Mario Kart World Guide
Image: Nintendo Life

It's finally time — Nintendo Switch 2, so that means you'll need some fuel to keep the engines running. That's why we're here with Nintendo Life's ultimate Mario Kart World Guide.

In this guide, we'll be covering all of the tips and tricks you need to get yourself over the finishing line, including the Best Karts, all Unlockable Racers, How to Drive on Walls, where to find all of those P Switch Missions and Peach Medallions, and all Control Options.

Note: This hub — and all of our Mario Kart World guides — are a work in progress and we'll be updating them frequently over the coming days weeks with all of the open-world karting goodness you need

Mario Kart World Guides

We've broken up all of our guides on Mario Kart World into sections, each covering different aspects of this open-road racer. Stay tuned, as we'll be adding to this as we discover more and more about this massive game.

Control schemes

Mario Kart World Guide
Image: Nintendo

Just like with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart World has a number of different control schemes, and we have some quick guides on what's on offer, how to change, and how to switch Smart Steering on and off.

  • All Control Options Explained
    There are multiple ways of controlling Mario Kart World on Switch 2, so we've covered all of them here, including using Switch 1 Joy-Con
  • Smart Steering
    One for the littluns in your life, Smart Steering is here again, and we'll be telling you how to turn it on (or off, for the real racers in the house)

Characters, Courses, and Items

Mario Kart World Guide
Image: Nintendo

There's a bumper number of characters to race as in Mario Kart World, so we've got a list of all of them, along with all the courses you can race through in both Grand Prix and Knockout Tour. We've also got every Item you can get in the game — think of this section as your Mario Kart staples selection.

  • All Tracks
    If you want to know what all the courses are ahead of time, we've got every single one listed here for you, including how they "roll out" in both Grand Prix and Knockout Tour modes
  • All Items
    There's a lot of new(ish) items available in Mario Kart World — not including food options. Here,m we've listed every single new and returning one.
  • Full Character Roster
    We've got a complete list of what is easily the biggest character roster yet for a Mario Kart game, including all alternate costumes and how to unlock them. Seatbelts on.

Collectibles & Unlockables

Mario Kart World Guide
Image: Nintendo

It wouldn't be a Mario Kart without some collectibles or unlockables, would it? With Free Roam mode, we'll be looking at P Switch locations, Peach Medallions, and ? s. Plus, if you want to don a sombrero of hakama on the course, then we'll tell you how to unlock all Costumes, too.

  • All Costumes
    Are you desperate to dress up like a vampire or sling ice cream while doing tricks? We have a list of every costume coming your way!
  • All Karts
    There are tons of unlockable vehicles — from karts, buggies and bikes — to earn with those coins you pick up, so we'll be documenting all of them, and telling you which ones are the best.
  • All P Switch Locations (coming soon!)
    Missions make a return in Mario Kart World, and you'll need to find P Switches to initiate them. We'll be marking the locations of all of them in this guide.
  • All Peach Medallion Locations (coming soon!)
    Rose gold-coloured coins are hidden across Mario Kart World's environments, so we've got the lowdown — and screenshots — on where to find them all.
  • All ? Locations (coming soon!)
    Yet another thing tucked away in the open world, what do Question s (or ? s) do? We've got you covered.

Tips & Tricks

You'll need to employ your usual Mario Kart repertoire here, but there are a number of new features in World such as Wall Driving, Rail Grinding, and Charge Jumping. We've got guides on all of these features:

  • How To Avoid Blue Shells (coming soon!)
    Ah, everyone's favourite. You can still avoid being hit by a dreaded Spiny Shell in Mario Kart, and here's how to do it.
  • How To Boost At The Start of a Race
    If you're a little rusty behind the karting wheel, we're here to remind you how to get that all-important boost at the starting line in Mario Kart World.
  • How To Drive On Walls (coming soon!)
    Vital for the P Mission challenges and impressing friends, Wall Riding is brand new in Mario Kart World, and we've got some tips on how to execute this flawlessly.
  • How To Drift And Charge Jump (coming soon!)
    There's a new layer to drifting and speed boosting mid-race; we've been experimenting and we've got the best tips to ensure you can keep up the speed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mario Kart World Guide
Image: Nintendo

As this is the first new Mario Kart in over a decade, we're sure you have a bunch of questions about what on earth is going on in Mario Kart World. These are the most popular that we've been asked — or have asked ourselves.

  • How To Play Free Roam
    Mario Kart World's defining feature is its open map where all courses are interconnected, and you can also explore it all in your own time. Here's what you can do.
  • Will Mario Kart World Be On Switch 1?
    With GameShare and backwards compatibility in the conversation, can you actually play Mario Kart World on your old Switch? Or will you need to buy the new console to try it out?

Where to buy Mario Kart World for Switch 2

With Mario Kart World out in the... world, now, you can check out the game for yourself and explore this whole new world of racing. How many times can we say world in one paragraph?

For some early impressions, we've spent a fair amount of time with Mario Kart World, so make sure you read our review in progress. That should give you a good idea of what you're getting into!