Review of Mario Kart World

So, here I am, rambling about that new thing Nintendo’s cooked up—Mario Kart World for the Switch 2. I mean, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was already a blockbuster, like seriously, sold over 68 million copies! You’d think they’d just kick back with a success like that, but nah, they’re launching the Switch 2 with this new gig. And let me tell you, it’s wild. 🤪

Anyway, Mario Kart World? Yeah, it’s still got that chaotic racing vibe we’re all obsessed with. Only now, it’s like, pumped up on steroids or something. I hooked it up to my TV, and wow, 4K graphics just hit different. Colors just pop, right? And the animations? No idea how they do it, but they’re smooth. I was racing and got distracted by a thunderstorm turning into this epic sunset. Had to pause and just… stare at it. Weird, I know. But that’s how good it looks.

And the music? Typical Nintendo—banging tunes for each track, mixing new beats with old-school jams. It’s like they just know how to grab us right by the feels. And those sound effects! Like when you snag an item, that frantic slot machine noise gets my heart racing every time. Pauline even belts out this song when you pull off a trick, like what?

So I’m here thinking, maybe split-screen’s gonna mess with all this cool stuff. But surprise! Split-screen is flawless too. Four people on one screen? Easy peasy. You can even take it online with a friend. It’s like they thought of everything.

Now, let’s talk modes. Good ol’ Grand Prix is back, duh. You zoom through each lap and then—get this—you drive straight to the next track. One continuous race. I kinda love that. And then Battle Mode? Classic fun with arenas for Balloon Battle and Coin Runners. Laughs all around, honestly.

The big new thing is Knockout Tour. Didn’t think I’d get sucked in, but there I was, hours in, racing against 24 other players. Yeah, they bumped up the player count to 24! Sounds chaotic, right? But it works. They somehow made it work smoothly, no idea how. And all these new characters! Some are outlandsih like a cow or a penguin, and I’m here for it.

But then, there’s Free Roam. Man, this one bummed me out. They hyped it up so much, and then… meh. It’s this massive open world linking all the tracks with missions and stuff. But ugh! No direction. You just do whatever, whenever, and it makes my brain hurt trying to keep track. And in multiplayer? Forget it. The P-Switches vanish, and it’s just this empty space. Glorified lobby, honestly. Big letdown, hoping they patch it or something.

Despite that hiccup, Mario Kart World’s a win in my book. Except for Free Roam, but hey, you can’t win them all. Overall, it’s got enough charm and fun to keep me playing for ages. If you’ve got a Switch 2, it’s a no-brainer to grab this. And there you have it, my random musings on Mario Kart World. Now I need a break. 🚗💨