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The hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here, and with it, its keystone launch title: “Mario Kart World”. A “thrilling combination of retro racing and modern open-world freedom”, the new release isn’t without a few “growing pains”, said Jordan Minor in PC Gamer. But it’s “wildly entertaining” and a “fantastic next-generation racer for all ages”.

The main draw is, of course, the “huge, open map”. Each of the courses are now connected by a series of roads making the game feel more “organic and dynamic”. There are 32 tracks in total, including a mix of new and “heavily reimagined” retro courses.

The “addictive and exhilarating” Knockout Tour lets you race across six different areas of the map, as the bottom players are gradually eliminated until just one winner remains. The fact that the new game can accommodate up to 24 players (double that of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”) adds to the “chaos”, as “one unlucky red shell can send you plummeting down 20 spots”.

Most of “Mario Kart World” looks “nice enough”, said Ollie Barder in Forbes. But the new Rainbow Road is “genuinely astonishing to behold”. The game’s functionality has been expanded with several new tricks added alongside the traditional boost slide.

The open world is “incredibly well designed”, said Metro. However, there’s a “distinct lack of satisfying unlockables”, especially in the new Free Roam mode. While there are “secrets to discover”, the missions can be relatively “simple” and quickly become “repetitive”. Still, it’s an “entertaining and unique” game that takes the series into “exciting new directions”.

Feeling more akin to a “journey with your friends than a straight competition”, “Mario Kart World” is an “easy-breezy social game that also lets you get extremely competitive”, said Keza MacDonald in The Guardian. Beyond the races themselves you can “roam freely” in the search for hidden coins, finding “scenic little spots” to gather together with your mates.

The most significant difference is the movement; now you can now “charge up a boost-jump to grind along rails” and “ride walls”, giving racing an entirely new feel. Other highlights include the “broad and ridiculous” collection of characters, including a “new-look Donkey Kong hunkered hilariously over the steering wheel”.

Thanks to the various assist options for kids and less-skilled players, it really is an “impressively welcoming game”. “Generous and detailed and unfailingly fun”, Nintendo has captured the spirit of the original game, while proving that it still has a “talent for reinvention”. It’s a winner.