Mario Kart World reviewed by Logan Plant on Nintendo Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially off to the races, and Mario Kart World is a great way to get things started. The first brand-new Mario Kart in a decade makes huge changes to the established formula, but ironically, the best parts about it closely follow the blueprint of every entry that’s come before: unbeatable local multiplayer racing on well-designed tracks that more than live up to the series’ legacy. World’s tight controls, celebratory soundtrack, and universal polish marvelously complement the action, and I can’t wait to see how top players will take full advantage of its exciting parkour mechanics in the months and years ahead. The way Nintendo built 30 courses into an interconnected series of highways is undeniably impressive, too, but Mario Kart’s first attempt at an open world is also fairly uneven across its variety of modes. The clear standout among the new ways to play is Knockout Tour, a thrilling battle royale that makes the best use of World’s intertwined roads. But when you add in frustrating online multiplayer limitations and some head-scratching design decisions around the interface and unlockables that will hopefully be fixed in future updates, World feels like it was hit with a blue shell right before the finish line. Still, Mario Kart World’s chassis is so strong that, with a few key tune-ups, I’m confident it will eventually end up popping champagne in victory lane.
