Summary
- Mario Kart World on Switch features new characters and costumes, surpassing its predecessor.
- Characters like Baby Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Waluigi, and Daisy showcase unique personalities.
- The game offers various costumes for each character, adding to the charm and fun of the racing experience.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released shortly after the Switch launched and was a remaster of the original Wii U game. With it came improvements, such as DLC included in the bundle, featuring characters from other games, including Link from The Legend of Zelda and Isabelle from Animal Crossing. Mario Kart World outdoes its predecessor, in part by coming out on launch day for the Switch 2.
How Long to Beat Mario Kart World
If you are curious how long it takes to beat every single cup in Mario Kart World, you can find out here.
Although it may not feature crossover characters from other beloved Nintendo franchises, it does introduce a plethora of new characters that have never been seen in a Mario Kart game before. They all basically play the same , so let's rank the best characters in Mario Kart World based on personality, designs, and what costumes they get instead.
8 Baby Mario
Just Look At That Nose
Baby Mario first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island on the SNES before becoming a staple in Mario's sporting spinoffs. He’s a great character in Mario Kart World because of his small size, giving players a better view of the race.
Baby Mario is also adorable alongside his brother, Baby Luigi, because of their giant bulbous noses. Among the few costumes Baby Mario has, his Swimwear is the best, and hopefully, one of these other racers will take him to the beach after a match.
7 Luigi
A Brother Full Of Whimsy
First appearing alongside Mario in Super Mario Bros., Luigi’s individuality was better showcased in Super Mario Bros. 2 thanks to his high jumps. When it comes to spinoffs and most mainline games, Luigi was eventually given a fearful personality, except in the racing games.
From his character window in Mario Kart World, Luigi couldn’t be jollier with his little dances, which makes him fun to drive with as well. He has quite a few costumes, but his Gondolier one is pretty funny, and Luigi would make a good boat driver on the weekends for romantic couples.
6 Toad
Order Up!
Toad was a red herring in Super Mario Bros., always telling Mario or Luigi that the Princess was in another castle, but he got a big break, like Luigi, in Super Mario Bros. 2. He’s an iconic character in the series, along with his Toad kin, and he was one of the earliest members to join this spinoff racing series.
Mario Kart World: How to Unlock All Characters
Mario Kart World has 18 unlockable characters to play as, and here's how to get them all.
Toad’s little squawks are always fun to hear while cruising around tracks in Mario Kart World. He has a lot of good costumes, too, like Burger Bud, because that hat looks delicious, and Explorer, which is a fun nod to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
5 Yoshi
More Than Color Variants
Yoshi first appeared in Super Mario World as a mount for Mario and Luigi and quickly got his own spinoffs, from platformers to puzzle games. Nintendo could have easily just given Yoshi pallet swaps in Mario Kart World for his costumes, like blue, yellow, or red, which were three variants seen in Super Mario World.
Thankfully, they gave Yoshi more than a few color changes as they added accessories to his costumes, like Touring, which is like a glacier blue, or Soft Server, which is bright pink.
4 Wario
The Pirate King
Wario has one of the most infectious laughs in the entire series. He first appeared in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as a villain, and then quickly took over that series as the playable character, and the rest is history. The Wario Land games typically have Wario hunting after mounds of treasure, which makes his Pirate costume in Mario Kart World suit him perfectly.
Wario is not the easiest character to control in the game because of his mass, but he’s such an iconic villain that his laughs and antics even put Bowser to shame, which is why he is worth playing.
3 Donkey Kong
The Dab King
Donkey Kong is one of the few characters in Mario Kart World that got a redesign, and it seems like this will be his new look going forward into other games. Donkey Kong first appeared in Donkey Kong as the villain to Jump Man, a prototype of Mario, but most remember playing him and his fellow Kongs fondly in the Donkey Kong Country series.
Mario Kart World: How to Unlock All Tracks
There are a total of 32 tracks in Mario Kart World, and 4 of them are secret unlockables that players will want to get for the exhilarating races.
Strangely, Nintendo didn’t give Donkey Kong a lot of costumes in Mario Kart World, but that’s fine, as his normal look is still great. Let this great ape dab all day long with his tie and furry body proudly displayed on the track.
2 Waluigi
Best Puns In The Biz
Waluigi first appeared in Mario Tennis on the N64. Wario is more fun to play as in most games, but Waluigi is a step above him in Mario Kart World and the other racing spinoffs because of how goofy he looks.
Because he is a tall, lanky individual, Waluigi looks incredibly awkward driving a kart. Despite his body not fitting properly in his vehicle, Waluigi makes do and refuses to give up, because winning is in his blood. Speaking of blood, the punny costume Wampire is Waluigi’s best. No notes.
1 Daisy
A Great Redesign Full Of Life
Daisy also got a redesign in Mario Kart World, both physically and in terms of her personality. She first appeared in Super Mario Land as another Princess, and in most games, she was essentially a clone of Peach with just a slight tinge of youth.
This youthful glow was increased 100-fold in Mario Kart World, as Daisy’s new design makes her look younger and more vibrant. She embodies the very idea of fun in this series, which is why players can easily vibe with her. She has the best fashion sense among the female characters in the game, as evidenced in her Oasis, Swimwear, and Touring outfits. It’s just so hard to choose!
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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
