could suggest future DLC additions. The space definitely exists, and the potential is great.
Online multiplayer – chaos and limitations
Prava zabava (ali i frustracija) begins tek kad zagamete online. WITHa svakom vožnjom, postaje sve jasnije: Mario Kart nikad niwas samo test vještine – already i test živaca, because ništa se ne može mjeriti s nepredvidivošću ljudskog mozga, that is ljudske zlobe. Ova game nekad really izvlači ono najgore u ljudthere is. Gotovo svi smo se zatekli how psujemo u ekran dok gledamo nekoga how u posljednjoj sekundi prolazi through cilj... i uz to nam još opali tri školjke u facu. For svaki slučaj.
Online play, unfortunately, is still lagging behind in the stone age. After selecting online mode from the main menu, you are dropped into a lobby that fills up until it's ready to start racing. During this time, you can freely roam, instead of just waiting, as before. Matchmaking doesn't take too long, the game is new and everyone who bought Switch 2 is playing it.
The cycle of day and night and weather (un)opportunities contribute a lot to the appearance of the game
However, the game does not have a real matchmaking system. You start with 3000 points, but you are often put in with players with 7000+ points, there are no rules or balance. The question arises as to whether the rating is necessary at all, given that, with 24 players and a handful of new power-ups, this is largely a game of chance. You can be the best driver in the world, you can still get hit by 3 blue shells (which spawn too often per race), so best embrace the chaos.
A lot happens during the race, and it does constantly. Since the best power-ups only come when you're behind, it's not unusual for players to tactic and stalk from the middle of the order. Being first often means being the most exposed, with the worst power-ups (gold).
I would like there to be some option for tweaking - for example, that we can turn off certain power-ups ourselves or even not use them at all, and most of all - reduce the number of players. Knockout mode excels with 24 players, but for the Grand Prix, 12 players seemed to be just right. VS Mode offers a couple of options, but that's still not it.
The biggest minus? You cannot invite an online friend directly to the public lobby. You can only join him before the lobby fills up - which is bizarre. It is possible to create a private room where you can add friends, but when you start a race you are playing exclusively against the AI. I don't understand, if my wife and I can play online with other players on the same console, why on earth can't I make a private lobby and do the same with online friends?
Conclusion
Mario Kart World is a valiant attempt to advance a formula that perhaps needed no evolution. On the one hand Knockout brings much needed freshness and for me it is the best way to play online. On the other hand, there is the half-realized Free Roam and Online that still suffers from old Nintendo ailments.
Nintendo clearly wanted more of everything: more players, more modes, more content. But in the attempt to make the ride bigger and better, some of the pure elegance and balance of the previous installments was lost. With 24 players on the track and a sea of power-ups, skill is often drowned in chaos.
However, behind all that is a game that radiates charm, visual richness and undeniable fun. My favorite thing is still to play in local multiplayer, and I'm looking forward, ten years later, to hosting friends again and yelling at them. If Nintendo patches the key weaknesses and adds additional content - the future of this game will be bright.
