Rhombus Rota

I pretty much pre-ordered a Nintendo Switch 2 for one reason: Mario Kart World. After putting around 450 hours into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I was ready for a change and to see what the Switch Pro, I mean, Switch 2, could offer to the franchise. 

One of the first things I wanted to find out about in World was how good its Rainbow Road is. A staple of Mario Kart games going back to the SNES, these tracks flex the muscles of the new system for playing the game, pushing the graphics and performance further and further. Rainbow Roads are also known to be punishing at times, with few walls or offroad to protect you. Play these in 200cc at your peril (though no worries about that in World).

I wanted to dive into Rainbow Road in Mario Kart World and see if it lives up to the legacy set by its predecessors. Before we dive in, a few disclaimers:

• My experience with Rainbows Roads largely stems from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• I’m not going to go into how to unlock Rainbow Road here as there are a million articles and videos already showcasing that 
• Spoilers ahead for the track

With that in mind – smart steering off and wish me luck!

Breakdown

Right off the bat – unlocking this edition of Rainbow Road felt magical from the start. The animation and sound design as the cup shoots across the world (startling COW) and shooting into the sky is perfect. This felt like a massive event and a worthy reward for beating all the Grand Prix.

On the track, this edition of Rainbow Road, I believe, is the longest in series history at 4 minutes long. It’s a beefy experience, but never outstays its welcome as it throws new visuals, music and gameplay our way. The four sections play quite differently too, and each pay homage in some way to Rainbow Roads that came before. 

It’s unfair to lump all these sections into one as they have their own personalities and gameplay styles. So let’s break them down one at a time!

Section 1

This is a more classic layout, with the typical colourful tiles in the twisty road, perhaps most reminiscent of Wii Rainbow Road. Mario Kart World enjoys being straight-line-simulator for a good portion of its play time, but this isn’t an issue here. While the turns aren’t amazingly tight or complex, it’s engaging enough when combined with the chaos in races. It also just looks beautiful. The colours are vibrant on the Switch 2’s screen, and look even better on an HDR TV. The shimmering effects of the individual squares of the road are a subtle touch but make the track look much more dynamic.

Section 2

We then zip off to a section I’ll dub the ‘space river’, which is certainly something we’ve not seen before. I can’t say this is the most fun to drive, as it uses World’s (interesting) water physics, which feels rather clumsy and unpredictable. Granted, I have to commend a fresh take on the classic formula and adds a more mystical feel to Rainbow Road. The music really reflected that, feeling like a backing track to a bedtime story or a fairytale. It helps the track feel like a journey as much as a race course, exploring its mysteries. The section then moves on to the traditional coloured tiles, this time in a bluish hue. This plays much better, with a neat path switch adding some variety. This section also has the train like Mario Kart 64’s swinging round the track with an array of fan-favourite characters in tow. It looks wonderful, it’s immersive, and the perfect reference to Mario Kart’s history. 

Section 3

Next up, we’re driving to a space station, which feels inspired by Mario Kart 8’s iteration of the track. This time, it’s bathed in that dark red colour scheme which feels fresh and just looks gorgeous once again. It’s one of the shorter segments of the track and alas there isn’t really much to say here, but feels very unique. For the mysticism of the previous section, this feels more mechanised, with some robotic Thwomps obstructing your path, machinery whirling up above you, and the corners in general are more angular. The music has a hard change from the melody that came before, with a grittier, I’d call it cyberpunk tone to it. All in all, I appreciate the contrast of this section to the others, and a nice nod to Mario Kart 8.

Section 4

This section is the big finale and it doesn’t disappoint. You fly through rings similar to those on 3DS Rainbow Road and, immediately upon landing, you can see the tangled spaghetti of track ahead, at different angles, upside down, inside out. More path switches help vary the racing, with lengthy boost panels and sharp turns for easy mini-turbo charging. The orange hue for a lot of the track feels fresh for this track too, and stands out super well against the space around you and the world below. The train also reappears and just continues the magic of this track up until the end. The music as well feels like you’re taking a lap of honor on the last lap of the last track in the game. A celebration of the game and the franchise, and it’s fitting we conclude the track flying through space to cross the finish line.

Up there with the best

All in all, Mario Kart World’s Rainbow Road is stunning and showstopping. The presentation is the best the track has ever looked in the series, and it’s hard to focus on the racing and not just take it all in. Speaking of racing, Rainbow Road being a section track is a stroke of genius, feeling like an adventure through space. It also allowed for much more variety in the gameplay, with four distinct sections, giving you something different to do. Sure, section 2’s space river and 3’s occasional straight lines aren’t exactly gamechanging, but the change of pace is welcome. 

The grind to unlock Rainbow Road may have felt rough, but the end result is worth it. The track is grand and zany, and it felt like an event to be playing it. I think every Rainbow Road is great in their own way, but this one encapsulates some of the best of them all, and feels like a celebration of the track and franchise as a whole.

Chris