Mario Kart


is a series of kart racing games based on the Mario franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters from the Mario series racing along tracks based on Mario universe-locations. Some releases have also included characters from other popular franchises like Pac-Man, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Splatoon.
The series was launched in 1992 with Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, to critical and commercial success. 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.
Mario Kart 8, released on the Wii U in 2014 and ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2017, is one of the best-selling video games, at 76.66 million sold for both versions. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a mixed reality game, was released on the Switch in October 2020. The newest installment, Mario Kart World, was released as a launch game on the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025.

Gameplay

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. 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 over three difficulty levels. 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, slipstreaming, and item dangling, 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 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.
  • 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.
  • 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. It also introduced new alternate battle modes: "Shine Thief", where players fight over obtaining a Shine Sprite from Super Mario Sunshine 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.
  • 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. It also introduced a new battle mode in "Shine Runners" where players try to collect enough Shine Sprites before a timer runs out to avoid being eliminated.
  • 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. It introduced three new items: the Mega Mushroom, the Thundercloud, and the POW Block. It also introduced a new battle mode titled "Coin 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.
  • 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.
  • Mario Kart 8 introduced the 200cc engine class, 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 '', 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.
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe added a revamped battle mode, which included the new "Renegade Roundup". Overall gameplay additions include the reintroduction of having two item slots, a third tier of mini-turbo, and added the returning Boo and Feather items. It also added 6 characters that were absent from the original game, including 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. From 2022 to the end of 2023, the "Booster Course Pass" DLC expansion pack doubled the amount of courses in the game. It also added new characters, the ability to customize items in VS mode, and a music player.
  • Mario Kart Tour was the first Mario Kart title on mobile devices, and introduced a points-based system for certain racing actions. 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.
  • Mario Kart World features 24-player races and off-roading mechanics, as well as an open-world driving format. 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.

    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 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. 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 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. 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.
  • 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 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.
  • 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 and BR respectively, which is a number between 0 and 99,999. Players gain or lose points based on performance in a race or battle. The game attempts to match players with a similar rating.
  • Knockout Tour – Introduced in Mario Kart World, Knockout Tour presents players the challenge of finishing a race above a specific placement. If players are unable to meet said placement, they are "knocked out", or have failed the tournament.