Review: ‘Mario Kart World’ is chaotic, hilarious fun

Mario Kart World, the lone original flagship launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, is as much defined by what it is as what it is not. 

What it is is a tremendously fun Mario Kart game that hones the franchise’s trademark fun to a hilarious, borderline sadistic, and nearly scientifically perfect degree. What it’s not is a revolutionary open-world epic on par with the Switch 1’s biggest launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or even other open-world racers like Burnout Paradise and Forza Horizon. 

Do not create a game in your head that doesn’t exist; this is a kick-ass Mario Kart game that happens to have an open world in it. Whether that’s enough for you to want to buy a Switch 2 at launch or not is your business, not mine. While Mario Kart World doesn’t necessarily live up to the seemingly infinite potential of an open-world Mario Kart game, it lives up to my expectations as a longtime fan of the series who really, really enjoys playing it online, which in turn makes it a great showcase for what makes the Switch 2 awesome.

You can get Mario Kart World for $79 at Walmart (and $79.99 at Nintendo), or you can try to find the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle.