Mario Kart : de la Super Nintendo à la Switch 2, 30 ans

Mario Kart: From Super Nintendo to Switch 2, 30 Years

1769 words | Reading time : 8 minute(s)

SeriesMario KartNintendo

Thirty years of drifting, from the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 to Switch 2. This retrospective runs through the saga entry by entry: Super Mario Kart and its Mode 7 in 1992, Mario Kart 64, Super Circuit on GBA, Double Dash!!, the DS version, and then the Wii, Wii U and Switch entries, right up to the sales records of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Mario Kart is far more than a series of racing games: it is an institution in video gaming. Launched in 1992, it shook up the conventions of the genre by adding unpredictable items, outlandish tracks and Mario's zany world. Over three decades, each entry has managed to reinvent itself while keeping the very essence of multiplayer fun. Here is a look back at an essential saga, from its Mode 7 beginnings to the ambitious Mario Kart World on Switch 2.

Contents

1992 – Super Mario Kart (Super Nintendo)

First entry, first success. Super Mario Kart invents the formula: eight characters from the Mario universe, wacky items, tracks full of surprises and a Battle mode in split screen. Thanks to Mode 7, the game simulates a 3D effect that was revolutionary for its time.

  • 2 players locally: a tense, strategic duel
  • Iconic tracks: Donut Plains, Ghost Valley, Rainbow Road (SNES version)
Original Super Mario Kart artwork bringing together the eight drivers on their karts
The eight founding drivers of 1992: the whole principle of the series is already there.

Our article looks back at the accidental origins of Super Mario Kart, born out of an F-Zero prototype.

1996 – Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)

The first move to true 3D, Mario Kart 64 lets you race with 4 players at the same time and offers more vertical, more complex tracks. Items become more numerous and more powerful, and the music remains legendary.

  • Debut of the blue shell
  • Standout tracks: Kalimari Desert, Choco Mountain, Yoshi Valley, Bowser’s Castle
Artwork of the Kalimari Desert track from Mario Kart 64, with its train crossing the course
The move to 3D and its obstacle-filled tracks, like the train in Kalimari Desert.

The details of this entry are in our article on Mario Kart 64.

2001 – Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA)

A return to the SNES style on a handheld console, with mechanics taken from MK64. It is the first to feature the retro cup containing all the tracks from the original game as a bonus – a tradition that lives on.

We go through the forty tracks of Super Circuit in a dedicated article.

2003 – Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GameCube)

A genuine oddity in the saga: each kart is driven by a duo of characters, each with their own special item . Co-op gameplay on the same vehicle changes the dynamics of the races.

  • The ability to switch roles in real time
  • Classic tracks: Baby Park, DK Mountain, Mushroom Bridge
Bowser and Bowser Jr. sitting together on the same kart in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Double Dash's big idea: two drivers per kart, swapping places mid-race.

A full article looks back at the two-driver system of Double Dash!!.

2005 – Mario Kart DS

A pivotal entry: the introduction of online play, built-in retro tracks and exemplary balancing. “Snaking” gave rise to a highly technical meta.

  • Strategic items, solid AI, drifts under control
  • Classic tracks: Waluigi Pinball, Airship Fortress

Our article tells how Mario Kart DS launched online play for the series.

2008 – Mario Kart Wii

A phenomenal success: 12 players per race, the arrival of bikes (with wheelies) and the Wii Wheel which opens the series up to a mainstream audience.

  • Simple to pick up, but a highly technical meta
  • Still very active today thanks to mods (CTGP Revolution)

The wheel, the bikes and the sales figures are covered in detail in our Mario Kart Wii article.

2011 – Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo 3DS)

Three major additions: gliders, underwater driving and customisation of karts. The first game in stereoscopic 3D and the last before the HD era.

  • An excellent balance between instant fun and mastery
  • Standout tracks: Music Park, Maka Wuhu, Neo Bowser City
Luigi gliding above a track thanks to the glider deployed behind his kart
Mario Kart 7 adds the glider and underwater driving: the tracks gain a whole new dimension.

We devote an article to the glider and underwater driving in Mario Kart 7.

2014 – Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

The move to high definition, orchestral music, stunning visual effects and the arrival ofanti-gravity : drive on walls and ceilings!

  • Addition of the coin system : coins boost your speed
  • First paid DLC: Link, Excitebike Arena, Mute City
Artwork of the seven Koopalings at the wheel of their karts in Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 brings the seven Koopalings into the roster for the first time.

The Wii U entry has its own article: Mario Kart 8 and anti-gravity.

2017 – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)

The ultimate version of MK8 with all the DLC included and a Battle mode that has been redesigned. In 2022-2023, the Booster Course Pass adds 48 tracks for a record total of 96 courses.

  • The Mario Kart that has sold the most in history (71.53 M copies as of June 30, 2026)
  • Supported for 6 years – unprecedented longevity

The Switch version is covered in detail in our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe article.

2025 – Mario Kart World (Nintendo Switch 2)

Scheduled for June 2025, Mario Kart World promises a connected semi-open mode. Players explore a dynamic hub and join races or events on the fly.

  • Races with up to 24 players online
  • Free exploration, events, dynamic weather
  • Dozens of outfits to unlock for the drivers as you explore
  • Open biomes: jungle, city, volcano, water zone…

An entry built around the open world : cups linked by road, a Free Roam mode and missions scattered across the map.

Bowser at the wheel on a road in Mario Kart World, open landscape in the background
Mario Kart World links its tracks with an open world you drive across.

Everything our articles say about it is gathered in our Mario Kart World article.

The series has also raced beyond home consoles : four arcade cabinets entrusted to Namco and then Bandai Namco — Arcade GP in 2005, Arcade GP 2 in 2007, Arcade GP DX in 2013 and Arcade GP VR in 2017 —, a mobile entry with Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, which sends a real remote-controlled kart racing around the living room.

Why is Mario Kart still essential?

  • Accessibility for everyone : instant fun for all
  • Local & online multiplayer still at its best
  • A perfect balance between chance (items) and skill (driving, racing lines)
  • Steady evolution without losing theDNA of the series
  • A community that stays active : competitions, speedrunning, mods

Fact file - Mario Kart saga

First entry Super Mario Kart (1992, Super Nintendo)
Genre Racing game with items, Mario universe
Original innovation Mode 7 to simulate 3D, split-screen Battle mode
Best-selling entry Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch), around 71 million copies, a series record
Record number of tracks Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 96 courses with the Booster Course Pass
Latest entry Mario Kart World (June 2025, Nintendo Switch 2)
Notable new features Anti-gravity (MK8), gliders and underwater driving (MK7)

🍄 Want to keep the adventure going? Discover our Mario toys in the shop.

FAQ

  • What is the very first Mario Kart?
    Super Mario Kart, released in 1992 on Super Nintendo (August 27, 1992 in Japan). It set the template with eight characters, wacky items and a split-screen Battle mode, thanks to Mode 7 technology.
  • Which Mario Kart has sold the most?
    Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, released in 2017 on Nintendo Switch, with around 71 million copies. It is the best-selling Mario Kart in history, and also the best-selling game on the Switch.
  • Which entry introduced anti-gravity?
    Mario Kart 8, released in 2014 on Wii U, which lets you drive on walls and ceilings. It also brings high definition and the coin system that boosts your speed.
  • What does Mario Kart World bring to Switch 2?
    Released on June 5, 2025, it offers a connected open world and races with up to 24 players, twice as many as previous Mario Kart games, along with free exploration and new off-road driving techniques.
  • When did online play appear in the series?
    With Mario Kart DS in 2005, the first in the series to offer online play (via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection), with built-in retro tracks and acclaimed balancing.

Conclusion

Since 1992, Mario Kart has never stopped evolving, combining instant fun, technical mastery and constant innovation. Each game leaves a mark of its own, and Mario Kart World is set to redefine expectations on next-generation consoles. After three decades of shells, controlled drifts and fits of laughter, the finish line is still a long way off!

Thirty years of racing

From Super Nintendo to Switch 2: our guide traces the whole Mario Kart series, its tracks and its items.

🏁 The complete Mario Kart guide →
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