From its earliest days on the SNES to its new open world outing on Switch 2, here's every Mario Kart game, ranked worst to best.
<section class="article-page"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mariokartranked-blogroll-1749657075855.jpeg"/><section data-transform="mobile-ad-break"></section><p>If you know anything about gaming, you probably know the name ‘Mario Kart.’ Since 1992, the series has been a pillar of Nintendo’s output and a quintessential example of the company’s “easy to pick up, difficult to master” philosophy. The series has now become so popular that it’s arguably eclipsed the Mario platformers as the principal arena from which people know the red-capped Italian plumber. </p><p>The series began back on the SNES with Super Mario Kart, which introduced a formula that fans fawn over to this day. But while the core of that first game has remained intact over the years, many of the components have been completely reinvented with the series’ latest title, Mario Kart World for the Switch 2. With that new game now out in the wild, it's a great time to look back on each game in the series to see how they iterate on the formula, how they reflect the state of Nintendo at the time of their release, and whether or not they hold up to this day. Here’s every Mario Kart game, ranked.</p><h2>11. Mario Kart: Super Circuit</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-ss-1749656994112.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-ss-1749656994112.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Intelligent Systems | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Game Boy Advance | <strong>Release date: </strong>August 27, 2001 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/29/mario-kart-super-circuit">Mario Kart: Super Circuit review</a></p></aside><p>Despite being one of the handheld’s best-selling games, Super Circuit goes down as one of the least replayable Game Boy Advance titles. Considering the series had gone 3D five years earlier with Mario Kart 64, Super Circuit feels like a significant step backward. The character models and backgrounds have a bit more depth than what’s showcased in the original SNES Mario Kart game, but the courses themselves are tarnished by flat, ugly textures that fall short of the handsome results the GBA proved itself capable of elsewhere. </p><p>What Super Circuit <em>did</em> have going for it at the time was being the first handheld game in the series. Its bare-bones approach to character selection and game modes reflects its jump-in/jump-out philosophy, which trades expansiveness for approachability – something that came in clutch when an hour needed to be killed on a car ride. Super Circuit had its place back in 2001 and was never supposed to be in significant competition with the console versions, but that means there’s no real reason to return to it today. </p><h2>10. Mario Kart Tour</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mkt-1749656798915.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mkt-1749656798915.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EPD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Android, iOS | <strong>Release date: </strong>September 25, 2019 | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/01/mario-kart-tour-review">Mario Kart Tour review</a></p></aside><p>It’s easy to discredit Mario Kart Tour for being a mobile game, but this micro version of the classic formula has genuine merits. Chief amongst them is the visual flare the game boasts, with some simply gorgeous course designs. Being so close to the screen allows you to fully appreciate the details on each unlockable kart, character, and race track, which makes even the slow 50cc races that bit more engaging. </p><p>Additionally, the return of character-specific items is very welcome and something fans had been wanting to see in the console games since the days of the GameCube. What Tour misses out on is the <em>feel</em> of the console Mario Kart games. Sliding your finger across the screen is nowhere near as satisfying as pressing physical buttons, even if Mario Kart is just pressing A, R and L most of the time. </p><h2>9. Super Mario Kart</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/smk-1749656737323.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/smk-1749656737323.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>SNES | <strong>Release date: </strong>September 1, 1992 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/24/super-mario-kart-review">Super Mario Kart review</a></p></aside><p>It's hard not to appreciate what a winning formula 1992’s Super Mario Kart introduced. Over 33 years later, the core of the game remains intact. Grand Prix and Battle Mode aren’t in every subsequent Kart entry for the sake of tradition – they just never stopped being entertaining. The fact that this game not only launched the franchise but also an entire genre of games is nothing to be sniffed at. </p><p>However, most of the praise you can heap on Super Mario Kart is because of its legacy rather than its ability to hold up in the modern age. Looking back, it's difficult to get over the simplistic graphics and lack of mechanical depth, even if you can appreciate how cutting edge it was at the time. Still, it provided a platform for one of the biggest brands in gaming, and who knows what Nintendo would look like today without it. </p><h2>8. Mario Kart 64</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-64-1749656660240.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-64-1749656660240.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo 64 | <strong>Release date: </strong>February 10, 1997 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/02/21/mario-kart-64">Mario Kart 64 review</a></p></aside><p>The second game in the Mario Kart franchise feels instantly more dynamic than its predecessor. The 3D graphics allow for more interesting course design, shifting camera angles, and an enhanced sense of speed, especially thanks to the boost you can get from drifting. The extra detail in the character animation also goes a long way to immersing you in these races, which feel more like grand and intense sporting events than simple video game laps. </p><p>In the modern day, Mario Kart 64 suffers from issues similar to what Super Circuit and Super Mario Kart do; this same thing has simply been done better by subsequent games, and there aren’t enough unique qualities about this one to routinely go back to it (which is perhaps the key issue with a series that remains so faithful to its core – the new one with its minor improvements is so frequently the best). Still, MK 64’s transition to 3D and its capacity for 4-player co-op means it’s cemented in the hearts of many fans, and often nostalgia is worth more than technical progress. </p><h2>7. Mario Kart 7</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-7-1749656576710.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-7-1749656576710.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo 3DS | <strong>Release date: </strong>December 4, 2011 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/11/29/mario-kart-7-review">Mario Kart 7 review</a></p></aside><p>Coming in at number seven is — you guessed it — Mario Kart 7. While it may not hold up as a standout today, it did introduce elements that are now difficult to imagine the series without. Hang gliders feel so core to the flow of MK8, as does the ability to drive underwater and customise your kart, but those features all arrived on the 3DS first with Mario Kart 7. The underwater sequences, in particular, are a visual treat that really hammer home the generational gap between the DS and 3DS. Meanwhile, kart customisation adds a level of strategy to a series that revels in chaos, perhaps in response to the outrageous unpredictability of Mario Kart Wii. </p><p>However, going back to the game in a post-MK8 Deluxe world makes all these elements less impressive. When a handheld game with better graphics, many of the same gameplay mechanics, and 64 more courses is readily available, the reasons to play Mario Kart 7 in 2025 are few. It’s a vital part of any 3DS library, though, even if it does lose points for not having Waluigi in the game. What was Nintendo thinking?? </p><h2>6. Mario Kart Wii</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-wii-1749654095343.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-wii-1749654095343.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo Wii | <strong>Release date: </strong>April 27, 2008 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/20/mario-kart-wii-review">Mario Kart Wii review</a></p></aside><p>Mario Kart Wii cemented this franchise as a household name. The Wii, of course, vastly expanded the gaming population and Mario Kart had one of the lowest barriers to entry, coming with the Wii Wheel to further accommodate the new motion-controlled gameplay. Though not the preferred way of driving in subsequent entries for a lot of players, there’s a reason why tilt controls are still an option in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and MK World – so many players had their first Nintendo karting experience this way. </p><p>Mario Kart Wii has always stood out for being more loose and chaotic than other games in the series, gaining a reputation for rampant blue shells taking out players seconds away from finishing first. But MK Wii has other unique flavours; it includes the series’ first truly robust online play system, improving on MK DS’s slim first iteration, and adds bikes to the list of vehicles. The latter has less concrete impact than the former but does add to the iconic status of the game. It’s impossible to imagine Princess Peach using anything else now.</p><h2>5. Mario Kart 8</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-8-1749653502474.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-8-1749653502474.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo Wii U | <strong>Release date: </strong>May 30, 2014 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/15/mario-kart-8-review">Mario Kart 8 review</a></p></aside><p>Nintendo’s philosophy during the Wii U era was wrought with overwhelming tones of vanilla, and the company’s most successful franchise was a victim of it. Mario Kart transitioned to HD well, with MK8’s graphics being absolutely gorgeous, and the series’ core gameplay held intact, making for a game that you could never call bad. </p><p>But the original version of Mario Kart 8 is, dare we say it, dull. It is too safe. The best Mario Karts put a unique spin on the formula, but MK8’s introduction of anti-gravity is barely noticeable. Instead, the big hitters are the hang gliding and underwater sections, which means it all feels a bit too much like Mario Kart 7, but in HD. </p><p>Additionally, Battle Mode is stripped down to almost nothing, which robs gamers of a beloved way to play. All this meant that MK8 didn’t really have its own identity until the improved Deluxe version hit the Switch three years later in 2017. But that Deluxe package would be nothing without a truly solid foundation, and that's what you get in Mario Kart 8. </p><h2>4. Mario Kart DS</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-ds-1749653925888.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-ds-1749653925888.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo DS | <strong>Release date: </strong>November 14, 2005 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/12/mario-kart-ds">Mario Kart DS review</a></p></aside><p>The Mario Kart formula has existed for 33 years, so any game that alters it in any significant way is going to stand out. Mario Kart DS may offer the classic Kart gameplay in Grand Prix Mode, but it experiments wildly in the unique and brilliant Mission Mode. These objective-based activities range from simple time trials to genuine boss battles, and each asks you to master a whole new set of skills beyond just flying through courses and understanding shortcuts. As a result, Mario Kart DS is more enduring than many of its peers as a purely single-player experience. </p><p>Mission Mode is just one of the things that helped Mario Kart DS achieve its iconic status, though. Its integration with DS Download Play introduced a social element unseen on a handheld prior, allowing multiple DS consoles to join a race using just one copy of the game. And in addition to introducing original courses like Waluigi Pinball and Peach Gardens, MK DS is the first in the series to feature retro tracks, an idea now at the core of what people look forward to with any new Mario Kart. It was a triumph back in 2005 and Mission Mode makes it a unique and highly replayable entry in the series to this day. </p><h2>3. Mario Kart World</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-world-1749653484789.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-world-1749653484789.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EPD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo Switch 2 | <strong>Release date: </strong>June 5, 2025 | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/mario-kart-world-review">Mario Kart World review</a></p></aside><p>Despite being the newest entry on this list—like, it’s a week old—Mario Kart World successfully covers a lot of new terrain for a franchise that’s over thirty years old. First off, it is undeniably the best-looking game in the series and an immediate contender for the most graphically impressive game Nintendo has ever developed. Playing on handheld and taking in every detail of MK World’s vast, interconnected courses is a dream. It’s a magical experience when you’re driving along and can spot the outline of a familiar track out in the distance. </p><p>But it's what World introduces mechanically that sees it rise so high on our list. The ability to drive on walls and grind on rails feel like what MK8’s anti-gravity should have been: new skills that take a lot of practice to be fully mastered. It’s something that you cannot say for new mechanics introduced in almost any previous entry. These skills add great texture to the new modes, such as Free Roam and Knockout Tour, which are great additions that will hopefully remain important cornerstones of future games. The last-one-standing Knockout Tour ramps up the chaos that we’ve always loved from Mario Kart games, while Free Roam’s open world adds a completely new exploration flavour to the series. There’s also some of MK DS’ Mission Mode to be found in the snackable (and often fiendishly difficult) P-Switch challenges. Throw in all the familiar modes we know and love, as well as an instant classic of a soundtrack, and you have one of the ultimate Mario Kart experiences. </p><h2>2. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-dd-1749653717352.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-dd-1749653717352.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo Switch 2 | <strong>Release date: </strong>November 17, 2003 (NA) | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/11/mario-kart-double-dash-2">Mario Kart: Double Dash!! review</a></p></aside><p>Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is packed full of personality in a way the majority of the games in the series are not. Having not one, but two exclamation marks in the title makes that clear. The principle feature of having two racers per kart is a stroke of genius, and it's sort of unbelievable that it’s not been a mode in every Mario Kart since. The double driver system, and the unique items each driver is assigned, allows for so many new styles of play and strategy that prove far more interesting than customising the vehicle you’re using – for example, Mario’s special items provide a speed boost that helps balance out the heavier characters who have more destructive items unique to them. The imagery of it all is also so goofy and fun… maybe a little <em>too </em>much fun for Nintendo to have fully committed to it in the games since. </p><p>Even with different characters, Mario Kart gameplay can eventually feel a little too similar after several hours of play, and so having Bowser’s giant shells rampage across the tracks definitely helps with that. Mario Kart needs more risk takers and rule benders like Double Dash!! – let's hope the formula-breaking Mario Kart World is a sign of things to come. </p><h2>1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe</h2><a href="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-8-deluxe-1749653466241.jpg"><img src="https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2025/06/11/mk-8-deluxe-1749653466241.jpg" class="article-image-full-size" title="undefined"/></a><aside><p><strong>Developer: </strong>Nintendo EAD/EPD | <strong>Publisher:</strong> Nintendo | <strong>Platform: </strong>Nintendo Switch | <strong>Release date: </strong>April 28, 2017 | <strong>Review:</strong> Read IGN's <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/20/mario-kart-8-deluxe-review">Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review</a></p></aside><p>Mario Kart 8 Deluxe showcases Nintendo’s ability to take a decent game and turn it into a cultural juggernaut. Fixing the original version’s anaemic Battle Mode and allowing players to hold an extra item were easy wins, but nobody could have expected just how much the game’s scope would increase. When launched alongside the Switch in 2017, there were fun additions to the character roster like King Boo, Bowser Jr. and the Inklings from Splatoon, but it was the Booster Course DLC that would really cement MK8 Deluxe’s superiority amongst other games in the series. </p><p>Now boasting 42 characters and an eye-watering 96 courses, MK8 Deluxe has become a fan favourite through sheer variety. If there was a course you loved from Mario Kart past, chances are it's been given a new lease on life in HD. Not every course is a winner, and the mechanics don’t reinvent the wheel in any significant way (again, this is essentially a bigger and better MK7), but 68 million copies sold more than shows the fan appreciation for this brilliant iteration.</p><section data-transform="poll" data-id="d75ff6c7-0f59-47a2-bd1a-a242b4b68373"></section><section data-transform="divider"></section><p><em>Ryan Gaur is a freelance writer who has worked with the likes of RollingStone, Empire, Polygon, IndieWire, Skwigly, CartoonBrew, OkayPlayer, Animation Mag and more.</em></p></section>