Don't be fooled: Mario Kart World is the most technical entry yet

This latest release blends the chaos of 24-player races with an open world full of tricky skill-based shortcuts to reinvent the wheel.

A split-second push of the screenshot button captured this blue shell moment.

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You haven't lived until you've been hit by a blue shell just before you're about to cross the finish line.

For those not in the know—or whose last Mario Kart was the 64 version—it's a spiky shell that hones in on the player in first place and detonates. An equaliser.

If that's a frustration you are yet to experience, well, you're in luck with Mario Kart World.

In the few weeks I've been racing in the game, it's happened to me at least a dozen times. See, the graphics aren't the only thing that's gotten an update in this hotly anticipated title. Mario and his mates have gone to school on how to race, and you'll notice that they are no pushovers. They leverage items like pros, use every shortcut they can muster, and are downright merciless. Smiling assassins on the track.

Each race feels like a fancy dress party in cars.

Even on 50cc—the easiest difficulty—it's incredibly easy to go from first to last. In this instance, that's 24th place.

Why? Likely to balance the game. Surprisingly, this is also one of the most technical Mario Kart games we've ever seen. Courses are riddled with shortcuts that require you to be adept at timing your boosts, drifting, and mastering two new mechanics: rail and wall riding. Stealing Tony Hawk's thunder, all racers can now grind rails and wall ride, provided you hit the surface at the right speed and angle.