One of the most popular video game series of all-time, Mario Kart, has offered friendly multiplayer competition for well over a decade. Read this Mario Kart retrospective, a chronological history of Mario Kart games, to learn a little about each one.
Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) console
The first of the series, released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo, took now-famous Mario characters out of their comfortable 2-D platforming elements, and placed them inside go-Karts to race around Mario-themed tracks.
Just like in Mario's adventure titles, players collect coins, discover shortcuts, and hop over dangerous chasms. Super Mario Kart remains, to this day, an excellent example of how to create a successful spinoff series. The game isn't just a bunch of familiar faces thrown together into a completely unrelated game. Super Mario Kart feels like a real Mario game.
Even though Super Mario Kart only allows up to two-players, it became instantly popular for the addictive multiplayer. Two players could race against each other and other AI-controlled characters at the same time, or battle each other one-on-one in the Battle Mode.
Mario Kart 64 on the Nintendo 64 (N64) console
Mario Kart 64 released in 1997 with two major improvements over its predecessor: four-player gameplay and 3D graphics. Racing amongst three other friends instead of just one added much more fun, and the Battle Mode's quick-paced rounds created an addictive party-play experience. The 3D graphics created obstacles to avoid, such as cars on a highway and a rushing train on a desert track.
The Nintendo 64 sequel also added new items, and a new technique that gave players a boost in speed the longer they kept their drifts going, which gives Mario Kart 64 a feeling of speed unmatched even by later sequels.
The graphical style, unfortunately, looked cheesy even for its day, and aged terribly. Regardless, Mario Kart 64 holds its own as one of the most beloved of the series for its blend of wacky fun and serious competition.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the Gameboy Advance (GBA) handheld
The first handheld in the series, Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the GBA released in 2001, often gets overlooked by fans who eagerly awaited a "true" sequel to the series. Since the handheld couldn't match the N64 in processing power, it bore more resemblance to Super Mario Kart with 2D graphics and the reintroduction of coin-collecting.
Despite being overlooked, Mario Kart: Super Circuit featured an impressive number of well-designed, original tracks, along with including the entire package of tracks from the original Super Mario Kart. In addition, Super Circuit improved upon Super Mario Kart with 4-player multiplayer, but the GBA's cumbersome link cables heldback its multiplayer potential.
Super Circuit stands the test of time as one of the most polished and enjoyable, and the inclusion of the Super Mario Kart tracks gives the game even greater value.
Mario Kart: Double Dash on the Gamecube (GCN) console
More than any other game in the history of the series, Mario Kart: Double Dash polarized the fanbase upon its 2003 release on Nintendo's Gamecube console.
Mario Kart: Double Dash featured two characters (each playable) per kart instead of just one. One player would race, while the other could attack with weapons, assist with drifting, and steal other racers' items with a sideways dash attack.
Many found nothing but boredom in the new gameplay element, and the slower pace by comparison to other titles only enhanced the dullness for some.
Despite its flaws, Double Dash added numerous new karts and characters, and the combination of both created a large amount of gameplay variations, especially since each character could use a unique super power weapon, such as Donkey Kong's giant banana peals and Wario's bomb-ombs.
While beloved by some, most fans of the series consider Mario Kart: Double Dash to be the series' low-point.
Mario Kart DS on the Nintendo DS (NDS) handheld
After witnessing the love/hate relationship with Double Dash, Mario Kart DS saught to win fans over once more with its 2005 release on Nintendo's new DS handheld.
Mario Kart DS fixed many of the problems gamers had with Double Dash, but kept some of the game's nice additions, such as multiple selectable karts for each character.
The biggest addition to Mario Kart DS, however, came in the form of multiplayer. Up to 8 players could play locally with only one game cartridge through wireless LAN. While downloading to each DS took a fair chunk of time, and players without cartridges all raced with the same character, the option added great value to the game. Mario Kart DS also featured online play--the first in the series.
The only downside to Mario Kart DS was an unintentional exploit called "snaking," which allowed skillful players to gain endless boosts from drifting--even on straightaways.
Despite this quirky flaw, Mario Kart DS revitalized the series and established itself as one of the Nintendo DS's must-have titles.
Mario Kart Wii on the Nintendo Wii (WII) console
Similar to Double Dash, when Mario Kart Wii released in 2008 on the Nintendo Wii, the game divided the fanbase.
Mario Kart Wii uses the Wii's unique motion controllers to allow players the option to steer by tilting the controller. To make motion control easier, Nintendo bundled a "Steering Wheel" plastic case to hold a wii remote. While the "Wii Wheel" does help slightly, ultimately, gamers will either love or hate the motion controls, which is the main reason why Mario Kart Wii divided the fans.
Aside from motion controls, Mario Kart Wii added motorcycles and a gimmicky trick system for more speed boosts, and enhanced the online offerings for more options and an easier system to navigate and play.
The gameplay as a whole, however, feels slightly dumbed down from Mario Kart DS, possibly due to the addition of motion-based controls. Overall, though, it's a welcome addition to the series.
Mario Kart History Conclusion
While the series has achieved high and low points, the overall quality of the Mario Kart series has yet to deminish, even after 15+ years and spanning across four Nintendo consoles and two handhelds.
Bradley Kairis - Bradley Kairis loves games, comedy, technology, politics, news and journalism. From the endlessly intricate strategies of Magic the ...
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