Summary
- Mario Kart World introduces new techniques like Charge Jump, Rail Ride, and Wall Ride, inspired by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
- Free Roam mode challenges in Mario Kart World require precision and timing, utilizing the new techniques for success.
- These new techniques blur genre lines, adding flair and skill to the game, making it more expressive and engaging for players.
Mario Kart World offers a refreshing take on the series for more than one reason, with the "World" aspect of its title being more reflective of its scope and ambition than an expansive open world. In fact, Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode isn't technically a true open world and is instead simply a way for players to experience the world of Mario Kart beyond the tracks in a fun, free, and stress-free way. Nevertheless, this doesn't detract from what the latest Mario Kart entry offers in terms of fresh content and mechanics, and that includes several brand-new techniques that players can use to help them stay ahead of the pack, complete challenging missions in Free Roam, and score some imaginary style points in the process.
Mario Kart World still includes classic techniques like rocket start, drifting and mini-turbo, jump boost, and drafting, but its new techniques take the whole experience to a new level in terms of what's possible on the speedway and in the game's new Free Roam mode. What's most interesting about these new techniques — particularly Charge Jump, Rail Ride, and Wall Ride — is that they channel the spirit of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in a way not many (if any) racing games have ever done before. By and large, this increases Mario Kart World's overall fun factor, while also leaving some headroom for expanded mechanics and activities the series has never explored.
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Mario Kart World's New Techniques Channel the Spirit of Tony Hawk
The New Techniques Are Almost Identical to Tony Hawk Maneuvers
Those who have played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater from its origins until now have likely felt right at home with many of Mario Kart World's new techniques, as they are almost identical to certain maneuvers from the beloved skating series. While doing tricks in Mario Kart World won't net players points as they do in Tony Hawk, they are profitable for earning stickers for a bit of flair and mini-turbo activations to gain the advantage in a race. However, perhaps more than anything else, they're just fun to pull off, which one could argue was the intended purpose of Tony Hawk's tricks in the first place.
First off is Mario Kart World's Charge Jump, which is essentially Tony Hawk's Ollie. In skateboarding, the Ollie is the foundational jump where the skater pops the tail and lifts into the air, similar to charging up and launching the kart in Mario Kart World.
Those who have played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater from its origins until now have likely felt right at home with many of Mario Kart World's new techniques, as they are almost identical to certain maneuvers from the beloved skating series.
Then there's the Rail Ride, which is obviously highly reminiscent of grinding in Tony Hawk and real-world skateboarding. With Rail Ride in Mario Kart World, players can ride along rails and power lines to reach greater heights, take shortcuts, and gain a mini-turbo boost after pulling off a trick before landing.
Finally, Mario Kart World's Wall Ride technique is a skateboarding trick of the same name that players can also perform in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It’s a bit more difficult to pull off in MKW, but once players learn the secret to it, it can help them reach otherwise unreachable areas and collectibles in Free Roam.
Free Roam Challenges Highlight Precision and Timing
Speaking of Free Roam mode, it is here that players can really make use of the new techniques, especially when completing many of Mario Kart World’s P-Switch missions. Once a P-Switch button is pressed in Free Roam, a timed challenge triggers, and it's not always as straightforward as getting from Point A to Point B. Instead, these missions often require players to use Charge Jump, Rail Ride, and/or Wall Ride to complete them in time, as attempting them without said techniques frequently proves not to be efficient enough.
These techniques are also valuable outside P-Switch missions, as Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode has plenty of collectibles that can only be reached by using the techniques.
By channeling the flair and precision of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Mario Kart World's Charge Jump, Rail Ride, and Wall Ride turn what used to be a grounded kart racer into something far more expressive and skill-driven. These fun additions blur the lines between genres in the best way, making Free Roam challenges more than just diversions and giving veterans something new to master. Whether players are racing to win or just exploring for fun, Mario Kart has never moved quite like this.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
