Mario Kart World is an excellent evolution of the series, with exciting new modes like Knockout Tour and drastic changes to the formula, like doubling the number of racers in each race. While it took some time for me to acclimate to these big changes, partially because it's been over a decade since the last time a new Mario Kart was released, some choices don't work as well. The Free Roam mode is a complete miss, between lackluster activities and terrible tracking for those activities. Some of the interconnected races from the Grand Prix feel more like driving on the highway than racing around a Mario Kart track, but every track can be played in the traditional lap-based mode. While it's not the single-player epic I wanted with the Switch 2 launch line-up, Mario Kart World is an essential purchase for the new Nintendo console.

There are a few minor choices that feel quite impactful as well. Doubling the number of racers has cranked up the chaos of items, but wider roads help avoid making races feel crowded. The kart selection is quite nice, and having a ridiculous number of racers is fun, even if some of the characters aren't particularly exciting and the costume distribution feels uneven. The racing itself is the best it's ever been, with rail grinding and wall driving providing tons of technical depth to the kart racer.

Mario Kart World price and availability

Mario Kart World is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Only the standard edition of the game is available, which costs $80 both physically and digitally, but it's also included in the Mario Kart World Switch 2 bundle. Based on the price of the Switch 2 bundle without Mario Kart World, the version in the bundle costs $50, for a total cost of $500.

• Standard edition - $80
• Switch 2 Mario Kart World - $500

Knockout Tour makes Mario Kart World a must-play for racing fans

This continuous point-to-point racing is what the open world was made for

Mario Kart World does come with a complete set of eight Grand Prix cups to race through, offering players the traditional way to play. These races are great, and I will have more to say about the tracks themselves, but Mario Kart World features a second set of cups, all in the new racing mode, Knockout Tour. Knockout Tour is a single, continuous race that involves going point-to-point across several different tracks, interconnected via the open world. The bottom four racers are eliminated at every checkpoint, culminating in a final, four-person sprint to get first. There are a total of eight cups for this mode, which is technically one single race, but the mode is exciting.

You are constantly in danger of getting knocked to the back of the pack, since with 24 racers, there are way more items flying during the race. Since it's one continuous race, and the winner is whoever finishes first at the end, so long as you don't get eliminated, you always have a chance to come back. The online option for this mode is a highlight for sure, with 24 human players making each race extremely competitive. You can also move on to your next race as soon as you get eliminated, so you don't have to wait around if you don't want to. The intensity of these marathon races has brought a new and exciting way to play Mario Kart, and makes picking up Mario Kart World worthwhile.

Creative racetracks, but a bit misused in the standard cups

Mario Kart World has some incredible tracks in it, with standouts like DK Spaceport, Boo Cinema, and the new Rainbow Road, although these feel a bit underutilized in the standard Grand Prix cups. In the main cups, your first race is typically in the traditional format, having you race around the same track three times, but the following three races all start with you driving from the previous track to the next, with only the final lap being on the main track itself. While there is still fun to be had racing from one track to the next, the in-between stretches of road just don't feel as exciting or tightly designed as the main tracks. The upside here is that the traditional, lap-based version of each map is available in the VS mode, so you can still play in that classic format.

There is an abundance of karts in Mario Kart World, and Nintendo removed the kart-building aspect from Mario Kart 8. Personally, I found the kart-building aspect created too much disparity between good builds and bad ones, removing some of the emphasis on the actual racing. Here, most karts feel viable, so you can choose your own preference over the meta build.

An empty open world and an interesting cast of characters

The Free Roam mode leaves much to be desired

The Free Roam mode in the open world of Mario Kart World is the most lackluster part of the game, but it also feels like more of a side mode than the main reason to play. In the open world, you can complete mini-challenges, like racing through certain checkpoints or completing a grind rail challenge. There are also hidden blocks and Peach coins to find. These challenges are small, bland, and uninteresting to complete. On top of that, there isn't a good way to see where more are on the map, and you can only track your progress from the main menu. You also don't unlock anything but stickers from this mode, which is disappointing, but also means you can ignore this mode, which you should.

The roster of racers is a little strange, but overall positive. There are tons of characters, partly to make sure there are enough options for 24-person races. There are lesser-known characters, like the Cow, Dolphin, and more, that feel a bit out of place, but are not detrimental to have. There are also tons of costumes for the main cast of characters, but the distribution makes them a bit confusing. It's not surprising that Mario and Peach have 10 different costumes, but it is a little odd that the baby characters, like Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, have several costumes, while Donkey Kong only has one, and Rosalina and Pauline only have two. It's unclear why some characters get way more than others, but ultimately, the selection is large enough that everyone should be able to find a few favorites.

A fantastic Mario Kart with an unnecessary and interesting open world

Mario Kart World is ultimately a fantastic new take on the Mario Kart formula, even if the open world feels like an unnecessary addition. The open world does allow for the new Knockout Tour mode, which is one of the best additions to the franchise in decades, so its inclusion is necessary. The Free Roam mode is a waste, though, filled with boring challenges that are difficult and obtuse to track your progress for. The massive roster of characters and 24-player racing make this feel like a massive leap over the previous game, and it has some iconic track design, even if the main Grand Prix mode doesn't do the best job of highlighting them. As the first new Mario Kart since the Wii U, Mario Kart World delivers on feeling like a worthwhile evolution of the series, even if it doesn't knock every new idea out of the park.