Knockout Tour

 The new Mario Kart game is here, Mario Kart World, and there is plenty to talk about. I want to for now focus on the part of the game that I have been spending the most amount of time on, I have done some racing, and I really enjoy relaxing with the free roam mode,but when I boot up the game there is one mode I can not stop playing. Knockout tour, a battle royale mode where 24 players race through the different tracks trying to get in a certain place or higher, get lower then what is required and that is the end of the race for you. Passing through each check point and eliminating more and more racers until only 4 are left and the exhilarating sprint for first pace is closer then ever before.

Using items, drifting, shortcuts, and collecting coins to keep your chosen vehicles acceleration up, all while making sure you are in a good position to not get eliminated means there's plenty to keep in mind, adding to the enjoyable yet frantic nature of this mode. 

 I can not stop playing this mode, it interested me from the second I saw it being shown off and as mentioned even though I enjoyed racing and the other modes offered, this hooked me from the moment I played it for the first time. This mode is the most fun and yet most stressful time I have had on a Nintendo console since Tetris 99 which I sometimes play every once in a while but also was absolutely hooked on when it first launched. 

This mode is so fast paced and frantic but so much fun. The highest placed I've ranked in was 2nd and whether I get eliminated in the very beginning or in the second to final stretch each race doesn't overstay its welcome. The rounds go back very quickly and it's easy to do a couple of rounds or a couple dozen. Since each round doesn't last long even if you take home the gold it encourages the player to keep trying which I keep on doing. 

This mode has me trying over and over, yelling for joy in one moment and screaming with anger in the next. The moment you cross the finish line as the last one who can qualify and get to keep racing, that split second of just making it fuels me with so much adrenaline that lasts until the round is over. The moment of getting a good start only for the items at play whether it be a blue shell or lightning, and watching all you passed now pass you by. I can't even get mad because I have done the exact same thing. Using items at the exact right time to pull ahead or ensure you can keep on racing adds another layer of crazy fun, especially with 24 racers all headed for the exact same goal as you. 

I have played plenty of battle royale games and have enjoyed a good number of them. Tetris 99 is incredible, fast paced, frustrating fun which I have not gotten a 1st place in to this day. I have played tons of Fall Guys and Fortnite with friends and enjoy them more with friends even taking home some victories both solo or with friends in those games. I even played Pac-Man 99, and Super Mario 35 before they were discontinued, so I do enjoy this genre if I find a title that clicks with me and this mode is definitely one I can see myself playing a ton. Whether with friends or just online this mode is an absolute blast and I would even love to see it get some DLC when the rest of the game gets new courses and even characters as I am sure it will. 

Thus mode is a great stand out among the races, free roam, and battle modes, giving it its own unique identity while still feeling like Mario Kart. Not feeling like battle mode with a different coat of paint or just racing again, standing out while having the other modes still be equally fun adds a ton of content within the game for all sorts of different moods in terms of gameplay. 

This game looks great, the music is incredible and deserves a blog post in and of itself at some point, and after a few rounds of knockout tour I love to just free roam either to unlock stuff in game or just drive around for fun. I love the all the different karts and bikes, the cast us huge, there is alot to enjoy. This mode highlights that with plenty of different tracks, and fits in with the other modes of play, and it fits well for a whole session of gaming or as a break between the other modes.

I am sure I will race plenty with friends and online, and do some free roaming while listening to the games stellar soundtrack. But I also will keep playing knockout tour, picking the mode for a couple minutes or a couple hours, it is an absolute blast. This is a mode that I hope gets expanded, because it is just that fun.