Mario Kart World: Review in progress

Considering that Mario Kart 8 is one of the world’s best-selling games ever and also Nintendo’s second-best-selling game, with only Wii Sports (which, as you know, came with every Wii console), it’s no exaggeration to say that nothing is hotter at Switch 2’s launch than Mario Kart World.

In fact, it has been 11 years since a Mario Kart game was last released for a Nintendo console, and June 5 is finally the time for its arrival. Before that, Gamereactor had the opportunity to visit Nintendo in Frankfurt to try both this and the Welcome Tour, and we’re not talking about an early version, but the full game with everything available. My impressions here are the same as what will be in the review we will publish as soon as possible.

So. before we get into all the fun, I’m sure many of you are wondering with horror if Nintendo has managed to make a worthy successor to the best party racer ever. I was one of them, playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe almost every week since its release, and thankfully I have positive news. I haven’t played everything yet and haven’t had enough time to explore for a definitive opinion, but yes, it looks like Nintendo has a new timeless marvel on their hands, which they’ve now also managed to bake in all the trends that are so important today and are meant to be relevant for a long time.

When I first grab Nintendo’s new Pro Controller to play, my hand almost sweats before the green light appears and the start-up horn sounds. What greets me is a very cozy home screen in which Mario is out and about in the now wide-open world, while I get some classic options, as well as the new Free Roam option.

During the extremely well-planned event, the idea is to give me and other visiting journalists and influencers time to try out as many aspects as possible. But it all starts with a good old-fashioned cup race where we can choose which one we want and try out this new set-up. Depending on the cup, I start in one spot and by the end of the race I’m in another, a clear concept that innovates the classic system in a way that feels logical, avoiding the feeling of changing for the sake of changing.

When I choose drivers (for me, that’s usually Luigi and Waluigi), I don’t notice a huge difference from Mario Kart 8, but when I choose a vehicle on the next screen, it’s clear how much has changed in terms of technology. The details and textures are of a completely different level than its predecessor, and there doesn’t seem to be any wheel selection or hang gliders from what I could see, something I’m not sad about, to be honest. Many things in the form of both drivers and karts are locked, so there seems to be plenty to earn.

I choose to start soft with 100cc in the classic Mushroom Cup, where racing begins at Mario Bros. Circuit, and then through Crown City and Whistlestop Summit, and finally ends at DK Spaceport. It looks powerful to see 24 drivers cross the finish line in a sort of mascot procession of famous and much lesser-known creatures from the Mushroom Kingdom. When the green light appears, I fly away and it’s clear that superstar racing still works the same way.

The biggest difference in gameplay this time around is that jumps are back. These were present in the very first Mario Kart, but disappeared along the way. Here, however, they have a slightly different function and are used, among other things, to let you ride on walls. To do this, however, you have to charge your jump, and it is immediately clear that this means I have to change my play style quite a bit. Trying to glide through every turn as smoothly as possible is no longer automatically the best thing to do, and can lead to missing important shortcuts, and there seem to be a lot of them, so mastering the jumps will undoubtedly be important.

Other things I quickly notice are details like how you no longer have to hold a button to hold a green shell behind you, but it’s something that’s done automatically when you pick up the item. So you only have to press the button when it’s time to rip it off, which is a nice and really user-friendly feature that I appreciate. Other little things are that you can now clearly see how much boost you have left on golden mushrooms, making them easier to time and use. Spontaneously, I would also say that the computer opponents seem to be a little easier this time around, and while I should obviously win 100 cc, it’s still the first time I’ve played this without knowing shortcuts or new game mechanics, so I win by a margin.

The Mushroom Cup concludes with an absolutely phenomenal uphill descent at DK Spaceport, whose design is reminiscent of the construction site in the original 1981 Donkey Kong, where a giant robot monkey stands and throws barrels at the riders in an absolutely delightful sequence. From here I continued playing and opted for the watery reinterpretation of Wario’s Galleon and Moo Moo Meadows, both of which have been thoroughly revamped. The water racing feels distinct and naturally offers a different feel than the solid ground under the wheels, and I think I can feel slight influences from the Wave Race -games, which is all positive.

After converting, we had the opportunity to try out Versus mode. I started my journey at Mario Circuit, and after playing it, I chose Acorns Heists and experienced how the world changed from a classic racing environment to a lush green track. From there, my journey took me on a race to Boo Cinema, and the leafy environments quickly transitioned into something more autumnal and soon toward downright (well… by Nintendo standards) horror-like with racing in a haunted movie theater with lots of cool effects. I rounded out my Versus travels with a trip to something more lively, choosing a race that went to Dandelion Depths.

It’s wonderful to play this way and I’m really encouraged to experience it all, as along the courses there is the ability to unlock new suits via food packs hiding in the periphery. The suits are really different and can transform Waluigi into a more Dracula-like creature, for example, and that’s why I feel motivated to find them. I definitely think I’d like to try to find everything when I can sit down and play at home in peace.

The Free Roam game mode offers the opportunity to really take a closer look at the majestic game world, where it is possible to drive just about anywhere. As in Forza Horizon, leaving the roads behind you for a bit of exploration is a must, as Nintendo has hidden secrets just about everywhere, usually in the form of P Blocks. When you bump into them, you get a timed challenge of varying difficulty, and completing them unlocks new content (not least Stickers to pimp your shopping carts). Some of these challenges feel a bit puzzle-like, some are race-oriented and some revolve around flying. I’ve only had time to try out a fraction of what’s available, but I can say that none of the challenges were bad, even if some feel a bit random. The vast majority seem really cleverly designed and thought out, and there is also a Photo Mode, which I think many will enjoy.

So far so good, but the real Mario Kart World star for me is the new Battle Royale-flavored Knockout Tour. A game mode for up to 24 people in six races, where it’s important not to finish in the bottom four because it means instant elimination. So the final race only has four people in it, and the set-up automatically makes it a lot more exciting. In the cups, I get a little less points if I don’t finish first, but I can still win by doing well in the other races. If I fail, I get knocked out, which means Game Over.

Before each race, everyone can vote on which track they want to play from three pre-selected options, but you can also open the map and select a random track. Since there is a tie between everyone’s choices, it can be your favorite track even if you are the only one who chose it. The prestige was palpable when everyone in the room got together in this extremely delightful game mode (where I can’t help but tell you that I managed to win outright). Being on the verge of elimination during a race is more stressful than most things, and the feeling of “just one more race” is palpable.

Other options include the returning Coin Runners and Balloon Battle. They offer no big surprises, but the greater number of players combined with better tracks and fun bonus items made both a joy to play. Clearly two game modes that have a future both online and offline.

By the way, I think I noticed that the powerful bonus items are a bit more generous this time around, possibly a result of the fact that there are now 24 players on the track, so there are a lot of people getting the chance to launch blue shells. But even superstars and Bullet Bills were used a little more often than I think I’m used to. There is a setting to adjust the bonus items, but I’m still a little unsure to what extent.

So there’s a lot that points to it being a real winner that Nintendo is releasing later this week. The only negative thing I have to say is that I experienced performance with Joy-Con 2 when four people were playing on the same screen – also with Switch 2 Camera – as noticeably laggy. Whether this was due to a particular setting in the game or the TV, or whether the camera actually takes up so many resources that it affects the gaming experience, I can’t say for sure until I test it thoroughly at home. Either way, it’s no big deal because it’s an optional accessory.

We’ll be back with our full review in the fairly near future, when we’ll tell you exactly how good Mario Kart World actually is, but in the meantime, it looks promising. The anxious excitement I mentioned in the introduction has turned into pure joy, and on June 5 the race is on.