Mario Kart World is just two days away, and the fan expectation is rightfully high. It’s the most anticipated title that launches for Nintendo Switch 2, the first open-world game in the series, and the sequel to the massively popular Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and, to top it off, this, Nintendo’s very first game priced at $80 since the N64 days that has led to plenty of discussion on the internet. There’s plenty going on with this one and I’m happy to announce that, after having spent around five hours enjoying unrestricted access to the game’s final version I’m sure that Mario Kart World’s exciting racing will begin Nintendo’s 8th generation with a blast even if I’m not convinced about the open-world aspect of it.
My first hands-on preview in April was extremely restricted. The steering assist was on and the demo was set to 100cc and we only had two options. This time, the training wheels were removed and I tried what seemed to be the version you’ll have to purchase the 5th of June featuring a huge collection of characters (including Cow, everyone’s favorite) Cow) and the freedom to select any mode or setting I needed.
Mario Kart World Screenshots
Then I chose to be Mario (basic you know) and then switched between several Karts – including the amazing R.O.B. bike – in order to test Free Roam, which is the main question that surrounds Mario Kart World. It’s the first of its kind in the series. Free Roam takes the spotlight away from racing and puts the spotlight on exploration by letting players drive across wide interconnected highways. Nintendo promises thousands of P Switch missions in Free Roam and, while I’m not going over the ultimate number but I can say that it takes only some seconds of driving around in any direction to find the problems. There are a lot of them and after being worried that it would be too easy based on the videos Nintendo has released to date I was delighted to discover that I didn’t succeed in a couple in the P Switch missions on my first try – or being unable to complete the task or missing a crucial jump. Some of them seemed like they required proficiency in Mario Kart World’s Tony Hawk-inspired parkour techniques.
One of the missions within The Bowser’s Castle area had me driving through walls and then flipping from the sides at just the perfect moment to transform into an airplane. the timing was really difficult and you’re fortunate to have the option of retrying a game immediately after failing, instead of having to drive back to the starting point by yourself. It’s possible to Switch missions can also bring temporary creatures and objects to the landscape, such as one in which I had to navigate my plane through a couple of dinosaurs that popped up. I’ve only attempted a handful of the many challenges to be faced in the game, and I’m still not certain that the excitement can last the length of time necessary to conquer each one however I’ve been enjoying the things I’ve encountered up to this point.
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Mario Kart World: Character Select Screens
Unfortunately, the other aspects of Free Roam hasn’t gripped me at this point. It’s IGN’s Simon Cardy wrote a feature in which he voiced his concern about the open-world experience and, though I believe I’m more positive about the subject than he is to date, I’m with the general consensus that there’s really not much to do other than those P Switches. There are some collectibles scattered across through Peach Medallions, and Block Panels which unlock the hundreds of stickers that you can put on the sides of your kart. But those I saw did not feel special or difficult to find I was unable to experience the sense of excitement and joy which other Nintendo games such as Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Odyssey completely nailed.
Even driving on the road could feel a bit slow when you take a turn off the roads into sand or grass. This is a good thing for the racing of Mario Kart where leaving the path you intended to take without a mushroom can result in severe results, but the feeling of a slower speed on more difficult terrains made me less inclined to investigate. I’m still unable to sink the worm into Free Roam, so maybe there’s a game-changing idea just waiting to be discovered however, I’m not betting on it. So far it’s been a bit disappointing. Roam appears to be an appetizer instead of the meaty immersive, transformative experience that people are hoping for.
Perhaps that’s the case since the primary course in Mario Kart World was always going to be the race that felt perfectly at the beginning of my first race on 150cc. It’s a great experience to turn, drift and boosting are all like you’d expect and the open-world concept is fully evident in this innovative version of the formula. Knockout Tour remains the star of the show. racing across the country against 23 other players and doing your best to avoid being in the bottom four by the next cutoff is thrilling. Every single shot I fired felt crucial, and regardless of regardless of whether I was at the front or at the middle of the pack, my heart was racing trying to be able to make it into the next round.
The six races run mostly on the roads between Mario Kart World’s courses and as I raced through fun reimaginings of old tracks such as Mario Kart 7’s Shy Guy Bazaar and brand-new locations like the exciting Uncharted-like Great Block Ruins, I started to realize the vast variety of alternate tracks I’m looking forward to mastering after the game is released. If you’re able to time it right, a Golden Mushroom can catapult you from back to first within the flash of an eye, because some of the shortcuts available on the highways permit players to cut off a large portion from the course. I am already able to tell that serious players (myself including) will be having a blast figuring out the most efficient routes and pushing these tracks to the limit.
I’ve always been worried that the lengthy and wide straightaways, which are featured on the two games – Knockout Tour as well as the redesigned Grand Prix – could be boring when compared with the turns and twists of course However, Nintendo has made sure to cover the interstate with vehicles to steer clear of, enemies that shoot projectiles and a lot of chances to grind rails, and utilize the brand-new Charge Jump technique to reach other zones. In all straightaway sections you’ll find something that demanded my attention. There certain instances where I was merely holding A while doing nothing else. The wide roads felt slightly slow when compared to the racing close-quarters on the designated courses. But, my worries have been largely quelled and I’m now waiting to find out how these sections stand up to many repeat sessions.
For all the Mario Kart purists who just would like to complete three laps across the various tracks within Mario Kart World, that classic choice is among the major attractions in VS Race and Time Trials and I was happy to discover that the high-quality track design that fans have had come to expect hasn’t lost in the name of open-world elements. The new version of Peach Beach took me along a familiar waterways directly of Double Dash before exploring an entirely new community, and DK Spaceport is a fantastic tribute to an arcade title that began everything – including closing lap music that every Donkey Kong fan will feel nostalgic for. If you’ve been concerned that the tracks wouldn’t be like the ones in previous Mario Kart games, I believe you’ll take a breath of relief.
In terms of music, Mario Kart World might just have one of the most memorable music tracks that has ever been recorded in Nintendo history. Each race has distinct themes like the rest, but above that the remixes played throughout Free Roam and Knockout Tour help make Mario Kart World feel like an actual celebration of the 40th anniversary of Super Mario. While playing the game, I saw thematic references of Super Mario Bros., Yoshi’s Island, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker almost every track from prior Mario Kart, and a many more. Every track I heard was flawlessly modified to match Mario Kart World’s thrilling style of driving, and I’m eager to listen to every track it offers. It’s not going to be a sit around for long, since Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 will be available within less than 48 hours. Keep an eye out later in the week to read our review in progress and then our full analysis of Mario Kart World as we complete more races in our laps.
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