Mario Kart World really could be the ultimate Mario Kart game. Whether or not you're onboard with its central gimmick of open-world exploration between tracks, there is still a lot of Mario Kart goodness to love here. From excellent new characters to a solid lineup of courses to race on, Mario Kart World has taken everything that works about its predecessors and turned it all the way up to eleven. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this is also the best-looking game in the series, helped by the Switch 2's impressive specs.

Mario Kart World's many innovations are also ed by the features it has borrowed from past entries. For every new course and character, MK World has implemented something that fans simply couldn't live without. This includes by far the series' greatest feature and what I believe to be the reason it remains a successful franchise today. It is a foundational feature of a lot of Nintendo games, and its inclusion means that the developer shows no signs of giving it up just yet, despite many others having abandoned it a long time ago.

Mario Kart World Features Split-Screen Co-Op

For Up To Four Players

Despite the hands-on Switch 2 previews and in numerous Mario Kart World gameplay s on YouTube, all of which have given those of us who still love playing with their buddies on the same sofa an insight into exactly how much of the game is playable in split-screen.

From Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode to its traditional Grand Prix and Battle modes, absolutely everything can be played in split-screen co-op. Of course, all previous Mario Kart games had this functionality, so many may question why this is particularly exciting, even to a split-screen enthusiast like myself. It is largely because the rest of the gaming industry has seemingly abandoned split-screen, with even landmark franchises like Halo, which once felt like the pinnacle of split-screen gaming, removing it completely.

With the move to the Switch 2, I somewhat expected Nintendo to move away from split-screen or lower the number of players that could access it. After all, not only are games more demanding on the Switch 2, but Nintendo's many controversial decisions have led me to lose a lot of faith that it'll make the right, consumer-friendly choices when it comes to its games. Featuring four-player local co-op in Mario Kart World not only assuages me of those fears but also indicates that it is still very much a priority for the developer going forward.

Mario Kart World's Local Co-Op Will Drastically Improve The Experience

It Is Far More Fun Playing Locally Than Online

Of course, local split-screen co-op has always made Mario Kart better. While playing online has its benefits, and is great for those with friends who live overseas or in another state, it doesn't quite capture the chaos and fun of playing with a friend literally by your side. Watching as you get hit by a blue shell, a red shell, and then lightning is infinitely more humorous and significantly less frustrating when your friend is laughing at your pain alongside you, or there to give you a comforting hug should you need it.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe became my go-to game whenever going to someone else's house, or if they came to mine, because it is such an easy game to jump into. I can definitely imagine that being the case with Mario Kart World when it comes out, especially as the split-screen co-op modes still benefit from the bizarre Switch 2 features, like having your faces appear above your character as you race around, something that, while completely unnecessary, is the perfect encapsulation of Nintendo at its most fun.

It is worth noting that you will need to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory to unlock the ability to have your faces float around. You just need the one camera, thankfully, and not four pointed at each player's face. It also doesn't seem like you'll need to pay for NSO in order to access that feature in split-screen co-op.

Additionally, the ability to play in four different teams is also available in the split-screen mode, which works perfectly for those playing in groups of four. It may seem like a really small inclusion for those who typically play online or those who don't really ever utilize the feature, but I couldn't be happier that it is here. Seeing it be preserved in experiences like Mario Kart World is so important, and knowing that those keen to try out the controversial Free Roam mode will be able to play it in split-screen is amazing too.

Mario Kart World's Local Co-Op Will Benefit Free Roam Mode The Most

There Isn't A Comparable Split-Screen Experience

I think Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode will benefit the most from local split-screen. I have a lot of fond memories of exploring open areas with my siblings in games like Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, and I can imagine the experience, while certainly lacking in skateboards, won't be too different here. Just driving around together in this vast open world, discovering secrets, attempting time trials, and more will be a lot of fun. Of course, it is playable with up to eight people online, but you're losing the excitement of discovering things together in person when playing that way.

Had Mario Kart World been around when my siblings and I were younger, it would undoubtedly be one of our favorite games. Nowadays, there really isn't a comparable experience, at least for younger players. While there are plenty of action-focused open-world games that people can explore together, occasionally in split-screen as well, there aren't many open-world racing games with that functionality. As much as it would be hilarious to watch kids play Baldur's Gate 3, having something like MK World available is a far better and more suitable option.

As someone who wants to have children eventually, I know that an experience like Mario Kart World will be something fun to play with them. Of course, it is also something fun for adults to play too, with the ability to create your own fun and play games like hide and seek - so long as you all promise not to screen watch - a possibility. I'm extremely happy that Mario Kart World features split-screen co-op, and I can't wait to make the most of it when it eventually launches later this year.