Ever since 1992, the Mario Kart series has been one of Nintendo’s premier multiplayer games with its fast-paced and wacky racing action. Each game in the series brought something new and innovative, making them a big reason to buy each Nintendo console. Whether playing at home or at the arcade, they’ve always been a great way to spend time with family and friends or even end friendships. Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U and its updated version, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the original Switch, were the longest-running mainline Mario Kart games for a total of 11 years until now. As part of the launch lineup of the newly released Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World is now available worldwide and ready to hit the road and your friends (in-game).

Hit the open road with Mario and friends! Zip along courses on a vast world where everything is connected. Race around grassy plains, bustling cities, wide-open waters, big ol’ volcanoes, and more, plus everything in between. Mario Kart World isn’t just a sequel with some new additions; it introduces a wide range of new features. Firstly, there are now 24 racers on the track, double from most of the games in the series, making the latest game crazier than ever.

There are currently a total of 50 characters to choose from, with Mario, Luigi, Toad, Peach, Daisy, Bowser and Donkey Kong in his redesign from his upcoming solo game, Donkey Kong Bananza, just to name a few. There also various NPC and enemy characters from Mario’s extensive history of games including Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Wiggler and even the Penguin that players often dropped off a cliff in Super Mario 64 and a Cow, a recurring background character in past Mario Kart games who has already become a fan favourite as a playable racer.

There are many character slots in the select screen, but a lot of them are just repeats of the same character in a different outfit. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but they could’ve easily shared a single character slot and let players choose an outfit from there. There are a lot of fun outfits to collect from biker gear, race jumpsuits, Halloween-themed outfits and more. Unfortunately, many characters from the previous game have been left out, mainly the non-Mario characters, but DLC characters are likely on their way, and we can’t wait to see who they will be.

After selecting a character, a wide variety of vehicles are available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. More can be unlocked through game progression and come in various designs from regular-looking go-karts, cars and motorbikes to vehicles themed around specific characters.

The gameplay has received a big update since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, now with more realistic physics instead of preset animations when getting with an item. For example, when getting with a shell in the previous game, your character would get launched upwards and bounce a few times in the same spot, but now they’ll roll and bounce in the direction depending on their direction, momentum and where they got hit. So players could roll into an unfortunate position, in a more desirable position or even hilariously over the finish line, so not all hope is lost.

Racers will traverse on land, air and water when reaching certain points of each track. Adding to the physics is being able to cause waves when in the water with explosions, or if something heavy falls in. Some new abilities include being able to grind like a skateboarder on rails and wires, which is handy for avoiding certain items, but shells can travel along them, too. Players can also drive along the walls if they can time their jump correctly, but this doesn’t happen nearly as often as most of the walls aren’t that long, but still a nice option to have.

Many of the items to sabotage your opponents also return from the last game, as well as a few from previous games and some new additions as well. The usual Mushroom, Banana, Bob-Omb, Green Shell, Red Shell and that damn Blue Shell are all back, with the latter now travelling along the ground, taking out anyone its way until it reaches whoever is in first place.

The Feather from older games returns for players to get a higher jump and some of the new items include the Gold Shell, which travels in the centre of the road, taking out anyone in its path and Hammer, which allows characters to throw a bunch of hammers and is good for blocking the road.

Another big update is that the game is now open world, allowing players to freely explore all the tracks and everything in between when in Free Roam. There is a lot to do and collect from finding food items, which can also be done in a race to get more outfits and complete various challenges, which are obstacle courses that, if completed in time, will unlock more goodies. Free Roam is also good for learning each track layout and finding some handy shortcuts that can give you the edge over your competitors. There is a lot to see and do when in Free Roam, but it can start to feel lifeless the more time you spend there.

The latest Mario Kart game has all the main modes from past games, including Grand Prix where players compete in a series of races and can unlock more characters, as well as VS Race, Time Trials, Coin Runners and Balloon Battle. The newest addition is Knockout Tour, which works like a normal race except that in each lap, the last four racers are eliminated until only four are remaining in the final lap to decide first, second and third.

It feels good the longer you can last, and it can be excruciating if you get eliminated early. A lot of players seem to prefer this over regular races as it makes things more intense and exciting than ever. It’s a common joke that Mario Kart ruins friendships, but Knockout Tour will likely push players to that breaking point a lot quicker. Regardless of what happens between friends, Knockout Tour is a fantastic new racing mode for the franchise.

Most of the race modes mentioned above are available to play both offline and online, so whether you’re playing with friends in person or at home solo, there will always be people to race with. In my personal experience, the online play has been smooth with barely any interruptions. I’ve raced with people in Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK and more, all in the same race with little to no lag at all. Even Free Roam allows you and up to 23 friends to freely explore the open world together for some chaotic fun and mindless nonsense. Single-player content may feel lacking, but the online play is really where it’s at in Mario Kart World.

For those who have the Switch 2 Camera, playing online with friends can be even more entertaining. Aside from helping each other find challenges and hidden pathways in Free Roam, your face will be displayed above your character in each other’s screens when racing together. So after sabotaging your friends, they’ll be able to see your guilty face as you drive past them. Taunting your friends (or soon-to-be former friends) in a Mario Kart game has never been this fun and satisfying.

Currently, there are a total of 30 brand-new unique tracks to race with various themes based on Mario’s long history. There is so much going on at each stage, and hopefully, more are on the way via DLC. Sadly, this also means fan favourite tracks from past games have been left out, which is what made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe so special. Those classic tracks could of course be added in future, and it’ll be interesting to see how it’d work with now 24 characters in a single race and if they can be added to the world map in Free Roam.

Being a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World makes a great first impression with its impressive graphics and 60fps in both docked and handheld mode. Even when there is a lot happening on screen at once, with the 24 racers causing chaos everywhere, there isn’t any slowdown at all, both offline and online. This is an excellent example of the Switch 2’s power and potential so far, and we hope to see more of this in future games.

It’s been 11 years since we had a proper new Mario Kart game, and this exclusive launch title is a fantastic way to kick off the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. There may be a lot missing from the previous game, but there is also a lot to look forward to. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we get some new additions to the game, but for now, there are hours upon hours of fun to be had, especially online against 23 other players. Even when this game makes you discover new levels of rage you didn’t think were possible, you’ll always be coming back for more. Mario Kart World is pure fun, full of potential, and an absolute must buy.

Written by: Sammy Hanson