Mario Kart World (Switch 2) review – It’s about the journey

Mario Kart World has a lot riding on it. It’s the first new mainline Mario Kart released in over a decade, for one thing, but it’s one of only two Switch 2 exclusives Nintendo saw fit to drop alongside the new console itself. Not to mention the innovative new price tag of $80 (R1,530). Yeah, World needed to be big, both in terms of scale and from a consumer standpoint. It’s the Switch 2’s early life force.

Fortunately, Nintendo hasn’t disappointed. It’s just a pity about that R1,530 price (R2,000 if you want the new and ugly box design) because Mario Kart World — for all its bright colours and massive scope — is one expensive videogame. Unless you’re willing to stick with rejuvenated but still old software on your new console, Nintendo has made World the de facto Switch 2 game, and damn the fanbase.

Takin’ a Sunday drive (at Silverstone)

Mario Kart World is arguably the most mechanical entry to date. It’s also one of the most fun, competing with Double Dash from the GameCube era. The jury’s still out on whether it can topple 8 Deluxe from its throne, which is the quintessential Mario Kart experience for many, if not most, people. For us, it manages the task and then some, with new modes and a massive open world to dive into.

Still, it’s all a bit pointless if World couldn’t nail the driving, which we’re glad to say wasn’t an issue. You might think World’s biggest gimmick is the sprawling open world, but you’d be wrong. Instead, it’s the ability to grind a sick rail just like your role model Doomguy would in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” True in the case of Mario Kart World. Many of the tracks and surrounding areas have been built with proper wall-riding and grinding in mind, allowing players to leave the, well, we wouldn’t call it “safety”, but certainly the familiarity of the roads below.

It quite literally adds another whole dimension to Mario Kart’s already extensive mechanics and is the breath of fresh air the series needed. There’s just one problem. We’re still unsure about the viability of choosing a ‘sick’ rail grind over simply… driving the course. We don’t have the mental fortitude to conduct extensive speed tests, but others have been quick to point out that the path less travelled is less travelled for a reason – it’s often slower.

That’s not the case everywhere. We regularly saw armies of Baby Luigi’s appearing over our heads– seemingly out of nowhere — for the overtake on the final lap, proving that wall-riding isn’t all bad, and can be the “right” path. We’re not even a month in World’s likely considerable lifespan, meaning it’ll shortly become common knowledge when you should and shouldn’t hop on the walls.

Like most entries, World is exceptionally easy to get the hang of. Even without extensive knowledge of the shortcuts and how to consistently get yourself up on the walls, it’s easy to feel like a pro in no time. It’s this, coupled with the stylish, polished driving mechanics and rather speedy 150cc (though we’re still pining for a proper 200cc down the line), that makes Mario Kart World feel incredibly slick.

One big straight line?

You’ll be glad to hear that track variety isn’t an issue in Mario Kart World, and that’s just at launch. We have zero doubt that Nintendo already has a ‘booster course pack’ in the works, ready for the moment these 30 tracks feel even the slightest bit stale. Don’t expect that soon, though. While you’ll mostly recognise these from returning games, there are a couple of new ones mixed in with an open world we couldn’t get enough of.

That’s just the traditional tracks, though. Mario Kart World puts its title to use and turns the very space in between two tracks on the map into its own little race. This is both a blessing and a curse. When it comes to racing against others online, World foregoes the regular Grand Prix structure for a series of continuous races, regularly making players drive to their next track, with only one “real” lap on the track itself near the end.

This, unfortunately, results in far too many ‘intermission’ courses that are one big straight line, with the real challenge and spectacle saved for right at the end. That’s not to say every intermission is without challenge or proper thought and design applied to it, but we’d be lying if we said they didn’t lack a certain charm Mario Kart is regularly championed for.

Fortunately, there was a way around this. When players would vote on their next track, picking ‘random’ would automatically teleport you and your 23 rivals to the beginning of a track, settling down for a proper 3-lap structure. As of the latest update, however, Nintendo has changed this, meaning you’ll more often be stuck driving to your next course instead of perfecting it over three laps like your ancestors did back in ’92.

Putting the Switch 2’s new powers to good use comes with 24-player races and… we still can’t quite make up our minds on this one. On the one hand, a bigger lobby equals more chaos, and that’s Mario Kart’s whole schtick, thriving on chaos to keep you coming back for more. That’s all well and good until you’re sent from 1st to 23rd in about two seconds. It’s disheartening to say the least. We’d like to see you try it sometime.

Seriously, though, World is desperately missing the ability to choose between a traditional 12-player or 24-player race. Hell, throw in a 16-player race while you’re at it, Nintendo. We’re likely barking up a particularly despondent tree here, but we can dream, can’t we?

Mario Kart World: Fortnite edition

Easily one of the best additions to Mario Kart is the new Knockout Tour mode, immediately justifying the 24-player chaos that we weren’t initially too sure of (and still aren’t). It’s a battle royale that sees 24 racers take one another out in a long, continuous race, with each checkpoint eliminating the last four racers until only one remains.

There is nothing like putting a win in the Knockout Tour column. You’ve just battled it out over a gruelling, often ten-minute-long race that requires your full and constant attention. It’s not as competitive as the regular series of races, and the items aren’t as devastating as their racing counterparts, perfectly balancing the mode’s extended length to make something overwhelmingly fun.

So that’s why it’s called Mario Kart World!

If you’re ever hankerin’for a break from the breakneck pace of World to see what lies beyond, that’s an option. It’s an excellent addition to Mario Kart, but it’s also its most shallow. We’ll admit there’s a fun element to driving around this huge open world, if only to warm those fingers up before a stressful bout of races.

Had World taken the Burnout Paradise to its open world, we’d probably be singing a different tune. As it is, World’s world doesn’t quite scratch that itch. It’s brimming with hundreds of little ‘P’ missions that’ll unlock a sticker of some sort upon completion, often there to test your prowess in 30-second bursts.

Where the open world shines brightest is in those crucial few minutes while you’re waiting for your match’s lobby to populate, giving you enough time to properly warm up without ever entering the open world properly. We should mention that those ‘P’ missions won’t be found here. Sticker-hunters can explore elsewhere.

Silky smooth raceways

We’ll keep this bit short. We briefly mentioned this in our Switch 2 review, but as the first (and currently only) Switch 2 game out there, we can confidently say that Mario Kart World puts that power to use. Of course, you’ve got to hand most of the credit to Nintendo’s developers, who built this gorgeous game that we bet would still look nearly as gorgeous on a regular old Switch.

It would, of course, lose out on the 1440p resolution that we get here, coupled with the slightly disappointing 60fps we seemed to hit, regardless of playing in handheld or docked mode. Even so, World is easily the smoothest Mario Kart to date. We’ve noticed no dips in our three weeks with the game, and loading times never stood out as anything unworthy of the Switch 2’s hardware.

If you are more interested in a more technical performance-guided review of Mario Kart World, we highly recommend checking out Digital Foundry’s take on Nintendo’s motoring opal magnum opus.

Mario Kart World verdict

Mario Kart World does many things we’ve never seen in the franchise’s history before. A massive open world brimming with things to do, new mechanics that require some serious dedication to perfect, and a flurry of tracks that we only wish we could spend more time inside of. Even so, unless you were a die-hard Kart fan before the game’s release, we doubt World’s new modes and 24-player action will be enough to change your mind.

If you, however, managed to snag World for R1,000 as part of a Switch 2 bundle, it’s well worth the money. If you’re looking to grow your physical collection after the fact, R2,000 is a bit of a reach. This is normally the bit we’d tell you to wait for a generous sale, but this is Nintendo we’re talking about. We wouldn’t be surprised if the company put prices up next year. In which case… convince your rich friend to get it and come over. You’ve got the drinks, right?