It really is a bold new world for Nintendo’s much beloved karting series, as we take Mario Kart World for a spin on both handheld and docked mode.

It’s hard to imagine a more perfect game to launch alongside the on day one. I know this. Existing owners know this. And you most certainly better believe that itself knows this. The franchise’s immensely broad appeal is something that just can’t be denied; a fact backed up by the fact that (effectively an enhanced port of the ’s series take) has gone on to sell in excess of 67 million units worldwide – a truly staggering figure.

For as much as a sure thing making a Switch 2 launch title is on the surface, there’s also a lot of pressure to get this newly expanded entry right. Fortunately, after playing around an hour across two modes, it’s already safe to assume that Kart World is another all-timer.

Starting off with the basics: it’s no secret that Mario Kart World doubles the racer count limit from 12 up to 24. A barmy decision from the outside looking in, yet by the second Grand Prix race, it quickly became obvious just how Nintendo has managed to account for this ensuing madness.

All of the new tracks I raced on were no longer limited to the traditional three-lap structure from before, with getting from the back of the pack all the way to first place now being an endeavour I had to try and complete in four, sometimes five laps. And even with a handful of new power-ups, the ability to grind on rails, and the always satisfying drift, doing so felt like a thrilling challenge.

Contributing to all this familiar karting chaos is the return of several deployable items, of course, most infamously Bob-ombs, Banana Peels, and yes, Blue Shells. Suddenly, running into any of these progress halting obstacles feels more cataclysmic than it ever did in any prior entry, since clawing your way back to the top 10 racers from 23rd position is a far tougher and more tedious prospect.

Obviously, Mario Kart World will bring back the option to play the same tracks across different CC tiers which should offset this difficulty somewhat, but for veteran Mario Kart players, having more people on the track ups each race’s already unpredictable nature by quite a large degree. Yet for now, from what I played, Mario Kart World just about gets the balance right.

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In my short hands-on time I was able to test out two modes that sit outside of the main (and highly publicised) free roaming experience. The first was your bog-standard string of Grand Prix races, in which me and 23 other AI racers battled it out to be the first one to cross the finish line. So far, so standard.

However, offering up a slight twist on this format is Mario Kart World’s all-new Knockout mode, which is exactly as brutal as it sounds. The idea is that you must be fast enough so as to not fall behind, staying enough in the front that you make it into the final 16, then 12, then eight, and then finally four. If this sounds like battle royale by way of Mario Kart, that’s because it is – and it made for an enjoyably intense racing experience.

We've also got the new handful of never-before-seen items that make their debut in Mario Kart World. Easily my favourite so far is the Question Mark Block, which sees your racer gain a litany of coins by hopping up off the road in your kart as many times as possible before it disappears.

It’s definitely a better means to up your acceleration speed than merely collecting coins on the track one at a time – or even the new Golden Shell. Then there’s the new Ice Flower, which is just as frustrating to be on the end of as it sounds, freezing anyone on the receiving end of it after it's thrown. I wouldn’t say that any of the items – new or returning – are outright game-changing to the core Mario Kart formula, but plenty work well to offer up a few unique twists.

Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention just how beautiful Mario Kart World looks when running in motion at 60fps at 1080p played in handheld mode. Watching Mario and his friends zoom through deserts, cityscapes, graveyards, and snowy hills in much brighter fashion and in a higher resolution than ever was possible before feels like a luxury experience – similar to how I felt when playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in handheld for the first time. It truly is a magic trick!

This, combined with improved draw distances and more detailed character designs, does well to make Mario Kart World feel like a slight (yet still substantial) step up graphically. The truth is that Mario Kart has always look great since it transitioned to HD due to the great art style. I get the sense that where World will impress most is in its new exploration-led structure, which I unfortunately didn’t get to try out.

Prior to this week’s , I didn’t know that what I wanted from the next Mario Kart game was a completely freeform way to travel between tracks. Admittedly, having still not played this component of Mario Kart World myself, maybe I don’t? But in theory it seems like a natural evolution of where the series should go next, and I’ve already played enough of the core karting gameplay to know that the increased scope of 24 racers per track and the addition of Knockout mode brings an extra layer of challenge while further contributing to the innate chaos I both hate and love (but mostly love).

After an hour of solid playtime, I can’t wait for Mario Kart world to swiftly take over mine, on launch day and beyond!

Mario Kart World is set to release exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025 .