I played Mario Kart World, and was shocked by this one feature

Summary

Mario Kart World’s Knockout raises the stakes, adding a battle royale-like experience to the series.
Subtle changes to the Mario Kart formula keep the upcoming game engaging.
I’m concerned about the depth of the game’s open world.

I was a bit concerned when rumors about a new Mario Kart game first appeared. Despite being a re-release of its Wii U counterpart, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch is pretty much a perfect Mario Kart game. Thanks to a surprising amount of content updates, the game features nearly every notable Mario Kart track, ranging from deep-cut classics like the GBA’s Cheese Land to familiar mainstays like the Wii’s Moo Moo Meadows, and a wide range of drivers outside of the core Super Mario roster.

What could Nintendo possibly do to build on the decade-long-running Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

Then the Japanese gaming giant revealed Mario Kart World alongside the

Switch 2
, and I was blown away. It seems obvious now, but an open world, Diddy Kong Racing-inspired take on the long-running kart racing series is the logical next step and a fresh direction for the series. At Nintendo’s recent preview event in Toronto, I went hands-on with Mario Kart World for roughly 45 minutes. While I still have several questions about the game, including how much you’ll be able to do in its sprawling open world, I’m impressed with what I played at Nintendo’s very controlled demo.

Mario Kart World

Released: June 2, 2025
ESRB: Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
Developer(s): Nintendo
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Multiplayer: Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
Prequel(s): Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Franchise: Mario Kart
Number of Players: 1-24

Is the Switch 2 really worth $450? I played it myself and here’s 5 things to consider

After going hands-on with the Switch 2, I have a few key takeaways from the experience.

Knockout mode is Mario Kart World’s killer new feature

Who knew a Mario Kart battle royale could be so fun?

Knockout mode makes excellent use of Mario Kart World’s expansive scale. Instead of a Cup of tracks like in past titles, Knockout has players driving between courses, with those not hitting specific placements getting eliminated at various checkpoints. If you don’t make the cut during the in-between checkpoint races, you’re kicked out of the competition and don’t participate in the next course. This ups Mario Kart World’s stakes considerably, and even in the busy, dimly lit demo area, I found myself locked-in as I power-slid around corners, took the wrong routes, and failed to properly grind rails.

You’re always racing for something in this mode since it keeps players engaged, even when traveling between courses. I managed to make it to the second-from-last driver cutoff from a pool of 24 drivers, but was foiled by a red shell destined for the back of Princess Daisy’s kart, landing me in 9th position. Still, it was a blast, and a fun thrill comes from attempting to survive to the final course.

ROG Ally X playing a game with a car on a dirt road.

I wasn’t expecting the ROG Ally X to outshine the Steam Deck quite this much

Both gaming handhelds have specific strengths and weaknesses, but generally, the ROG Ally X reigns supreme.

Subtle changes to the Mario Kart build on its formula

The world and courses seem to have a layer of depth

Apart from knockout mode, other aspects of Mario Kart World are just as impressive. During my time with the game, I played three races: one was in docked mode, another in handheld, and of course, I also tried Knockout. Whether the Switch 2 is docked or in handheld mode, Mario Kart World looks great and seems to run at a very smooth frame rate (my guess is 60fps) with minimal aliasing and the clean look Nintendo’s first-party titles are known for. I wouldn’t say it’s a massive visual leap over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but it looks a bit better than the now 10-year-old game.

Courses and the broader world are super wide, making them perfect for power-sliding, and offer varied routes, thanks to the new grinding and wall-riding mechanics that I didn’t quite get the hang of (hopefully, jumping on a rail is easier than it seemed at the hands-on event). I can already imagine the “best route” guides and videos that will surely drop as soon as Mario Kart World releases in a few months. Compared to previous Mario Kart titles, it will likely take most players at least a bit longer to learn the intricacies of every track.

While the expected racers are back, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Daisy, and more, there are a few surprises in the mix, like Cow, Goomba, Pianta, Coin Coffer, Dolphin (which doesn’t even have arms), and several more. While some of these additions might seem odd at first, characters like Cow have already taken the internet meme world by storm — Nintendo is obviously vying for viral success here. Hopefully, more familiar Nintendo characters like Link, Zelda, and Diddy Kong, make their way to Mario Kart World in future updates.

Characters have various costumes this time, including the core Mario cast in swimsuits. Costumes don’t affect your racer’s performance, but I can see them being a fun collectible to show off to friends when playing online. One key question is whether it will still be possible to customize your kart like in past Mario Kart titles. I couldn’t do this in the demo I played, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be included in the final version of Mario Kart World.

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How will the open world work?

Hopefully, there’s lots to do and collect

I’ve already raved about how I like the concept of a Mario Kart with free roaming, but that only works if there are things to do on the map. Most of my time with the game was very structured, except for a brief period where I explored Mario Kart World’s open world while waiting for a race to start. To my surprise, there wasn’t much out there. I only came across a single costume to collect and not much else.

I hope this was specific to the demo and not an indicator of the game’s final version. For Mario Kart World’s Forza Horizon-like free roam to work, it needs to be full of items to collect and offer missions beyond standard races. Right now, we don’t know if that will be the case. Of course, there’s also the question of Mario Kart World’s $80 price. Will the game offer enough to justify the cost increase that will soon become standard across the gaming industry?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear answer yet, but I’m impressed with what I played, and I’m looking forward to getting back into Mario Kart World when the Switch 2 releases on June 5th.