When working on the first Mario Kart game for Switch 2, Nintendo decided against sticking to numbered sequels, opting instead to call what would have been the series’ ninth entry Mario Kart World. It signaled the team’s ambition to try a more modern approach to the popular franchise.
Mario Kart World is the Switch 2’s most high-profile launch title, and it’s the series’ newest game in roughly a decade. That’s a lot of pressure even for a Nintendo flagship property, but Mario Kart World does not disappoint. During a private hands-on event held in New York, WIRED spent several hours with the game’s single and multiplayer modes, including its Knockout tour, battles, and vast open areas. While it wasn’t enough for a full review of the game, the time we spent with Mario Kart World offered a promising look at the Switch 2’s debut.
The biggest change to the game is right there in the title: an interconnected world map, Free Roam, that players can explore every part of, even outside of races. In other words, players can drive everywhere, from beachy tracks to snowy mountains, offroad or on. Hidden throughout the game’s world are special challenges and unlockables, including drive-throughs that grant certain characters new outfits.
That world feels impressive in scope and unlike any of the previous games in the series, where the most exploring players could do involved hunting for shortcuts to use in races. While it’s possible to stick to roads and highways the whole time you spend in Mario Kart World, the real joy here is in charting your own path between grand prix.
Still from Mario Kart World.Courtesy of Nintendo
