Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching. In this explanatory review, we’re covering Mario Kart World by main developer, Nintendo EPD, with assistance by Monolith Soft and 1-Up Studio:
Mario Kart World (Nintendo Switch 2)
It has been 11 years since the release of Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Wii U and in that time, we have seen it rebranded and released on Nintendo Switch as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a mobile game in the form of Mario Kart Tour. Although Nintendo has been keeping the cash cow that was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe going on Nintendo Switch with new content in the form of the Booster Course Pass in the last few years of the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan, fans have been wanting a brand new Mario Kart game and now the time has finally come. Mario Kart World is the newest entry in the series and released alongside an all-new system, the Nintendo Switch 2.
There is no denying that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the absolute pinnacle of the Mario Kart games and with over 68.20 million units sold, it has done absolute gangbusters in terms of worldwide sale and continues to be the go-to racing game for Switch owners. As for Mario Kart World, it knows that it can’t compete with its predecessor head on so instead, it changes up the formula completely while still staying true to its roots by giving players a familiar yet very refreshing experience.
Mario Kart World has a number of series’ firsts to mix things up. Up to 24 players can race together for the first time online. Grand Prix in single and local multiplayer also has up to 24 racers competing with up to four human players and the remaining competitors made up of CPU racers. A new mode called Knockout Tour will have players race from one point of the map to the other and will eliminate players who fail to make it to checkpoints with the minimum required position. The real icing on the cake though is Free Roam.
This mode allows players to casually ride around the who map of Mario Kart World at their leisure. There are P-missions to complete, ? Panels to find, and Peach Medallions to collect to give players activities to do when they want to take a break from racing. Free Roam can also be done online with other players before races are initiated and it is also possible to have two players access Free Roam but creating a Wireless, LAN, or online private Room and then freely explore the world together.
You can also take photos in Free Roam mode. You can alter your pose and expression, change the zoom and angle of the camera, add frames and adjust the focus. This is a nice little feature as you can use it to take snapshots of all of your friends together or of your favourite vistas. In fact the screenshot at the top of the page is actually one that I took of a whale breaching the surface whilst I was exploring in Free Roam!
Now I could talk about the actual gameplay but I think for the benefit of the doubt, most people reading this review would have played a Mario Kart game at some point and should be somewhat familiar with the controls at least. I will say that they are very much the same as the controls in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe so you should take to them like a duck to water. Where things start to differ is how the races themselves are handled.
Unlike the typical “race three laps around the same circuit,” they we are used too, races also include travelling between circuits as well on the open road, or not. They could be across a desert of even the open ocean. They start from the finish line of the previous circuit and end at the finish line of the next. It is most definitely an interesting decision to make races this way and it is one that I welcome gracefully. I know some folks are not too keen on them but you can opt to not race between circuits in Vs. Mode so if you prefer more traditional races, you can find them in Vs. Mode, although there is still the option to race between circuits in Vs. Mode if you want to as well.
Now, lets talk items. A big staple in Mario Kart are of course the item boxes and what they contain. Many of the series prime items return, so Green Shells, Red Shells, Mushrooms, Bananas, Lightning, Bob-ombs, Super Stars, and even the dreaded Blue Shell are all here along with some new additions. The Feather which was normally reserved for Battle mode in MK8D can be used across all game modes in Mario Kart World.
We also have the Kamek Orb that can turn racers in front of you into other characters for a limited time and spawn enemies and obstacles on the circuit. There are also ice flowers and hammers that can spew out multiple projectiles, and then, there is also Dash Food. This last item is not found in item boxes. They are in fact, found at nearby fast food establishments called Yoshi’s. Collecting them can give you a slight boost and also change your character’s outfit (providing they have an outfit that can be unlocked by that food).
Some Dash Foods unlock different outfits for certain characters. For example, some food in tropical beach areas of the map can unlock summer or vacation clothes for the likes of Mario or Peach. Popcorn can turn King Boo into an Aristocrat or Waluigi into a Vampire. There are quite a lot of unlockable outfits for the main cast of characters but unfortunately, not all of Bowser’s minions recieve the same luxury of outfits, so you won’t be seeing Goomba or Piranha Plant wearing any cools hats but Lakitu and Koopa Troopa can rock new threads.
When it comes to unlockables, Mario Kart World does have it’s fair share. We have already spoken about unlockable outfits/characters which can can be unlocked using Dash Food or Kamek Orbs. You can also unlock characters by completing Grand Prix Races. Vehicles can also be unlocked every time you collect 100 coins with a cap at 3,000 coins. Which vehicles you unlock seem to be random but upon collecting 3,000 coins, you would have unlocked all of them by then. One final unlock and possibly the biggest of the all is Mirror Mode. Now, its no secret as most Mario Kart games have had Mirror Mode but how to unlock it will take time and I won’t explain it here as not to spoil it for those who want to find out on their own.
If you want to take a break from racing and Free Roam, there is also Time Trials and Vs. Mode. Time Trials allows you to try and get the fastest lap on each of the 30 circuits in the game, as well as race against your ghost data. As for Vs. Mode, Balloon Battle and Coin Runners make a return and you have a choice of eight closed off arenas to duke it out to see who comes out on top. There is is a noticeable difference with Balloon Battle this time around, which is that when all of your balloons are popped, you are eliminated and will recieve zero points regardless of how many points you had before you were eliminated.
Mario Kart World is one of those games that just keeps giving. Even though it breaks from tradition by changing up how races and circuits are done, I actually enjoy taking to the open road and taking in the sights. I particularly like the inclusion of Free Roam as it allows me to explore and take in this extraordinary world. Just when you think you have seen it all, there is always another surprise waiting around the corner to surprise you like rail grinding or riding alongside walls, spotting UFO’s and more.
There are even a number of special vehicles you can temporarily commandeer and wreak havoc on the roads. Oh, I would also like to point out that the OST is also amazing. The remixes of some of my favourite music tracks are soo good that I sincerly hope they get added to the Nintendo Music app so I can listen to them over and over again when I am away from my Nintendo Switch 2.
Anyway, it is time for me to wrap up this review as I have blabbered on for far too long. In short, Mario Kart World is an absolute must have on Nintendo Switch 2 and just like its predecessor, it is a game you can enjoy with your friends over and over again for years to come.
Game Specifications:
Developers: Nintendo EPD, Monolith Soft, 1-Up Studio
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Physical)
Genre: Party, Racing
No. of Players:Â 1-4 (Single System) 2-24 (Online)
Release Date:Â June 5, 2025
Price:Â $79.99
File Size: 21.9 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
