MARIO KART WORLD PREVIEW: THE SERIES GOES OPEN-WORLD, AND IT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY

Mario Kart World redefines the series' formula with dynamic racing, expanded modes, and visual upgrades worth the hype.

- Brendan Frye

Bigger, Wilder, and More Ambitious

I can remember playing Mario Kart on the SNES at a friend's house back in the 90s. It was one of the few games I played consistently when I could, delivering countless hours of excitement. The latest iteration of the series, Mario Kart World, coincidentally, was the first game I played on the Nintendo Switch 2 – and let's just say I am impressed.

While it looked good in the trailer shown during the Nintendo Direct, getting hands-on time with the game worked well to showcase what the Nintendo Switch 2 could do and felt like a showpiece of what was possible on the system. With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe holding the crown as the bestselling Switch game at 67 million units sold, expectations for Mario Kart World are sky-high – and it seems ready to deliver.

Let's start with a major change: Mario Kart World is now open-world. This is a first for the franchise. Drawing inspiration from games like Burnout Paradise and