Cliff Notes – Does Mario Kart World have the best Nintendo soundtrack?

Expansive Soundtrack: Mario Kart World features an impressive soundtrack, with over 168 tracks that include new renditions of classic Mario themes, showcasing a variety of musical styles.
Comparison to Smash Bros.: The game’s music has been noted to rival that of Super Smash Bros., reflecting Nintendo’s rich aural history across its franchises, which was unexpected for a Mario Kart title.
Player Experience: Players have expressed enjoyment in the free-roam mode, where the soundtrack enhances the overall gaming experience, contributing to the game’s appeal beyond traditional racing mechanics.

Games Inbox: Does Mario Kart World have the best Nintendo soundtrack?

Mario Kart World – a galaxy of tunes (Nintendo)

The Monday letters page looks back at readers’ first weekend with the Nintendo Switch 2, as Summer Game Fest 2025 gets a mixed response.

Good weekend
I’ve been playing the Switch 2 pretty constantly since launch and I’ve had a great time with it.

I’ve played a lot of Mario Kart World, single-player, online, and local multiplayer and it’s been a blast. Being able to trundle around in free roam while you wait for a new race is fantastic.

I would like to specifically highlight the amazing soundtrack to the game, particularly in free roam where there are some beautiful new versions of Mario classics. I found an unofficial playlist on YouTube and it’s gone from 131 tracks when I first found it to 168 at time of writing.

It seems Nintendo have gone through every mainline Mario Kart and Mario platform and produced some amazing music in a variety of styles. I really liked hearing Yoshi’s Island or Dire, Dire Docks. I didn’t expect a Mario Kart game to rival Smash Bros. for echoing Nintendo’s aural history.

I’ve also been playing Hitman and Cyberpunk 2077. The former could do with a slightly better frame rate but otherwise is a great version of 47’s globetrotting murder spree.

Expert, exclusive gaming analysis

Cyberpunk is truly astonishing though. It seems unbelievable to see graphics like this on a Nintendo system. I’ve yet to try out the different control methods they’ve included for the system – I don’t yet have a sword to try the motion controls, but I’m really impressed by the effort that’s gone into this port.

The console itself feels very satisfying and premium quality. I think if I was going to complain about anything it’d be the shorter battery life, but even then the extra USB-C port makes charging while playing handheld easier.

Now I just need a new Direct to tell me what exciting things are coming in the future.
Euclidian Boxes

Maybe later
I was tempted to pre-order and load up my credit card but in the end decided against it, as I’ve got a massive backlog of games I’m going through at the moment. But from the early reactions of people who have got one, I’m pleased I resisted.

Mario Kart World was the game that was tempting me but overall it sounds like a disappointment. The comments (one in your Inbox) about how DLC will improve the game are pretty disgraceful as you pay £75 for an unfinished game. That, along with the game key issue for all third party games is also putting me off.

Although come the Donkey Kong release I will no doubt be tempted again anyway, but I suspect I will be able to hold off for at least a year and take another look at the console.
Simon

Super Nintendo Kart Bros.
I think it’s time Mario Kart introduced a bigger roster of characters from other Nintendo games. Maybe even other games, like in Super Smash Bros.

The few that were added into Mario Kart 8 was a good start but going all in with Minecraft, Pac-Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter, Mega Man, etc. would have excited me more than the duller than expected open world of Mario Kart World.

Hoping this is something introduced as DLC.
Mark Matthews

The Okay Circle
I played it for 36 hours and saw the credits roll but I wasn’t as taken with Indiana Jones And The Great Circle as the reviews.

As has been said in reviews, it’s not an especially action-packed game and has the pace of a walking sim or old point ‘n’ click adventure game for long periods of play. Taking photos, reading notes, collecting stuff, doing puzzles.

Stealth is a prominent gameplay attribute which adds to that slow pace. When you do engage in some fisticuffs it doesn’t quite work in first person. The traversal also feels very stiff and slow.

I laughed when promoted to run from a collapsing or water filling structure with tense music playing, to then stiffly scale rock faces and with arthritic speed shuffle across ledges.

Along with finding the story boring I just didn’t find the whole mix that interesting, exciting or fun.

Still looking forward to MachineGames’ Wolfenstein 3 though. That’s still happening, isn’t it?
Simundo

GC: Wolfenstein 3 was never happening, sadly. Or at least it’s never been announced or hinted at.

Goat killer
After maybe three hours of actual play, I’m loving the Switch 2. The console is just a vast improvement on the original, which I think was exactly the right way to go at this juncture. The Switch is the best console I’ve ever owned, closely followed by the SNES and hopefully once everything beds in, it will be a similar bump from the NES to SNES.

Mario Kart World clearly has a lot to offer and I’ve found myself grinning ear to ear whilst playing it. Street Fighter 6 looks amazing and plays so well and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is improved simply due to loading times. Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom too (which I need to complete).

I think Nintendo perhaps made an error in not releasing to the press, makes life difficult for you guys, and I think that may take some shine and excitement away from reviews but hopefully for the house of Mario that doesn’t happen.

I’m really interested in a current review of Cyberpunk 2077 and I want that snowboarders game from the people who made Lonely Mountains. Tired now, as I stayed up far too late setting up and having a first taste, but I think this console could really rock. I’m expecting special things in the first two years software wise….

There remain some issues: microSD Express cards aren’t available in decent sizes, why can’t I play with a friend and others in Mario Kart World Knockout Tour (which really is quite intense!) and where is the next big Mario entry?! I do wonder if they should have saved some stuff from the Switch, but then it wouldn’t have been the GOAT!
team_catcave

Nine of a kind
After playing the new Mario Kart, one thing we probably don’t give it credit for is there’s actually nothing else out there that’s like it or, may I add, as good as it – even with 20-odd crazy racers behind you, wanting banana revenge.

It does play a lot like its predecessor or that’s exactly how I’m playing it now. I’ve figured out that holding jump down makes you do a big hop, with some detriment to your speed; which I’ve used to some success and to some huge losses also. I can see there’s lots going on that I’m not accustomed to and I’ll work it out.

Is it fantastic? I don’t know. It’s not the finished game; anyone that’s played it already knows that. Open world we are all pointing your way: point, point, pointing at you!

The courses are really long. I can’t make a cup of coffee anymore and run back to the kettle to pour in-between games. Save me some Kenco money in what I’ll spend on new Nintendo releases, I guess.

What I will say is it’s made me smile a lot for one reason or another tonight. Little bits of Nintendo magic here and there, but not a constant smile as it all feels too familiar. It’s not the opening I got from the last Switch curtain opener in 2017, but having all my games transported across is a massive plus. They need to be given some credit for that.

Do I feel like I’ve been fleeced? £500 lighter with what I’ve bought. Do I feel like Nintendo has lost their way? Do I feel like it’s another Wii U? Do I feel like I’m getting ripped off on £80 games? Do I feel like Mario is the most Japanese Italian man I’ve never met? It’s all a no, except for Mario. Why isn’t he eating sushi and spaghetti in the games yet together?

All in all. Tiring but great day.

Dead bones, Ryan O’D I’m calling you out. I want to see a Reader’s Feature on the new Mario Kart with screenshots and your verdict. You did a good job on Zelda. I never forget.

One last thing; yes, there’s a skill to Mario Kart. I know that Ryan O’D knows it and he knows, that I know it. We met here and played against each other a long time ago and it was 51/49 his way because I’m not in an argumentative mood. He knows I’m the daddy really!

Enjoy your new consoles that jumped in.
Nick The Greek

GC: None of the Switch 2 games are £80?

Sequels find a way
One game I’m so looking forward to, now it’s been confirmed, is Jurassic World Evolution3. It’s one of them games I love so much; just sit down, relax with a Coke in one hand and a controller in the other hand and become John Hammond every night.

Can’t wait for that game. I’ve loved the last two games and this one has babies.
David

Endless Souls
Just seen the Summer Games Fest 2025 and boy I thought it was a belter or at least a 7 or 8 out of 10. But how many Souls type games were there?! I felt there was one every 10 minutes or something. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of them looked pretty good but we don’t want saturation unless the quality is maintained throughout.

Mortal Shell and ILL looked graphically awesome but graphics were what nearly every game shown had in their arsenal, and then some. The Cube, Code Vein 2, Stranger Than Heaven, and End Of Abyss were artistically very good, even though CGI was used a lot for some.

Killer Inn had an interesting premise, as well as Out Of Words. Again, the presentation of the show was near spot on, with Geoff Keighley doing a fine job of presenting, along with co-hosts and special guests.

Talking of special guests, what about Hideo Kojima talking about Death Stranding 2 near the show’s beginning, which was pretty cool and interesting to say the least. Much anticipation as to what bizarre and deep storytelling is to be expected in the game and, quite frankly, it will probably be up there with David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return’s storytelling of the bizarre.

Resident Evil Requiem looks like a possible new style or take on the genre but with a more reserved style, like if Fox Mulder and Dana Scully took on an X-Files case involving mysterious outbreaks of missing people.

But seriously, it’d be wrong to think that it’s looking like a quiet future for gaming with these belters that have just been revealed. Congratulations to Geoff Keighley and his show and here’s to the rest of 2025.
Alucard

Inbox also-rans
Wow, that Summer Game Fest was completely boring. I greatly regret staying up for it. Resident Evil Requiem was good but other than that I don’t think there was a single thing I cared about.
Goulash

Liked what I saw of the new Resident Evil. Only negative is the name. Requiem is such a cliched, boring subtitle that’s been used in a billion low rent sequels already.
Cubby

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