Mario Kart World: Review

Mario Kart World - Just another racer?

With the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, comes a new instalment to the Mario Kart series. This time it is the most ambitious but interesting one in the series with new mechanics, characters, items and the biggest one of all free roaming with collectables and missions to complete by yourself or with friends.

Let’s take a closer look at the new and returning tracks which are shown below on the map. Some fan favourites like WII Toad’s Factory, N64 Wario Stadium and GCN Dino Dino Jungle. Some returning tracks like Mario Circuit, which is a combination of SNES Mario Circuits 1, 2 and 3, MKT Sky-High Sundae and WII Moo Moo Meadows were not happy with being remade again as they were already retro tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or in the Booster Course Pass DLC.

The new tracks like Crown City, Great ? Block Ruins and Bowser’s Castle have great attention to detail and the ways you travel there. In Grand Prix's and Knockout Tours from intermission tracks, even this games Rainbow Road has got to be one of the best in the entire series as the atmosphere takes your breath away in a 4 section track alone with each section being something different. In total this game has a total of more than 200 tracks including intermission tracks which easily top the charts of the most tracks ever in a Mario Kart game (2nd place is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with Booster Course Pass DLC, having 96 tracks).

Interactive Map to help you find items.

For the Items in the game, old favourite has returned the Mega Mushroom from Mario Kart WII unfortunately two items got removed before the game released globally and those are. Piranha plant (due to becoming a playable character) and the fake item box, that has not returned fully since Mario Kart WII. Due to players already being aware of the difference between this and the real item box.

The new items in this game are surprising for how unique they function as the coin shell goes in the middle of the track producing coins then bursting into a circle of coins and the question block that dispenses coins for you and other racers to pick up the other new items are more centred into the character roster.

The character roster for this game is absurd, there is a total of fifty characters to play as in this game such as Penguin, Pianta and the Cow from Moo Moo Meadows. To unlock certain characters and alternated skin you need to either use the dash food item or get hit by the Kamek item for you to unlock these.

Character Select Screen

The Free Roam in the game is one of the best features to ever be implemented in a Mario Kart game as you can get used to how the game mechanics like wall riding and rail grinding works also you can find and complete P-Switch missions there is a total of 394 missions in total testing your skills in the game, Peach medallions that there are 200 on the map to collect and ? Panels with 150 to activate. All these will reward you with a sticker.

In my own opinion this game is the best for competitive Esports tournaments. Because of the Knockout Tour game mode, a 24-player race where at each checkpoint the bottom four gets eliminated until the final race for 1st place with the top four remaining. Being in the back is steady, in the middle causes' chaos everywhere and in the top is a clear spot in the check point, or doesn't it? As within seconds you can drop from top 5 to almost dead last, with a hit of a green shell or map fall off.

Start your new journey on the Nintendo Switch 2 with this road-trip ready Mario Kart game, although the £70-£100 price tag (depending on country and currency) in my opinion it is well worth it.