MegaWatOfficial

Mario Kart has had quite the journey over the years. Starting out as the multiplayer answer to the single player "F-Zero", but with Mario characters in 1992, all the way to boasting a huge and overwhelming (in a good way) 96 tracks in "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" with the booster course pack, the series has maintained its formula of being hectic, strategic, creative, and incredibly fun from beginning to now. Sure, the likes of "Super Mario Kart" and "Mario Kart: Super Circuit" have definitely aged pretty poorly nowadays, but they still count, and every single other Mario Kart game offers that addictive and creative gameplay that remains timeless. There's good reason you still hear people raving over older games like "Mario Kart 64", "Mario Kart: Double Dash!!", "Mario Kart DS", and "Mario Kart Wii" to this very day. The series, especially on 3D home consoles (and post GBA portable consoles) has cemented itself as a Nintendo staple, and it's been nothing but greatness since the start.

In fact, the last pivotal game before this one (MK8) was such a huge leap forward, that Nintendo basically milked it out for 11 whole years; mainly due to it deserving a better life outside of the doomed Wii U. That may sound bad on paper, but it actually worked perfectly, as MK8D, when you include the booster course pack, is the most content heavy Mario Kart ever made; and if you mix that with the already fixed Battle Mode that made MK8D already the definitive version, and what you have is basically the perfect Mario Kart. It did everything you'd want a Mario Kart to do, and it was bordering on impossible to really think of how they could top it.

Well, in many ways, they somehow did. "Mario Kart World" is an incredible leap forward for the series, as it takes everything we knew about how we play Mario Kart, and adds so much to it, that it's going to define a new generation of players. Sounds hyperbolic, sure, but the skill ceiling is MUCH higher, and MUCH more satisfying, as instead of driving and drifting, it's that, plus grind railing and wall driving, with a new mechanic where you drift while going forward to jump on high rails and the walls. It's actually insane how versatile the gameplay is now.

But it's even more than the gameplay that was revolutionized. Nintendo actually listened to those who wanted a "Crash Team Racing" or "Diddy Kong Racing" style connected world mode, as this game has that, and it is wonderful. It has so many things to find like Question Block Panels in each of the tracks, Peach Medallions, and...MISSION SWITCHES. "Mario Kart DS" lovers rejoice! Mission Mode is BACK! I've seen some people complain about how "empty" and "barren" it seems, but the game rewards you every twist and turn with things to find, as well as the new food items that may or may not unlock a new costume for your character. So, I say to those people, PLEASE just push through. I promise you're gonna like it more with time. It's amazing. Sure, there's no narrative or story like there was in CTR or DKR, but the world is huge, engaging, and very intelligently designed. This is the most liberating and immersive a Mario Kart has ever felt, as each track feels impactful in a way.

Speaking of this connected world, that's how each mode treats the races. Grand Prix, for example, will start as your typical 3 lap race, but in each race after that, you now have 2 intermission laps before 1 lap around the actual race track. What that means is that you drive from where you were the last race, and physically drive to the next races location. This is an insanely creative and exciting premise that gives the game a sense of realism and weight. And while the intermission laps may seem a bit meh due to them mostly being linear, they still work amazingly to give that sense of immersion and real world weight, so the lack of a traditional 3 lap race back to back doesn't hurt as much. Though, I do hope Nintendo adds an option for that soon, since, even though I absolutely love it, I've seen people upset at this being the only option.

Speaking of Grand Prix, the modes in this game are all awesome. Aside from the aforementioned great Grand Prix and Free Roam, this game's VS. Mode, Battle Mode, Time Trial, and the all new Knockout Tour are all wonderful. VS. Mode also uses the interconnected track idea, and will work between any 2 tracks, meaning no 2 races will ever feel the same, and it's incredible. Battle Mode, while a bit limited compared to what was in MK8D, is super fun and fine tuned (let's hope Nintendo adds to it, but even if they don't, it's still loads better than the original battle mode in MK8 on Wii U). Time Trial is the same challenging mode that lets you beat the record of each track, and it's awesome. And the new Knockout Tour? HO BOY. This mode is incredible. Basically a souped up Grand Prix with Battle Royale rules. It's unbelievably chaotic and heart pumping. This mode is another huge addition that fits perfectly in Mario Kart, and one that should be a mainstay from this point forward.

Speaking of which, the track design and selection? Fantastic. To mitigate any spoilers in case of anyone who hasn't played the game yet, I won't say what tracks are here, but they're all fun and use the new gameplay mechanics to really bring the absolute best out of each of the tracks. The new tracks do this wonderfully, and the retro tracks are built from the ground up with this new play style in mind. Nintendo really seemed to cover all of their bases here, and it shows. Sure, going from 96 tracks in MK8D (with the booster course pack) to 30 tracks (32 if you count the variants of Peach Stadium and Crown City) here seems like a big drop off, but because of how the game uses the aforementioned intermission laps in between, there's a lot of diversity and ambiguity here that wasn't even in MK8D. Plus, just think of the possibilities with DLC down the line for this game. This games support will only get better from here, and it's already pretty damn good.

All of this, and I'm just now about to cover the presentation. The visuals? Clean, colorful, detailed, and stylized. They're not QUITE as focused on realism like MK8 or MK8D were, but they make up for it tenfold with how well everything comes together with detail and variety; plus they still look about as realistic, and now with this huge world that's connected? It's amazing. The music? SOME OF THE BEST IN A NINTENDO GAME. Amazing remixes of many Mario Kart staples, as well as music from "Super Mario Bros", "Super Mario Bros 2 (USA)", "Super Mario Bros 3", "Super Mario World", "Yoshi's Island", "Yoshi's Story", "Donkey Kong Country", "Super Mario Land", "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins", "Wario Land", "WarioWare", "Super Mario 64", "Super Mario Sunshine", "Super Mario Galaxy", "Super Mario 3D Land", "Super Mario 3D World", "Super Mario Odyssey", and maybe some more I forgot about. Yeah. Literally ALL of those games are represented here in amazing recomposed glory. For a Mario Kart of all games. Nintendo really did that for us. Also, please put this soundtrack on the Nintendo Music App, Nintendo. The world needs it.

Mix all of that with a huge and diverse roster of Mario staples AND some NPCs like Goombas, Cheep Cheeps, Piranha Plants, Spikes, among many others, what you have here is THE single biggest step the Mario Kart series has seen yet. It's such a huge and bold leap forward, that, as mentioned earlier, some people may not fully get it right away, and that's okay. The series has been a certain way for 33 years, so to have this be as different and crazy as it is makes it unsurprising that it rubs a few people the wrong way. But, if you are someone who wants to experience true open world bliss and a more rewarding skill set, this game is 100% worth the $80 (which is a lot, but, seeing how inflation has gotten, it's roughly the same as $60 was in 2017, so we may have to just get used to the $80 price tag, sadly). However, if you don't have a Switch 2 yet and want that and this game, get the bundle, as that gets you this game for basically $50, which, for what it is, is an absolute steal.

Overall, this game is incredible. It may not quite be for everyone just yet, but mark my words. In 5 or so years when this game inevitably gets updates and additions left and right, this will be the Mario Kart to end all Mario Karts. For now, MK8D has more content, but this game has much more depth, and as time goes on, this game will likely have even more to it. This is the biggest leap forward the series has ever seen, and I'm incredibly excited for what it means for the series going forward. It is my new favorite Mario Kart game, as it takes the already iconic series, and takes it to a whole new world.

What, at face value, seemed like just a freebie tech demo that came with every PS5, "Astro's Playroom" was WAY more than that, in that it was a surprisingly fully fleshed out and well balanced 3D platformer with fun levels, fun mechanics, and memorability from start to finish that, even 4 years after its release, is still one of the consoles most essentials. Sure, some could argue that some of the mechanics in that game drag on a smidge, and that the overall length of it is pretty small at about 5-7 hours to 100% completion, but it did everything it set out to do very well AND the game is free to everyone. While the adorable Astro Bot would first be seen in the beginning of the PS4 era with very basic hardware demos, "Astro's Playroom" really set the stage for the cute caped robot to hit the mainstream running, as it was the first substantial entry in the series to not be locked behind added hardware (like "Astro Bot: Rescue Mission" released 2 years prior, which I haven't played since I don't have a first gen PSVR or the funds to do so; my PS5 was expensive enough. 😞)

Nearly 4 years later, and we have this: simply called "Astro Bot", and when I say this is one of the greatest games of its kind that I've ever played, I'm not kidding. It took everything that worked with "Astro's Playroom" and not only expanded upon them tenfold, but also added so much creativity and heart from start to finish that makes the whole thing feel almost magical. Each level is thoughtfully designed and fun, and the way the game works with you finding other bots to rescue them, as well as looking for puzzle pieces and occasionally a secret world is all brilliant and well executed; thanks in large part to the aforementioned ample creativity. Same can be said for the extra levels. Whether it be tough, but fair obstacle courses or defeating enemies in a retro world or with a crumbling floor, they're all enjoyable to beat.

Speaking of ample creativity, the abilities in this game are all wonderful and, unlike in "Astro's Playroom", never outstay their welcome. In fact, there are times where I was surprised with absolute delight at some of them, and really enjoyed how they were utilized. To avoid spoilers for anyone who hasn't played this game yet, I won't say what the abilities are, but they're all so delightful and creative, with a few being pretty big standouts. That also translates to the boss battles, as they creatively rely on a specific ability and are all memorable and fun to take down; with the final boss of the game relying on multiple abilities.

This leads me to the fan service. "Astro's Playroom" already did a fantastic job including this with their collectible artifacts, with the artifacts being every PlayStation console and their accessories. There was also a few robots sprinkled in that reference some classic PlayStation IPs, and it was great to see. This game takes the latter and cranks it to near infinity, as not only do pretty much every major PlayStation IP ever get represented in some way from the robots you save throughout the game, but the game actively celebrates some of them as well with full blown after-boss levels themed after an entire IP; each with IP specific style gameplay that balances that and the regular Astro Bot gameplay perfectly. It's so great and actively showcases how great each IP is to fans and newcomers alike. I'm excited to see which IPs will be showcased next in the after-boss levels in the inevitable "Astro Bot 2" down the line.

Also, this games presentation is incredible. Consistently colorful, wonderfully detailed, visually diverse yet focused, and just a total treat across the board. The music is also incredible. Well themed, anthemic, funky, hooky, compositionally diverse, and memorable from start to finish, no matter which world you're in. And, just like in "Astro's Playroom", the attention to detail to every little thing is incredible and makes the game feel truly alive. I also love how the game uses space as its main theme, as you can travel to different nebulas via your controller shaped ship while going to different worlds within each nebula; or to the crash site that acts as the main hub world, but is so big and has so much to do, it feels like so much more than "just a hub world"; also has one of the best musical themes in the game.

Honestly, everything about this game is great. Even seemingly mundane things like repairing ship parts for your PS5 spaceship after getting them is immersive and engaging thanks to the games expert use of the PS5 DualSense controller. Some levels even have cute cutouts for Astro Bot to poke his head through, and it's always a treat to see. Everything about this game just works, and as a 3D platformer fan, this game really excites me about the future of gaming, as it is a perfect reminder that 3D platformers can not only still work in the 21st century, but can work VERY well. If you have a PS5, you need this game. It's as pure fun of a video game as one can get and one that celebrates PlayStation, as well as sets it up for a continuously wonderful future, as this games quality is nothing short of astronomical.

Sony has always had a pretty interesting involvement with video games. Who was once going to be partners with Nintendo, after that deal fell apart, became the company after Sega to give Nintendo a taste of their own medicine with their own PlayStation. On paper, you'd expect it to, at best, do only kind of well and not get close to what Nintendo put out.

However, as we all know, the exact opposite happened in that, while the N64 didn't do bad at all, it failed to capture more than 33% of what the first PlayStation (now known as the PS1) sold. It was a stunner to see, and would continue to lead to one of, if not the most consistently successful video game console lineages of all time with each home console iteration selling very well; all with its own unique and amazing variety of games and features that still remain timeless. And to think this all blossomed from a failed deal with Nintendo is still wild.

That all leads to now (or as of me writing this in December 2024), where the PS5 is the latest iteration with about 65 million units sold so far in the 4 years since it's release, so it has definitely continued the good selling console trend; already doubling the aforementioned N64 in sales numbers. You could be reading all of this and think "okay, but what does all of this have to do with this game?". And to answer that, we'll start getting into the game itself now.

"Astro's Playroom" is a celebration of the history of all things PlayStation, where each generation of PS is wonderfully represented and showcased in a way that's really engaging and charming from start to finish. That, and the way it showcases the abilities of the PS5 DualSense controller is genius and creative. That latter sentence may make it seem like this is just a tech demo, but surprisingly, that is only a small sliver of what this game has.

"Astro's Playroom" is a full blown collectathon platformer that takes place in an entire PS5 where each world is based in each major component of the console: GPU, SSD, RAM, and cooling fan, and every single level within each world is so creative and wonderfully designed; each with pretty fun boss battles in the end as well. Each of the worlds also having collectible artifacts (real life consoles and their accessories) to find, and as a PS fan, it was almost magical.

Another thing that could be described as such is the presentation. This game looks, sounds, and feels absolutely incredible. Everything is colorful, detailed, wonderfully themed, and memorable with an almost overwhelmingly good attention to detail; as you will come across things that will happen based on what you do in otherwise mundane situations, and that transfers to the entire game in a fun way. The game almost feels alive. The music, also, is phenomenal. It's bouncy, hooky, wonderfully executed, and memorable thanks to its wonderful and diverse composition that will never fail to stick in your head. Honestly, I could go on and on about how great this game looks and sounds, because there's really not much to complain about, if at all.

As mentioned previously: the game showcases the awesomeness of the PS5 DualSense controller and its adaptive triggers, crazy accurate rumble motors, accurate motion sensors, and the touchpad. Each time one of those is utilized, it's not only creative, but also a nice reminder of how well the PS5 controller works with each section. I guess the only flaw I can think of in this whole game is that sometimes, a few of these sections can sometimes overstay their welcome at times and drag on a bit, but it's never to the point where the game is really ruined by any means. Honestly, in my pursuit of being objective, it was tough to muster up any real big complaints since this game does most things near perfectly. But that is one thing I noticed about the game that I may have done differently, though again, with them still being well executed and the majority of them being great, I can't complain too much.

I guess one could point out the short length of this game (in that it takes around 5-7 hours at most to fully complete it 100%) is also a flaw, but honestly, with how dense and great each world and idea were executed, it still felt like a grand experience; plus, PlayStation Labo and the mural being completed helped with it feeling more than all worth it. And plus, this game is FREE. You read that right. If you have a PS5 and if you haven't played this adorable, wonderfully executed, and just fun game yet, then it's right there on your PS5 to play, and it's absolutely wonderful. Team ASOBI really pulled out all of the stops to make one hell of a first impression on the PS5. Even 4 years later, it's still one of the consoles most essential. If you have a PS5 and you haven't played this yet, do yourself a favor and change that. For what it is, it's way better than it has any right to be, as it's a great time from start to finish.