Keeping the world interesting meant creating variety in these routes, Yabuki says, whether that was a large road or smaller, forest trails. “We’re certainly not bound by thinking about real-life geography, where we’re using islands and towns exactly as they might appear somewhere.”
Still from Mario Kart World.Courtesy of Nintendo
Still from Mario Kart World.Courtesy of Nintendo
Yabuki says the team didn’t want to use the phrase “open world” to describe the experience, because it’s a term too broad for what they wanted to accomplish. “The beginning of this project really was thinking about that vast interconnected world,” Yabuki says. “How do we layer on top of that all of the experiences that you’re accustomed to having in a Mario Kart game as well.”
Part of that meant that players need to be able to quickly grasp its mechanics, which means the act of racing itself is as basic as pressing a button to hit the gas. More advanced techniques exist for players who get the handle of things, including grinding on walls and railings and jump-boosting your way out of attacks.
Still from Mario Kart World.Courtesy of Nintendo
Mario Kart World’s competitions feel more chaotic than previous entries, in large part due to the fact that the races have doubled in size. Now, up to 24 players battle for first place; previous games allowed for 12 players per race. During the circuits we played, that meant that very rarely did a race feel like an easy win. A first-place cruise can be easily slapped away with well-timed attacks from opponents or, more terrifying, a blue shell.
But the game also makes recovering from a low ranking during the same run entirely possible—as long as you’ve got enough time to score a few items and keep your kart steady. If races aren’t your speed when it comes to rivalry, Mario Kart World also includes some familiar battle modes, like balloon popping. It’s simple, but a fun challenge: attack the other racer’s balloons on their kart without getting yours popped, while everyone zooms around and fights for items.
The game’s best offering for competition by far, however, is its Knockout Tour—one long elimination race where players need to achieve a certain placing to continue, until a winner is crowned. The pressure to place adds a thrilling sense of urgency that normal races don’t always achieve, as every moment counts, and mistakes will cost you.
There’s a great deal of potential for online play in Mario Kart World, including with the Switch 2’s GameChat and camera options—as long as your friends and family are able to grab the compatible hardware. With the impact of tariffs on the upcoming launch, as well as questions of whether retailers will be able to stock enough consoles to meet demand, it’s still unclear how accessible the Switch 2, game, or accessories will be when the new platform launches this Thursday.