{"id":25973,"date":"2025-08-29T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T00:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=25973"},"modified":"2025-07-28T00:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T00:15:23","slug":"mario-kart-world-road-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/29\/mario-kart-world-road-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Mario Kart World Road Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Mario Kart World was recently released as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.\u00a0 I was lucky enough to get a Switch 2, thanks to help from my family.\u00a0 So let\u2019s take a road trip tour at all the tracks you can race on in the game.\u00a0 So grab your road trip snacks and let\u2019s roll!<\/p>\n

The big new draw of Mario Kart World is that each track is interconnected on an open world map.\u00a0 So you drive to each track, making it more of a rally race than a lap thing.\u00a0 They should\u2019ve called it Mario Kart World Rally, but considering another Mario Kart clone used that same title (Pac-Man World Rally) I guess they didn\u2019t want to do that.\u00a0 One of the problems is that they made it really hard to just race on tracks in laps, and they could\u2019ve easily done that.\u00a0 Just make a new mode that says \u201cClassic Cup\u201d or something where you can just do laps on tracks.\u00a0 They could then call the other mode Rally Race or something.\u00a0 Knockout Tour has you racing straight through six tracks, but every so often the stragglers are eliminated.\u00a0 It\u2019s fun but also frustrating in the harder levels and online.<\/p>\n

My only other big problem with the game is that I\u2019m probably the only person in the world who doesn\u2019t like the new trick system where you can grind on rails and drive on walls.\u00a0 I can never get it to work for me.\u00a0 I wanted to play Mario Kart, not Mario Hawk Pro Skater.\u00a0 But that\u2019s just me I guess.\u00a0 I do like the open world free roam mode where you can just drive around and do P switch challenges and find hidden stuff, but it does get old after a while and doesn\u2019t quite capture the \u2018getting there is half the fun\u2019 feel that Road Trip on the PS2 had (now there\u2019s a hidden gem of a game).<\/p>\n

But despite all that, Mario Kart World is STILL a lot of fun.\u00a0 It may not be worth 80 bucks (at least not yet, we\u2019ll see what the DLC brings and I hope it\u2019s free but I have doubts), but it\u2019s still an enjoyable game and I appreciate them trying something different.\u00a0 I think my favorite parts are the Yoshi\u2019s Hamburgers stands.\u00a0 On the road you may spot a familiar looking building and sign, kind of like when you are looking for a place to eat on a road trip.\u00a0 You can then drive through and pick up some Dash Food.\u00a0 This gives you a speed boost and even unlocks new outfits for some characters.\u00a0 So I\u2019ve had lots of fun finding these spots.\u00a0 I wish I could eat at a REAL Yoshi\u2019s Hamburgers!\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t that be fun?<\/p>\n

Anyway, with that little mini review out of the way, let\u2019s look at the tracks!<\/p>\n

Mario Bros. Circuit<\/strong><\/p>\n

This track in the middle of the desert has lots of neon lights, a gas station and diner, and really gives off that Cars Radiator Springs vibe.\u00a0 But considering the road trip feel of the game, it\u2019s a good way to start.<\/p>\n

Crown City<\/strong><\/p>\n

This city track is fun to explore.\u00a0 You can even drive around a parking garage!\u00a0 The cups use this track in several versions since there\u2019s so much of it. The city is kind of a mix of San Francisco, Seattle, and Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Whistlestop Summit<\/strong><\/p>\n

This mountain track has a lot of trains going around it.\u00a0 You\u2019d think it would be more interesting than that, but I didn\u2019t find it that way.\u00a0 There are lots of train tracks for you to grind on, though.<\/p>\n

DK Spaceport<\/strong><\/p>\n

You know how rocket and space shuttle launch sites have a lot of scaffolding and ladders?\u00a0 Well what if you took that and made it look like the first level of the Donkey Kong arcade game?\u00a0 Because that\u2019s what they did here.\u00a0 As you climb up, you\u2019ll use jump pads to hop over barrels rolling at you thrown by a giant robotic Donkey Kong!\u00a0 The music, which is a remix of the arcade\u2019s tunes, intensifies as you get higher, too.\u00a0 They also make reference to the Game & Watch DK games, too!\u00a0 Definitely one of the best new tracks in the game!<\/p>\n

Desert Hills<\/strong><\/p>\n

This classic track was from the DS I think.\u00a0 The original was a bland desert track, and this one is kind of, too.\u00a0 But I like that they added characters from Super Mario Land in it, like those Easter Island heads that run at you and fly!<\/p>\n

Shy Guy Bazaar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another classic track, this one from the 3DS.\u00a0 It\u2019s a neat race through a desert market and rooftops, and has a lot of Mario 2 references.<\/p>\n

Wario Stadium<\/strong><\/p>\n

This classic track from the N64 got a major overhaul.\u00a0 They trimmed out a lot of the fat and it\u2019s almost unrecognizable.\u00a0 But the big jump has lots of neat pyrotechnics so it\u2019s still fun.<\/p>\n

Airship Fortress<\/strong><\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t change much from this classic track, but it\u2019s so good they really didn\u2019t need to.\u00a0 You just drive around the flying airships and avoid Rocky Wrenches, Bullet Bills, and flame jets from Mario 3.<\/p>\n

DK Pass<\/strong><\/p>\n

This track from the DS is supposed to be like a ski resort.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit plain which was forgivable on the DS, but here I wish they would\u2019ve went with DK Summit, which is another ski resort style track but this time on the Wii.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a lot more fun, but oh well.\u00a0 One thing I like about the Wii Mario Kart game is that it sure had some neat track designs.<\/p>\n

Starview Peak<\/strong><\/p>\n

This new track has kind of a Rosalina\u2019s Comet Observatory vibe, but since it\u2019s also an ice track they have some references from that one Mario Kart 8 DLC ice track with those green and yellow paths.\u00a0 You can really appreciate this track in free roam, where you can drive through a library and planetarium.<\/p>\n

Sky High Sundae<\/strong><\/p>\n

This track was in the Booster Pack for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!\u00a0 But I played it on the Mario Kart Tour mobile game.\u00a0 It\u2019s entirely made out of ice cream, so it\u2019s in the snowy area of the map so it won\u2019t melt.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a big fan of sweets, but I do like ice cream from time to time, so I like this track.<\/p>\n

Wario Shipyard<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since this track was first on the 3DS which introduced underwater driving, and this game doesn\u2019t have that, this track got changed a bit since you can only ski across the top of the water.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a bit less colorful.\u00a0 But it still fits the mood.<\/p>\n

Koopa Troopa Beach<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know I\u2019m the only one who thinks this, but this is my favorite track in the game.\u00a0 It\u2019s the second Koopa Beach track from the original Super Mario Kart, so it\u2019s all flat and short.\u00a0 In fact, you race around this one with five laps instead of three, just like the original game.\u00a0 But they redesigned this track to look like a party beach!\u00a0 There\u2019s a DJ Koopa, Yoshis dancing, water sports, fireworks at night, and peppy remixes.\u00a0 In free roam, you can find a P Switch challenge around this track that lets you race around the other Koopa Beach track from Super Mario Kart as well!<\/p>\n

Faraway Oasis<\/strong><\/p>\n

This one kind of has a African Savannah watering hole outpost kind of feel.\u00a0 Sometimes you might have to avoid animals on the road like giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and elephants.\u00a0 You\u2019d think this track would be more interesting but it really didn\u2019t stand out to me for whatever reason.<\/p>\n

Peach Stadium<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nearly every Mario Kart game has a track right by Peach\u2019s iconic castle from Mario 64, so here\u2019s that one.\u00a0 The track waves all around the castle and you can even drive on the roof in free roam and there\u2019s lots of pink.\u00a0 Down below acts as a centra hub with lots of crossroads and a train station and everything.\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of a boring track but I like it anyway.<\/p>\n

Peach Beach<\/strong><\/p>\n

This classic track from the GameCube gets an overhaul here.\u00a0 Lap 1 is the same as before, but laps 2 and 3 have you drive around the town and rooftops as well!\u00a0 I appreciate them trying to do different things with the classic tracks.<\/p>\n

Salty Salty Speedway<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think this track is going for a Venice vibe since you drive atop a lot of water street canals.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a Birdo mermaid statue you drive past.<\/p>\n

Dino Dino Jungle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another GameCube classic track gets a makeover.\u00a0 The track layout is mostly the same, but they added more cool dinosaurs!\u00a0 And the cave area is now a laboratory that the dinosaurs escaped from.\u00a0 You can tell they were influenced by Jurassic Park!<\/p>\n

Great ? Block Ruins<\/strong><\/p>\n

These ancient ruins high in the sky have giant ? blocks and bricks from Super Mario Bros.\u00a0 This track is so high up that if you fall off of it in free roam, you\u2019ll plummet to a jungle lake below but you\u2019ll freefall for about a minute!<\/p>\n

Cheep Cheep Falls<\/strong><\/p>\n

This track is absolutely beautiful and really shows off the graphical prowess of the Switch 2.\u00a0 It has a Japanese theme as you race down river rapids with Cheep Cheeps substituting koi fish.\u00a0 So many cool details like the falling leaves landing in the water and floating down as you race.<\/p>\n

Dandelion Depths<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cave track with giant dandelion puffs and watery areas.\u00a0 I dunno, this one really didn\u2019t stick out to me.<\/p>\n

Boo Cinema<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now this is one of the coolest new tracks in the game!\u00a0 Most Mario Kart games have some sort of haunted area or Luigi\u2019s Mansion style track.\u00a0 This one is a haunted movie theater.\u00a0 You race around the lobby and into the seating area, and then you drive right into the screen!\u00a0 Then the graphics get that black and white sepia tone as you race on film reels!\u00a0 In free roam, outside the track is really cool, too, as it has lots of planked docks around a giant swamp.\u00a0 You can activate P switch challenges here where you can race on the original Ghost House tracks from the first Super Mario Kart with the same music and everything!<\/p>\n

Dry Bones Burnout<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another new track, this one is near Bowser\u2019s Castle and has lots of bones and lava.\u00a0 So much lava.<\/p>\n

Moo Moo Meadows<\/strong><\/p>\n

This Mario Kart 8 track is just a spruced up version of Moo Moo Farm from the N64.<\/p>\n

Choco Mountain<\/strong><\/p>\n

They really gave this N64 classic track an overhaul.\u00a0 Instead of it being a mountain made of brown chocolate, they\u2019ve made it more like a monster truck stadium with lots of chocolate mud.\u00a0 I guess Charging Chucks are using this area as their training grounds as you\u2019ll see them running around in the mud and throwing footballs at you, too.\u00a0 While I think I like the original N64 style, I do appreciate them trying new things.\u00a0 Another cool thing is that just like Koopa Beach and Boo Cinema, there are P switch challenges nearby that let you race on the original Choco Island tracks from Super Mario Kart.<\/p>\n

Toad\u2019s Factory<\/strong><\/p>\n

I said earlier that one of the reasons why the Wii Mario Kart game is one of my favorites is because of the track designs, and this was one of those tracks.\u00a0 Of course, I also like this one since Toad is my favorite Mario character.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever wondered where the items boxes in this game get made, well here you go.\u00a0 I like the variety in this track.\u00a0 One minute you\u2019re outside avoiding bulldozers and inside you\u2019re on conveyor belts!<\/p>\n

Bowser\u2019s Castle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every Mario Kart game has to have a Bowser\u2019s Castle!\u00a0 This one\u2019s OK.\u00a0 There have been better ones in other games.\u00a0 It is kind of neat to drive around here in free roam since the castle is so freaking huge!<\/p>\n

Acorn Heights<\/strong><\/p>\n

This forest themed track has lots of giant leaves, acorns, and apples.\u00a0 It\u2019s all right, but I think I liked the forest track from the Mario Kart 8 DLC more.<\/p>\n

Mario Circuit<\/strong><\/p>\n

I liked how they handled this retro track.\u00a0 Since the original Mario Circuits from the SNES game were so small and flat, here they just took three of them and combined them into one track!<\/p>\n

Rainbow Road<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every Mario Kart game has a Rainbow Road that is the final challenge.\u00a0 This one is a single lap style track from point A to point B with checkpoints along the way.\u00a0 Most of it is typical Rainbow Road stuff, with colored tiles that really look nice on the Switch 2 as they are all iridescent and everything.\u00a0 At one point you\u2019ll be driving on a glowing river on an enchanted crystal asteroid.\u00a0 Later you\u2019ll be on a space station and can even see the rocket from DK Spaceport docked there!\u00a0 On the final stretches, a flying train goes by and the passengers are from other Mario Kart tracks, like the dinosaurs!\u00a0 It\u2019s not my favorite Rainbow Road, but it is better than the disappointing space station only Mario Kart 8 rainbow track.<\/p>\n

And those are all the tracks! At least so far as of this writing.\u00a0 \u00a0Like I said before, this game is fun, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s worth 80 bucks yet.\u00a0 It\u2019s not even one of my favorite Mario Kart games.\u00a0 I like Mario Kart 8, the Wii one, and even the SNES game more than this.\u00a0 Anyway, in the comments section, let me know what you think of Mario Kart World and what your favorite kart games and tracks are.\u00a0 Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mario Kart World was recently released as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.\u00a0 I was lucky enough to get a Switch 2, thanks to help from my family.\u00a0 So let\u2019s take a road trip tour at all the tracks you can race on in the game.\u00a0 So grab your road trip snacks and let\u2019s roll! […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25973"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25975,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25973\/revisions\/25975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}