Mario Kart World Review – Racing Onto the Nintendo Switch 2!

The Mario Kart series has seen its fair share of games over the years. With Mario Kart 8 enjoying a healthy life on the Nintendo Switch, fans were hoping for the series to evolve alongside their console. And with the Nintendo Switch 2 now finally here, Mario Kart World stands as the lone first-party Nintendo exclusive, welcoming players into the new generation of gaming on the go. 

The game has a lot stacked against it, starting with its high price tag, to gameplay that seemingly looks ‘the same as it always did’. But with open-world elements, vastly improved graphics, and expanded character and player rosters, does the game do enough to attract new players and fans of the series? Let’s find out.

TL;DR

As the first Nintendo Switch 2 game, Mario Kart World exceeds expectations. It features gorgeous graphics, smooth 60 FPS gameplay, and chaotic 24-player racing you can’t find anywhere else.

Gameplay – Evolving the Mario Racing Formula

Mario Kart World is an open-world kart racing game. As the name implies, it features Super Mario and all of his friends, enemies, Princess Peach, and a few other random but funny characters, such as Cow (yes, really).

This is a third-person racing game in which you choose a character, a vehicle (car, bike, or a combination of the two), and then race 23 other players or computer-controlled characters. While it’s simple on paper, Mario Kart World is deceptively hard to master. In fact, you can make the game as easy or as difficult as you want, which is where its true magic is. 

The game allows you to automatically speed up, use items, and perform other actions depending on your skills and preferences. On the other hand, it lets you drift, jump, grind on rails, fly, swim, and perform dozens of tricks while driving. All of these tricks boost your speed, encouraging players to experiment and have fun every time they race. 

What separates Mario Kart World from previous Mario Kart games is its open world. You can explore a huge open world filled with secrets, characters, classic race tracks, and various items to collect. The only downside to this is the fact that you can’t explore the open world with other players—it’s strictly a single-player mode.

The open world represents a collection of racing tracks you would otherwise visit during other modes. They are organically connected and let you fast-travel from one end of the map to another with a click. While it’s a novel gimmick, there’s no story mode here to enjoy. Whether or not you’ll enjoy the Mario Kart World’s open world depends on how much you like exploring and discovering secrets in your games.

Rich Variety of Tracks and Characters

Mario Kart World features 32 racing tracks and 50 unique characters to play as. This doesn’t count additional costumes or vehicles, meaning there’s a lot of variety present on day one. Best of all, each track and character stand on their own, ensuring that nothing feels stale or ‘copy-pasted’. 

With 24 players racing on the same track, you want to make sure everyone is visually distinct in addition to their gamer tag. Mario Kart World does an excellent job of visually distinguishing different characters and vehicles, both in terms of colour palettes and outlines. You’ll never confuse Mario for Luigi or Peach for Daisy, even at a distance, and it’s a testament to Nintendo’s continued dedication to providing great accessibility for all players.

Unlocking Stuff the Old-Fashioned Way

Something that really makes Mario Kart World stand out from today’s games lies in its progression. There are no microtransactions present here, and although Nintendo will likely introduce paid DLC in the form of new tracks later on, that’s another story. 

Right now, all tracks, characters, items, and collectables are unlocked through gameplay. All you have to do is play your favourite characters, complete open-world missions, collect stars, and the game will reward you with even more stuff to do. This is a far cry from today’s AAA games that come with paid DLC on day one without a good justification. 

Unforgettable 24-Player Online Experience

Mario Kart World doubles the number of players participating in a single race from 12 to 24. Thanks to the power of the Nintendo Switch 2, these races are exceptionally stable, and you’ll never see a single drop from stable 60 FPS. In addition, the game makes great use of the Nintendo GameChat functionality introduced with the Switch 2. 

It allows up to 12 players to participate in chat rooms and screen-share their real-time gameplay with one another. While the shared video isn’t as smooth as what’s happening on your own console, it’s a neat little feature that lets you enjoy your friends’ company while playing Mario Kart World. 

And with 24 players racing, using items, jumping, drifting, and hitting into each other, there’s really nothing like it on the market. Best of all, you really don’t need any gaming experience to succeed at Mario Kart. All you need is a Joy-Con 2 (or Joy-Con 1, as the game allows players to mix-and-match Joy-Cons!) and a little bit of beginner’s luck.

Visuals – Letting the Nintendo Switch 2 Shine

Mario Kart World runs at 1080p 60 FPS in handheld mode and 1440p 60 FPS in docked mode. This applies to single-player and 2-player split-screen, with 4-player split-screen dropping to 30 FPS. 

It’s to be expected since 4 distinct players need to input controls and get real-time feedback on their character, in addition to 20 others racing on the same track. The fact that a handheld device can manage 4-player split-screen in real-time is already an accomplishment. However, 2-player split-screen at 60 FPS is a marvel, with both players getting half of the display to control their respective characters. 

Add to that a pair of Nintendo Joy-Con 2 Wheels, and you have a recipe for an unforgettable time. Some would say that this alone justifies getting Mario Kart World on day one, as there are very few games like this on the market, and with such pedigree. The game runs exceptionally well, and we’ve encountered virtually no bugs or crashes during our review process. 

This is a great technical demonstration of what the Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of compared to the original, as it’s a significant step up in terms of visual fidelity. We’re very excited to see what Nintendo has in store for the console and for the future of Mario Kart World with additional updates and DLC packs.

Seamless 2-Player and 4-Player Split-Screen Racing

With the Nintendo Switch 2 making it easy for you to bring your Switch 1 accessories to the new console, it’s no wonder Mario Kart World works similarly. The game allows you to easily use your good old Switch 1 Joy-Cons or Pro controllers to play the game with up to 3 other players. 

This means you don’t need to spend extra money on brand-new accessories if you’ve already invested in the Switch 1 gear. Better yet, a single Joy-Con is enough for one player to play the game, meaning you don’t need full pairs of Joy-Cons for each player. We often forget how much of a marvel of technology the Nintendo Switch really is. The Switch 2 is no exception and promises to allow players even more versatility with their accessories.

Conclusion – Should You Buy Mario Kart World?

The question of whether or not you should buy the game comes down to this: Did you already buy a Nintendo Switch 2? If the answer is ‘Yes’, then you should definitely consider getting Mario Kart World as well. 

It’s a testament to Nintendo’s design principles as it allows both hobby gamers and casual players to enjoy the game to its fullest without much difficulty. Super Mario games have always been charming and inviting. This game is no exception. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a game that everyone in your family can easily pick up and play, and with up to 4 players being able to play on the same console, you really can’t go wrong here. 

However, if you’re still on the Nintendo Switch 1, Mario Kart World alone may not be worth the upgrade. It’s a great game filled with plenty of engaging, fun content, but it’s only a single game at the end of the day. 

Once Nintendo’s first-party lineup expands with the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza and other titles like Metroid Prime 4 Beyond later this year, that answer will become more positive. As always, it’s up to personal preference whether a 24-player karting game is worth your time or not.

Huge thanks to CD Media for sponsoring our review!