Mario Kart is a series of go-kart racing games based on the Mario franchise, created and published by Nintendo. Players race in go-karts and use special items to help them win. The games include characters from the Mario series, who race on tracks inspired by places from the Mario universe. Some versions of the games also include characters from other popular series, such as Pac-Man, Taiko no Tatsujin, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Splatoon.

The Mario Kart series began in 1992 with Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was very successful with both critics and players. The series includes seventeen games total: eight for home consoles, three for handheld-only consoles, five arcade games made with Namco, and one for mobile phones. More than 189 million copies of the series have been sold worldwide.

Mario Kart 8, released on the Wii U in 2014 and later moved to the Nintendo Switch in 2017, is one of the best-selling video games, with 76.66 million copies sold across both versions. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a mixed reality game, was released on the Switch in October 2020. The latest version, Mario Kart World, was released as a launch game for the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025.

Gameplay

In the Mario Kart series, players race in go-kart competitions, controlling one of many Mario characters. Up to 24 characters can race in each game, though the number may change depending on the specific game. During races, players can use driving techniques like rocket starts, slipstreaming, drifting, and mini-turbos.

Power-up items are collected by hitting item boxes placed on the track. These items differ between games but often include Mushrooms for speed, Red/Green Shells to throw at opponents, Banana Peels, and hazards like Fake Item Boxes. The game gives items based on a player’s position in the race using a system called rubber banding. For example, players far behind may receive powerful items like Bullet Bills, which make them invincible and move them forward quickly, while leaders may get weaker items like Shells or Bananas. This system helps other players catch up to the leader. In the first game, Super Mario Kart, players choose from eight Mario characters, each with unique abilities. In single-player mode, players race against computer-controlled characters in 4 multi-race cups with 20 tracks (5 per cup) across three difficulty levels (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc). Players can also race against the clock in Time Trial mode. In multiplayer mode, two players can race together in cups or compete one-on-one in Match Race mode. A third mode, Battle Mode, lets players defeat opponents by using power-ups to destroy balloons around their karts.

Each new game adds new features, such as new tracks, items, modes, and characters.

• Mario Kart 64 introduced 3D graphics, 4-player racing, mini-turbos for easier drift boosts, slipstreaming, and item dangling (holding items like bananas and shells to block attacks and keep a backup item). It removed coins and added items like the Fake Item Box, Golden Mushroom, and Spiny Shell. It also introduced Extra Mode (later called Mirror Mode), where tracks are flipped sideways. In Battle Mode with three or more players, defeated players become "Mini Bomb Karts" that can pop other players’ balloons.
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit returned to the Mode 7 style from Super Mario Kart. Multiplayer used a GBA Link Cable, and playing with one Game Pak limited features like course count and allowed only Yoshis as playable characters. It added a Free Run mode for single-player races and kept Battle Mode with Mini Bomb Karts replaced by Bob-ombs that respawn after exploding.
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returned to 3D graphics. It added double-occupied karts, a Co-op mode where one player drives and the other uses items, and LAN play for up to 16 players. It introduced a revamped Spiny Shell that creates explosions and character-specific items. New battle modes included "Shine Thief," where players race to collect a Shine Sprite, and "Bob-omb Blast," where players throw Bob-ombs to collect points. In Balloon Battle, defeated players no longer become Bob-ombs.
• Mario Kart DS used dual screens and introduced custom emblems, online play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, a mission mode, and returning courses. It added new characters like Dry Bones, R.O.B., and Shy Guy. It also introduced "Shine Runners," a battle mode where players collect Shine Sprites before time runs out.
• Mario Kart Wii added motion controls and the Wii Wheel. It introduced mid-air tricks, bikes as a new vehicle type, and increased the number of racers from 8 to 12. New items included the Mega Mushroom, Thundercloud, and POW Block. A new battle mode, "Coin Runners," had players collect coins before time ran out. Balloon Battle now focused on popping balloons for points, with players respawning after losing all balloons.
• Mario Kart 7 used stereoscopic 3D graphics and returned to dual-screen play. It added gliders, submersible karts, a first-person view, and full kart customization. Coins were reintroduced for speed boosts and to unlock parts.
• Mario Kart 8 added the 200cc engine class, anti-gravity racing, ATVs as a third vehicle type, HD graphics, and Mii costumes via amiibo. It introduced "Mario Kart TV," a mode for saving and sharing race replays. Battle Mode only included Balloon Battle on race courses.
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe improved Battle Mode with "Renegade Roundup." It added two item slots, a third mini-turbo tier, and returned items like Boo and Feather. It added characters like King Boo, Dry Bones, and Inklings from Splatoon. A DLC expansion doubled the number of tracks and added customization options.
• Mario Kart Tour was the first mobile game in the series. It used a points system, introduced Frenzy Mode, and later removed gacha mechanics. It added new items like Ice Flower and Coin Box, and new tracks later added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
• Mario Kart World allows 24-player races with off-road driving and an open-world format. A new mode, "Knockout Tour," eliminates players at checkpoints. Most new characters appeared as hazards in earlier games. It includes P-Switch missions from Mario Kart DS and does not support 200cc racing at launch.

History

Released in 1992, the development of Super Mario Kart was led by Shigeru Miyamoto, the Japanese game designer who created Mario and developed many popular Nintendo games, such as Super Mario Bros. The idea for the game came from the fact that the fast-paced racing game F-Zero did not include multiplayer features. However, technical limits of the hardware caused the tracks in Super Mario Kart to be smaller than those in F-Zero. This was because the system’s resources were used for multiplayer racing, leading to a design that focused more on turns than on maintaining high speeds.

Games

• Mario Kart 64 Slot Machine (1996, developed by Maygay)
• Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005, developed by Namco)
• Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (2007, developed by Namco Bandai Games)
• Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (2013, developed by Namco Bandai Games)
• Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (2017, developed by Bandai Namco Studios)

• Mario Kart Tour (2019)

• VB Mario Kart was planned for the Virtual Boy in 1995. It was mentioned in a 2000 issue of German gaming magazine The Big N. The game was canceled early in development before its official announcement because the Virtual Boy did not sell well.

• Mario Kart XXL is an unreleased Game Boy Advance technology demonstration created by Denaris Entertainment Software for Nintendo in 2004. It was first made as a demo not related to Mario, called R3D-Demo, and later changed to focus on Mario Kart. In 2022, a copy of the demo appeared online.

• Mario Motors was a planned spin-off of the Mario Kart series for the Nintendo DS. It was first shared at the Reboot Development Conference in 2018. The game would have been developed by Yoot Saito. The idea was for players to create their own karts.

Legacy

The Mario Kart series is highly praised. Nintendo Power called it one of the greatest multiplayer experiences, noting the variety of game modes and fun gameplay. The first game in the series, Super Mario Kart, was well-received and became a big hit. It sold one million copies and was given a Player's Choice release. Worldwide, it sold 8.76 million copies, making it the fourth best-selling game for the SNES. In Japan, it was the top-selling game in September 1992 and sold 3.82 million copies by 1992. In Europe, it was the top-selling game in the first quarter of 1993, outperforming games like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Streets of Rage 2. In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling Super NES game in February 1993 and ranked seventh in total sales for 1993, with over 250,000 copies sold. Darran Jones of NowGamer said the game’s success came from the Super Mario characters and its new type of racing gameplay.

The second game in the series, Mario Kart 64, received "generally favorable" reviews from Metacritic. It sold 9.87 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling game for the N64. It was the top-selling game in the United States during the first three months of 1997, reaching over one million sales in two months. By 1999, it had sold 6.23 million copies in the United States and 2.06 million in Japan, becoming the highest and third-highest selling N64 game in those regions.

Super Circuit received praise when it was released but is now ranked low on lists of the best Mario Kart games. Nintendo World Report said it had the fewest innovations. Critics blamed the GBA’s hardware limitations and the lack of Link Cables, which made multiplayer less enjoyable. Kotaku called it "lost" because it could not match the quality of earlier games. However, critics still consider it one of the best GBA games.

The fourth game in the series, Mario Kart: Double Dash, received "generally favorable" reviews from Metacritic. Nintendo Power gave it a perfect score, praising its graphics and controls. However, some critics felt it did not improve much from Mario Kart 64. GameSpot said the game’s scope was limited, and IGN called it a "mediocre effort." GameRevolution criticized its single-player mode and track design.

Guinness World Records listed six records for the Mario Kart series, including "First Console Kart Racing Game" and "Best Selling Racing Game." Super Mario Kart was ranked number 1 in the top 50 console games of all time by Guinness World Records. It was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Mario Kart series has sold 206 million copies in total, making it the most successful racing game franchise. Super Mario Kart is the fourth best-selling SNES game with 8.76 million copies sold. Mario Kart 64 is the second best-selling N64 game with 9.87 million copies. Mario Kart: Double Dash is the second best-selling GameCube game with 6.96 million copies. Mario Kart Wii is the second best-selling Wii game with 37.38 million copies. Mario Kart 8 is the best-selling Wii U game with 8.46 million copies. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the enhanced version for the Nintendo Switch, sold 459,000 units in the United States in one day and has sold 70.59 million copies worldwide. Combined with the Wii U version, it has sold 79.05 million copies, making it the best-selling game in the series and the highest-selling Nintendo game, excluding Wii Sports. Mario Kart World, released on the Nintendo Switch 2, sold 14.03 million copies worldwide as of December 31, 2025.

Handheld games in the series were also successful. Mario Kart: Super Circuit is the fourth best-selling Game Boy Advance game with 5.9 million copies. Mario Kart DS is the third best-selling Nintendo DS game and the best-selling portable Mario Kart game with 23.6 million copies. Mario Kart 7 is the best-selling Nintendo 3DS game as of March 2023 with 18.98 million copies.

The Mario Kart series has inspired many types of merchandise. These include slot car racer sets, radio-controlled karts, figurines, and sound drops. A landline telephone features Mario in his kart. K'Nex released Mario Kart sets for the Wii, 3DS, and Switch. Line created a sticker set based on Mario Kart 8. Club Nintendo offered a soundtrack, a stopwatch, and trophies. McDonald's included Mario Kart 8 toys in Happy Meals. Monopoly Gamer released a Mario Kart-themed board game. Hot Wheels made Mario Kart car and track sets. Cold Stone Creamery created Mario-themed desserts for the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary.

In September 2016, Nintendo objected to the Japanese company MariCar for renting modified go-karts.