Everything You Can Do In Free Roam In Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World looks like an absolute beast of a game. Not only is there a detailed and complex system for tricks, but strategies for each map are blown wide open with the jump-centric feather item, and, of course, free roam will allow for runs that also incorporate a degree of map study. It looks like one of the most intense Mario Kart offerings to date.

A big draw for new and veteran players alike is free roam mode. Here, you can take your favorite character and kart and explore the entire world to your heart’s content. Whether that involves aimless wandering or objective chasing, there’s something for everyone in this highly anticipated game type.

In Free Roam, You Can Drive From Course To Course

There Is A Lot To Uncover In This New Open World

Bringing open world exploration-based gameplay to Mario Kart isn’t at the top of everyone’s wishlist, but it’s definitely near the top of mine. Not only is the classic course/cup-based gameplay still there, but as a fan of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, I’m thrilled that there’s a chance to free roam each course without stress, and discover each locale’s ins and outs. You’ll be able to do just that in free roam, a fully-fledged mode separate from all the others.

The game’s featured Nintendo Direct showcased several ways that you can do this, whether it’s themed rides with Pokey in the desert, driving through the sea, or jumping off of a cliff as the ill-fated penguin racer. Given the sheer variety of biomes and courses, it looks like the world map is going to be quite large, and serves as an interconnected, gigantic course to end all courses. Beyond the in-game activities provided by Nintendo, it’ll be a blast to kart around and discover new quirks out in the free roam world.

P-Switches Provide Coin-Gathering Missions

The Classic Mario Mechanic Returns In Kart Form

Previewed in the Nintendo Direct, the free roam map will have actual activities and objectives to clear. The most notable of all of these is the search for P-Switches, which Nintendo says will involve “hundreds” of challenges. Nintendo went to great lengths to showcase a blast-from-the-past retro blue coin collection challenge, which requires players to collect eight blue coins within a specific time limit.

Invoking the idea of cramming “hundreds” of challenges into Mario Kart World seems daunting, but based on what we’ve seen so far, they won’t take all day to complete. The timer in one key challenge starts at 25 seconds, hinting at the bite-sized nature of these free roam activities. Shorter challenges encourage exploration without getting bogged down in a single area for too long.

Another shorter clip teased potential time trial-esque challenges, without the use of blue coins: instead, it features a finish line to reach. In any case, P-Switches seem to be the way to actually start these challenges deliberately, and are reminiscent of the free roaming iterations of the Burnout franchise. Just hearing that comparison out loud gets me excited, especially if Mario Kart World can nail the traditional racing experience on top of free roam.

Locate Hidden Coins And Panels

This Aspect Is Going To Stump People For Sure

Whether you like the idea of collectibles or not, Mario Kart World seems to have a lot of them. One such object is a set of hidden coins, which players need to drive over to collect. Given the sheer number of tracks in the game, and all the nooks and crannies that come with those, it’ll likely take a long time to uncover all of the game’s secrets. The example hidden coin in the Direct was more obvious (visible under an open-air tent). We can expect more devilish hiding spots from the folks who brought us myriad collect-a-thons in the past.

It wouldn’t be a Mario Kart game without question mark blocks of some kind, and in addition to item blocks, we also have hidden panels to discover in free roam. The first one we’re able to discern is right near the finish line for the Whistlestop Summit, reminding folks that, yes, this open world is an interconnected system of race tracks. When driving over a hidden panel, the in-game player is greeted with an on-screen pop-up (“You activated a ? Panel!”) and a trail of coins appears nearby.

Take Pictures In a Fully-Fledged Photo Mode

Every Game Could Use a Photo Mode

Photo modes are a contentious subject in gaming, especially if they’re not included at launch. While many folks skip the completely optional mode elsewhere, Nintendo seems to be gearing up for a fully featured photo mode at launch. They showcased just how detailed this mode will be, pausing the game while a Baby Peach driver is enjoying free roam. Nintendo reminds us that this option is available to use “whenever you like” in the mode, which is a huge plus.

Here are the options that seem to be included in Mario Kart World‘s photo mode at this juncture:

• Zoom
• Tilt
• Post
• Expression
• Face Camera
• Focus
• Frame

Related

Mario Kart World Has Already Fulfilled One Of My Biggest Hopes For The Series

Mario Kart World’s new Free Roam mode lets me live out my childhood dream of exploring the world around the courses, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Beyond taking a picture, Nintendo also showcases photos with a bit of flair, complete with a Polaroid theme or full-screen images. Given how long the lifecycle of Mario Kart games has tended to be in recent years, it’s possible that Nintendo will eventually expand the photo mode with more options.

Thankfully, photo mode is seemingly not relegated to free roam, as Nintendo confirmed that it is available in online play. This is on top of the already-confirmed GameChat feature, and the returning screenshot button from the original Switch. Adding photo mode to as many modes as possible is a smart move in an increasingly social era of gaming.

Mario Kart World

Released

June 2, 2025

ESRB

Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer

Prequel(s)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Number of Players

1-24

Nintendo Switch Release Date

June 5, 2025

Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date

June 5, 2025