Mario Kart World Is This the Game That Will Sell the Switch 2?

Article Heading: Mario Kart World: The Perfect Launch Title for Nintendo Switch 2

All sequels face the daunting task of living up to their predecessors, but Mario Kart World shoulders an especially heavy burden. It follows in the tire tracks of the best-selling game across Nintendo's last two console generations, a game bolstered by an impressive array of downloadable content that effectively doubled its size. Instead of simply adding more to the winning formula of Mario Kart 8, Nintendo has taken a bold step in a new direction. Mario Kart World retains the core essence of Mario Kart, complete with the adrenaline-pumping Rainbow Road and the ever-frustrating blue shells. However, it introduces an innovative open-world structure that elevates the game to a new level of immersion and cohesion, making it an ideal showcase for the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch.

The most significant transformation in World lies in its structure. Traditional Mario Kart games featured racetracks as isolated entities, with Baby Park and Bowser's Castle existing independently of each other. In contrast, World unfolds on a single, expansive landmass, divided into distinct areas and biomes, reminiscent of the map in Fortnite. This interconnectedness is a game-changer. In Grand Prix mode, you navigate four tracks that form a continuous path across the continent, seamlessly flowing from one to the next.

Initially, the interconnectedness of the tracks in Mario Kart World gave me a sense that the tracks were less distinct and singular because they bled into one another. At the start of the Choco Mountain track, for instance, you start out in the quaint green fields of Moo Moo Meadows, because that course comes before it. And it isn’t until the second lap that you actually get to the mountains. But eventually I came to enjoy the fluidity of the track design, and how it gave the feeling of a larger overall world.

Whether this structure is superior to the more conventional racetracks of previous titles is a matter of personal preference, and it undoubtedly requires some adjustment. However, the change ultimately won me over, largely due to its novelty and the enjoyment I derived from repeatedly playing the same tracks to uncover every detail and hidden path.

This revamped structure paves the way for my favorite addition to World: the thrilling Knockout Tour mode. Think of it as a battle royale adaptation of Mario Kart. Instead of participating in a series of separate races, you are thrust into six interconnected tracks without any breaks. At predetermined points, a gate appears, eliminating any racer behind the designated position. This process continues until only one kart rider remains victorious. Despite my decades of experience with Mario Kart, Knockout Tour sparked a new level of excitement, intensified by its extended duration and unforgiving win conditions. It also makes for a spectacular spectator experience, as the tension of watching racers narrowly make it over the line is palpable.

Other exciting features in the game include:

• New Weapons: Such as the ice flower, which allows you to hurl snowballs at your opponents, and a mushroom that transforms you into a giant capable of crushing your rivals.
• Interactive Elements: You can now collect food at drive-through restaurants for a speed boost (and a costume change!), grind on rails, and ride on walls, although I have yet to perfect these advanced techniques.
• Expanded Roster: The cast of racers is more extensive than ever before, further enriched by the numerous unlockable outfits for characters like Peach and Waluigi.

These enhancements contribute significantly to making World a worthy sequel. However, it is the living, breathing world at its core that truly sets it apart and showcases the capabilities of Nintendo's latest hardware. The courses in World are larger and more complex, brimming with alternate routes, but they are also more chaotic. The game now supports **24 racers per race**, doubling the previous limit of 12, and the screen is perpetually filled with explosions and action. You can now drive on water, navigating massive, cresting waves, and many stages teem with wildlife, from lumbering dinosaurs to herds of zebras. The levels are not just expansive; they are alive, densely populated with things to see, interact with, and avoid.

Despite the visual overload, the game consistently ran smoothly and reliably in my experience. This held true both online (in handheld and docked modes) and in four-player split-screen, where the sheer amount of information on the screen verges on sensory overload. It's chaos defined, but it functions flawlessly.

Of course, World does not offer the same open-world experience as games like Red Dead Redemption II or Cyberpunk 2077. It is not a dynamic space filled with endless activities and interactions. However, it comes surprisingly close for a family-friendly racing game where you can ride a motorcycle as a dolphin. The weather and time of day dynamically shift, and a new Free Roam mode allows you to explore the map at your leisure, free from any pressure. While there are limited activities beyond straightforward challenge missions scattered throughout the world, I have spent hours simply observing Nintendo's bizarre creation. I once noticed that the city buses actually stop to allow Shy Guys and Toads to board and disembark. This detail, though entirely unnecessary, exemplifies the level of thoughtfulness that went into creating this world.

While there are a few minor drawbacks — unlocking characters relies too heavily on luck, and the lack of split-screen support in Free Roam mode is a missed opportunity — the sheer scale, density, and cohesiveness of World more than compensate for these shortcomings. Mario Kart 8 set such a high standard that Nintendo could not simply replicate it. Instead, the game's designers have created something far more captivating: a vibrant and alive world. Now, all that remains is to race through it.

Tags: Mario Kart, Nintendo, Switch 2, Open World, Racing Game, Rainbow Road, Bowser Castle, Baby Park, Kart game, New Release

Source: https://www.theverge.com/games-review/684518/mario-kart-world-review-nintendo-switch-2