Game Information
Game Title: Mario Kart World
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch 2 (Jun 5, 2025)
Trailers:
- Mario Kart World – Mario Bundle – Nintendo Switch 2
- Mario Kart World Direct 4.17.2025
- Mario Kart World – Announcement Trailer (Nintendo Switch 2)
Developer: Nintendo
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 89 average - 100% recommended - 20 reviews
Critic Reviews
Areajugones - Ramón Baylos - Spanish - 9.5 / 10
Mario Kart World is the ultimate Nintendo Switch 2 launch game. This entry goes far beyond anything seen before in the franchise; it’s a true turning point. It’s simply better, offering far more than previous Mario Karts. Try it, or you’ll likely miss out on one of the decade’s best Nintendo games.
CBR - Mark O’Callaghan - 9 / 10
Mario Kart World is proving doubters wrong, as this is the innovation that Mario Kart needed. Even on the surface level, with docked support for 4K resolution and 120 FPS, the improvements are here. Because of all the new additions, everything feels more chaotic, and that’s a perfect compliment for any Mario Kart game.
Cloud Dosage - Jon Scarr - 4.5 / 5
Mario Kart World takes the series in a new direction with connected tracks, expanded online modes, and a massive open world. Knockout Tour is a highlight, delivering fast-paced chaos with 24 racers. While Free Roam feels underused, the core racing and presentation stay strong. Longtime fans will find plenty to enjoy, even if not every new idea lands.
Cubed3 - Jorge Ba-oh - 9 / 10
Does Mario Kart World bring something new to the series? A resounding yes. A reinvigorated setup with connected tracks within a bustling, vibrant, next-generation Super Mario Bros world. Mario Kart World is vibrant, playful, and truly feels alive. A compelling solo mode, knockout competition, and strong online play make it an essential Nintendo Switch 2 title.
Dexerto - James Busby - 4 / 5
It’s such a shame that the key selling point of the Mario Kart Switch 2 game, its open world, falls a bit flat, because pretty much everything else is so, so good. Ok, the lack of kart customization bothers me a little, but with a crazier cast of characters, fun items, and incredibly imaginative tracks, the racing is as good as it has ever been.
And in Knockout Tour’s hectic 24-player battle royale-style matches, it’s even better, proving that Nintendo can still deliver surprises that completely change the way we play its iconic games. I never thought I needed or wanted a BR-style mode in Mario Kart, and now I’m sitting here questioning why it’s never been added before. If only it had been called Mario Kart Knockout, eh?
Forbes - Ollie Barder - 9 / 10
Overall, Mario Kart World is a huge undertaking, but it still offers the classic Mario Kart progression we’ve all grown up with. Whether this will sell as much as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains to be seen, but from the off, Mario Kart World definitely has an enormous amount of content to wrap your head around, and the multiplayer will likely keep it an evergreen release for years to come, much like the other games in the series have been.
Fun Factor - Diogo Arez - Portuguese - 8.5 / 10
Mario Kart World marks the beginning of a new console generation for Nintendo, and with it come several new introductions like Free Roam and Knockout Tour, with the latter being an amazing game mode. That said, some strange design choices in the grand prix and a lack of meaningful content at launch make the price point hard to recommend it outside of the console bundle.
GAMES.CH - Benjamin Braun - German - 85%
Quote not yet available
Game Rant - Dalton Cooper - 9 / 10
Mario Kart World is a gorgeous racing game with endless hours of fun to be had, though its defining new game mode doesn’t quite hit the mark.
GameSpew - Richard Seagrave - 8 / 10
In most regards, Mario Kart World is the best entry in the series yet. There are a wealth of characters to race as and lots of vehicles, with many more to unlock, and the courses are absolutely brilliant. On top of that, a Mario Kart game has never felt so good to play. It’s just a shame that its open world feels like an afterthought for the most part, and that it’s so expensive.
Gameliner - Rudy Wijnberg - Dutch - 4.5 / 5
Mario Kart World is a worthy successor to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, combining classic racing fun with fresh mechanics, a connecting open world, an expansive roster, and a brilliant Battle Royale mode—making it a joy for players of all ages.
Gamersky - 心灵奇兵 - Chinese - 8.8 / 10
Mario Kart World is a solid and well-crafted addition to the long-running series. It faithfully preserves the franchise’s time-tested pillars-tight driving mechanics, brilliantly designed tracks, and that chaotic yet irresistible item system-all of which continue to deliver moments of pure, laugh-out-loud joy.
Gfinity - Alister Kennedy - 8 / 10
If you are looking for the best Nintendo game at launch for Switch 2, look no further, but for fans of 8, you may need to wait for Mario Kart World to make the podium.
Netto’s Game Room - Benjamin Bell - Essential
Mario Kart World is an outstanding new entry in the long running series, and it is a worthy launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. Its unique gameplay prevents it from being a replacement for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and allows for both games to exist on the same console side by side. Anyone who enjoys Mario Kart should for sure give this one a chance, and it is the perfect introduction for new players as well.
Nindie Spotlight - Justin Nation - 9.4 / 10
Unquestionably still the gold standard in kart racing, World makes some bold swings but there were some costs that came with them
Rocket Chainsaw - Adam Ghiggino - 4 / 5
Mario Kart World is still an excellent opener for the Switch 2’s life cycle, and one that people will likely find themselves coming back to for quite some time to come.
SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 9.5 / 10
Mario Kart World is all about big numbers’tons of content, characters, vehicles, power-ups, tracks, and music. It all adds up to countless hours of fun, making this a game you’ll be coming back to for years.
Stevivor - Steve Wright - 9 / 10
Let’s just hope that Nintendo can broaden what’s available in-game quickly, akin to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While we’re waiting for more Switch 2 games, we need more World.
The Games Machine - Paolo Besser - Italian - 9.5 / 10
Mario Kart World evolves the iconic series with interconnected tracks, expanded multiplayer chaos, and a thrilling mix of exploration and competition - all while staying true to its fun, frantic roots.
ZdobywcyGier.eu - Bartosz Michalik - Polish - 8 / 10
Objectively speaking, this is a really solid production which, although not without its flaws, such as wasted open-world potential and a somewhat confusing set of available characters, still does many things well. It looks very good, sounds phenomenal, and is technically flawless. There is a lot of content available at launch, and the design of the world and routes is impressive in its ingenuity. This title will certainly find its fans, and it can liven up more than one party. It is one of those games that I think is appreciated not so much for its depth, but for the lightness and joy it can give to the right person at the right moment.
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Evidently the CBR review is straight up lying. The game does not do 4k resolution in any setting, and the game can only do 120fps at 1080p.
You need to do some googling because it absolutely does support 4K. Like what?
Take your own advice. Mario Kart World runs 1440p when docked, not 4k.
https://nintendoeverything.com/mario-kart-world-tech-analysis-including-frame-rate-and-resolution/
Well I can already predict this thread will be full of comments on the price so I’ll go ahead and give actual impressions on the game.
It’s really good! The free roam mode is maybe a bit more bare bones than I thought it would be but it’s still great fun driving around and doing challenges. Some of the challenges are legitimately difficult and some of the special ones have taken me ages to complete. The driving feels great, the new movement mechanics are really fun. Knockout tour is absolutely the star here and a great new mode. The AI is harder this time around which makes racing against them much more fun in my opinion.
Overall I’ve been having an amazing time. I do think $80 is steep. But that aside, the game is outstanding
I do think $80 is steep. But that aside, the game is outstanding
Isn’t the launch deal essentially getting the game for $30 off? Seems like a fair price for the game when you consider that - if you are buying the Switch 2 at launch, you are buying it to play the new Mario Kart, so I guess the $80 price tag is just to push you towards the bundle? I wonder what kind of discounts they will do this gen. Nintendo has historically been very stingy with deals, but I wonder if $80 price tag will mean slightly deeper discounts in the future?
Yeah for essentially $50 with the bundle it’s not bad
I’m not a Nintendo gamer, but I’ve been watching a streamer play the game, and whenever I see the Knockout Tour it reminds me of the opening set pieces of the Forza Horizon games, where you’re going through all the different biomes, to introduce you to the game. And afterward you’re let loose on the Mario Horizon festival (aka the empty open world).
The game itself doesn’t look fun at all for me, but who cares, if people enjoy it.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’m not going to be having a switch 2 any time soon but I do really like Nintendo games, so I’m glad I’ll be able to get some of the excitement through you :).
I’m a bit sad about the free roaming part being a bit bare bones. When they first announced it I was hoping for the creativity of a Mario Odyssey crossed with Breath of the Wild in a Kart, discovering secrets and fun places everywhere.
Also with respect to pricing: I think it depends on the game to decide what an honest price is. I would gladly give 100 or more for the joy that Slay the Spire has given me over the years. I think that a big and polished Mario game is not immediately the worst offender for being this expensive. It’s when the less polished and more cash grabbing AAA games start to follow this example that it becomes a problem. I do like how some games decide their price points differently, like Clair Obscur for example.
Seems kind of instructive to me that just putting a Mario coat of paint on a stripped-down Forza Horizon makes the reviewers go wild.
They all want review codes.
Anything calling this below being a almost a masterpiece is going to war with them.
