‘Mario Kart World’ Review: The Best Mario Kart Yet Costs Too Much

If you’ve played any Mario Kart game before, you’ll find familiar mechanics with “Mario Kart World.” Nintendo really hasn’t messed with the formula, and the game loop, driving, and mechanics all work the same as before, with various Mario characters racing around some classic tracks, trying to get to first, aided by various boosts scattered around the circuit. The driving feel, controls, and boosts feel exactly as they have in all modern Mario titles — albeit with some minor differences in balancing — and it makes for a fantastically fun experience, particularly when played on a TV, in split-screen multiplayer. My only critique on this front was that, if playing in that mode, first place is a lot easier to maintain than second, as the other karts put an outsized hit on you. If you achieve a big first-place lead, the AI-controlled drivers have limited catch-up mechanics, and will target their fire heavily on the driver closest to them.