I reckon I’m TheGamer’s biggestMario Kartfan. I have no scientific basis for this statement, but I have hundreds of hours across my favourite Mario Kart games. I wheeled and dealed in Pokemon cards on the school playground aged nine so that I could earn enough cash to buy Mario Kart DS – a nerdy, northern Del Boy if there ever was one.

Americans, I’m sorry but I have no similar reference for you. Google Only Fools and Horses.

A Mii racer driving past an item box in Mario Kart 7.

I played those 32 tracks until I knew every shortcut and could win every Grand Prix backwards – literally. This was followed by Mario Kart Wii, fun for all the family, and then I left the console behind to head to university. I spent a large percentage of my uni experience switching between Double Dash and Smash Bros. Melee on my shared house’s shared GameCube. What a time that was.

I’ve no idea what the final hour count was, but we played nearly every day and I was pretty good by the end. I even beat all of my coursemates in a charity time trial I set up in memory of my late housemate. I wasgood. And I knew it.

Mario and Luigi racing in Luigi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash

TheGamer’s Mario Kart Sicko

My skills have waned since then, but I firmly believe that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best Mario Kart ever made. Much like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the best Smash ever made. And Breath of the Wild is right up there with the best Zelda games. The Switch really is unparalleled, isn’t it?

While my Switch has been sadly gathering dust over the past year or so, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is by far my most-played game on the console. More than multiple playthroughs of Breath of the Wild. More than the pandemic-addled hours spent perfect my Animal Crossing island. More than almost every other game put together. The sheer number of tracks, drivers, and custom karts means there’s always something new in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to slam your accelerator towards.

Key Art for Mario Kart World, showcasing the enormous cast of characters you can play as they race through a canyon.

Its robust online play means races are always exciting and you’re not just stuck racing the AI or chasing your own ghosts. I spent my childhood trying to beat my best time on Yoshi Falls, but now I can claim an oversized crown after beating strangers on the internet? Finally, I am recognised for the karting genius I am. All those late night gaming sessions were worth it, mum!

Now, there might be someone else at TheGamer who has a more impressive Mario Kart CV, but they haven’t made themselves known to me yet. But there’s not one member of our full-time staff who I think could reliably beat me over the course of a four-track Grand Prix. Maybe they’d grab lucky blue shell once, or have an advantage on one of their favourite courses, but I’m confident the law of averages would bring me out on top.

Funky Kong riding his surfboard in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Mario Kart Is My (Pipe)Dream Game

That said, I won’t be buying Mario Kart World at launch. It pains me to even write those words, as this is the game I’ve dreamed about for so many years – I evenpredicted this directionfor the series in a previous article! Turning Mario Kart into Forza Horizon is the natural progression from the biggest, best game in the series. I can’t wait to explore the open world as Dry Bones or Funky Kong, taking on races to earn cash and upgrade my kart.

There’s rail grinding, realistic physics, and a real chance that this game could usurp Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the best in the series. With the power of the Nintendo Switch 2 behind it, this could launch the series into a new, improved direction, like adding superchargers to your Lamborghini. Can you tell I know nothing about real cars?

A woman playing Mario Kart World with her friends on the Switch 2 via GameChat.

The reason I won’t be buying it? It’s aNintendo Switch 2exclusive. Is Mario Kart World worth £430? To me, it just might be. But that’s an investment I can’t afford right now. I’m welcoming a new baby into my family imminently (in fact, he’s probably been born by the time you read this, say hi to Mario Luigi Sledge!), and even if I wasn’t, this console is launching with just one game. The pedants among you may well be pointing to the glorified tech demo also available on day one, but who’s going to buy that?

I can’t afford to pay £430 for Mario Kart World, and there’s nothing else the Switch 2 offers at launch that sweetens the deal. Buyan upgrade for Breath of the Wild? No thanks. TheGameCube games certainly catch my eye, but I wonder if they’ll come to the Switch OLED eventually.Donkey Kongisn’t out for another month,Metroidis even further off. I’ll wait for a Black Friday sale or a pay rise, thank you very much.

It’s nothing short of heartbreaking to miss out on that freshly-released-game discourse. I want to join other fans in online races and discuss the tracks on forums and social media. I want to post my best times and learn the shortcuts at the same time everyone else is. I was a Nintendo Kid through and through, so the excitement surrounding the Switch 2 hits me right in the nostalgia glands, and nothing moreso than Mario Kart.

I’m certain that Mario Kart World will be amazing, I’m confident that I’ll love it when I eventually get a chance to play it. I just don’t know when that will be.