The series was launched in 1992 with Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), to critical and commercial success.[1] The Mario Kart series totals seventeen games, with eight on home consoles, three on handheld-only consoles, five arcade games co-developed with Namco, and one for mobile phones. Over 189 million copies of the series have been sold worldwide.
In the Mario Kart series, players compete in go-kart races, controlling one of a selection of Mario characters. Up to 24 characters can compete in each race (varying per game). Players can perform driving techniques during the race such as rocket starts, slipstreaming, drifting and mini-turbos.
Gameplay is enhanced by power-up items obtained by driving into item boxes laid out on the course. These power-ups vary across games in the series, but generally include Mushrooms to give players a speed boost, Red/Green Shells to be thrown at opponents, Banana Peels and hazards such as Fake Item Boxes. The game selects an item based on the player's current position in the race, utilising a mechanism known as rubber banding. For example, players lagging far behind may receive more powerful items such as Bullet Bills, which give the player invincibility while auto-piloting them forward at great speed, while the leader of a race may only receive small defensive items, such as Shells or Bananas. This gameplay mechanism allows other racers a realistic chance to catch up to the leading racer. In the original game, Super Mario Kart, the player takes control one of the eight Mario series characters, each with differing capabilities. In single player mode, players can race against computer-controlled characters in 4 multi-race cups consisting of 20 tracks (5 in each cup) over three difficulty levels (50cc, 100cc and 150cc). Alternatively, players can race against the clock in a Time Trial mode. In multiplayer mode, two players can simultaneously take part in the cups or can race against each other one-on-one in Match Race mode. In a third multiplayer mode – Battle Mode – the aim is to defeat the other players by attacking them with power-ups, destroying balloons which surround each kart.
Each new game has introduced new gameplay elements, such as new circuits, items, modes, and playable characters.
Mario Kart 64 introduced 3D graphics, 4-player racing, mini turbos to more easily execute drift boosts,[2] slipstreaming,[3] and item dangling (the ability to hold bananas and shells to defend against projectiles and hold a reserve item as well), alongside the removal of coins. It introduced several items, including the Fake Item Box, the Golden Mushroom, and the Spiny Shell. In addition to the three Grand Prix engine classes, Extra Mode (known in later games as Mirror Mode) was introduced, in which all tracks are flipped laterally. When playing Battle Mode with three or more players, when a player is defeated they turn into a "Mini Bomb Kart", where they can try and pop another player's balloons.[citation needed]
Mario Kart: Super Circuit returns to the Mode 7 gameplay style found in Super Mario Kart. Multiplayer in Super Circuit is done via GBA Link Cable. The game allows multiplayer with only one Game Pak, although if played this way the game includes various restrictions, such as a limited course count and players only being allowed to play as Yoshis. Super Circuit introduces a new mode called Free Run, which allows the player to play any course with CPU. Battle mode appears as it did in 64, with Mini Bomb Karts being replaced by Bob-ombs that respawn once exploded.[citation needed]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returns to the 3D format that originated in Mario Kart 64. New feature to the game include double-occupied karts, a 2-player Co-op mode where one player drives while the other uses items, and also LAN play, which allows up to 16 people to play. It introduced a revamped Spiny Shell that leaves an area of effect explosion, and character exclusive items (known in the game as Special Items). It also introduced new alternate battle modes: "Shine Thief", where players fight over obtaining a Shine Sprite from Super Mario Sunshine (2002) before a timer runs out, and "Bob-omb Blast" where players throw Bob-ombs to collect or steal points from each other. In Balloon battle, players no longer turn into Bob-ombs when defeated.[citation needed]
Mario Kart DS featured dual-screen play to take advantage of the system's capabilities. It introduced custom emblems, as well as Online play via the now defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, a mission mode, and returning courses as a main feature. It also returned to the single item and racer format. New playable characters included Dry Bones, R.O.B., and Shy Guy (who was exclusive to DS Download Play). It also introduced a new battle mode in "Shine Runners" (not to be confused with the aforementioned "Shine Thief") where players try to collect enough Shine Sprites before a timer runs out to avoid being eliminated.[citation needed]
Mario Kart Wii introduced motion controls as a headlining new feature alongside the Wii Wheel accessory. It also introduced the ability to perform mid-air tricks, and bikes as a second vehicle type. The amount of racers that could be in a race was raised from 8 to 12.[4] It introduced three new items: the Mega Mushroom, the Thundercloud, and the POW Block. It also introduced a new battle mode titled "Coin Runners" (not to be confused with "Shine Runners"), where players try to collect as many coins as they can before time runs up. The rules of Balloon Battle are now changed, with the focus now being on getting points by popping other player's balloons before a time limit expires, with players now respawning once they run out of balloons.[citation needed]
Mario Kart 7 featured stereoscopic 3D graphics and the return of dual screen functionality. It introduced gliders and submersible karts, a first-person perspective, and full kart customization. It also re-introduced Coins in regular races for a small speed boost, though they are also now used to unlock kart parts.[citation needed]
Mario Kart 8 introduced the 200cc engine class[b], anti-gravity racing, a third vehicle type in ATVs, downloadable content, HD graphics, and Mii costumes unlocked via amiibo. Also introduced is Mario Kart TV (abbreviated as MKTV), a mode that gives players the ability to save up to six video replays of races. These replays can be customized based on length and various aspects of focus. MKTV was able to upload replays on to YouTube via the now defunct social media platform Miiverse. Battle mode only features balloon battle, with it taking place on a handful of race courses.[citation needed]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe added a revamped battle mode, which included the new "Renegade Roundup", the return of double item boxes, ultra mini-turbo, and added 6 characters that were absent from the original game.[5][6] These characters include King Boo, Dry Bones, Gold Mario, Bowser Jr, and the male and female Inklings from Splatoon, in addition to giving the female Villager her own character slot.[7] From 2022 to the end of 2023, the "Booster Course Pass" DLC expansion pack doubled the amount of courses and added new characters,[8] item customization to VS mode, and a music player.[citation needed]
Mario Kart Tour was the first Mario Kart title on mobile devices, and introduced a points-based system for certain racing actions.[9] It introduced Frenzy Mode, gacha, and loot box mechanics that were later removed in 2022. It reintroduced character-specific items and new items such as Ice Flower, Coin Box, and Dash Ring. Multiple new tracks were introduced in this game and later added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe via the DLC Booster Course Pass.[citation needed]
Mario Kart World features 24-player races[10] and off-roading mechanics, as well as an open-world driving format.[11] A new mode is introduced, called "Knockout Tour", where 24 players will race between 6 different checkpoints located on the open world, with the last 4 players being eliminated each time a checkpoint is passed. Most of the new characters in World have previously appeared as course hazards. Missions from DS return in the form of P-Switches found around the open world. As of its launch, World does not include a 200cc speed option. It is expected to be added in a future update.[12][13]
Modes
Each game has a variety of modes. The following five modes recur most often in the series:
Grand Prix – Players compete in various "cups" of four courses each (five in Super Mario Kart) with difficulty levels based on the size of the engine, larger engines meaning faster speeds. Before Mario Kart 8 there were four difficulties: 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and Mirror Mode, where all tracks were flipped horizontally. In Mario Kart 8, a fifth difficulty level: 200cc, was added.[b][14] Players earn points according to their finishing position in each race and the placement order gets carried over to the next race as the new starting grid. At the end of the cup, the top three players with the most points overall will receive a trophy in bronze, silver, and gold. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit and every game from Mario Kart DS onward, players are also ranked based on how well they raced (three to one stars, A, B, C, D, and E). Three stars is the best rank, while E is the worst.
Time Trials – The player races alone in order to finish any course in the fastest time possible.[15] The best time is then saved as a ghost, which the player can race against in later trials. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! introduced Staff Ghosts, which are ghosts set by members of the Nintendo development team.[16]
Match Race (or VS Race) – Multiple human players race on any course with customized rules such as team racing and item frequency.
Battle – Multiple human players use in-game offensive items (shells, etc.) to battle each other in a closed arena. In the most common battle type, balloon battle, each player starts with three balloons and loses one per hit; the last player with at least one balloon wins. Various battle types have been added to the series, and single-player battles with CPU controlled players.[17][18][19]
Online Multiplayer – Players compete in races and battles through online services, such as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo Network, and Nintendo Switch Online. Players can share Time Trial ghosts, and participate in tournaments. In races and battles, players are matched by VR (VS Rating) and BR (Battle Rating) respectively, which is a number between 0 and 99,999 (9,999 in Mario Kart Wii). Players gain or lose points based on performance in a race or battle. The game attempts to match players with a similar rating.[citation needed]
Knockout Tour - Introduced in Mario Kart World, Knockout Tour presents players the challenge of finishing a race in a placement above a specific placement. If players are unable to meet said placement, they are "knocked out", or have failed the tournament.[19]
The debut game in the Mario Kart series was Super Mario Kart released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992. Its development was overseen by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the Japanese designer of many successful Nintendo games including Super Mario Bros. Darran Jones of NowGamer suggests that the success of Super Mario Kart resulted from the Super Mario characters, and being a new type of racing game.[20]
VB Mario Kart was scheduled for the Virtual Boy in 1995. It was revealed in a 2000 issue of German gaming magazine The Big N, but was canceled early in development prior to its official announcement due to the Virtual Boy's commercial failure.[26][27]
Mario Kart XXL is a unreleased Game Boy Advance tech demo developed by Denaris Entertainment Software for Nintendo in 2004. It was originally created as a non-Mario demo known as R3D-Demo before being repurposed.[28] In 2022, A rom of the tech demo resurfaced online.[29][30]
Mario Motors was a planned spin-off of the Mario Kart series for the Nintendo DS. It was revealed for the first time at the Reboot Development Conference 2018.[31] The game was going to be co-developed by Yoot Saito. The concept of the game was to allow players to build their own karts.[32]
Reception
Sales and aggregate review scores As of June 30, 2025.
This section needs expansionwith: Incomplete; does not talk about recent games, with the latest one being Double Dash.. You can help by adding to it. (June 2025)
The Mario Kart series is critically acclaimed. Nintendo Power named it one of the greatest multiplayer experiences, citing the diversity in game modes and the entertainment value.[41] The first game in the series, Super Mario Kart, received critical acclaim and proved to be a commercial success; it received a Player's Choice release after selling one million copies and went on to sell 8.76 million copies worldwide, becoming the fourth best-selling game ever for the SNES.[42][43][44] In Japan, it was the top-selling game in September 1992[45][46][47] and became a multi-million seller in 1992,[48] eventually selling a total of 3.82 million in Japan.[49] In Europe, it was the top-selling game during the first quarter of 1993, above the Sega Mega Drive titles Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Streets of Rage 2 during the same period.[50] In the United Kingdom, Super Mario Kart was the top-selling Super NES game in February 1993,[51] and it went on to be the seventh best-selling game of 1993 with more than 250,000 sales in the country.[52]
The second game in the series, Mario Kart 64, received "generally favorable" reviews according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. The game was commercially successful, selling 9.87million copies worldwide—the second-bestselling game on the N64.[53] It was the highest selling game in the United States over the first three months of 1997, and reached over one million sales within two months of its release in the region.[54] By 1999, Mario Kart 64 had sold 6.23million copies in the United States and 2.06million units in Japan, the highest and third-highest selling N64 game in those regions respectively.[55]
Although Super Circuit received critical acclaim upon launch, retrospectively, Super Circuit ranks low on retrospective critics' lists of the best Mario Kart games,[56][57][58][59] and Nintendo World Report said it was the Mario Kart game with the "fewest innovations".[60] Critics blamed this on the hardware limitations of the GBA; GamesRadar said that the scarcity of the Link Cable made Super Circuit's multiplayer experience less memorable than other Mario Kart games.[56]Kotaku described Super Circuit as "lost", unable to live up to the technically pioneering releases of Super Mario Kart and 64 because of the GBA's hardware.[59] Nonetheless, critics rank Super Circuit among the best GBA games.[61][62][63]
The fourth game in the series, Mario Kart: Double Dash, received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Nintendo Power gave the game a perfect score, and said the graphics were of "3-D perfection" and the controls and game mechanics "rival those of any [GameCube] racing game". Although the initial positive reviews, Double Dash has received criticism from the media. Considering the 7-year gap since Mario Kart 64, Davis from GameSpot stated that he was "a little disappointed with the limited scope [of Double Dash"].[64] Mirabella of IGN was critical towards Double Dash for not progressing beyond its predecessor, calling the game a "mediocre effort".[65] G-Wok of GameRevolution criticized the game's single-player mode for lacking substance and the track design for being "bland".[66]
Guinness World Records listed six records set by the Mario Kart series, including "First Console Kart Racing Game", "Best Selling Racing Game", and "Longest Running Kart Racing Franchise". Guinness World Records ranked Super Mario Kart number 1 of the top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.[67]Super Mario Kart was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2019.[68]
Sales
Like the Super Mario series, the Mario Kart series is a commercial success with 196 million copies sold in total. It is currently the most successful racing game franchise of all time. Super Mario Kart is the fourth-best-selling Super Nintendo Entertainment System game with 8.76 million copies sold.[33]Mario Kart 64 is the second-best-selling game for the Nintendo 64 (behind Super Mario 64), at 9.87 million copies.[33]Mario Kart: Double Dash is the second-best-selling GameCube game (next to Super Smash Bros. Melee) with 6.96 million copies sold.[33]Mario Kart Wii is the second-best-selling in the series and is the second-best-selling Wii game (next to Wii Sports) at 37.38 million copies.[35]Mario Kart 8 is the best-selling Wii U game at 8.46 million total copies sold.[37] It was the fastest-selling Wii U game with 1.2 million copies shipped in North America and Europe combined on its first few days since launch, until Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.[69][70] The enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is the fastest-selling game in the series with 459,000 units sold in the United States in one day of its launch.[71] It is the highest-selling Nintendo Switch game with a total of 68.2 million copies worldwide, outperforming the Wii U version. Both versions have a combined total of 76.66 million copies sold, making it the best-selling game in the series across regular and handheld consoles, and also the best selling Mario game as a whole.[72] Additionally, the game holds the title of being the highest selling Nintendo game, excluding Wii Sports due to being bundled with the Wii.[73] Upon its release on the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World became the fastest-selling game in the series in Japan, as well as the best-selling game on the Switch 2 in Japan, selling 782,566 physical units within the first four days.[74] In the first 25 days, the game sold 5.63 million copies worldwide.
The handheld games were commercial successes too: Mario Kart: Super Circuit is the fourth-best-selling Game Boy Advance game at 5.9 million copies.[33] The second portable game, Mario Kart DS, is the third-best-selling Nintendo DS game and the best-selling portable game in the series with a total of 23.6 million copies.[34]Mario Kart 7 is the best-selling Nintendo 3DS game as of March 2023 at 18.98 million copies.[36]
Legacy
Merchandise
The Mario Kart series has had a range of merchandise. This includes a slot car racer series based on Mario Kart DS: one set of which comes with Mario and Donkey Kong figures, with Wario and Luigi available separately. A line of radio-controlled karts are controlled by Game Boy Advance-shaped controllers, and feature Mario, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi. There are additional, larger karts which are radio-controlled by a GameCube-shape controller. Many racer figurines have been made. Sound Drops were inspired by Mario Kart Wii with eight sounds including the Spiny Shell and the race start countdown. A landline telephone features Mario holding a lightning bolt while seated in his kart. K'Nex released Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart 8 sets. Line released an animated sticker set with 24 stickers based on Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo's customer rewards program, Club Nintendo, released a Mario Kart 8 soundtrack, a Mario Kart Wii-themed stopwatch, and three gold trophies modeled after those in Mario Kart 7. Before Club Nintendo, a Mario Kart 64 soundtrack was offered by mail. In 2014, McDonald's released Mario Kart 8 toys with Happy Meals. In 2018, Monopoly Gamer features a Mario Kart themed board game with courses from Mario Kart 8 serving as properties, ten playable characters as tokens (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Donkey Kong, Shy Guy, Metal Mario, Rosalina, Bowser, and Yoshi) and a special die with power-ups. In 2019, Hot Wheels released Mario Kart sets of cars and tracks. In commemoration of Mario Day celebrations for March 10, 2021, Hot Wheels also released a Mario Kart track set based on Rainbow Road on June 24, 2021.[75] In 2020, for the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary, Cold Stone Creamery released Mario themed desserts including a Rainbow Road themed ice cream cake, from September 30 to December 15.[76]
Rental go-kart dispute
Go-karters dressed as Nintendo characters in Harajuku, Tokyo
In September 2016, Nintendo filed an objection against the Japanese company MariCar, which rents go-karts modified for use on public roads in Tokyo along with costumes resembling Nintendo characters.[77] MariCar's English website warned customers not to throw "banana peels" or "red turtle shells".[78] The service is popular with tourists.[77]
Nintendo argued that the MariCar name was "intended to be mistaken for or confused with" Mario Kart, citing games commonly known by abbreviations in Japan, such as Pokémon (for Pocket Monsters) and Sumabura (Super Smash Bros.). In January 2017, the Japan Patent Office dismissed the objection, ruling that MariCar was not widely recognized as an abbreviation of Mario Kart.[77]
In February 2017, Nintendo sued MariCar over copyright infringement for renting unauthorized costumes of Nintendo characters and using their images to promote its business.[77] In September 2018, MariCar was ordered to stop using the characters and pay Nintendo ¥10 million in damages.[78]
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