Summary
- Mario Kart World features various costumes for Mario, such as the Pro Racer and Sightseeing outfits, each with unique designs and nods to classic games.
- Costumes like the Touring outfit and Cowboy attire showcase Mario's versatility, from a ready-to-brawl look to a traditional Japanese Happi outfit.
- The Dune Rider outfit in Mario Kart World pays homage to aviation history, while the eye-catching Sightseeing getup gives Mario a relaxed beach-day look.
One of the Switch's best games was Super Mario Odyssey, which gave Mario dozens of costumes to dress up in. These costumes were cosmetic in nature and were fun to collect, and it seems like Nintendo took this idea and ran with it when they developed Mario Kart World.
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There are numerous characters to unlock in the game, and most of them come with accompanying costumes. Mario has some of the wildest costumes in Mario Kart World, ranging from original ideas to callbacks to earlier titles. Let's go through Mario's best looks in Mario Kart World and rank them according to how well-designed they are, and see whether or not Mario could win in a fashion contest on the track in them.
7 Pro Racer
A Famicom Classic
- Location: Crown City
The Pro Racer outfit can be found by picking up food in Crown City, which is a new track in Mario Kart World. The Pro Racer getup could be a reference to the 3D Hot Rally game cover, specifically the Japanese NES or Famicom version, which features Mario and Luigi in similar outfits.
Mario looks ready in Mario Kart World to go all out in his racing, and the back of his jacket has a nice nod to him being number one. There is a similar suit in the game called All-Terrain, but it doesn’t look as fun and makes Mario look more like he is ready for combat.
6 Touring
Ready To Brawl
- Location: Mario Bros. Circuit
The Touring outfit will probably be the first costume that players unlock by grabbing food on the Mario Bros. Circuit. That’s because this new course is the first one that appears in the Mushroom Cup circuit.
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Mario looks like he is ready to brawl in this outfit with his fingerless gloves and cool jacket, or he looks like he is ready to take Peach out on the town. The back of the jacket features a Blue Shell, one of Mario Kart’s more infamous items that is just as deadly in Mario Kart World.
5 Mechanic
Rotating Tires With The Best Of Them
- Location: Dry Bones Burnout
The Mechanic outfit can be found by grabbing a bite to eat in Dry Bones Burnout, a new track that is challenging to navigate due to the extensive lava surrounding the area. The Mechanic outfit is another nod to classic NES games, as Mario has worn similar outfits in several promotions, including art for 3D Hot Rally again.
It’s a clean, white jumpsuit, with Mario sporting a backwards hat, as if he's ready to get to work. Some grease stains or a wrench popping out of his clothing could have made the costume better, but it’s still a good one in Mario Kart World, regardless.
4 Cowboy
Get Along, Little Mario
- Location: Boo Cinema
The Cowboy outfit can be obtained by grabbing a tasty snack when players enter the Boo Cinema course, a new addition to the series. This outfit could be a nod to Mario Party 2’s cover on the N64. It’s not an exact copy, but Mario does look like a typical cowboy who is ready to lasso some cows or to have a gun battle at high noon.
The back of his jacket has a Super Star on it, and he wears a Super Star badge on his front, making Mario look like he's ready to wrangle some cattle after he wins his next race.
3 Dune Rider
Flying High
- Location: Dino Dino Jungle
The Dune Rider outfit can dress Mario up like he should be flying a plane, and it's unlocked by eating in the Dino Dino Jungle. This is another new course in the game, which appears to be heavily inspired by Jurassic Park, but one that is less intimidating, without man-eating dinosaurs.
The Dune Rider is a sporty one, as if Mario intended to dress up like Amelia Earhart. There is another specific plane-centric outfit called Aviator, but it’s a bit too plain compared to the charm that Mario exudes while wearing Dune Rider. Either way, it makes sense to make a costume like this since karts in Mario Kart World can transform to have wings.
2 Happi
A Nod To Japanese Traditions
- Location: Cheep Cheep Falls
The Happi outfit can be found by picking up food in Cheep Cheep Falls, which is new to Mario Kart World and one of the coolest-looking courses in the game. The Happi outfit has been worn by Mario before, and it’s a nod to traditional jackets and clothing that Japanese people wear during festivals.
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Anime fans will have assuredly seen similar getups before, during festival scenes, and especially if characters were banging on giant Taiko drums. Getting back to Mario Kart World, this traditional garb is given a bit of Nintendo flair, as Mario has a Cheap Cheap on the back, which is a classic Mario series enemy.
1 Sightseeing
Mario’s Day Off
- Location: DK Spaceport
The Sightseeing outfit will be rewarded if players eat food in DK Spaceport, which is one of the best new tracks in the game and is a callback to Mario’s first appearance in any video game as Jump Man in Donkey Kong. He’s come a long way since the arcade days, and this outfit reflects Mario having a nice beach day to get away from all of his adventuring.
With his backwards hat, sunglasses, sandals, and open shirt, Mario says he is ready to relax. The Shine Sprites on his shirt are a nice nod to Super Mario Sunshine. Also, this outfit can come across as Mario trying too hard to blend in with the youth similar to Steve Buscemi’s character on 30 Rock with his infamous “How do you do, fellow kids?" Line. Overall, this is a terrific fashion choice for the jump-happy plumber.
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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
