Let’s be completely honest – the moment it was announced Mario Kart would be at launch for Switch 2, we knew this launch would be massive.

There’s few Nintendo properties and games that can move mountains at quite the volume of Mario Kart and so I would imagine the attachment rate between Switch 2 and Mario Kart World is probably pretty high. Such was the point.

And if you’ve ever played a game at any point in series history, you’ll know the drill.  Chaos. The core loop is still very much intact and hasn’t been iterated on massively here. But what World does do is take a bit of everything that’s worked in the past and blend it all together. Marvellously.

That’s sort of the point, I think. Mario Kart World is a celebration of the series and that starts with the presentation, gets extended with the scale, and overtime you really start to understand the ambition and technicalities under the hood.

When you boot up the game, you’re driving free roam in the World of Mario Kart. Cruising around through the game’s fairly world that is as varied as it is vast. One minute you’re bordering Peach’s Stadium but can soon find yourself whizzing past Donkey Kong’s Spaceport. And the best part, from the menu you can literally just drop right in. Wherever you’re randomly driving on the map, you can take over and go wherever you want.

You can change characters at the drop of a hat, and even fast travel to the nearest racer or or area you want to visit. So if you want to show your friend that one area they may have not seen, it’s that easy to just go there. And it loads so quickly, whether you’re going from one of the map to the other. From Bowser’s Castle to a Faraway Oasis, you can be there in seconds.

That’s sort of the beauty of World’s map, and it’s best experienced with a friend, much like the game itself. It’s the perfect setup for a GameChat catchup. Just chatting to your friend, both of you casually driving around, maybe deciding to do a spontaneous race with no pressure of time limits or opposing players. Maybe you both want to find secret spots on the map, locate all the P buttons and ? blocks. All while just talking about your day.

Mario Kart can work as both the most beautiful background noise or a compliment to an intense session of all-night gaming. It’s a game that can be whatever you want it to be, such is its magic.

And yes, sure, I’ve seen the criticism about World being a bit empty or not exactly what people were expecting. To that I say, I think this is a starting point. I truly believe Nintendo are just building a foundation here which they’ll, almost certainly, keep expanding through the Switch 2’s lifecycle. Whether we get another Booster Course Pack or timed events, maybe new major updates add things within the world. That’s the beauty of Nintendo in 2025, we just never, ever truly know what to expect. And when.

If I had to put a label on what the free-roam map is, I’d class it as one massive, interactive sandbox lobby. There’s little missions you can take on – like racing to the finish line, collecting all the coins, flying through goal posts – and it’s a fast way to get around and see the courses Nintendo have put together without directly competing on them. If you passed something on a race that really wowed you, just fast travel over and take a look in your own time. How often can you say a racer allowed you to do that?

All with a photo mode you can bring up at the touch of a button!

It all compliments the magic here, because we see the scope and we understand the possibilities. There’s plenty of little secrets to be found and you can try to look for every nook and cranny on your own, but for now, this whole sandbox being presented to you, where you’re driving along open roads against oncoming cars, soaring through the skies, trying to find all the game’s secrets, as a foundation that will hopefully keep you playing this for weeks, months, maybe even years.

Ultimately, it also serves to be a compliment to the main event of Mario Kart as always – Grand Prix. And let me tell you, these courses are not just a wonderful celebration of the game, they enhance and evolve it for the future. There’s lovely nostalgia here with the classic Mario Kart Circuit from the OG SNES game, enhanced and updated for 2025. There’s the absolutely brilliant Boo Cinema which you feel would have only been possible with this tech, in this game.

Even right at the start, in the very first cup, you get DK Spaceport which feels like a futuristic Donkey Kong Rollercoaster with all the bounces, twists and turns, as well as the surprises.

But reader, let me tell you, all of this pales in comparison to the introduction of and the entrance to Rainbow Road. Yes, it’s back. Yes, that’s all I’m going to say, because you must go into this blind. Don’t look anything up, don’t sneak a peek, experience it naturally and organically without any spoilers because, for me, it’s the gaming moment of the year. It’s Switch 2’s magic moment right out of the box. I’d even put it right up there with that moment in Breath of the Wild where Link stares out over the verge and sees the scale of the world he’s in.

I can truly say I’ve never wept tears crossing the finish line of a race in a driving game but Rainbow Road brought me to that point. I had goosebumps rolling down my arms when it appeared and after I’d experienced it in full, I was completely mesmerised. There’s a sense of irony that comes with the credits rolling right after it, because for me, this was when I felt Mario Kart World had truly come to life. It’s the perfect final track, so much so I’m not sure I want Nintendo to add any more, I don’t know how you to top it. But I’m sure they will.

Grand Prix has a whopping 8 Cups – the 8th unlocked after you beat the first 7 – and they’re all playable in 50, 100 and 150CC. Each cup is well balanced between nice, casual courses – some familiar ones too – but also has some wonderful go-home races. And each is as vibrant and colourful as the last. They all resonate, burn into your brain and will immediately make you want to replay them.

When I was racing through each, I kept thinking about the power of Switch 2, how this is the definitive Mario Kart, how this is really allowing Nintendo’s development team to excercise their creativity to the full and let them create the experience they want to. Not just because there’s a race of 24 racers at a time – which is an impressive feat in itself – but because of the all the little details in the background, how busy and fulfilling the world’s are, the level of detail. It’s all astounding.

And it’s such a showcase of what Switch 2 is capable of. You can find yourself bobbing up and down in perilous waters within Wario’s Galleon, just ebbing and flowing with the waves, trying to keep your head above while also stay ahead of your opponents. And it’s all so silky smooth and treacherous as you try to navigate the tight corners and find stable track to drive on so you don’t lose momentum.

Then you travel through Acorn Heights as you gradually climb through and up trees, dodging enormous acorns and curious insects as you try to weave through the oncoming racers and even in Moo Moo Meadows where you have to stop yourself from stopping to just admire the scenery. It’s absolutely stunning all around.

Truly, it’s like Disneyland for Nintendo fans. We’re talking a similar volume of quality and respect of licensed property, of attention to detail, of how smooth and polished it all is. I genuinely felt like I was cruising around the equivalent of Main St most of the time.

The music plays a massive role in that too. It’s so chirpy, epic, melodic, fulfilling, heartwarming, light but completly enriching and appropriate at all times. You’ll quite often find yourself humming along or getting swept up by it, again, using Rainbow Road as a great example. Oooft, still getting chills thinking about it.

For me, the scale of difficulty for the grand prix is also a good step up. 50CC might be too easy, where 100CC gives a decent challenge and 150CC really puts the pressure on. I highly expect 200cc to show up at some point but for me personally, it wasn’t massively missed just yet.

And the thing about races in general is there is a lot more to think about now. One minute you’re flying through the skies, next you’re skimming the waters then you’re right back on a path. And sometimes now on paths you have to grind, a new addition to the game which kind of gives the impression of the great skaters, where you’re skimming railway tracks or going across fine ledges, hopping between them seamlessly as you’ve in games like Sonic and even Tony Hawk.

You can use the grinding to advantage to maintain and build momentum but it can also slow you right down, so be careful.

There’s some new powerups too, the best of which might be the Hammer Bros style throwing hammers which lets you launch several ahead of you in a direct firing line of rival. It’s really powerful and effective and adds a nice new weapon to the expanding arsenal. Others include a ? box full of coins which, might initially seem useless but Mario Kart World also incentivises you collecting coins. More on that in a moment.

Unusually is a Kamek power as well that can unlock new racers for you by chance and a coin, golden shell that drops coins as it’s launched forward.

You’ll also notice some new shopping bags in the game which are filled with food. These do offer a little bit of a speed boost for you but what they also do is change your appearence. A cool thing in World is characters have different aesthetic types – surely another way the game will be expanded upon in the months to come. So you can have Touring versions of Mario, but also ice cream parlor Yoshi and even engineer style Captain Toad!

It helps fill out an already chock-filled roster of races, including some returning favourites and new stars, like Moo Moo! And this roster for sure feels like there’s more faces to be added in the future. But what’s here day one, is pretty spectacular and offers a full breadth of the Mario Kart World, right down to my new favourite, Lakitu!

For me, I just love how alive this world also feels. As mentioned, you’ll regularly find yourself driving against oncoming cars but some of these even throw weapons at you and some almost act like they’re on parade, like a Hot-Rod that has Petey Piranha just chomping away at air at the back.  The environments feel detailed and alive with blades of grass freely moving in the windws and trees swaying. Lava bubbling at Bowser’s Castle and sweet treats spilling over at Sky-High Sundae.

As mentioned, collecting coins also has more of a purpose here than before. In addition to finding new costumes for your racers, by just driving around and winning cups, you’ll unlock stickers in the game for fulfilling certain conditions. Some are unlocked by coins, some from clearing missions, or racing a number of times, performing tricks. These stickers end up being your avatar for your player in-game, both local and online.

Coins will also unlock new vehicles for you to boost around in, each having varying speed, acceleration, weight and handling. Finding the right balance for you is crucial to how you win races and quite often I found some of my favourite and prefered vehicles were ones I hadn’t unlocked from the start. So the incentive is definitely there to keep grabbing them to unlock everything.

Then there’s the brand new Knockout Tour, which, for me, is the biggest and best implementation of the game. I adore it. It follows a sort of Battle Royale format where each time you cross the checkpoint, a batch of racers are eliminated and it’s the best use of the full 24 racer format. If you’re not within the Top 20 after the first cross, you’re eliminated and this will run right down to the final lap where you need to finish first.

Locally, it’s a blast, but it’s online that I really latched onto this one. It’s such a fun competitive experience that just changes the way you play Mario Kart and will absolutely be my go-to when I’m feeling like just diving in for a quick run. The first time, I got a lot closer than I expected, somehow managing to scrap my way through to the Top 4. Coming so close to being eliminated so many times, then having the right string of luck at the end to carry me through.

In true Mario Kart style, this race is never over until its over and it’s perfect for this setting and format and is absolutely the leading poster format for a game that is trying to go bigger and bolder than before. It’s also a great way to add more to race for in single player if you’ve just previously been one to go through the Grand Prix. Wonderful addition that feels certain to be a staple for the series in years to come.

Of course, old reliables are also here like Balloon Battle and Coin Racer and are as welcome as they’ve always been, as well as Time Trial. The game also supports so many ways to play between local, online, and Gameshare that you’ll always be able to play with someone and I’m pleased to say my experiences with online were fluid and seamless to get into and had you racing quickly and easily.

I could go on about Mario Kart World. About how satisfying it is to just cruise around on the map and just stumble upon your favourite circuit. Catching little surprises in the background and fun easter eggs for Nintendo fans. Or just hipping a P button because you see it and having a crack at a random mission. Even new things like the Rolling Starts and cruising between courses in Grand Prix now or the way you can randomly destroy parts of the environment by colliding into it.

It’s basically a dream come true for Mario Kart and even Mario World fans. You’ll never quite look at the series in quite the same way again and probably find yourself spending far more time than you should looking for clues as to what else Nintendo could be working on in the environment. Mario Wave Race, anyone?

It is, unquestionably, the definitive Mario Kart. The tracks are some of the best you’ve ever seen and go further than you’d ever dare imagine and it’s all brought together ina  colourful stunning, vibrant world full of possibilities, potential and P-blocks.

Simply put, if you have a Switch 2, you must own Mario Kart World.

Verdict

It’s quite simple – Mario Kart World is essential owning on Switch 2. Not only is this the best and biggest Mario Kart ever made, the Knockout Tour is a game-changing new addition that feels like it always should have been here, the courses are among the best ever seen in the series, including a system-defining moment with Rainbow Road and the vast potential that’s opened up with the map mean you could be playing this through the entire console lifecycle and beyond. You quickly realise that this is a game that could only work on this hardware and it feels like the developers have relished being free of the shackles of previous hardware to create, frankly, their magnum opus. 

One of the best racers ever made, easily the best Mario Kart of all time, and frankly, the perfect start for a console that feels like it could seriously change the landscape of gaming over the next few years. 

Pros

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Mario Kart World is out now on Nintendo Switch 2

Code and Console kindly Provided by Nintendo for review purposes