It has been more than 11 years since we got a fully original Mario Kart game, and yes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a good time, it just was not original. So, everyone was ready for some new Mario Kart and there was always going to be the question, just what would it be like and I don’t think anyone would have predicted Mario Kart World. But now that I have played it, I just want more of it.

In my recent hands-on time with the game, I got to enjoy three different modes, some 1v1 action with another player, a solo Grand Prix race and the new Knockout Tour. The 1v1 race was fairly straight forward, but it started out with a rolling start. Now those who follow real world racing, a rolling start might seem normal, but for Mario Kart it is all-new. I was so enraptured by everything that was I seeing, I totally spaced on the countdown and quickly found myself at the back of the pack, but I pushed through. Something that I noticed fairly quickly was that the driving assists were turned on, so auto acceleration and the auto-steering, which I did not like. I asked about it and the build was set up that way so anyone playing it would be able to enjoy the game. With that turned on though, it meant when I tried for some sharp drifts, it did occasionally trigger the auto-steer and direct me back on track.

But I know my Mario Kart and when the finish line was insight, I managed to snag three red shells from the last item box and after hitting the CPU racer in 2nd place, I launched my final one at my demo station mate, taking them out and getting across the line first. It did lead to a bit of fun banter after the race, but we were then directed to stop playing from the docked machine together and able to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 and play a race on our own, well me and 23 of my closest CPU racers. Sadly, while I was able to enjoy being Waluigi in my mariachi inspired outfit, I was not able to place first, but I was ok with second. The final race for me was Knockout Tour and this was what I was most excited for and nervous about.

Coming off two more traditional style races, I did notice one thing about the CPU racers, they don’t seem shy anymore. Anyone who has played any Mario Kart game since Double Dash will tell you, that while racers at the back of the pack get the good items, they tend not to matter. Someone sitting in last might spam lightning, but they don’t sneak up to the top of the pack while it is in use. In Mario Kart World, that is not the case, or at least it wasn’t what I discovered, the CPU racers are more than willing to get into the mix and bash into you, throw items as soon as they can and just stay in the mix. Which for someone who has placed first in a lot of Mario Kart Grand Prix events, having a significant lead at the start of the final lap is fun at first, but quickly becomes bothersome, that won’t be the case here. With that understanding in my mind, it was time for some Knockout Tour.

If you have not heard of Knockout Tour, it is a race where there are 24 characters that start, and after each checkpoint, the lowest 4 placed racers are eliminated. That means after checkpoint 1, there are only 20 racers left, then 16 and so on, with the final section being for the four racers at the front. For my Knockout Tour I went with Wario dressed as a pirate and riding something very familiar to his iconic bike and after messing around in the lobby while we waited for everyone to get ready, it was time to race. Now I said before that the CPU was willing to get into the mix and that is 100% true, but that pales into comparison of 24 human controlled racers all attempting to be number 1.

The first section of the race was fairly normal, there were some giant mushrooms used, a few boosts and a whole lot of bashing into each other. What didn’t help the chaos that was on screen was the very loud announcer walking around commentating on the race, I get why they were doing it, but it was hard to focus on the match with that in my ear. But I digress, I pushed on and at one point I was racing number 18 when I needed to be 16 or higher and I thought I was done for, but thanks to some very lucky item obtainment, I managed to blast past folks and kept my racing dreams alive. However, in the lead up to the final turn and thus final checkpoint, I was bouncing across the rough waters and while I tried to take the outside path, which took me out of the water and onto land, I got slammed by a shell and then run over. My 2nd place position was lost in a heartbeat, and I was thrown back to 6th.

That meant that my time was done, because I snuck across the line and my race was over. I could throw out excuses like the loud announcer, the unknown tracks or just the challenge of dealing with assist functions, but honestly like a lot of tight races it comes down to luck sometimes. But what I can say is that while I was not victorious, I still had a blast in playing the game, both with the more sedate and familiar modes, and with Knockout Tour. There is little doubt that the game is going to sell well, Mario Kart titles always do, but there is enough fun in the races here to bring people in and of course, there is an entire world to explore. So when Nintendo Switch 2 launches, I expect this one to rocket to the top of the most played game, because for what I have played, it is pure fun.

Mario Kart World is set to release on June 5, alongside the Nintendo Switch 2. If you are looking to pick up a copy of the game, be sure to check out our Bargain Guide for the best price.