Mario Kart World vs Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: which Nintendo racer stands atop the podium?

When Mario Kart World launched last year, it was met with a largely positive reception from critics but a fairly polarizing one from fans. Users have been left divided over its approach to the classic Grand Prix mode, online play, and the new Free Roam mode, among other things. But as much as I sympathize with some of these critiques, I still think Mario Kart World is one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games.

The new Knockout Mode, the expansive character roster, and its brilliant visuals really won me over, and the increased gameplay depth has had me hooked on it since release day. But recently, I've been thinking. Is Mario Kart World good enough to stand above its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

See, World’s predecessor, which is a refined version of 2014’s Mario Kart 8, is among the highest-selling video games of all time, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest titles in the series. Does Mario Kart World have what it takes to come out on top? Or does the Nintendo Switch 2 game fall short of the original Switch’s best-seller? I compared both side-by-side to find out.

Gameplay: which is the better core experience?

First and foremost, let’s dive into the gameplay differences between these two. Now, Mario Kart World is, in my view, a return to the series’ chaotic best. For instance, if you’ve just been red shell’d, don’t expect a healthy dosage of invincibility frames to save you from that incoming blue shell…you’re going to get a true hammering.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a little more forgiving, and you’re less likely to get decimated by item after item – some may prefer that, but I personally appreciate World's more punishing, almost rage-inducing approach. Not sure what that says about me, but there you go.

The items that you’ll encounter are also a lot more varied in World. There’s new stuff like the Kamek Orb and Golden Shell, but there are also some old faves like the Mega Mushroom, as well as the items we saw in 8 Deluxe. Both games have a great line-up in this department, but the sheer variation that World brings to the table is staggering.

Speaking of variation, there are a lot more ways to win a race in Mario Kart World compared to 8 Deluxe and just about every one of its predecessors.

That’s because Nintendo added a bunch of gameplay quirks, like rail-grinding, wall-riding, and charge jumping. If you make use of these techniques, you can discover some unbelievable shortcuts and pull off some incredibly stylish moves. Crucially, this just makes World’s skill ceiling that bit higher – there’s just so much more to master here.

That’s not to say that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s gameplay is lacking, though, or that it doesn’t require skill to consistently win online or against your pals. For instance, drifting feels incredibly tight and refined on this game – a bit more responsive and sharp than it does on World, where the physics feel more attuned to the game’s ‘cartoonish’ vibe.

I’d consider 8 Deluxe to be more of a purist’s pick, in general. The tighter drifting, more forgiving invincibility frames, and focus on the fundamentals are going to appeal to some players more than the sheer carnage of Mario Kart World. On top of that, kart customization gives the player more control – something that was ditched in Mario Kart World.

Personally, though, I feel as if the quirkier gameplay of Mario Kart World shows the series in its best light. It's reminiscent of titles like Mario Kart: Double Dash or Mario Kart Wii – entries that I’ve spent a lot of time enjoying over the years. But then it also builds on those, with the wall-riding and rail-grinding, which are executed beautifully. If we’re talking gameplay alone, then Mario Kart World takes the edge for me.

Replayability: which racer keeps you coming back for more?

Discussing replayability allows us to touch on a number of areas, including character rosters, course lists, game modes, and online play. Now, as you may expect, both of these are infinitely replayable. I've sunk well over a hundred hours into Mario Kart World and multiple hundreds into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. But there are some differences between these entries that may affect your desire to keep coming back.

Let’s kick off by touching on game modes. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe keeps it pretty classic, with the traditional Grand Prix mode, Time Trials, VS Race, and Battle. Now, Battle mode got a makeover on the Switch version – trust me, as someone who played Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U, it really needed it. And this helped to make it feel like a really complete package – there’s something for just about every mood.

Mario Kart World really shook things up, though. All of the above is here again, but there’s a major twist. See, Grand Prix was majorly adjusted so that you race between each track in one, large interconnected showdown. Does this work well? Largely, yes. However, the end result isn’t what I’d call perfect.

The main reason for that is that many of the connections aren’t all that interesting. As a lot of players have bemoaned online, some of these segments are just large, open, straight roads with little character – though I think some are a blast to ride through. A key issue, though, is that the interconnected approach means you often don’t get to tackle multiple laps of the same course, which reduces the memorability of some tracks, in my opinion.

Thankfully, VS Race enables you to play in a more traditional three-lap format, though connections do still pop up in online play. I don’t think they ruin the game by any means, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s more traditional approach is definitely still my preference.

But my, oh my, does Mario Kart World have an ace up its sleeve. The new Knockout Tour mode is, without any exaggeration, the best addition to any Mario Kart game in series history. Yes – even better than Missions in Mario Kart DS (damn, it really hurt me to say that).

This new mode opens up a whole new universe of fun – six segments, four racers knocked out per lap, only one winner. My friends, my colleagues, and I have played it constantly over the last several months, and just can’t get enough of the high-octane showdowns. It also makes the best of having 24 racers, as opposed to the 12 you get in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with the opening couple of segments always proving to be especially frenetic.

Another addition that World made was Free Roam. This mode has also proved to be divisive, with some critics and users perceiving it as a half-baked attempt at an open world. But personally, I enjoy roaming across the interconnected map, listening to the excellent soundtrack, and completing the odd mission. Unfortunately, a lot of the said missions are far too easy, and the reward of a sticker is very underwhelming. But it’s a nice addition, and a mode I’ve visited a bunch when I’ve got a couple of minutes to kill.

But despite all of these new additions, one area in which Mario Kart 8 clearly surpasses its successor is in terms of course variety. With all of the DLC, there are 96 – yes, 96 – tracks that you can race on. That’s three times more than World has to offer – at least for the moment – although anyone would bet on DLC expanding this significantly in the coming years. Regardless, the sheer volume of tracks on 8 Deluxe is mind-blowing, and it’s a big reason that I kept coming back to it for years on end.

As you can tell, there’s really not a lot that separates these two. The course variety and superior Grand Prix mode on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are hard to look past. But at the same time, I’m totally addicted to Knockout Tour, and the inclusion of more racers and Free Roam adds a lot of replayability.

The decider, for me, then, would probably be the games’ respective character rosters. These are pretty similar in size, if we don’t account for the various costumes you can unlock in Mario Kart World. However, the zaniness of World’s line-up is simply delightful. The list of playable characters includes Cataquack, Sidestepper, Fish Bone…even Snowman. It’s odd in the best possible way. I like 8 Deluxe’s roster a fair bit, but those cursed Koopalings make up too much of it, and the originality of its successor’s line-up is impossible to beat.

Graphics and soundtrack: which title is more of an audio-visual delight?

OK, there’s not quite as much to say here, but I think it’s worth comparing the audio-visual experiences that these games serve up.

I remember when Mario Kart 8 was released in 2014. I was mesmerized by the eye-popping colors, attractive HD visuals, and charismatic character models. Remember the Luigi death stare edits? And when it made the move to Switch, the game was still an absolute treat to look at.

Of course, Mario Kart World takes all of this to a new level. The game looks stellar in 4K when playing docked, and still fantastic in 1080p during handheld mode. It’s a vibrant, explosive-looking title with so much flair, and it definitely levels up from the still great-looking 8 Deluxe.

Some may actually prefer the less cartoonish look of characters in World’s predecessor – look at Donkey Kong or even Mario himself, for instance. But I think both look fantastic, and the goofier look of World is well-suited to its playstyle.

In terms of the music, it’s not that close for me. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s use of a big band certainly produced some incredible tracks oozing with emotion and grandeur. But the eclectic nature of World’s soundtrack – packed with bangers from genres spanning funk, electronic, jazz, and rock – is so broad and so addictive, that it takes the edge.

Verdict: which game takes the trophy home?

So, does Mario Kart World do enough to topple its incredible predecessor? Maybe this is controversial to say, but I think it does.

With added gameplay depth, a new Knockout Tour mode, a legendary character roster, and beautiful visuals, Mario Kart World is able to stand atop the podium. Yes, it’s imperfect, but updates have been coming – I’m also holding out for DLC to swing around soon and expand that track-list.

But would you agree? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, so let me know in the comments!

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

The best Nintendo Switch 2 games to play right now

➡️ Read our full guide to the best Nintendo Switch 2 games
1. Best overall:
Donkey Kong Bananza
2. Great for multiplayer:
Mario Kart World
3. A sequel for the ages:
Hollow Knight: Silksong
4. A timeless adventure and remake:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
5. Best Pokémon:
Pokémon Legends Z-A