Mario Kart World review: Getting there is half the game
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I agree that I still can't decide how much I like the connected Grand Prix. The first few tries felt a bit boring with the straightaways, but they've grown on me. The later Cups feel more interesting than Mushroom Cup, but they are still a bit straight for Mario Kart.
What I find fascinating is all the different combinations and routes that can be created when doing a Vs Race. You could play that for ages and not cover every path!
What I find fascinating is all the different combinations and routes that can be created when doing a Vs Race. You could play that for ages and not cover every path!
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A Mario Kart World review must include a mention of the new amazing Rainbow Road. It's freakin' magical and I love it.
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Unfortunately, free roam mode doesn't shine for couch play on splitscreen. The normal free roam is disabled. You can get into a half-assed version of it using a workaround (basically, making it a lobby). But it's missing some of the features that make it appealing.
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I was smiling the entire time! It'll take some time for me to decide which new courses are my favorite, but I know the new Rainbow Road will make the list! Other current contenders: Whistlestop Summit and Bowser's Castle.
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Appreciate the callout of my comment, @Kyle Orland. I don't think it's the worst thing in the world, and as a game dev I completely understand the sequence of resource limitations that resulted in that outcome. But it's something that I feel they kind of hid in all their adverts and directs and such, while playing up free roam quite heavily. My kids were disappointed. So it's good to go in knowing what you'll get so you don't expect something different. There's a lot to be happy with.
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Hard Thoughts
Ars Scholae Palatinae
I think it’s a good game at 50$. 80? Not so much, especially since a lot of the fun is racing other people, which needs the online subscription.
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Ok, glad to hear the comments are enthusiastic because based on the review it actually sounded like it lost a little compared to 8, which was pretty darn near perfect.
For $80, I wish the open world had some more obvious progression in it the way Forza does, but it still sounds like my kid will like it a good bit, and I'll give it a whirl and see if it has more legs than it sounds like.
For $80, I wish the open world had some more obvious progression in it the way Forza does, but it still sounds like my kid will like it a good bit, and I'll give it a whirl and see if it has more legs than it sounds like.
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I don't mind the straights at all. They make straight-attacking weapons like green shells and boomerangs feel more relevant, and in addition to traffic, the slightly risky straight-boosting keeps things spicy.
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The game does make me curious how they might intend on adding new courses, given that's the way of things these days.
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Well, it literally did lose a little compared to the current version of MK8 Deluxe, with all the DLC tracks. But don't worry, they'll be happy to take your money to add those bits later.
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I really loved Mario Kart when it was simpler (SNES and N64 w/o the blue shell). I really don't like MK8 all that much. There's just way too much going on and the constant switching between surfaces and underwater and hovering meant little visual consistency. I guess it's the same with Super Smash Bros for me - after Melee, it seems like the designers just turned the madness up to 11 and that's the appeal somehow. I love the simple mechanics of a green shell, but can do without being inked on and shrunk and stuff that frustrates more than being fun. I'm sure many will enjoy World, and I wish you all the best, but I was hoping for a more "back-to-basics" experience like BotW did for Zelda.
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So - and I apologize if I am misunderstanding something (still waiting on my pre-order!) - does the “in between” part of the game mode work kind of like the old Outrun game did but with items? Does this make sense? Or am I just old and completely missing an easy concept here?
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This is Mario Kart as an experience, not as a serious racer, and I don't mind that. Never been one to dwell on negatives, and to me the racing etc is solid but can we just take a minute to appreciate the SOUNDTRACK? I had a bouncy laid back jazz rendition of Super Mario World's Forest Of Illusion map theme earlier. My ears took a minute to place it given its new remix, but yeah, I've heard Mario 2, 3, Land 1, 2, Galaxy, World and many others in there, and I love how it feels like a regional radio station when it comes to what plays.
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Mario Kart on the DS was the first online game I ever played! I fondly remember losing all the matches, until one day I finally clawed my way to the top! As I approached the finish line in first place, every other player cut their connection, and I crossed by myself...good times!
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I've thought about this too, and my best guess is they'll just add another island with new paths between the DLC courses
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I find myself wishing they went full Forza Horizon with it because as it stands the free roam mode feels like a bit of an afterthought
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My kids are very disappointed with no co-op free roam, feels like a missed opportunity. They could easily implement without the P switches or other time-stopping features. Having said that knockout mode is an absolute blast, and the first time I've ever considered playing Mario Kart online against strangers.
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This iteration of the game feels like they took the saying "just got mario kart'd" and made that the main feature. And to be honest, it worked out well for Mario Party so i see why they did what they did. But with 24 players and all that, it feels like the racing agency is completely removed and I just have to let RNG be my wingman
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jm_leviathan
Ars Scholae Palatinae
Mario Kart World is amazing, the new Rainbow Road is sublime, etc. etc.
Now, to the obvious misfires:
No ability to join a friend online in Knockout Tour.
No splitscreen Free Roam (without jumping through hoops to arrive at a half-baked iteration).
The character select screen placing all costumes on a single UI layer such that you end up scrolling through pages and pages of characters and costumes to find what you want. Mario has ten costumes and takes up most of the first page by himself. It should be like selecting a Yoshi colour in 8DX: select character, then costume.
While not a misfire as such, that 3- and 4-player splitscreen remains at 30fps is an unfortunate limitation carried over from previous entries.
Also, I miss seeing the flags next to players' names.
Now, to the obvious misfires:
No ability to join a friend online in Knockout Tour.
No splitscreen Free Roam (without jumping through hoops to arrive at a half-baked iteration).
The character select screen placing all costumes on a single UI layer such that you end up scrolling through pages and pages of characters and costumes to find what you want. Mario has ten costumes and takes up most of the first page by himself. It should be like selecting a Yoshi colour in 8DX: select character, then costume.
While not a misfire as such, that 3- and 4-player splitscreen remains at 30fps is an unfortunate limitation carried over from previous entries.
Also, I miss seeing the flags next to players' names.
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I’m really loving MKW The Experience (as mandlecreed coins it); I find it relaxing wandering the island seeing the sights, finding little treats stuffed into the corners, taking in the little low-stress challenges.
I even like the Grand Prix mode more than that in 8; the reduced repetition is just more interesting to me.
I guess this game better speaks to casual players like myself. Hopefully some adjustments or new game modes help MKW later meet the expectations of more hardcore race enthusiasts without impacting the magic I’m feeling at present.
I even like the Grand Prix mode more than that in 8; the reduced repetition is just more interesting to me.
I guess this game better speaks to casual players like myself. Hopefully some adjustments or new game modes help MKW later meet the expectations of more hardcore race enthusiasts without impacting the magic I’m feeling at present.
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jm_leviathan
Ars Scholae Palatinae
The blue shell was in Mario Kart 64 and the lightning bolt goes back to the original Super Mario Kart on SNES.
World has dispensed with Mario Kart 8's underwater driving in favour of on-water driving with some fantastic wave physics that make one long for a new Wave Race. Antigravity sections have likewise been dispensed with in favour of rail grinding and wall riding using the new power jump mechanic. These are essentially optional extras that are visually well-integrated into the environment.
Speaking of the good old days...
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My main gipe with MKW is the driving physics. It feels kinda slow and squishy compared to MK8. I did a race in each right after each other, and it seemed pretty noticeable.
Mabey I just need to get better at the new one though. I'll definitely be giving it a few more races before I give up on it.
Mabey I just need to get better at the new one though. I'll definitely be giving it a few more races before I give up on it.
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I'm very happy with the game myself. I haven't had time to play it docked to my TV yet but even in handheld mode it looked stunning. The homage to previous tracks and music was pretty cool. Finally Rainbow Road was amazing. At the start I was confused but by the end I was 
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I have to second the praise for the soundtrack, the team nailed it. The music will sneakily change from one track to the other as you move around, helping set the mood. Several of the remixes took me by surprise while I was trying to recall where they're coming from!
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First of all, let me start with my credentials: I was there Gandalf, 3000 years ago… playing the original Super Mario Kart on the SNES as a kid.
I am having blast with Mario Kart World, the tracks are fun, the "world" is beautiful. But as others have said, the music is incredible. A few time while racing I couldn't help but smile when I recognize a song and enjoy the new version. I can't wait to listen to them on the Nintendo Music app.
I am having blast with Mario Kart World, the tracks are fun, the "world" is beautiful. But as others have said, the music is incredible. A few time while racing I couldn't help but smile when I recognize a song and enjoy the new version. I can't wait to listen to them on the Nintendo Music app.
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The crown jewel of this game, other than the soundtrack, is Knockout Tour’s online mode. This is the first time I’ve ever preferred playing a game online rather than offline.
And seriously, the soundtrack is incredible. Just listen to this Latin rendition of the Underground Theme! The game is full of surprising reimaginings like this.
And seriously, the soundtrack is incredible. Just listen to this Latin rendition of the Underground Theme! The game is full of surprising reimaginings like this.
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Ever since Tour and the RC game I figured they were going to add those mechanics in the next game, but I didn't think they'd go open world. I'm not always sold on open worlds but it works here. I like the idea of racing to the next track but I wish there were more options, like a continuous race a la Knockout Mode but doing all 4 tracks in a row like a marathon. But I've had a ton of fun, and the camera chat thing is so goody and dumb.
Also the OST is god tier. I don't think I've heard much of any repeats and they're all so good. I dunno how they're gonna release it as a soundtrack but I'll be listening to it for years to come.
Also the OST is god tier. I don't think I've heard much of any repeats and they're all so good. I dunno how they're gonna release it as a soundtrack but I'll be listening to it for years to come.
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Hear me out:
The developers clearly have never played GTA V (or similar). Some of the most relaxing moments in GTA-V are the breaks from the chaos, where you are cruising down the highway, with the radio blasting some music, on your way to your next objective.
Forza comes to mind as well, though in my (limited) experience, it is more chaotic.
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Mario Kart has never really been about racing - in the sense of driving skill, following optimal lines and braking and so on - probably the closest it ever got to that was things like ghost mode in MK 64. The built-in item bias (if you're leading the pack, you get 'gentle' items almost exclusively, if you're lagging, you get many more blue shells and other 'help me catch up' goodies) proves that.
To my mind, the chaosis has been most of the fun, followed by finding and exploiting shortcuts etc.
Having said that, I agree the chaos can get a little too much - especially in online 24-player play - but maybe I'm just - gasp - getting old and prefer a little more... mellow?... experience.
To my mind, the chaos
Having said that, I agree the chaos can get a little too much - especially in online 24-player play - but maybe I'm just - gasp - getting old and prefer a little more... mellow?... experience.
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Since you said you'd be okay with it without the P switches, I'm not sure if you know about the half-assed lobby version I mentioned. You go down to Wireless and choose 2p. Then you start. That puts you in a limited free roam mode waiting for other players to join (or you can press L+R+Left-Stick and choose LAN, if you are worried someone might join your party).
The limitations are no P switches and if you get too far from the other person, it rubber bands you back together. You also constantly have a "Waiting for other players to join" at the bottom. You can still collect peach medallions and go in reverse.
Yeah, that's part of why I'm less excited about this. I don't play for online. And if I did, I'd just probably be knocked out in the first race or two anyway, because I'm definitely a casual MK player these days.
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Lego 2K Drive did a great job offering open world Horizon, providing local co-op and the ability to construct your vehicles.
The more I play World the more want to go back to MK8 tracks (excluding the Tour tracks). Minus the intermission areas, many of the tracks seem very plain and wide, to account for larger race group.
Apparently you can do Vs mode instead of Grand Prix and and force 3 lap races by picking/voting a track not near your current location.
Knockout Tour is great.
The more I play World the more want to go back to MK8 tracks (excluding the Tour tracks). Minus the intermission areas, many of the tracks seem very plain and wide, to account for larger race group.
Apparently you can do Vs mode instead of Grand Prix and and force 3 lap races by picking/voting a track not near your current location.
Knockout Tour is great.
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I didn't purchase the bundle which I regret. I'm torn about buying this because on one hand I'm not ready to throw my new Switch 2 to the family for multiplayer, on the other hand I don't own any Switch 2 games.
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I bundled because MK is the most frequently played game by the rest of the family so I can still keep whatever card I’m currently binging in the system.
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I haven't had a massive amount of time to play this since release, but have at least managed to get trophies on each of the cups and spend a bit of time exploring the open world.
My initial reaction to the open world linking each race was "this is a bit weird". Partly, that's just because Mario Kart 8 is so ingrained. I picked it up on the Wii U, so I've been playing it for over a decade now, and its general formula (and many of its course options) are much older again.
However, Mario Kart World has grown on me the more I play it. The fact that so many of the tracks aren't strict "do X laps of the circuit" was off-putting at first, but I'm really enjoying it now. It takes longer to get your head around the circuits with the lack of repetition, but that also means they don't feel stale even after racing them several times in a row.
Plus, the series was in need of a shake-up. Mario Kart 8 pushed the existing formula pretty much as far as it could go. Seeing Nintendo try something new is welcome.
I haven't begun to explore the "VS" mode yet, which apparently offers many more course options and also the possibility of traditional 3-lap races. And I've only played a few sessions of the nerve-racking knockout mode. There's a lot to explore here.
My initial reaction to the open world linking each race was "this is a bit weird". Partly, that's just because Mario Kart 8 is so ingrained. I picked it up on the Wii U, so I've been playing it for over a decade now, and its general formula (and many of its course options) are much older again.
However, Mario Kart World has grown on me the more I play it. The fact that so many of the tracks aren't strict "do X laps of the circuit" was off-putting at first, but I'm really enjoying it now. It takes longer to get your head around the circuits with the lack of repetition, but that also means they don't feel stale even after racing them several times in a row.
Plus, the series was in need of a shake-up. Mario Kart 8 pushed the existing formula pretty much as far as it could go. Seeing Nintendo try something new is welcome.
I haven't begun to explore the "VS" mode yet, which apparently offers many more course options and also the possibility of traditional 3-lap races. And I've only played a few sessions of the nerve-racking knockout mode. There's a lot to explore here.
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