Editing Super Mario Kart

|release='''SNES:'''<br>{{release|Japan|August 27, 1992|USA|September 1, 1992<ref>Nintendo Switch Online app</ref>|Europe|January 21, 1993}} '''Player's Choice:'''<br>{{release|USA|May 20, 1996}} '''Virtual Console (Wii):'''<br>{{release|Japan|June 9, 2009|USA|November 23, 2009|Europe|April 2, 2010|Australia|April 2, 2010}} '''Virtual Console (Wii U):'''<br>{{release|Japan|June 19, 2013|Europe|March 27, 2014|Australia|March 28, 2014|USA|August 6, 2014}} '''Virtual Console (New 3DS):'''<br>{{release|Europe|March 17, 2016|Australia|March 18, 2016|USA|March 24, 2016|Japan|May 9, 2016}} '''Super NES Classic Edition:'''<br>{{release|USA|September 29, 2017|Europe|September 29, 2017|Australia|September 30, 2017|Japan|October 5, 2017}} '''Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online:'''<br>{{release|USA|September 5, 2019<ref>Nintendo (September 4, 2019). [https://youtu.be/8TVE44feo_I?t=1386 Nintendo Direct 9.4.2019]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|Japan|September 6, 2019<ref>Nintendo (September 4, 2019). [https://youtu.be/IjZbFWW23d0?t=3568 Nintendo Direct 2019.9.5]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|Europe|September 6, 2019<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1169375812610592769 Tweet by Nintendo of Europe (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date)]. ''Twitter''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|Australia|September 6, 2019<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1169378280031436800 Tweet by Nintendo AU NZ (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date)]. ''Twitter''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|HK|September 6, 2019|South Korea|September 6, 2019}} '''''Fully souped up!'':'''<br>{{release|Japan|May 26, 2021|USA|May 26, 2021|Europe|May 26, 2021|Australia|May 26, 2021}}

|languages={{languages|en_us=y|jp=y}}

|ratings='''SNES:'''{{ratings|esrb=K-A}} '''Virtual Console:'''{{ratings|esrb=E|pegi=3|cero=A|acb=G}}

|media={{media|snes=1|wiidl=1|wiiudl=1|3dsdl=1|snesclassic=1|switchdl=1}}

|input={{input|snes=1|classic=1|wiigcn=1|wiiu=1|wiiuclassic=1|wiiupro=1|3ds=1|snesclassic=1|joy-con=1|switchpro=1|switchsnes=1}}

'''''Super Mario Kart''''' is a [[Genre#Racing games|racing game]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. The game was first released in 1992 and rereleased in 1996 as a [[Player's Choice]] title, being the first title in the lineup. Unlike the other racing games at the time, which focused on single-player racing with more complicated tracks, ''Super Mario Kart'' was focused on two players and was designed to be an easy and intuitive "pick up and play" experience that heavily involves the use of acquiring weapons on an obstacle course-like track to impede another player's progress. The development of a one-on-one [[Battle Mode]] was invented as another way to enjoy the competitive aspects of the game. Another notable aspect of the game is its {{wp|Mode 7}} graphics, where the game simulates a 3D plane by rotating and scaling a background graphic on a scanline-by-scanline basis, allowing players to simulate driving in a 3D environment. Much of this game is heavily based on ''[[Super Mario World]]'', with both graphics and general themes being taken from that game. This includes sprites reusing assets from ''Super Mario World'' as well as the game's soundtrack rearranging several ''Super Mario World'' melodies.

{|class="wikitable"style="width:70%; text-align:center"

|{{button|switch|jc-top}} / {{button|switch|Minus}}{{button|switch|Plus}} + {{button|switch|SL}}

|{{button|switch|Minus}}{{button|switch|Plus}} + {{button|switch|SR}}

The Mario Kart GP is the main mode in ''Super Mario Kart''. Here, up to two players can race against seven or six other CPU-controlled opponents in a five-course cup; they first start out in eighth place and must make their way to the top position; players keep their position for the next race if they end in that position. The top four players receive [[point]]s based on their ranking: first place earns the player nine points, second earns six, third earns three, and fourth earns one, while fifth and below get zero points. Players who rank fifth or below lose one of three lives. If both players rank fifth or below, the race must be tried again. If the player ranks fifth or below without any lives left, the game ends. A single extra life can be earned by placing in the same position three times. The maximum score in a GP cup is forty-five, obtained by winning five times. The three best drivers move on to the award ceremony where they receive their trophies. Third place gives the player a bronze trophy, second gives silver, and first gives gold (the player can watch the ceremony only when they place first: however, a [[List of Super Mario Kart pre-release and unused content|protoype version]] has animations for second and third). If the player ranks fourth or under by the end of the cup, their character is placed at the side of the podium and cries with their back facing the screen which displays text that says, "(character's name) came in (number) place. Try again." Each race is five laps long (with Lakitu appearing on the left side of the player holding the start signal and the lap count signs).

If players beat all of the cups in the 100cc engine class, the message "Excellent driving, you are now a Super Mario Kart expert" pops up, thus officially telling players that they have completed all four of the cups. If the player wants a harder challenge, they can now replay through the game in the 150cc engine class. If players beat all of the cups in the 150cc engine class, the same message as before pops up. If the player wants a more difficult challenge, they can hold {{button|snes|A}} and {{button|snes|Y}} at the character selection screen. This makes the character permanently small as if under the effect of a [[Lightning]] or [[Poison Mushroom]] until the player presses the buttons again.{{br|left}}

This one-player mode have the player to race through five laps of the selected track the fastest they can without items or coins in the 100cc engine class. The five lap times are recorded which are then combined to make the total time, as well as the fastest lap time and the characters used, for each track.

If the player enters the cheat code {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|SNES|A}} on the cup selection menu in Time Trial, the Special Cup is unlocked. In the Japanese version, a [[Boo]] sound is heard upon successfully inputting the code.<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Super_Mario_Kart ''Super Mario Kart'']. ''The Cutting Room Floor''. Retrieved September 16, 2019.</ref>

A two-player exclusive mode where players combat each other with items in an arena. The goal is to eliminate the opposing player's balloons, which are represented by colored spheres rotating around the character. Each player has three balloons that cannot be recovered. The first to pop all the opponent's balloons wins.

''Super Mario Kart'' has eight available drivers, divided into statistically identical pairs of two. While subsequent ''Mario Kart'' games would classify characters based on weight class, in this game other criteria are used. The stats presented here are derived and inferred from the manual.<ref>http://gamesdbase.com/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_SNES//Manual/formated/Super_Mario_Kart_-_1992_-_Nintendo.pdf</ref> The Bros are average drivers with a high top speed, The Dragon and The Lady have the highest acceleration with low handling, The Showdown have the lowest acceleration with the highest top speed and weight, while The Small Guys have high acceleration and handling, which makes them recommended for beginners. Each pair of characters has different engine sounds for their karts, which reflect their appearances and characteristics. All drivers also have a unique theme music whenever they finish a race with a good position.

On a side note, this is one of only two ''Mario Kart'' games to feature [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] as a playable character (subsequent installments have replaced him with [[Donkey Kong]]), the other being ''Mario Kart Tour''.

{|border=1 style="text-align:center;overflow:auto;"

 

{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%

!colspan=2 style="background:red;color:white"|<big>'''The Bros.'''</big><br><small>Standard Performance</small>

!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Mario.png]]<br><big>'''[[Mario]]'''</big>

!style="background:#EAECF0"|Acceleration:

!style="background:#EAECF0"|Top Speed:

!style="background:#EAECF0"|Weight:

!style="background:#EAECF0"|Handling:

!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|CPU item:

 

!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Yoshi.png]]<br><big>'''[[Yoshi]]'''</big>

|style="background:white; height:250px" align="center"|[[File:SMK Princess artwork.jpg|300x250px]]

|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK Rating The Best of the Best art.png]]

|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]

!style="background:#EAECF0"|Weight:

!style="background:#EAECF0"|Handling:

|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]

|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK Rating Not so hot art.png]]

!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|CPU item:

|[[File:PoisonMushroomSMK.png]]<br>[[Poison Mushroom]]

|[[File:Yoshi Egg Super Mario Kart.png]]<br>[[Yoshi Egg|Egg]]

|}

 

 

|

{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%

!colspan=2 style="background:blue;color:white"|<big>'''The Showdown'''</big><br><small>High Top Speed</small>

!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Bowser.png]]<br><big>'''[[Bowser]]'''</big>

!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Donkey Kong Jr.png]]<br><big>'''[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]'''</big>

|style="background:white; height:250px" align="center"|[[File:Donkey Kong JR SMK artwork.jpg|300x250px]]

|[[File:SMKFireball.png]]<br>[[Fireball]]

|[[File:SMK Banana.png]]<br>[[Banana]]

The Japanese ''Official Nintendo Guidebook'' of the game lists the maximum speed in the 100cc engine class in various conditions.<ref>''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook'', page 17.</ref> This maximum speed is increased by 1 km/h per each coin collected, until 10 coins are collected.<ref>''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook'', page 15.</ref>

[[File:SMK Acceleration Graph.png|thumb|center|600px|A graph showing the speed as a function of time when accelerating from a standstill with various characters. The horizontal axis shows the time in seconds. The red line refers to Mario and Luigi, the green line refers to the Princess and Yoshi, the light blue line refers to Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr., the yellow line refers to Koopa Troopa and Toad.]]

The official instruction manual illustrates a chart that details how well characters perform on tracks and their stats. It notes that Toad and Koopa Troopa have the best steering while the Princess and Yoshi steer worse. Another point it mentions is that Toad and Koopa Troopa can get knocked aside by Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr.

[[File:SMK PerformanceChart.png|800px|center]]

{|border="1"cellpadding="3"style="background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;width:100%;"align=center

!colspan="3"bgcolor="#9c9c9c"align=center|Characters and elements

!width="15%"bgcolor="#dedede"align=center|Character/element

!width="20%"bgcolor="#dedede"align=center|Location

!width="65%"bgcolor="#dedede"align=center|Description

|align=center|[[File:SMK Big Cheep Cheep.png]]<br>[[Big Cheep Cheep]]

|align=center|[[File:CheepCheepSMK.png]]<br>[[Cheep Cheep|Flopping Cheep Cheep]]

|Out-of-water fish that spins players out if they come in contact with them.

|align=center|<div style="background:black;display:inline-block;">[[File:SMK Ghost.png]]</div><br>[[Boo|Ghost]]

|align=center|[[File:SMKLakituSprite.png]]<br>[[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]]

|align=center|[[File:SMK Piranha Plant.png]]<br>[[Piranha Plant]]

|A hovering rock that stays stationary in the first lap of a course. In subsequent laps, they slam onto the floor in a pattern, and any racer caught in them get flattened. Flashing variants of Thwomps called [[Star Thwomp|Super Thwomps]] appear in Rainbow Road and act identically to Thwomps, though touching them causes racers to spin out, unlike regular Thwomps.

|Flashing Thwomps that cause races to spin out on contact.

*'''Water''': Racers who fall in have a few seconds to drive out, before Lakitu picks them up. Koopa Beach contains shallow water that is safe to drive through. In Vanilla Lake, racers appear frozen when they are fished out.

{|cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"

|-style="background: #ABC;"

!width=25%|

!width=15%|Name

!width=60%|Terrain and obstacles

![[File:SNES Mario Circuit 1 map.png|128px]]

!Mario Circuit

|

*'''Terrain:''' Pavement/Sand

*'''Slipperiness''': 1

*'''Obstacles:''' [[Oil slick]], [[Warp Pipe|Pipe]]s

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Luigi]]

![[File:SMK Donut Plains 1 Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Donut Plains

|

*'''Terrain:''' Grassy

*'''Slipperiness''': 2

*'''Obstacles:''' [[Monty Mole|Gopher]]s, Water, Pipes

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Princess Peach|Princess]]

![[File:SMK Ghost Valley 1 Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Ghost Valley

|

*'''Terrain:''' Wooden

*'''Slipperiness''': 1

*'''Obstacles:''' Falling walls

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Yoshi]]

![[File:SMK Bowser Castle 1 Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Bowser Castle

|

*'''Terrain:''' Stone

*'''Slipperiness''': 1

*'''Obstacles:''' [[Thwomp]], Lava

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Bowser]]

![[File:SMK Choco Island 1 Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Choco Island

|

*'''Terrain:''' Chocolate

*'''Slipperiness''': 3

*'''Obstacles:''' [[Piranha Plant]]s, Chocolate Mud

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Donkey Kong Jr.]]

![[File:SMK Koopa Beach 1 Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Koopa Beach

|

*'''Terrain:''' Sand/water

*'''Slipperiness''': 3

*'''Obstacles:''' [[Cheep Cheep|Flopping Cheep Cheep]]s, deep water

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Koopa Troopa]]

![[File:SMK Vanilla Lake 1 Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Vanilla Lake

|

*'''Terrain:''' Ice/Snow

*'''Slipperiness''': 4

*'''Obstacles:''' Icy water, destructible blocks, Pipes.

*'''Assigned character:''' [[Toad]]

![[File:SMK Rainbow Road Overhead Map.png|128px]]

!Rainbow Road

<br clear=all>

<center>

;[[File:SMK Mushroom Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Mushroom Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK MushroomCupRace.png|link=Mushroom Cup|272px]] [[File:SMK Mushroom Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Mushroom Cup Emblem.png|88px]]

<gallery widths=128px heights=128px>

SNES Mario Circuit 1 map.png|[[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]]

SMK Donut Plains 1 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]]

SMK Ghost Valley 1 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Ghost Valley 1|Ghost Valley 1]]

SMK Bowser Castle 1 Overhead Map.png|[[Bowser Castle 1]]

SNES Mario Circuit 2.png|[[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]]

</gallery>

;[[File:SMK Flower Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Flower Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK FlowerCupRace.png|link=Flower Cup|240px]] [[File:SMK Flower Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Flower Cup Emblem.png|88px]]

<gallery widths=128px heights=128px>

SMK Choco Island 1 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Choco Island 1|Choco Island 1]]

SMK Ghost Valley 2 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]]

SMK Donut Plains 2 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Donut Plains 2|Donut Plains 2]]

SMK Bowser Castle 2 Overhead Map.png|[[Bowser Castle 2]]

SMK Mario Circuit 3 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]]

;[[File:SMK Star Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Star Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK StarCupRace.png|link=Star Cup|208px]] [[File:SMK Star Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Star Cup Emblem.png|88px]]

<gallery widths=128px heights=128px>

SMK Koopa Beach 1 Overhead Map.png|[[Koopa Beach 1]]

SMK Choco Island 2 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]]

SMK Vanilla Lake 1 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Vanilla Lake 1|Vanilla Lake 1]]

SMK Bowser Castle 3 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Bowser Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3]]

SMK Mario Circuit 4 Overhead Map.png|[[Mario Circuit 4]]

</gallery>

;[[File:SMK Special Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Special Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK SpecialCupRace.png|link=Special Cup|256px]] [[File:SMK Special Cup Emblem.png|88px]] [[File:SMK Special Cup Emblem.png|88px]]

SMK Donut Plains 3 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Donut Plains 3|Donut Plains 3]]

SMK Koopa Beach 2 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]]

SMK Ghost Valley 3 Overhead Map.png|[[Ghost Valley 3]]

SMK Vanilla Lake 2 Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Vanilla Lake 2|Vanilla Lake 2]]

SMK Rainbow Road Overhead Map.png|[[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]

{|border="1"cellpadding="3"style="background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;width:100%;"align=center

!width="15%"bgcolor="#dedede"align=center|Feature

!width="85%"bgcolor="#dedede"align=center|Description

|align=center|[[File:SMK Coin track.png]] [[File:SMK Coin Sprite.png]]<br>[[Coin]]

{|border="1"cellpadding="3"style="background:white;text-align:center;width:94%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;"align=center

!width="15%"bgcolor="#dfdfdf"|Item

!width="55%"bgcolor="#dedede"|Description

!width="25%"bgcolor="#dedede"|Notes

![[File:SMKGreenShell.png]] [[File:SMK Green Shell Track Sprite.png]]<br>[[Green Shell]]

![[File:SMKRedShell.png]] [[File:SMK Red Shell Track Sprite.png]]<br>[[Red Shell]]

![[File:SMK Coin Item Box Sprite.png]] [[File:SMK Coin Sprite.png]]<br>[[Coin]]

The following tables are derived from the Japanese ''Nintendo Official Guidebook'' of the game and report the probability of obtaining each item in the various modes with letter codes ranging from '''A''' (most likely) to '''F''' (unlikely).<ref>''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook'', pages 142 and 143.</ref>

{|style="text-align:center; width:820px; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse;"border="1"cellspacing="1"

|-bgcolor=#dedede

The staff for ''Super Mario Kart'' has consisted of 15 members. ''Super Mario Kart'' was directed by Tadashi Sugiyama and [[Hideki Konno]], the latter who would go on to play prominent roles in later main entries of the ''Mario Kart'' series with the exception of ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' [[Yoichi Kotabe]], Mie Yoshimura, and [[Yoshiaki Koizumi]] has provided the illustrations for the game. [[Soyo Oka]] has composed the game's soundtrack, with [[SNES Rainbow Road (theme)|Rainbow Road]] being one of her favorite compositions.<ref>[http://www.rocketbaby.net/interviews_soyo_oka.html Interview between Rocketbaby and Soyo Oka]. Retrieved February 12, 2015.</ref>

''Super Mario Kart'' was born out of the idea of making a two-player racing game following ''[[fzerowiki:F-Zero|F-Zero]]'', which was exclusively single-player.<ref name="Iwata Asks">[http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/mariokart/0/0 Iwata Asks: ''Mario Kart Wii''] (accessed March 22 2012)</ref> The team wanted to make a fun, multiplayer-oriented alternative and was aimed to be enjoyed "with family and friends." according to Nintendo Producer Hideki Konno.<ref>Otero, Joseph. (May 29, 2014). [https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/29/how-anti-gravity-made-mario-kart-better How Anti-Gravity Made ''Mario Kart'' Better.] ''IGN''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> The prototype initially only featured a generic "guy in overalls". The design for the characters onscreen were three heads tall as opposed to ''F-Zero''{{'}}s seven heads tall to suit the design of the karts. At first, there was no racing involved; it was a test of two karts moving freely. The decision to include ''Super Mario'' characters and concepts was made three to four months in development, when the developers added Mario driving one of the karts moving around because they were curious about how the game would look, and decided that it looked better.<ref name="Iwata Asks"/> Before Banana Peels were added, oil cans that spill their substance out were used to spin karts out.  The battle mode was implemented because the developers thought it would be a good idea to include a form of one-on-one battles that did not involve competing for ranks during the races.<ref name="Iwata Asks"/>

{{see also|tcrf:Super Mario Kart#Regional Differences{{!}}tcrf:Super Mario Kart § Regional Differences}}

*In ''Super Mario Kart'', every character has a winning animation that involves a bottle of champagne. In the Japanese version, Bowser and the Princess drink champagne in their animations (with the latter becoming drunk in the process), which goes against Nintendo of America's policy on the depiction of alcohol, as it was considered inappropriate for younger children.<ref>https://youtu.be/hNZfd3JDFOA</ref><ref>http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/smk_j2e.shtml</ref> In the Western releases of the game, Bowser merely poses happily agitating the bottle and Peach tosses and catches her bottle.

The player should pick up a Mushroom, then use it and hop very close to a corner. If done correctly, the effect of the Mushroom lasts longer than normal. The player can get a time of a lap under 10 seconds.<ref name="smkglitch"> 呂理彬 Lu Li Bin. (February 14, 2013). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30iZWoq6c3o 【TAS】SNES Super Mario Kart 150cc All-Cup Stage By Stage Comparison]. ''YouTube''.</ref>

===Turn off music===

''Super Mario Kart'' met with very favorable reviews, scoring a 93.60% on GameRankings based on 10 reviews.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150629081951/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588738-super-mario-kart/index.html Archived URL for GameRankings score for ''Super Mario Kart'']. ''GameRankings''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>  Much of the praise of the game has been attributed to its bright and colorful graphics, fun gameplay involving its items that set it apart from ''F-Zero'', intuitive controls, its ''Super Mario'' franchise theming, and retroactively, its legacy that helped pioneer the kart-racing genre and the overall introduction of the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series. While ''Super Mario Kart'' does not have an official Metacritic entry due to the game coming out before its inception, the user score for the Wii Virtual Console is mixed, scoring 7.4, with common laments being that while the game is regarded as a classic, it is outclassed by later ''Mario Kart'' entries.<ref>[https://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/super-mario-kart Metacritic score fr ''Super Mario Kart'' on the Wii.] ''Metacritic. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>

Shey Stevens from the magazine, ''Electronic Games'' gave the game a 93%, citing how the game changes up mechanics from ''F-Zero'' such as the item-based system to deliver a unique experience. Stevens has additionally praised the one-on-one combat modes the game offers.<ref>Stevens, Shey. (December 1992). [https://archive.org/stream/Electronic-Games-1992-12/Electronic%20Games%201992-12#page/n77/mode/2up Archive for Electronic Games magazine, page 79-80.] Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> A section by Bro. Buzz from the ''Game Pro'' magazine has given the game a score of 5.0 in graphics, control, and fun factor and a 4.0 in sound, ending with, "''Super Mario Kart'' makes wheel-spinning, bumper-grinding, motor racing actually cute! The little guys definitely have a lot of drive."<ref>Bro. Buzz (December 1992). [https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/GamePro_US_041.pdf "Super NES Pro Review: ''Super Mario Kart''"] ''Game Pro''. No. 51. pp. 80–82. Retrieved November 17, 2020.</ref> Nadia Oxford from USgamer, reviewing the game's release on the [[Classics#Super NES Classic Edition|Super NES Classic Edition]], has called the game "the SNES Classic Edition's most perfect inclusion." and has generally praised how well the game is held up, despite its simplicity compared to later ''Mario Kart'' entries, with ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' being compared to in the review.<ref>Oxford, Nadia. (January 23, 2019). [https://www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-game-by-game-7-super-mario-kart Super NES Retro Review: ''Super Mario Kart''.] ''USgamer''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> The flaw Oxford has cited was the single-player splitscreen and the fact that the game supports only two players rather than four. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' has given the game an Editor's Choice award in its November 1992 issue.<ref>Alessi, Martin; Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed, Sushi X. (November 1992). [https://retrocdn.net/images/7/7f/EGM_US_040.pdf Review Crew: ''Super Mario Kart''.] ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. p. 25. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>

''Super Mario Kart'' has seen frequent placements in Top Games lists. The game was placed 32nd in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.<ref>(September 1997). [https://web.archive.org/web/20091225020235/http://www.gamekult.com/communaute/forum/voirmessage.html?foid=13000909 Nintendo Power's 100 Best Games of All Time - Sept. 1997.] ''GameKult''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> In the book, ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition'' for 2009, ''Super Mario Kart'' was placed as the #1 best console game. The game was placed 33rd in the 200th issue of GameInformer's "Top 200 Games of all Time" in December 2009. The game was awarded the Most Critically Acclaimed ''Mario Kart'' Game by ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]] Gamer's Edition 2009 - 2014''.

{| class="wikitable reviews"

!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%; text-align:center; background-color:silver;"|Reviews

|align="left"|''"It's the original ultimate racer, it has everything you could ever want then adds some more and that all important 'Nintendo difference'. It's hard to express in words how perfect this game is, you really MUST play it right NOW.''"

!colspan="4"style="background-color:silver; font-size:120%; text-align:center;"|Aggregators

''Super Mario Kart'' is the 4th best-selling game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, selling 8.76 million copies worldwide as of December 31, 2009.<ref>Futter, Mike. (June 2, 2014). [https://web.archive.org/web/20140604084937/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/06/02/mario-kart-8-speeds-to-over-1-2-million-sales-in-opening-weekend.aspx ''Mario Kart 8'' Speeds To Over 1.2 Million Sales In Opening Weekend.] ''Game Informer''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>

''Super Mario Kart'' was adapted into a Japan-only electro-mechanical arcade game developed by {{wp|Banpresto}} and {{wp|Atlus}} called ''[[Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race]]'', released in 1994.<ref>[https://www.marioboards.com/index.php?topic=35637.msg1780735#msg1780735#msg1780735] Borp's coverage on Mario boards</ref> The playable characters are [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Princess Peach]], [[Yoshi]], and [[Bowser]], with [[Cheep Cheep]], [[Monty Mole]], and [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]] in supporting roles. The game seems to operate on magnets to move the karts and is based on chance by who can press a series of buttons fast enough. There are five music tracks in total, two in particular being the music for the title screen and the Mario Circuit theme. The latter theme is sped up and has additional notes that play throughout the track with an ending note. A male announcer voice can also be heard throughout the gameplay. The other three music tracks are a preparation theme and two different victory themes.<ref>Super Mario Wiki (October 31, 2015). [https://youtu.be/1SMFdLu-cuw ''Super Mario Kart'' Dokidoki Race Gameplay]. ''YouTube''.</ref>

While ''Super Mario Kart'' has no officially released dedicated soundtrack, it is featured in various compilation soundtracks. ''[[Super Mario Compact Disco]]'', a compilation soundtrack featuring tunes from multiple ''Super Mario'' titles released in August 1993, features a hip hop-styled remix of the title screen music from ''Super Mario Kart''. In the ''Nintendo Sound Selection'' series, ''[[Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music]]'' contains the [[Bowser's Castle#Mario Kart series|Bowser Castle]] music, simply titled "Castle".

 

The instrument samples used for the soundtrack included the "flute shots", grand piano, distorted guitar, electric bass, and organ from the {{wp|Akai S1000}}; the reedy keys from an {{wp|E-mu Proteus}} synthesizer; a guitar from the {{wp|Korg M1}}; the bass marimba from the {{wp|Roland D-50|Roland D-550}}; the reverb snare and closed hi-hat from the {{wp|Roland R-8}}; whistling samples from the {{wp|Yamaha}} RX-8 and {{wp|Yamaha TG77|TG77}}; and an agogo, bongo, electric kick drum, and timbale taken from unknown equipment.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JJBlHHDc65fhZmKUGLrDTLCm6rfUU83-kbuD8Y0zU0o/edit?pli=1#gid=717751203 NEWER VGM Sound Sources.] ''Google Docs''. Retrieved March 3, 2021.</ref>

|title1=Title theme

|title2=Choose your Driver

|title4=[[Luigi]]'s Ranks

*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'': The title music from ''Mario Kart 64'' is a slower and elongated arrangement of the title music from ''Super Mario Kart''. Also, part of [[N64 Banshee Boardwalk|Banshee Boardwalk]]'s music is a rearrangement of the music used for the [[Ghost Valley]] courses in ''Super Mario Kart''.

*''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'': All twenty courses appeared in this game, but all of their track hazards have been removed, [[Item Box|Item Boxes]] are at different places than where [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] laid and some tracks changed a little. The music for all tracks is redone for the Game Boy Advance. Also, part of the music for [[Boo Lake]]/[[Broken Pier]] and [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)|Rainbow Road]] is a rearrangement of the music from the Ghost Valley and Rainbow Road courses in this game, respectively.

*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' - The game's title can be seen as a sponsor in some tracks, such as [[GCN Dry Dry Desert|Dry Dry Desert]] and [[Mushroom City]].

*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'': An arrangement of the Mario Circuit theme plays on the [[Figure-8 Circuit (stage)|Mario Circuit]] stage. Many [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophies]] are from this game. The [[Banana Peel]] and [[Lightning Bolt]] appear as items in this game.

*''[[Mario Kart 7]]'': Collecting coins also returns from this game. [[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]] and [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] return as retro tracks. Also, the rival system returned in this game. The kart now called [[Pipe Frame]], returns in this game as a kart body, however it uses the dual exhaust design from ''Mario Kart 64'' instead of the single exhaust from ''Super Mario Kart''.  

*''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'': The level [[Mount Must Dash]] is based on the Mario Circuit courses from this game. The music from the Mario Circuit courses also is rearranged for that level.

*''[[Mario Kart 8]]'': Part of the main theme is an orchestrated version of the main theme of ''Super Mario Kart''. The [[Pipe Frame]] returns with the single exhaust design. Also, the Coin item returns with the same function as it did in this game. [[SNES Donut Plains 3|Donut Plains 3]] returns as a retro track. The design of {{classic-link|N64|Rainbow Road}} and [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)|Rainbow Road]] for this game are very similar to [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]], which also appears in this game in the DLC cup, [[Triforce Cup]].

**''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'': The [[Cape Feather|Feather]] item returns with the same function. [[SNES Battle Course 1|Battle Course 1]] reappears as a classic battle course; a billboard in the course background is modeled after the player select screen from ''Super Mario Kart''. [[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]] and [[SNES Bowser Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3]] return as classic courses in the [[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]] for ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''.

*''[[Super Mario Maker]]'': The invincible theme from ''Super Mario Kart'' is used when the Mario Kart costume uses a Super Star. Also, the race start fanfare is heard when Mario picks up the [[Mystery Mushroom]]. The 1st-4th place (course clear) and 5th-8th place (death) jingles are also heard. Ironically, when Mario is moving, the kart's engine sound is actually coming from Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr.'s karts, rather than his and Luigi's.

*''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'': [[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]], [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]], [[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]], [[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]], [[SNES Ghost Valley 1|Ghost Valley 1]], [[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]], [[SNES Vanilla Lake 1|Vanilla Lake 1]], [[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]], [[SNES Choco Island 1|Choco Island 1]], [[SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]], [[SNES Donut Plains 2|Donut Plains 2]], [[SNES Vanilla Lake 2|Vanilla Lake 2]], [[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]], [[SNES Donut Plains 3|Donut Plains 3]] and [[SNES Bowser Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3]] appear as returning courses. Much of the artwork from ''Super Mario Kart'', such as Yoshi spinning out, are reused as badges in this game, in addition to the cover art of the game being used for the [[Super Mario Kart Glider]]. Mario and Donkey Kong Jr.'s sprites are reused from this game for separate playable variants. The sound effects used for the pre-race jingle, item roulette, and post-race jingle are reused from this game exclusively for the two aforementioned characters. The Mushroom's sprite was reused as a badge in this game. The [[Super Mario Kart Tour]] is named after this game.

|Jap=スーパーマリオカート

|JapR=Sūpā Mario Kāto

|JapM=Super Mario Kart

|ChiS=超级马力欧卡丁车<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_200904_02_sc.html 超级马力欧兄弟 35周年！] ''Nintendo''. Retrieved September 4, 2020.</ref>

|ChiT=超級瑪利歐賽車<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_200904_02.html 超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年！] ''Nintendo''. Retrieved September 4, 2020.</ref>

|Jap=スーパーマリオカート フルコースでおもてなしバージョン

|JapR=Sūpā Mario Kāto Furu Kōsu de Omotenashi Bājon

|JapM=Super Mario Kart Full Course Treatment Version

|Fra=''Super Mario Kart: Sur les chapeaux de roues !''

|FraM=''Super Mario Kart: At full throttle!''

{{NIWA|SmashWiki=1|StrategyWiki=1}}

*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/ja/pdf/CLV-P-VAAFJ.pdf Japanese Super Famicom Instruction Booklet]

*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/common/pdf/CLV-P-SAAFE.pdf North American SNES Instruction Booklet]