I got my hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 last Thursday. After a couple more weeks with the unit, I plan to post a detailed opinion blog on the console. But over the previous few days, I’ve been playing a ton of Mario Kart World and wanted to share my thoughts on the game. For a launch title, this is a fantastic showcase piece for the console. I’m having a lot of fun, but I’m a bit surprised about some aspects of the game.
The World is yours if you can find it.
The big selling point for Mario Kart World is the term “world”. For racing fans, you might be thinking about Burnout Paradise or Forza Horizon. Racing games where you can travel around the map and discover racing events. The key is to explore and uncover new things.
While Mario Kart World does incorporate a world aspect, this is not an open-world racing game. Yes, there is a Free Roam option, but it’s not the main attraction here. Races do have a cross-country feel to them, but the idea of discovering new things as you explore is not the focus.
It’s a strange move. For a game that incorporates “World” in its title, you should expect a focus on exploration. What’s weirder is that there is no onboarding to that part of the game. Free Roam is a secondary option in the main menu. It’s easy to gloss over since you’re more likely to play the main single or multiplayer modes.
Of Course, the Racing is fun.
While it’s easy to gloss over Free Roam, the rest of the game does the heavy lifting. You’ll most likely jump into either Grand Prix or Knockout Tour. Once you start racing, it’s hard not to see how massive this world is.
For the Grand Prix, they’ve made a significant change to the format of each cup. Yes, there are still four races, but the setup is different. You’re no longer racing 3 or 4 laps on four different courses. Instead, your first race is a standard 3-lap race, but the other three are different. For those, you begin with a point-to-point trek through Mario Kart World. So, instead of laps, each race has somewhere between 3-8 sections. Once you get to the final section of the race, you’ll do one final lap before crossing the checkered line.
It’s a similar structure for the Knockout Tour. In this mode, you’re in a last-racer standing mode. You’ll start at one location and race against others until only one remains. You will drive through more locations as the field of racers gets smaller. It’s a gradual decrease from 24 until only the winner crosses the finish line. This mode is a lot of fun since you’re seamlessly moving from one wacky-designed location to the next. As you race, you’ll see the world change before your eyes in some creative ways.
A Blast to Play
Racing in Mario Kart World is still a lot of fun. You can feel right at home if you’ve played any previous game. I haven’t played a Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s original launch in 2017. Even with the 8-year break, I could jump into a 50 cc race and not feel overwhelmed. It might be easy mode, but it never hurts to take it easy on the track until you get familiar with the course.
I’m loving the larger field of racers. With 24 competitors on the track, it can get frantic. Like all Mario Kart games, it’s easy to move from worst to first with the right power-ups and intelligent driving. 50 CC mode isn’t much of a challenge, so most people should move to 100 CC for the real challenge after doing a race or two on it. Hardcore fans will jump immediately start in 150 CC mode—all the power to you.
Since it’s been so long since I played Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I can’t quite recall what’s new or different with the power-ups. The one thing new in Mario Kart World is the inclusion of Lunch Bag power-ups. These will always feature a food item that gives you a speed boost. But for some characters, they are also how you unlock new costumes. This isn’t for all characters. But, for most characters, finding these will unlock one. Even if they don’t unlock a costume, the boost they give you is helpful in most races.
Let’s talk a bit more about Free Roam.
I wish Mario Kart World‘s Free Roam had better integration. Again, I understand that people want an easy way to race. Mario Kart feels like a perfect fit for open-world racing. Unfortunately, it’s easy to miss this part of the game because they never try to direct you to explore.
There are two ways to enter Free Roam. You can either click the + button on the controller or the Joy-Con. Starting this way will drop you immediately into the world based on where the main menu screen is. If you want to pick your spot, then you’ll have to use the game’s map. Doing it this way lets you choose anywhere on the map. If you want to start on water, this is the way to go.
Once you’re in Free Roam, it feels underdeveloped. Sure, it’s fun to travel around the world, but many aspects are missing. There are no indicators on the UI map showing you where events are. You have to drive around and hope you come across something. The only events that you can trigger are if you find P Blocks. When you drive over top of one, it triggers a mission. Most of these have you complete a task within a set time. There are some challenging missions here, so they will keep you occupied. Unfortunately, the only rewards are stickers for your cars. To unlock characters or cars, you need to race and/or collect coins.
Did I mention that the racing is a lot of fun?
Take away Free Roam, and this is still an incredible game. The races are a lot of fun. Knockout Tour is where I see myself spending the most time with. If Nintendo plans to make course adjustments, the possibilities are endless. I’m still going through all the races here, but I hope there is one giant race across the entire map. If there isn’t one, then Nintendo needs to add it in the future.
With how Nintendo supported Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I expect the same here. Sure, the content wasn’t free, but the long-term support kept most players coming back. The roster is deep, with a ton of different costumes and cars to unlock. I’m impressed with how many Super Mario characters are here. I do think we’ll get other Nintendo characters in the future.
I’m also having fun with the power-ups. There is a nice mix of new and returning pick-ups for you to find. Once you’re in the lead, you’ll regularly get green shells, bananas, or feathers. But when you’re in the middle of the pack, you might get something special to help you move up the ladder. That’s why it’s so important to find those sack lunches. They are in short supply, with each race only having one or two for the entire race. These long-lasting speed boosts will help you maintain your lead if you’re in first.
My definition of World is different than Nintendo’s
It’s my fault for avoiding all the preview coverage for Mario Kart World. Had I known that this wasn’t a proper open-world racer, my opinions might be different. Still, this is such a fun game, and I still have a lot more to do. I’m now making my way through the 100 CC events, and there are more costumes and characters to unlock. When we come to the end of the year, I’m feeling confident I will still be referencing this game.
