Mario Kart World boasts lots of new driving modes, including Knock-out Mode. But it was just as fun to drive around freely and explore during a Switch 2 preview.
Mario Kart World answers the question, “How do you follow Mario Kart 8?” While the previous entry became fully stuffed with new and throwback racetracks, playing Mario Kart World at Nintendo’s hands-on Switch 2 preview event blew up all my assumptions of what a Mario Kart track can be — and what the future could hold for the franchise.
The arcade racer hasn’t yet strayed from its format, but that’s about to change when Mario Kart World is released alongside the Switch 2 on June 5. In the time I spent with Mario Kart World during the preview event, I most enjoyed all the times I wasn’t strictly racing. I was just driving and vibing.
We loaded up for a massive game of Knock-out Tour, where 24 folks compete in a marathon-style race across ever-changing terrain. But because I happened to be one of the first to pick up a console, I spent a long time waiting for everyone else — but not idly. Instead, I was able to drive wherever I wanted across the landscape.
