To put the Nintendo Switch 2 in pole position, Mario Kart World has the daunting requirement to not just be the best in the series to date, but the best karter ever. The franchise lacks any serious competition when it comes to the kart racing genre, barring some indie attempts and minor AAA shots over the years, and as such the only real measuring stick to progress or changes and expansion is its own self. But it's been a long time since a proper new Mario Kart has been released – with Mario Kart 8 initially releasing in 2014 on the Wii U – which makes it all the more difficult to answer what, exactly, makes a good Mario Kart? What makes a good kart racing game in general?
These are the questions I've struggled with while playing Mario Kart World. After an hour or so of existential dread and self-reflective navel-gazing, my conclusion is that a good kart racing game (and by extension, a good Mario Kart game) feels good in that races are hectic and slick with responsive controls. A good kart racing game is also never actually unfair, despite sometimes feeling like it is out to get you, with mechanics designed to keep you in the thick of things even if you've fallen behind.
