There are racing games and there is Mario Kart. Everyone has heard of it, and most have at least once sat behind the wheel of some iteration. It’s the perfect party game – accessible, chaotic, and instantly fun. You learn it in a second: press A to accelerate, blast your opponents with a wide arsenal of power-ups, and mock them when you successfully trick them with a banana.
I have fond memories of my student days when friends would come over, we would order pizza, and spend hours playing Mario Kart 8. I can’t think of another game that brings people together so naturally. The formula has been simply perfect – ever since the old Mario Kart 64.
And yet, Nintendo tries to further improve the recipe and add something new with each new game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was almost perfect, with its 96 tracks, huge roster of characters, and vehicle tuning offering hours and hours of fun.
And now we are here. New console - new game, and it’s a launch title. Mario Kart World offers a new direction for the franchise, with interconnected tracks, a Free Roam mode, and a new elimination race, Knockout Tour. Is this the next big step or just a shiny but fleeting experiment?
Buckle up, we’re taking off
A big world with small rewards
Mario Kart World brings an open, branching world that consists of 30 tracks and the space in between, available for you to explore. The menu is still there for you to choose the 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 brave new world. Wherever you want to go, you can: whether you’re driving on an open road, exploring the tracks at your own pace, or drifting on the beach and sailing on the sea. In Mario Kart World, the world is your oyster.
As you explore the world, you will encounter various P-switch missions and Peach medallions. Activating a P-switch triggers a short challenge, such as collecting coins within a time limit or performing specific tricks. Some of them are simple and there to teach you the basics, while others can be a bit frustrating. The rewards are mostly stickers for your kart, which is somewhat disappointing. Although there are many P-switches and the missions are diverse, it becomes a bit monotonous over time.
A total of 200 Peach medallions are hidden in the world – behind walls, on rooftops, on cliffs... For each one, you receive a sticker (what’s with the obsession with stickers?), and ten of them are needed to unlock Mirror mode.
Free roam is a nice idea, and it's pleasant to drive for short periods, but it feels like an unfulfilled opportunity for a story mode. Why not include real NPCs in the world that 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 hours of gameplay, it never occurred to me to check my sticker collection.
Please one burger and a cola to go
To navigate the relatively large world, the game also offers fast travel between zones, and during your travels, you can enter green warp pipes that will launch you somewhere further. A nice detail is that when you veer off the path, the wheels become larger, visually confirming that you've entered the wilderness.
Grand Prix: a journey, not just a race
The Grand Prix mode brings the standard 8 cups with 4 tracks, available in 50, 100, and 150cc, while the Mirror mode unlocks later. If you win a cup at 150cc, you automatically get a star for the lower levels; you don't have to grind each one separately (apparently, that's common knowledge, but I had no idea).
What distinguishes Grand Prix from previous iterations is the structure of the races: you no longer drive 3 or 4 laps on the same track. Instead, the tracks are connected into one large segment. After finishing the first race, you transition to the next "highway" section that leads to the final track. This transition is mostly a flat road with environmental obstacles that theoretically gives a "road trip" feel, but in practice, it boils down to a mini-chaos segment where aggression is highest, while only the last lap features a new track.
Transition tracks are mostly flat and serve as a battleground
The lanes are now wider as they support 24 players, creating real chaos. The AI is much more aggressive, and it's not uncommon for three players to literally knock me out right before the finish line, leaving me in seventh place when I was first. The game has Smart Steering enabled by default – an option that automatically corrects your kart when you veer off the track. This feels 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 could turn it off. Nintendo, let us make mistakes. 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 attention, the real MVP of the new era is called Knockout mode – an intense, adrenaline-fueled variant of the battle royale format. Like in Grand Prix, you choose different cups, but here 6 tracks are raced continuously, and the driving is based on elimination.
The goal is simple: survive. After each checkpoint, the last four players drop out of the race until only four remain. In that finale, things heat up even more, and the game turns into a true war of nerves.
This mode brings a fresh and very welcome twist to the Mario Kart formula. The racing is tenser, the stakes are higher, and with 24 players, there is no moment to relax. One fatal mistake can lead you to fall 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 throwing a red shell and when saving it for defense. It's a great blend of familiar Mario Kart chaos and the competitive "last man standing" feeling.
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 a big screen. The colors are more vibrant, the explosion and sliding effects are spectacular, and the dynamic lighting and day-night cycle add extra depth to the vivid world.
Nintendo has paid special attention to the little details – when you launch off a cliff, Mario holds onto the steering wheel while his legs fly along with the vehicle that transforms into a mini airplane, and when you jump off a ramp, the animation he performs depends on where you point the analog stick, and I particularly love the animation when someone zaps you with electricity. Each track truly looks like part of a living world – little Toads and Koopas drive personal cars and trucks on the road, cows cross the street, and Yoshis are served at drive-in restaurants on the side.
Rainbow road is a true visual delight
The tracks have their unique character: from the good old Rainbow Road that has never looked better to the new Boo's Cinema where you enter a haunted house that eventually sends you into an old noir film roll from the 60s. The game is full of little animations that round off the whole impression.
All of this is complemented by an excellent soundtrack that remixes old, well-known melodies with new arrangements, and the screech of tires and the sound of a shell when you hit someone perfectly accompany the chaotic racing. Each track has its 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. While almost all classic power-ups are still present, the game introduces a range of new, creative additions.
There's the Mega Mushroom, which enlarges you and allows you to stomp on opponents like a giant. The Hammer creates a series of hammers that you throw along the track, making it more chaotic and dangerous for everyone behind you. The Feather allows for a vertical jump that can help you escape trouble – even dodge a blue shell, with perfect timing. The Ice Flower enables freezing opponents with ice balls, while Kamek's power transforms rivals and sets new obstacles on the track in the form of enemy NPCs. The Golden Shell leaves a trail of coins behind.
Move it, Daisy, BOL is coming!
Speaking of coins – they still appear as a power-up, which is frustrating. When you're in a tight battle for victory, a coin is the last thing you need. It doesn't significantly increase speed, offers no protection, and does nothing except contribute to unlocking vehicles after the race. It would be ideal if coins were exclusively on the track for collection, rather than coming from mystery boxes.
A new addition is the 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 skins, only the base roster.
I would particularly highlight the new Tony Hawk moments – it's possible to perform tricks, ride on walls, slide on rails and stairs, and jump over lowered truck ramps driving on the road. There are many parkour opportunities, they look really cool, and never get boring.
Parkour on walls, rails, and fences is a lot of fun, but it needs to be timed well
Roster and vehicles: more choices, less depth
The number of drivers has significantly increased – up to 50 drivers, including 24 classic characters (Mario, Luigi, Toad, etc.) and 26 additional NPCs like Goombas, penguins, and even a cow from Moo Moo farm. You unlock classic characters by playing Grand Prix cups, while you get NPCs 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 is not the most practical – why, for example, do I have to scroll specifically to Mechanic Mario, instead of being offered all skins when I select a character?
Drivers are still divided into light, medium, and heavy categories, but vehicles have now been simplified – no more micromanagement of tires, chassis, and parachutes. Instead, each vehicle comes with fixed characteristics, making selection easier but taking away some depth from previous games.
Some old characters and tracks from other Nintendo franchises like Diddy Kong, the Koopalings, Isabelle, Link, Inkling, or Villager are currently missing, which could suggest future DLC additions. There is definitely room for this, and the potential is great.
Online multiplayer – chaos and limitations
The real fun (but also frustration) begins when you play online. With each race, it becomes increasingly clear: Mario Kart has never been just a test of skill – but also a test of nerves, as nothing can compare to the unpredictability of the human brain, or human malice. This game really brings out the worst in people. Almost all of us have found ourselves cursing at the screen while watching someone cross the finish line at the last second... and then hit us with three shells in the face. Just in case.
Unfortunately, online play is still lagging behind in the stone age. After selecting the online mode from the main menu, you are thrown into a lobby that fills up until it is ready to start the race. In the meantime, you can freely roam around instead of just waiting, as before. Matchmaking doesn’t take too long, the game is new, and everyone who bought the Switch 2 is playing it.
The day and night cycle and weather (un)conditions greatly contribute to the game's appearance
However, the game lacks a proper matchmaking system. You start with 3000 points, but you are often matched with players with 7000+ points, there are no rules or balance. The question arises whether the rating is even necessary considering that, with 24 players and a plethora of new power-ups, this is largely a game of chance. You can be the best driver in the world, yet you can still be hit by 3 blue shells (which spawn too often during the race), so it’s best to embrace the chaos.
A lot happens during the race, and it happens constantly. Since the best power-ups only come when you are lagging behind, it’s not uncommon for players to strategize and lurk from the middle of the pack. Being first often means being the most exposed, with the worst power-ups (the golden item).
I wish there was some option for tweaking – for example, to be able to disable certain power-ups ourselves or even not use them at all, and most of all – to reduce the number of players. Knockout mode shines with 24 players, but for Grand Prix, it felt like 12 players would have been just right. VS Mode offers a couple of options, but it’s still not quite there.
The biggest downside? You can't invite an online friend directly into a public lobby. You can only join them 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 play exclusively against 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 create a private lobby and do the same with online friends?
Conclusion
Mario Kart World is a bold attempt to enhance a formula that perhaps didn't need evolution. On one hand, Knockout brings a much-needed freshness and for me, it's the best way to play online. On the other hand, there's the half-realized Free Roam and online that still suffers from old Nintendo issues.
Nintendo clearly wanted more of everything: more players, more modes, more content. But in trying to make the racing bigger and better, something of the pure elegance and balance of previous installments has been lost. With 24 players on the track and a sea of power-ups, skill often gets drowned in chaos.
Still, beneath it all lies a game that radiates charm, visual richness, and undeniable fun. I still prefer playing in local multiplayer, and I look forward to, ten years later, hosting friends again and yelling at them. If Nintendo patches the key weaknesses and adds more content – the future of this game will be bright.
