Mario Kart Worldmay not be the Nintendo Switch 2 launch exclusive everyone was hoping for, but it is quickly shaping up to be a potential system seller, especially thanks to its suite of impressive gameplay features, such as its sprawling open world. Like every entry, it is aiming to be the very bestMario Kartgame there is. However, unlike past games in the series,Mario Kart Worldfeels truly innovative, rather than simply being an iterative arcade racing experience.
This was best illustrated in the somewhatdisappointingMario Kart WorldDirect, which showcased several features coming to the game, from the aforementioned Free Roam mode to the impressive selection of tricks players can use to essentially turn the game into a platformer. However,by far, the aspect I am most excited about is the new tracks. The Direct revealed a number of them, including what could beMario Kart World’sbest track, and perhaps the best one in the entire series.
Mario Kart World Has A Lot Of Great Tracks
So Many Have Already Been Revealed
Mario Kart Worldalready has several incredible-looking courses, ranging from familiar to brand-new entries. Several ofMario Kart World’strackshave already been revealed through the aforementioned Direct as well as in the initial reveal.It looks as if there are going to be 29 tracks in the full game- as seen via the game’s map on the official Nintendo website - likely including the 28 tracks across all seven cups and the unlockable Rainbow Road, which was teased in theMario Kart WorldDirect.
It isMario Kart World’snew tracks that excite me the most, including what appears to be its most inventive one yet, at least in my opinion.
While that isn’t a lot, especially when compared toMario Kart 8 Deluxeon the original Switch, they all still look phenomenal, and they are, of course, interconnected viaMK World’smassive open-world, which basically adds a lot more courses that just aren’t named. There’s a lot to look forward to, including a lot ofoldMario Karttracksthat have been redesigned forMK World. However,it isMario Kart World’snew tracks that excite me the most, including what appears to be its most inventive one yet, at least in my opinion.
Mario Kart World’s Boo Cinema Track Looks Amazing
It Takes Players Through A Haunting Cinematic Adventure
Boo Cinema is one of the many new tracks inMario Kart World, and by far my favorite so far. It sees players race around the outside of the titular haunted cinema before heading inside and towards the silver screens themselves. Of course,this is no ordinary cinema as players can drive into the screens and be transported into the very movies they’re playing. Doing so turns the whole screen black and white with a fun film grain filter on top, and even sees players drive over filmstrips.
The whole course feels incredibly inventive, from the concept andtiny impressive detailssuch as posters adorning the walls, to the central gimmick of being transported into a movie as you race around. It is a fun twist on the ghostly Boo theme, something new for the series, and a suitably modern-feeling map, despite the old-timey aesthetic.A lot ofMario Kart Worldfeels modernized, from its cars and character designs to its map types, which is in keeping with the trajectory of the series that featured product placement in the last entry.
A cinema-themed map plays into that - especially with Mario himself having hit the big screen back in 2023 - which is novel and exciting.It also speaks to Nintendo’s continued ingenuity when it comes to map layout, with it trying more and more creative course types, including one of my all-time favorites, the music-themed Melody Motorway. While not everyone will gravitate towards Boo Cinema - it helps that I’m a huge cinephile - I do believe it could be one of the series' best, at least in a long while.
Mario Kart World Could Have The Best Tracks In The Series
It Is Certainly One Of The Most Inventive
Mario Kart World, even with its limited selection, could end up having the best tracks in the game. That’s partly based on the evolution of Nintendo’s creativity, which has seen the developer become increasingly more risky and bold in its design choices, as well as the fact that they have to be integrated into this massive open world.Tracks have to be longer and bigger to accommodate being both tangible and consistent within the world, which means they also have to be more dynamic and varied.
I’m very curious, for example, to see how Boo Cinema plays intoMK World’scontroversial free roammode, how it feels to visit it or stumble across it while exploring. It is its own little pocket dimension within this vast world, something that feels surprising and exciting.This new design philosophy has likely encouraged Nintendo to push for grander and grander ambitions, something that has perhaps resulted in fewer yet more satisfying maps.
Of course, there is every possibility thatMario Kart World’smaps will be worse than its predecessors, but from everything we’ve seen so far, I’m inclined to believe the opposite will be true. Even the way that players unlock Rainbow Road or how they interact with each track compared to previous entries is exciting and new. I’m very keen to play through Boo Cinema and all ofMario Kart World’stracks, and hope that they live up to my lofty expectations.
