Mario Kart World has been out for a few months now, and after having played it extensively at launch, I find myself having to think long and hard about whether to go back to it or pick up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe whenever I fancy a quick spin.

After giving it some thought, I think the main thing Mario Kart World really offers over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for me is the soundtrack. Mario Kart World truly has some great remixes of older songs that evoke nostalgia while putting a new spin on the track. Driving along and hearing the Dire Dire Docks remix was a delight for me.

But it feels like Nintendo was banking on the addition of 24 racers, the open world, and the Knockout Tour mode to push the game above Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and none of those really struck the right chord with me.

The open world feels rather lifeless, with large portions of emptiness serving little purpose. The Knockout Tour mode can be a bit tedious if you get eliminated early, especially when playing with friends, as you may have to sit and watch for 10 minutes while they play the race, plus it’s largely straight-line tracks, and the 24 racers are only needed in World because they made the tracks so big and wide.

Meanwhile, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers far more tracks, and more interesting ones at that, a better selection of characters, even if we do lose out on Cow, and what feels like a more focused experience, where every item feels useful (except the coin), and all the tracks at least have the potential for some frantic action.

I think at this point, Mario Kart World would really benefit from some DLC, perhaps an additional, smaller island added to the world map that you can visit, that has a more condensed environment for players to explore, adding another 8-16 race points for more variety.

I know, DLC is a dirty word, but the Mario Kart 8 DLC was well-priced, and I wouldn’t say no to Mario Kart World going down the same route to at least get it beyond Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in terms of the content available. I just hope they don’t wait years to release it, in true Nintendo fashion!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is also looking a little dated compared to World, especially in the textures department. If you take time to stop and look at the road, it can be a bit shocking, but who’s looking at the floor in Mario Kart anyway?

What do you think? What is your favourite Mario Kart game? Let us know in the comments!