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{{redirectshere|SMK|''Super Mario-Kun''|[[Super Mario-Kun|here]]}}
{{FA}}
{{FASTAT}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox
{{about|the game for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]|the microgame from [[WarioWare Gold]] of the same name|[[Super Mario Kart (microgame)]]|the musical composition from the game's title screen|[[Super Mario Kart (theme)]]}}
|image=[[File:SMK_BoxCover2.jpg|250px]]
{{distinguish|Super Mario Kart Tour}}
{{redirect|SMK|the manga|[[Super Mario-kun]]}}
{{game infobox
|image=[[File:Super Mario Kart NA box art.png|250px]]<br>North American box art
|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]]
|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|designer=[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
|release='''SNES:'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|August 27, 1992|USA|September 1, 1992<ref>Nintendo Switch Online app</ref>|Europe|January 21, 1993}} '''Player's Choice:'''<br>{{flag list|USA|May 20, 1996}} '''Virtual Console (Wii):'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|June 9, 2009|USA|November 23, 2009|Europe|April 2, 2010|Australia|April 2, 2010}} '''Virtual Console (Wii U):'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|June 19, 2013|Europe|March 27, 2014|Australia|March 28, 2014|USA|August 6, 2014}} '''Virtual Console (New 3DS):'''<br>{{flag list|Europe|March 17, 2016|Australia|March 18, 2016|USA|March 24, 2016|Japan|May 9, 2016}} '''Super NES Classic Edition:'''<br>{{flag list|USA|September 29, 2017|Europe|September 29, 2017|Australia|September 30, 2017|Japan|October 5, 2017}} '''Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online:'''<br>{{flag list|USA|September 5, 2019<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo|date=September 4, 2019|url=youtu.be/8TVE44feo_I?t=1386|title=Nintendo Direct 9.4.2019|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 4, 2019}}</ref>|Japan|September 6, 2019<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo|date=September 4, 2019|url=youtu.be/IjZbFWW23d0?t=3568|title=Nintendo Direct 2019.9.5|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 4, 2019}}</ref>|Europe|September 6, 2019<ref>{{cite|url=x.com/NintendoEurope/status/1169375812610592769|title=Tweet by Nintendo of Europe (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date)|publisher=X|accessdate=September 4, 2019}}</ref>|Australia|September 6, 2019<ref>{{cite|url=x.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1169378280031436800|title=Tweet by Nintendo AU NZ (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date)|publisher=X|accessdate=September 4, 2019}}</ref>|HK|September 6, 2019|South Korea|September 6, 2019}} '''''Fully souped up!'':'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|May 26, 2021|USA|May 26, 2021|Europe|May 26, 2021|Australia|May 26, 2021}}
|released='''Super NES:'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|August 27, 1992|USA|September 1, 1992, (then re-released on May 20, 1996 as the Player's Choice)|Europe|January 21, 1993}}<br>'''Virtual Console:'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|June 9, 2009|USA|November 23, 2009|Europe|April 2, 2010|Australia|April 2, 2010}}
|languages={{languages|en_us=y|jp=y}}
|genre=[[Mario Kart (series)|Racing]]
|genre=[[Genre#Racing games|Racing]]
|modes=1-2 players
|modes=1–2 players
|ratings={{ratings|esrb=K-A}}{{ratings|esrb=E}}
|ratings='''SNES:'''{{ratings|esrb=K-A|grac=all}} '''Virtual Console:'''{{ratings|esrb=E|pegi=3|cero=A|acb=G|usk=0|classind=L}}
|platforms=[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|platforms=[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Virtual Console]] ([[Wii]], [[Wii U]], [[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintendo 3DS/New Nintendo 3DS XL|New 3DS]]), [[Classics#Super NES Classic Edition|Super NES Classic Edition]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]]
|media=4-megabit cartridge
|format={{format|snes=1|wiidl=1|wiiudl=1|3dsdl=1|snesclassic=1|switchdl=1}}
|requirements=
|input={{input|snes=1|classic=1|wiigcn=1|wiiu=1|wiiuclassic=1|wiiupro=1|3ds=1|snesclassic=1|joy-con=1|joy-con-horizontal=1|switchpro=1|switchsnes=1|switchnes=1}}
|input={{input|snes=1|classic=1|wiigcn=1}}
|serials={{flag list|Japan|SHVC-MK}}
}}
}}
'''''Super Mario Kart''''' is a racing game for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] released in [[1992]] and re-released in 1996 as the [[Player's Choice]]. It was also released in Japan on June 9, 2009; in United States on November 23, 2009; and on April 2, 2010 in Europe and Australia as a [[Virtual Console]] title. It is the first game in the [[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' series]] and the game that popularized the kart racing style of video game.
'''''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 ''Super Mario World''{{'}}s assets and music cues rearranging its melodies.


==Characters==
The game's success spawned the hugely influential ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series, while also helping to pioneer the [[kart]]-racing genre. The game's success has also influenced the greater [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]], with elements from it appearing throughout it. Examples of these kinds of elements include a [[Mount Must Dash|level designed after ''Super Mario Kart''{{'}}s courses]] appearing in ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', item-based battles in multiple ''Mario'' sports games, [[Rainbow Road]] making an appearance in ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'', and an entire scene dedicated to ''Mario Kart'' in ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''. ''Super Mario Kart''{{'}}s use of a wider cast of characters such as [[Bowser]] and [[Princess Peach|Peach]] was the first of many multiplayer-oriented ''Super Mario'' spin-off titles that included a diverse, playable cast of ''Super Mario'' characters such as those from the [[Mario Tennis (series)|''Mario Tennis'' series]] and [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]]. Additionally, the game has been ranked as one of the greatest games of all time by various organizations due to its aforementioned legacy and its ground-breaking gameplay.
[[File:SuperMarioKart CharSelect.png|thumb|left|Character select screen.]]
 
As well as the eight playable drivers, various other [[Mario (series)|''Mario'' series]] characters appear in ''Super Mario Kart''. [[Thwomp]]s, [[Piranha Plant]]s, [[Monty Mole]]s and [[Cheep-Cheep]]s are enemies that serve as obstacles in certain tracks and [[Boo]]s appear in the background of other tracks, as well as serving as a usable item.
''Super Mario Kart'' was rereleased on the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console#Wii|Virtual Console]] in 2009–2010, on the [[Wii U]]'s [[Virtual Console#Wii U|Virtual Console]] in 2013–2014, and on the [[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintendo 3DS/New Nintendo 3DS XL|New Nintendo 3DS]]'s [[Virtual Console#Nintendo 3DS|Virtual Console]] in 2016. It is one of the 21 titles included on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System#Super NES Classic Edition|Super NES Classic Edition]] and is one of the 20 launch titles for [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]], which also released a special version titled ''Super Mario Kart: Fully souped up!'' with 150cc and the [[Special Cup]] unlocked on May 26, 2021.
 
==Gameplay==
[[File:SMK Title Screen.png|thumb|left|Title screen for ''Super Mario Kart'']]
Players select a ''Super Mario'' character out of a cast of eight [[#Drivers|characters]] with which to race (or battle in Battle Mode) against opponents; each racer has their own stats which determine how they control, though these are not displayed in-game. Players then race or battle against their opponents, depending upon which game mode is chosen. Integral to the gameplay is the item system, where players can pick up items from [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] clustered around parts of the track. The item obtained is dependent on the player's position in the race. For example, players farther behind obtain stronger items such as the invincible, speed-raising [[Star]] or the [[Lightning]] that can shrink all racers, while players farther ahead receive the basic [[Banana Peel]]s and [[Green Shell]]s items. Question Blocks get depleted whenever a player runs over them, and they do not respawn their items until all Question Blocks in the track have been depleted.
 
At the start of the race, players can rev their kart up for [[Rocket Start|a boost]], though if they rev up too much, they begin the race by accelerating much slower. Players can hop if they press either {{button|snes|L}} or {{button|snes|R}}. If they hold the button after hopping while holding either left or right, they can [[Drift|power slide]], which enable them to drive through harder turns while losing less speed than steering normally through them. A slight drift is also possible by hopping and only holding either the left or right button. While karts in this game can brake with {{button|snes|Y}}, they cannot go in reverse: players need to perform a U-turn or hop around to go backwards. Some tracks feature water that players can fall into: if players fall into these areas, they are able to move around for a little while before eventually being picked up by [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]]. Players immediately get rescued by Lakitu if they fall into pits or into lava, however.
 
While driving the course, [[coin]]s can be picked up, which increase the player's top speed as well as shield them from other racers. If a player runs into another racer while they have zero coins, they spin out; however, if a player runs into another racer while they have several coins, they simply lose one coin while still being able to continue driving. Having ten coins gives the player the maximum amount of speed they can possess, though they are still able to collect additional coins without gaining any additional speed. Players start each race with a number of coins depending on their rank: first and second start with two coins, third and fourth start with three coins, fifth and sixth start with four coins, and seventh and eighth start with five coins. Players lose four coins if they are hit with an item, they lose two coins if they are picked up by Lakitu by falling off the track, and they lose one coin if they bump into another racer. The number of coins found on each course varies from one course to another.
 
Three speeds are available: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. 50cc is the slowest and therefore easiest difficulty while 150cc is the fastest and hardest engine class that must be unlocked by clearing all cups in the 100cc engine class which has a medium level of speed and difficulty. Vehicles in all modes outside of Mario Kart GP use 100cc engines.
 
The game is always split in two screens. The top screen is the main screen that players see the gameplay in while the bottom screen displays an overhead map, displaying progress of all characters. If players press {{button|snes|X}} or {{button|snes|select}}, they can switch the overhead map to a backwards view. When two players are playing, the bottom map is replaced by the second player's screen.


As stated in the ''Super Mario Kart'' manual, [[Lakitu]] is the owner of the ''Super Mario Kart'' Race Track, and as such, he oversees all races. He holds up the starting signal and various other signs and for the price of two [[Coin]]s, he uses his fishing rod to lift any fallen drivers back onto the racetrack.
If players want to delete their save data, they need to press {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|Y}}, and {{button|snes|A}} at the title screen. If players want to delete just Time Trial records, they can go to the course records they wish to delete and press the same button combination.  
<br clear=all>
===Controls===
==Button Controls==
<center>
===SNES===
{|class="wikitable"style="width:70%; text-align:center"
*{{button|snes|A}} - Use items, stop Item Roulette
!rowspan=2 width=12%|Action(s)
*{{button|snes|B}} - Accelerate, [[Rocket Start]]
|-
*{{button|snes|start}} - Pause/Select
!width=12%|SNES
*{{button|snes|select}} - Switch view
!width=12%|Wii (Classic Controller)
*{{button|snes|Pad}} - Change option during the Menus/Steer
!width=12%|GameCube Controller
*{{button|snes|X}} - Switch view
!width=12%|New Nintendo 3DS
*{{button|snes|Y}} - Brake
!width=12%|Wii U
*{{button|snes|L}} / {{button|snes|R}} - [[Drift]]
!width=16%|Nintendo Switch (Dual Joy-Con / Pro Controller)
!width=16%|Nintendo Switch (Single Joy-Con)
|-
|Change option during the Menus/Steer
|{{button|snes|pad}}
|{{button|wii|CCStickL}} / {{button|wii|Pad}}
|{{button|gcn|Pad}} / {{button|gcn|stick}}
|{{button|3ds|stick}} / {{button|3ds|Pad}}
|{{button|wiiu|Pad}} / {{button|wiiu|Leftstick}}
|{{button|switch|Pad}} / {{button|switch|leftstick}}
|{{button|switch|Stick}}
|-
|Use items, stop Item Roulette
|{{button|snes|A}}
|{{button|wii|CCA}}
|{{button|gcn|A}}
|{{button|3ds|A}}
|{{button|wiiu|A}}
|{{button|switch|A}}
|{{button|switch|jc-right}}
|-
|Accelerate
|{{button|snes|B}}
|{{button|wii|ccB}}
|{{button|gcn|B}}
|{{button|3ds|B}}
|{{button|wiiu|B}}
|{{button|switch|B}}
|{{button|switch|jc-bottom}}
|-
|Switch view
|{{button|snes|X}} / {{button|snes|select}}
|{{button|wii|X}} / {{button|wii|-}}
|{{button|gcn|X}} / {{button|gcn|Z}}
|{{button|3ds|X}} / {{button|3ds|select}}
|{{button|wiiu|X}} / {{button|wiiu|minus}}
|{{button|switch|X}} / {{button|switch|Minus}}
|{{button|switch|jc-top}} / {{button|switch|PlusMinus}} + {{button|switch|SL}}
|-
|Brake
|{{button|snes|Y}}
|{{button|wii|Y}}
|{{button|gcn|Y}}
|{{button|3ds|Y}}
|{{button|wiiu|Y}}
|{{button|switch|Y}}
|{{button|switch|jc-left}}
|-
|Jump / Drift
|{{button|snes|L}} / {{button|snes|R}}
|{{button|wii|L}} / {{button|wii|R}}
|{{button|gcn|L}} / {{button|gcn|R}}
|{{button|3ds|L}} / {{button|3ds|R}}
|{{button|wiiu|L}} / {{button|wiiu|R}}
|{{button|switch|L}} / {{button|switch|R}}
|{{button|switch|SL}} / {{button|switch|SR}}
|-
|Pause / Select
|{{button|snes|start}}
|{{button|wii|+}}
|{{button|gcn|start}}
|{{button|3ds|start}}
|{{button|wiiu|Plus}}
|{{button|switch|plus}}
|{{button|switch|PlusMinus}} + {{button|switch|SR}}
|}
</center>


==Modes of Play==
==Game modes==
===Mario Kart GP===
===Mario Kart GP===
[[File:SMK 1-1 Yoshistart.png|thumb|The first race of the Mario Kart GP is about to start.]]
[[File:SMK Mario Circuit 1 Starting Line.png|thumb|left|The first race of the Mario Kart GP is about to begin.]]
The Mario Kart GP is the main mode for ''Super Mario Kart''. Here, players can race against seven other opponents in a five-course cup. The four best drivers will receive Driver Points for placing in the top four. First place gives the player nine points, second gets six, three points for third and only one for fourth. If players get fifth or below, they can try again using one of three limited lives. If they get it four times, the mode is over. A single extra life was earned by placing the same position three times. The maximum score in a GP cup is forty-five. The three best drivers will move on to the award ceremony where they can receive their trophies. Third place gives the player a bronze trophy, second gives them silver and gold for the winner. Each race is five laps long. If the player wants more of a challenge, he or she could highlight his or her character and press the A, B, X, and Y buttons at the same time. Their character will be permanently small until the player presses these buttons again.
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 8th 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: 1st place gives the player 9 points, 2nd place gives the player 6 points, 3rd place gives the player 3 points, and 4th place gives the player 1 point, while 5th place, 6th place, 7th place and 8th place give the player 0 points. Players who rank 5th or below lose one of 3 lives. If all players rank 5th or below, the race must be tried again. If the player ranks 5th or below without any lives left, the game is lost. A single extra life can be earned by placing in the same position three times. The maximum score in a GP cup is 45 points, obtained by winning five times. The three best drivers move on to the award ceremony where they receive their trophies. 3rd place gives the player a bronze trophy, 2nd place gives the player a silver throphy, and 1st place gives the player a gold throphy (the player can watch the ceremony only when they place first: however, a [[List of Super Mario Kart pre-release and unused content|prototype version]] has animations for second and third). If the player ranks 4th or below 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}}
 
===Time Trial===
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. By pressing {{button|snes|B}} on the second controller, a computer-controlled opponent can be chosen to race against.
 
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>{{cite|author=TCRF|title=[[tcrf:Super Mario Kart|''Super Mario Kart'']]|publisher=The Cutting Room Floor|accessdate=September 16, 2019}}</ref>


===Match Race===
===Match Race===
In this two-player mode, players can race against each other to see who is faster. The player who crosses the finish line after five laps wins the race. Hazards will also be placed on the track to add to the challenge.
This mode is two-player only: the players can race each other like in GP, except CPU racers do not appear and players can freely choose the track to race in. Players start with three coins each. [[Bullet Bill]]s slide around the courses as well, and coming in contact with one results in the kart spinning out and the object disappearing as if it were a Green Shell. The game keeps track of wins and losses of each player.
 
===Battle Mode===
[[File:SuperMarioKartBM.png|left|thumb|Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario in Battle Mode]]
{{main|Battle Mode}}
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 (player 1 is blue, and player 2 is red). Each player has three balloons that cannot be recovered. The first to pop all the opponent's balloons wins.
{{br}}
 
==Characters==
[[File:SuperMarioKart CharSelect.png|thumb|lright|Character selection screen.]]
The game features eight playable characters from the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]], such as [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Yoshi]], and [[Bowser]]. However, some other characters from the series act as obstacles in the game's tracks, like [[Thwomp]]s, [[Monty Mole|Gopher]]s, [[Piranha Plant]]s, [[Bullet Bill]]s, and [[Cheep Cheep|Flopping Cheep Cheep]]s. [[Boo|Ghost]]s do not act as enemies, but both as item and as part of the [[Ghost Valley|Ghost Valley tracks]]' background. Yoshi, Bowser, and Donkey Kong Jr. are the only drivers in this game to have their own taunts when surpassing other racers regardless if they are being used by the player or CPU. The others do not have their own taunts and instead the standard beep is heard when surpassing other racers, but can only be heard when used by the player.


===Time Trial===
As stated in the game's manual, [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]] oversees the race track. He appears on the track to start the race, to warn the player if they are going the wrong way on the course, and when they fall off the edge of the track or go out of bounds. If the latter happens, Lakitu transports the racer back onto the course at the price of two [[coin]]s. A Cheep Cheep balloon distributes the trophy to the GP winner.
In this single-player mode, players can get the fastest time within the required number of laps. The best lap time and race time is recorded after all of the laps are played.
{{br|left}}
===Drivers===
''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. 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.


===Battle===
This is one of only two ''Mario Kart'' games to feature [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] as a playable character, the other being ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'', where he uses his two-dimensional sprite from this game.
[[File:SuperMarioKartBM.png|left|thumb|Battle Mode]]
In this mode for two people, players can battle against each other with balloons. To pop them, the player must hit their opponent with an item. The Item Panels will automatically restock after all of them have been used. Each player gets three balloons to begin the battle with and the first person to pop all other player three balloons wins the battle.
<br clear=all>
==Drivers==
''Super Mario Kart'' has eight available drivers, divided into statistically identical pairs of two. These four categories have no official name, but are referred in the manual as different classes. Later ''Mario Kart'' titles categorize characters into weight classes to organize their stats.
{{br}}
{{br}}
{| style="text-align: center; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
 
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; display:inline-block; background:white; min-width:300px; max-width:620px; align:center"
!colspan=2 style="background:deepskyblue;color:white"|<big>'''{{text outline|The Bros.}}'''</big><br><small>{{text outline|Standard Performance}}</small>
|-
|-
!colspan="5" style="background:#ABC;" | The Drivers
!colspan=2 style="background:white"|<small>''"The Mario Brothers have pretty much the same abilities in cart driving. Mario and Luigi have had a friendly rivalry that goes back to their childhood. You can expect a heated contest between them. When Mario and Luigi are computer controlled, they try to block your path."''</small>
|-
|-
| '''The Bros.'''<br>These characters are average in all areas.
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Mario.png]]<br><big>'''[[Mario]]'''</big>
| [[File:SMKMario.png|200px|center]][[Mario]] is the main hero of the Mario series, first introduced in [[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]. When the computer uses him, he will sometimes use [[Star]] power (invincibility).
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Luigi.png]]<br><big>'''[[Luigi]]'''</big>
| [[File:SMKluigi.png|130px|center]][[Luigi]] is Mario's brother who first appeared in the game [[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Brothers]] as a palette swap for use as a second player in multi-player games. When the computer uses him, he will sometimes use Star power (invincibility).
|-
|-


| '''The Dragon and the Lady'''<br>These characters have excellent acceleration, average handling and medium weight, but suffer from poor top speed.
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center"|[[File:Mario holding flag SMK artwork.jpg|240x200px]][[File:Luigi winks SMK artwork.jpg|240x200px]]
| [[File:MKToadstool.PNG|200px|center]]The [[Princess Peach|Princess]] was also introduced in Super Mario Brothers. She is the princess of the [[Mushroom Kingdom]]. When the computer uses her, she will sometimes throw [[Poison Mushroom]]s at that player to make him or her shrink.
 
| [[File:MKYoshi.PNG|150px|center]][[Yoshi]] is a friendly green [[Yoshi (species)|dinosaur-like creature]], first introduced in ''[[Super Mario World]]''. When the computer uses him, he will sometimes throw [[Yoshi Egg|eggs]] at the player.
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Acceleration:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Top Speed:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Very Good art.png]]
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Weight:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Handling:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|CPU item:
|-
|colspan=2 align="center"|[[File:SMKStar.png]]<br>[[Super Star|Star]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|Victory theme:
|-
|-
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Mario Ranks.oga]]
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Luigi Ranks.oga]]
|}


| '''The Showdown'''<br>These characters have the highest top speed and heaviest weight, but suffer from poor acceleration and poor control.
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; display:inline-block; background:white; min-width:300px; max-width:620px; align=center"
| [[File:MKBowser.PNG|150px|center]][[Bowser]] is another character introduced in Super Mario Brothers and is the game's main villain, as well as the villain of most games in the Mario series. When the computer uses him, he will sometimes throw lava balls at the player.
!colspan=2 style="background:deeppink;color:white"|<big>'''{{text outline|The Dragon and The Lady}}'''</big><br><small>{{text outline|Fast Acceleration}}</small>
| [[File:DKJRMK.PNG|155px|center]][[Donkey Kong Jr.]] is the son of [[Cranky Kong|Donkey Kong]] and one of the more obscure characters in the series. He made his debut in [[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|his self-titled game.]] When the computer uses him, he will sometimes throw [[Banana#Mario Kart series|bananas]] at the player.
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:white"|<small>''"At first, you might think that The Princess and Yoshi would have nothing in common (except their fondness for Mario). As it turns out, they have the same driving ability. Both of these racers have very fast acceleration. As enemies, the Princess will toss poison mushrooms in your path, and Yoshi will use eggs to hinder your progress."''</small>
|-
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Princess.png]]<br><big>'''[[Princess Peach|Princess]]'''</big>
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Yoshi.png]]<br><big>'''[[Yoshi]]'''</big>
|-
|-


| '''The Small Guys'''<br>These characters have very good steering, but only average acceleration and average top speed. They also get bumped around a lot, because of their low weight.
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center"|[[File:SMK Princess artwork.jpg|240x200px]][[File:Yoshi SMK artwork.jpg|240x200px]]
| [[File:MKTroopa.PNG|150px|center]]The [[Koopa Troopa]] is one of the basic [[enemies]] introduced in [[Super Mario Bros.]]. When the computer uses him, he will sometimes throw [[Green Shell]]s towards the player.
 
| [[File:MKToad.PNG|155px|center]][[Toad]] is also another character introduced in Super Mario Bros and one of few friendly characters from those events. When the computer uses Toad, he will sometimes throw [[Poison Mushroom|mushrooms]] in front of the player that will make him or her shrink if he or she collides into them.
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Acceleration:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Top Speed:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating The Best of the Best art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Weight:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Handling:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Not so hot art.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|CPU item:
|-
|align="center"|[[File:PoisonMushroomSMK.png]]<br>[[Poison Mushroom]]
|align="center"|[[File:Yoshi Egg Super Mario Kart.png]]<br>[[Yoshi Egg|Egg]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|Victory theme:
|-
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Peach Ranks.oga]]
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Yoshi Ranks.oga]]
|}
|}


===Character attributes===
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; display:inline-block; background:white; min-width:300px; max-width:620px; align=center"
{| style="text-align: center; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!colspan=2 style="background:limegreen;color:white"|<big>'''{{text outline|The Showdown}}'''</big><br><small>{{text outline|High Top Speed}}</small>
|- style="background: #ABC;"
|-
!colspan="2"|Drivers
!colspan=2 style="background:white"|<small>''"These two drivers have long been Mario's arch enemies. They are both rather hefty, so they have slow acceleration, but their top speed is great! As enemies, look out for Bowser's fireballs and Donkey Kong Jr.'s banana peels. These two really throw their weight around. Stay clear of them!"''</small>
!width=12.5%|Acceleration
|-
!width=12.5%|Top Speed
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Bowser.png]]<br><big>'''[[Bowser]]'''</big>
!width=12.5%|Weight
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Donkey Kong Jr.png]]<br><big>'''[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]'''</big>
!width=12.5%|Handling
|-
 
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center"|[[File:Bowser SMK artwork.jpg|240x200px]][[File:Donkey Kong JR SMK artwork.jpg|170px]]
 
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Acceleration:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Top Speed:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Not so hot art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating The Best of the Best art.png]]
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Weight:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Handling:
|-
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Mario]]||style="text-align:left"|[[Luigi]]||Medium||Medium||Medium||Medium
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Very Good art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Average art.png]]
|-
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Princess Peach|Princess]]||style="text-align:left"|[[Yoshi]]||High||Low||Medium||Medium
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|CPU item:
|-
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Bowser]]||style="text-align:left"|[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]||Low||High||High||Low
|align="center"|[[File:SMKFireball.png]]<br>[[Fireball]]
|align="center"|[[File:SMK Banana.png]]<br>[[Banana]]
|-
|-
|width=25% style="text-align:left"|[[Koopa Troopa]]||width=25% style="text-align:left"|[[Toad]]||Medium||Medium||Low||High
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|Victory theme:
|-
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Bowser Ranks.oga]]
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Ranks.oga]]
|}
 
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; display:inline-block; background:white; min-width:300px; max-width:620px; align=center"
!colspan=2 style="background:gold;color:white"|<big>'''{{text outline|The Small Guys}}'''</big><br><small>{{text outline|Good Control}}</small>
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:white"|<small>''"Neither of these racers have qualities that make them stand out. They are, however, good all around racers with better than average control in corners- they do not skid as easy. These racers are good for beginners who are just learning to race. In the GP race as enemies, Koopa Troopa will drop shells and Toad will place poison mushrooms on the track."''</small>
|-
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Koopa Troopa.png]]<br><big>'''[[Koopa Troopa]]'''</big>
!width=50% style="background:#EAECF0"|[[File:SMK icon Toad.png]]<br><big>'''[[Toad]]'''</big>
|-
 
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center"|[[File:Koopa Troopa SMK artwork.jpg|240x200px]][[File:Toad SMK artwork.jpg|200px]]
 
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Acceleration:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Top Speed:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Very Good art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Not so hot art.png]]
|-
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Weight:
!style="background:#EAECF0"|Handling:
|-
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Not so hot art.png]]
|style="background:white" align="center"|[[File:SMK Rating Very Good art.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|CPU item:
|-
|align="center"|[[File:SMK Green Shell Track Sprite.png]]<br>[[Green Shell]]
|align="center"|[[File:PoisonMushroomSMK.png]]<br>[[Poison Mushroom]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|Victory theme:
|-
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Koopa Troopa Ranks.oga]]
|style="background:black" align="center"|[[File:SMK Toad Ranks.oga]]
|}
 
====Maximum speed====
The Japanese ''Official Nintendo Guidebook'' of the game lists the maximum speed in the 100cc engine class in various conditions.<ref>{{cite|title=''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>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook''|page=15}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"style="text-align:center; margin:auto;"
!colspan="8"|Maximum speed in the 100cc engine class
|-
!rowspan="2"|Driver
!colspan="7"|Maximum speed (km/h)
|-
!Normal road
!Circuits' sand
!Choco Island's rocks
!Choco Island's mud
!Donut Plain's grass
!Koopa Beach's water
!Vanilla Lake's snow
|-
!Mario<br>Luigi
|130
|84
|40
|90
|82
|82
|76
|-
!Princess<br>Yoshi
|125
|88
|44
|94
|86
|86
|70
|-
!Bowser<br>Donkey Kong Jr.
|135
|86
|42
|92
|80
|88
|74
|-
!Koopa Troopa<br>Toad
|120
|90
|46
|96
|84
|84
|72
|}
 
====Acceleration====
[[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.]]
{{br}}
 
===Performance chart===
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|thumb]]
 
===Non-playable===
{|class="wikitable" width:100%;"align=center
|-
!colspan="3" align=center|Characters and elements
|-
!width="15%"align=center|Character/element
!width="20%"align=center|Location
!width="65%"align=center|Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Big Cheep Cheep.gif]]<br>[[Big Cheep Cheep]]
|align=center|Winner's circle
|A giant blimp-like fish that appears at the winner's circle, depositing the player's trophy before deflating away.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Bullet Bill.png]]<br>[[Bullet Bill]]
|align=center|N/A
|Appears in Match Races where they bounce back and forth between two walls and causes racers who drive into them to spin out.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Flopping Cheep Cheep.gif]]<br>[[Cheep Cheep|Flopping Cheep Cheep]]
|align=center|Koopa Beach
|Bouncing fish that spin players out if they come in contact with them.
|-
|align=center|<div style="background:black;display:inline-block">[[File:SMK Ghost light.gif]][[File:SMK Ghost dark.gif]]</div><br>[[Boo|Ghost]]
|align=center|Ghost Valley
|Background elements in the Ghost Valley courses.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Monty Mole.png]]<br>[[Monty Mole|Gopher]]
|align=center|Donut Plains
|Gophers attach themselves onto racers if ran into, which cause them to lose speed and coins. Players must hop repeatedly to get them off.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Lakitu finish.gif]]<br>[[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]]
|align=center|N/A
|A helpful track manager who oversees the race. He starts the race up, pulls racers out of lava, water, and pits, tells players that they are going the wrong way, and waves a checkered flag for a racer who has finished.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Piranha Plant.gif]]<br>[[Piranha Plant]]
|align=center|Choco Island
|A carnivorous plant that acts like a stationary obstacle. Players who run into them spin out.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Thwomp.png]]<br>[[Thwomp]]
|align=center|Bowser Castle
|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.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Thwomp 2.gif]]<br>[[Star Thwomp|Super Thwomp]]
|align=center|Rainbow Road
|Flashing Thwomps that cause racers to spin out on contact.
|}
|}


==Courses==
==Courses==
{| width=100% border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse"
The game has 20 race courses and 4 battle courses, the former being divided in four cups. ''Super Mario Kart'' is the only game in the ''Mario Kart'' series to have five courses per cup, as opposed to four in later games.
|- bgcolor=#fff7f7
===Race courses===
![[Mushroom Cup]]
Aside from Rainbow Road, all of the courses are numbered. In the credits, each character is assigned a course.
![[Flower Cup]]
 
![[Star Cup]]
Some common hazards include the following:
![[Special Cup]]
*'''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.
|- align=center
*'''Lava''': Racers who fall in immediately get picked up by Lakitu.
|[[File:SNES Mario Circuit 1 map.png|100px]]<br>[[Mario Circuit 1]]
*'''Abyss''': Racers who fall immediately get picked up by Lakitu.
|[[File:SNES Choco Island 1.png|100px]]<br>[[Choco Island 1]]
*'''Destructible blocks''': Walls that get destroyed when struck in Ghost Valley and Vanilla Lake.
|[[File:SNES Koopa Beach 1.png|100px]]<br>[[Koopa Beach 1]]
*'''Dirt''': Decreases traction when driven on in Donut Plains.
|[[File:SNES Donut Plains 3.png|100px]]<br>[[Donut Plains 3 (course)|Donut Plains 3]]
*'''Chocolate Mud''': Decreases traction and slows speed when driven on in Choco Island.
|- align=center bgcolor=white
{{br}}
|[[File:SNES Donut Plains 1.png|100px]]<br>[[Donut Plains 1 (course)|Donut Plains 1]]
{|border=1 style="text-align:center;overflow:auto; max-width:1260px"
|[[File:SNES Ghost Valley 2.png|100px]]<br>[[Ghost Valley 2]]
!Course
|[[File:SNES Choco Island 2.png|100px]]<br>[[Choco Island 2]]
!Attributes
|[[File:SNES Koopa Beach 2.png|100px]]<br>[[Koopa Beach 2]]
!Character
|- align=center
!Description
|[[File:SNES Ghost Valley 1.png|100px]]<br>[[Ghost Valley 1]]
|-
|[[File:SNES Donut Plains 2.png|100px]]<br>[[Donut Plains 2 (course)|Donut Plains 2]]
![[File:SMK BG Mario Circuit.png]]
|[[File:SNES Vanilla Lake 1.png|100px]]<br>[[Vanilla Lake 1]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
|[[File:SNES Ghost Valley 3.png|100px]]<br>[[Ghost Valley 3]]
*'''Terrain:''' Pavement/Sand
|- align=center bgcolor=white
*'''Slipperiness''': 1
|[[File:SNES Bowser Castle 1.png|100px]]<br>[[Bowser Castle 1]]
*'''Obstacles:''' [[Oil slick]], [[Warp Pipe|Pipe]]s
|[[File:SNES Bowser Castle 2 map.png|100px]]<br>[[Bowser Castle 2]]
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>[[Luigi]]
|[[File:SNES Bowser Castle 3 map.png|100px]]<br>[[Bowser Castle 3]]
|rowspan=3|''"A paved track with good traction. Look out for the pipes!"''
|[[File:SNES Vanilla Lake 2.png|100px]]<br>[[Vanilla Lake 2]]
|-
|- align=center
![[File:SMK-Music-MarioCircuit.oga|256px]]
|[[File:SNES Mario Circuit 2.png|100px]]<br>[[Mario Circuit 2]]
|-
|[[File:SNES Mario Circuit 3 map.png|100px]]<br>[[Mario Circuit 3]]
!<big>Mario Circuit</big>
|[[File:SNES Mario Circuit 4.png|100px]]<br>[[Mario Circuit 4]]
|-
|[[File:SNES Rainbow Road.png|100px]]<br>[[Rainbow Road#Super Mario Kart|Rainbow Road]]
![[File:SMK BG Donut Plains.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Grassy
*'''Slipperiness''': 2
*'''Obstacles:''' [[Monty Mole|Gopher]]s, Water, Pipes
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>[[Princess Peach|Princess]]
|rowspan=3|''"A tranquil setting with a beautiful pond. Pipes or Gophers may get in your way."''
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-DonutPlains.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Donut Plains</big>
|-
![[File:SMK BG Ghost Valley.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Wooden
*'''Slipperiness''': 1
*'''Obstacles:''' Falling walls
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>[[Yoshi]]
|rowspan=3|''"A track made of wood built a long time ago. There are no special obstacles, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for holes."''
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-GhostValley.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Ghost Valley</big>
|-
![[File:SMK BG Bowser Castle.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Stone
*'''Slipperiness''': 1
*'''Obstacles:''' [[Thwomp]], Lava
|rowspan=3|[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>[[Bowser]]
|rowspan=3|''"A course made of stones set on a bed of lava. Be careful, or you'll get Thwomped."''
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-BowserCastle.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Bowser Castle</big>
|-
![[File:SMK BG Choco Island.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Chocolate
*'''Slipperiness''': 3
*'''Obstacles:''' [[Piranha Plant]]s, Chocolate Mud
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]
|rowspan=3|''"A dirt course in the desert. The infamous Piranha Plant hangs out here."''
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-ChocoIsland.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Choco Island</big>
|-
![[File:SMK BG Koopa Beach.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Sand/water
*'''Slipperiness''': 3
*'''Obstacles:''' [[Cheep Cheep|Flopping Cheep Cheep]]s, deep water
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>[[Koopa Troopa]]
|rowspan=3|''"A race on the beach around a small island. The Flopping Cheep Cheep makes its home here."''
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-KoopaBeach.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Koopa Beach</big>
|-
![[File:SMK BG Vanilla Lake.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Ice/Snow
*'''Slipperiness''': 4
*'''Obstacles:''' Icy water, [[Snow block|destructible blocks]], Pipes.
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>[[Toad]]
|rowspan=3|''"A frozen lake that is very slick. Pipes and holes in the ice should be avoided at all costs."''
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-VanillaLake.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Vanilla Lake</big>
|-
![[File:SMK BG Rainbow Road.png]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|
*'''Terrain:''' Rainbow tiles
*'''Slipperiness''': 1
*'''Obstacles:''' [[Star Thwomp|Super Thwomp]]s
|rowspan=3|[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>[[Mario]]
|rowspan=3|-
|-
![[File:SMK-Music-RainbowRoad.oga|256px]]
|-
!<big>Rainbow Road</big>
|}
<br clear=all>
 
====Cup races====
{|border=1 style="background:#EAECF0; text-align:center;overflow:auto; max-width:1350px" width=1350px
|-
|style="align:left; border:0"|
{|border=1
|style="background:black"|[[File:SMK Mushroom Cup Emblem.png]]
|width=140px|[[File:SMK MushroomCupRace.png]]
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:white"|<big>'''[[Mushroom Cup]]'''</big>
|}
|-
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Mario Circuit.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Mario Circuit 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Donut Plains.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Donut Plains 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]]'''</big>
|}
|}


==Battle courses==
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{| width=100% border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse"
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|- bgcolor=#fff7f7
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Ghost Valley.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Ghost Valley 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
![[Battle Course 1 (SNES)|Battle Course 1]]
|-
![[Battle Course 2 (SNES)|Battle Course 2]]
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Ghost Valley 1|Ghost Valley 1]]'''</big>
![[Battle Course 3 (SNES)|Battle Course 3]]
|}
![[Battle Course 4 (SNES)|Battle Course 4]]
 
|- align=center
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
|[[File:BC1SNES.png|100px]]
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|[[File:BC2SNES.png|100px]]
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Bowser Castle.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Bowser Castle 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|[[File:BC3SNES.png|100px]]
|-
|[[File:BC4SNES.png|100px]]
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Bowser Castle 1]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Mario Circuit.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Mario Circuit 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|-
|style="align:left; border:0""|
{|border=1
|style="background:black"|[[File:SMK Flower Cup Emblem.png]]
|width=140px|[[File:SMK FlowerCupRace.png]]
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:white"|<big>'''[[Flower Cup]]'''</big>
|}
|-
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Choco Island.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Choco Island 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Choco Island 1|Choco Island 1]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Ghost Valley.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Ghost Valley 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Donut Plains.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Donut Plains 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Donut Plains 2|Donut Plains 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Bowser Castle.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Bowser Castle 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Bowser Castle 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Mario Circuit.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Mario Circuit 3 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]]'''</big>
|}
 
|-
|style="align:left; border:0""|
{|border=1
|style="background:black"|[[File:SMK Star Cup Emblem.png]]
|width=140px|[[File:SMK StarCupRace.png]]
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:white"|<big>'''[[Star Cup]]'''</big>
|}
|-
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Koopa Beach.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Koopa Beach 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Koopa Beach 1]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Choco Island.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Choco Island 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Vanilla Lake.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Vanilla Lake 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Vanilla Lake 1|Vanilla Lake 1]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Bowser Castle.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Bowser Castle 3 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Bowser Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Mario Circuit.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Mario Circuit 4 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Mario Circuit 4]]'''</big>
|}
 
|-
|style="align:left; border:0""|
{|border=1
|style="background:black"|[[File:SMK Special Cup Emblem.png]]
|width=140px|[[File:SMK SpecialCupRace.png]]
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:white"|<big>'''[[Special Cup]]'''</big>
|}
|-
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Donut Plains.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Donut Plains 3 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Donut Plains 3|Donut Plains 3]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Koopa Beach.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Koopa Beach 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Ghost Valley.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Ghost Valley 3 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Ghost Valley 3]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Vanilla Lake.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Vanilla Lake 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Vanilla Lake 2|Vanilla Lake 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Rainbow Road.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Rainbow Road Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]'''</big>
|}
|}
 
====Course features and obstacles====
{|class="wikitable"width:100%;"align=center
|-
!width="15%"align=center|Feature
!width="85%"align=center|Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Coin track.png]] [[File:SMK Coin.gif]]<br>[[Coin]]
|These are scattered throughout the course and increase the player's speed as well as give them durability against opponents. They do not respawn once taken.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Jump track 1.png]] [[File:SMK Jump track 2.png]]<br>[[Ramp|Jump]]
|Players hop if they drive over this. Driving over it at high speeds causes racers to jump higher and farther.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK OilSlickSprite.png]]<br>[[Oil Slick]]
|Located in the Mario Circuits, players spin out if they drive over them.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Green Warp Pipe.png]] [[File:SMK Orange Warp Pipe.png]]<br>[[Warp Pipe|Pipe]]
|Stationary obstacles found in Mario Circuit, Vanilla Lake, and Donut Plains that act as walls and slow players down when struck.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Question Panel SMK sprite.png]] [[File:Activatedquestionpanel.png]]<br>[[? Panel|Question Block]]
|These panels gives players an item if driven over. Once they are driven over, they are depleted until all Question Blocks in the course get depleted, in which they all respawn.
|-
|align=center|[[File:SMK Zipper track.png]]<br>[[Dash Panel|Zipper]]
|Zippers give a burst of speed for players who drive over it.
|}
 
===Battle courses===
{|border=1 style="background:#EAECF0; text-align:center;overflow:auto; max-width:1100px" width=1100px
|-
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Donut Plains.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Battle Course 1 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Battle Course 1|Battle Course 1]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Koopa Beach.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Battle Course 2 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Battle Course 2 (Super Mario Kart)|Battle Course 2]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Vanilla Lake.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Battle Course 3 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[Battle Course 3 (Super Mario Kart)|Battle Course 3]]'''</big>
|}
 
|style="display:inline-block; background:white; maxwidth:260px" width=260px|
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4 margin=0 padding=0 style="border:1px solid black; border-collapse:collapse; height:100%" width=100%
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMK BG Mario Circuit.png]]<br>[[File:SMK Battle Course 4 Lower-Screen Map.png]]
|-
!colspan=2 style="background:#EAECF0"|<big>'''[[SNES Battle Course 4|Battle Course 4]]'''</big>
|}
|-
|[[File:SMK-Music-Battle.oga|256px]]
|}
|}


==Items==
==Items==
* [[Feather]]
Items are obtained through [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] scattered around the tracks. When the player passes over one, it deactivates until all other Question Blocks are used. Once a racer passes over one, with a few exceptions, they receive an item in their box from the following:
* [[Starman]]
{|class="wikitable"style="text-align:center;width:94%"align=center
* [[Mushroom]]
|-
* [[Banana Peel]]
!width="15%"|Item
* [[Green Shell]]
!width="55%"|Description
* [[Red Shell]]
!width="25%"|Notes
* [[Thunderbolt (item)|Lightning Bolt]]
|-
* [[Boo]]
![[File:SMKBanana.png]] [[File:SMK Banana.png]]<br>[[Banana|Banana Peel]]
* [[Coin]]
|align=left|When a kart hits a Banana Peel, it spins out.
|align=left|Can be thrown backward and forward. Also used by Donkey Kong Jr. if he is CPU-controlled.
|-
![[File:SMKGreenShell.png]] [[File:SMK Green Shell.gif]]<br>[[Green Shell]]
|align=left|The Green Shell sends an enemy into a spin if they are hit. Green Shells can bounce off barriers. Throwing it backwards causes it to remain stationary.
|align=left|Can be thrown backward and forward. Used by Koopa Troopa if CPU-controlled, but they behave similar to Banana Peels even when thrown forward, and remain stationary.
|-
![[File:SMKRedShell.png]] [[File:SMK Red Shell.gif]]<br>[[Red Shell]]
|align=left|The Red Shell acts similarly to a Green Shell, but homes in on the target instead. It does not bounce off walls, however.
|align=left|Can be thrown only forward.
|-
![[File:FeatherSMK.png]]<br>[[Cape Feather|Feather]]
|align=left|A Feather allows the user to perform a high jump, high enough to take normally impossible shortcuts and to sail over obstacles and other racers.
|align=left|Can be used by every CPU. Cannot appear on a Mario Circuit or a Donut Plains course.
|-
![[File:SMKMushroom.png]]<br>[[Dash Mushroom|Mushroom]]
|align=left|The Mushroom is a more common item than a Feather or a Star, and grants the user a slight boost. It can either be used to slam an opponent or drive over hazards such as sand and grass without losing speed. When using a Mushroom in front of a jump pad, the jump is higher and farther.
|
|-
![[File:SMKStar.png]]<br>[[Super Star|Star]]
|align=left|The Star provides two benefits, allowing the user to receive a small speed boost and to become invulnerable to everything. Contact with other racers causes them to spin out.
|align=left|Used also by Mario and Luigi if they are CPU-controlled. They do not receive a speed boost, however, and the effect does not last as long.
|-
![[File:SMK Boo Item Box Sprite 1.png]] [[File:SMK Boo Item Box Sprite 2.png]]<br>[[Boo|Ghost]]
|align=left|The Ghost turns the user transparent for a few seconds and steals an opponent's item.
|align=left|Exclusive to Battle Mode and Match Race.
|-
![[File:SMK Coin Item Box Sprite.png]] [[File:SMK Coin.gif]]<br>[[Coin]]
|align=left|The Coin adds two coins to the total coin count, increasing the user's overall top speed.
|align=left|Does not appear in Battle Mode and Time Trial. Maximum benefit is achieved with 10 coins.
|-
![[File:SMKLightning.png]]<br>[[Lightning]]
|align=left|The Lightning Bolt shrinks all the racers except for the user, making them slower and vulnerable to being squashed by normal sized racers. The effect wears off after a brief period of time.
|align=left|Does not appear in Battle Mode.
|-
![[File:Yoshi Egg Super Mario Kart.png]]<br>[[Yoshi Egg|Egg]]
|align=left|Works similar to a Banana Peel, the only difference being that it does little hops.
|align=left|Usable only by Yoshi if he is CPU-controlled.
|-
![[File:SMKFireball.png]]<br>[[Fireball]]
|align=left|Similar to a Banana Peel, but moves in a circular motion, making them harder to pass safely.
|align=left|Usable only by Bowser if he is CPU-controlled.
|-
![[File:PoisonMushroomSMK.png]]<br>[[Poison Mushroom]]
|align=left|A stationary item. If one is run into, the victim shrinks, as if hit by a Lightning Bolt. Shrunken racers who run into it revert to normal size.
|align=left|Usable only by Princess and Toad if they are CPU-controlled.
|}
===Probabilities===
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>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook''|page=142 and 143}}</ref>
In the races, the probability of obtaining an item depends on the track theme, on the current lap and on the rank of the driver, while in Battle Mode the probability is not affected by any factor.
====Mario Kart GP====
In Mario Kart GP races, during the first lap all the drivers receive items with the same probabilities they would obtain if they were in first place, regardless of their rank.
{|class="wikitable center"
!Track theme
!Rank
![[File:SMKMushroom.png]]
![[File:FeatherSMK.png]]
![[File:SMKStar.png]]
![[File:SMKBanana.png]]
![[File:SMKGreenShell.png]]
![[File:SMKRedShell.png]]
![[File:SMK Boo Item Box Sprite 1.png]]
![[File:SMK Coin Item Box Sprite.png]]
![[File:SMKLightning.png]]
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Mario Circuit
!1st
|C
|F
|F
|B
|C
|B
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|F
|F
|A
|B
|E
|
|A
|F
|-
!5th-8th
|A
|F
|D
|E
|E
|A
|
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Donut Plains
!1st
|B
|F
|F
|C
|C
|B
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|F
|F
|B
|A
|E
|
|A
|F
|-
!5th-8th
|A
|F
|C
|E
|E
|A
|
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Ghost Valley
!1st
|C
|B
|F
|D
|C
|D
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|E
|F
|A
|C
|E
|
|A
|F
|-
!5th-8th
|A
|B
|C
|E
|E
|D
|
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Bowser Castle<br>Rainbow Road
!1st
|D
|D
|F
|C
|C
|D
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|E
|F
|C
|A
|E
|
|A
|E
|-
!5th-8th
|A
|D
|C
|E
|E
|B
|
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Choco Island
!1st
|B
|E
|F
|C
|C
|C
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|E
|F
|A
|A
|E
|
|C
|F
|-
!5th-8th
|A
|E
|D
|E
|E
|A
|
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Koopa Beach
!1st
|B
|E
|F
|F
|C
|C
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|E
|F
|A
|A
|E
|
|C
|F
|-
!5th-8th
|A
|C
|D
|E
|E
|C
|
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Vanilla Lake
!1st
|C
|C
|F
|C
|D
|C
|
|D
|F
|-
!2nd-4th
|E
|E
|F
|A
|A
|E
|
|C
|F
|-style="border-bottom:2px solid black;"
!5th-8th
|A
|C
|D
|E
|E
|C
|
|F
|E
|}
 
====Match Race====
{|class="wikitable center"
!Track theme
!Lap/Rank
![[File:SMKMushroom.png]]
![[File:FeatherSMK.png]]
![[File:SMKStar.png]]
![[File:SMKBanana.png]]
![[File:SMKGreenShell.png]]
![[File:SMKRedShell.png]]
![[File:SMK Boo Item Box Sprite 1.png]]
![[File:SMK Coin Item Box Sprite.png]]
![[File:SMKLightning.png]]
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Mario Circuit
!1st lap
|C
|F
|F
|B
|B
|C
|E
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|F
|F
|A
|A
|E
|F
|B
|F
|-
!2nd place
|A
|F
|D
|E
|E
|A
|E
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Ghost Valley
!1st lap
|C
|B
|F
|B
|E
|D
|F
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|D
|F
|B
|B
|E
|B
|B
|F
|-
!2nd place
|B
|B
|E
|E
|E
|D
|E
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Donut Plains
!1st lap
|B
|F
|F
|B
|C
|C
|E
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|F
|F
|B
|A
|E
|F
|A
|F
|-
!2nd place
|B
|F
|C
|E
|E
|B
|E
|E
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Bowser Castle<br>Rainbow Road
!1st lap
|C
|F
|F
|C
|C
|D
|E
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|E
|F
|C
|A
|E
|F
|A
|F
|-
!2nd place
|A
|E
|D
|E
|E
|B
|E
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Choco Island
!1st lap
|C
|D
|F
|C
|C
|C
|E
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|E
|F
|A
|B
|E
|F
|B
|F
|-
!2nd place
|A
|E
|D
|E
|E
|B
|E
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Koopa Beach
!1st lap
|C
|D
|F
|C
|C
|D
|E
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|E
|F
|A
|B
|E
|F
|B
|F
|-
!2nd place
|A
|E
|D
|E
|E
|D
|E
|F
|E
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
!rowspan="3"|Vanilla Lake
!1st lap
|C
|C
|F
|C
|C
|D
|E
|E
|F
|-
!1st place
|E
|E
|F
|A
|B
|E
|F
|B
|F
|-style="border-bottom:2px solid black;"
!2nd place
|A
|D
|D
|E
|E
|D
|E
|F
|E
|}
 
====Battle Mode====
{|class="wikitable center"
![[File:SMKMushroom.png]]
![[File:FeatherSMK.png]]
![[File:SMKStar.png]]
![[File:SMKBanana.png]]
![[File:SMKGreenShell.png]]
![[File:SMKRedShell.png]]
![[File:SMK Boo Item Box Sprite 1.png]]
![[File:SMK Coin Item Box Sprite.png]]
![[File:SMKLightning.png]]
|-
|E
|D
|E
|E
|A
|A
|E
|
|
|}


==Rivals==
==Rivals==
[[File:MarioWins SMK.png|thumb|The rivals always finish in a particular order. In this case, though, Princess got a lower spot than normal.]]
[[File:MarioWins SMK.png|thumb|The rivals are expected to finish in a particular order. In this case, though, Princess finished on a lower spot than normal.]]
[[File:MarioCartSmallAni.gif|frame|left|Mario, after winning a race.]]
''Super Mario Kart'' has a different [[rival]] system from the rest of the series (except for ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]''); the rivals contain one very fast driver, one fast driver, one medium driver, one slow driver and three very slow drivers. It is notable that when one of the three slowest drivers gets hit, that kart keeps its place, while when one of the faster cars gets shot, it usually resumes its previous place very quickly unless unable to catch up fast enough before the race ends. For this reason, the drivers (except the human racer) are expected to finish in a particular order if unaffected. Also, if the player tries to hit an opponent, the opponent may jump over the item similar to when they jump over CPU-placed items. Also, the rivals are not determined in pairs, so that even if Donkey Kong Jr. is Mario's rival, Mario is not Donkey Kong Jr.'s rival, as shown in the table below.
''Super Mario Kart'' has a different rival system from the rest of the series; the rivals contain one very fast driver, one fast driver, one medium driver, one slower driver and three very slow drivers. It is notable that when one of the three slower drivers gets hit, that kart will keep its place, while when one of the faster cars gets shot, it will usually resume its previous place very quickly unless unable to catch up fast enough before the race ends. For this reason, the drivers (except the human racer) will (if unaffected) always finish in the exact same order. Also if the player tries to hit an opponent a majority of the time, they jump over the item.  


The rivals for each driver are always the same, the list will be in the order the line up for the first race. It is possible to change the order if the rivals can't recover their place at the end, (Eg. If someone is playing as Luigi and Yoshi finishes last, Yoshi will then become one of the three slower drivers while everybody takes the next position up)
The rivals for each driver are always the same, the list is in the order the line up for the first race. It is possible to change the order if the rivals cannot recover their place at the end (for example, if someone is playing as Luigi and Yoshi finishes last, Yoshi then becomes one of the three slower drivers while everybody takes the next position up). It happens mostly on 100cc and 150cc.


The rivals are determined by the current points standing, meaning that if Yoshi was still only second to the player, he will boost back to first position from the start.
The rivals are determined by the current points standing, meaning that if Yoshi was still only second to the player, he boosts back to first position from the start.
 
{{br}}
{| style="text-align: center; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center; width:820px; margin: 0 auto"
|-style="background: #ABC;"
!rowspan=2 width=120px|Character
!width="20%"|Character
!colspan=7|Rival Order
!width="50%"|Rival Order
|-
!Very Fast
!Fast
!Medium
!Slow
!colspan=3|Very Slow
|-
|-
|Mario
![[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario
|DK Jr, Princess, Yoshi, Luigi, Toad, Bowser, Koopa
|width=100px|[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||width=100px|[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||width=100px|[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi||width=100px|[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi||width=100px|[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad||width=100px|[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser||width=100px|[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa
|-
|-
|Luigi
![[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi
|Yoshi, Mario, Bowser, Koopa, Princess, DK Jr, Toad
|[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi||[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser||[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa||[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad
|-
|-
|Princess
![[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess
|Bowser, Toad, Mario, DK Jr, Luigi, Yoshi, Koopa
|[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser||[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad||[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi||[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi||[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa
|-
|-
|Yoshi
![[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi
|Koopa, DK Jr, Princess, Bowser, Mario, Toad, Luigi
|[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa||[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser||[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad||[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi
|-
|-
|Bowser
![[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser
|Mario, Luigi, Princess, Yoshi, DK Jr, Toad, Koopa
|[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi||[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi||[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad||[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa
|-
|-
|DK Jr
![[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.
|Toad, Bowser, Koopa, Luigi, Princess, Mario, Yoshi
|[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad||[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser||[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa||[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi||[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi
|-
|-
|Koopa
![[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa
|Luigi, Yoshi, Princess, Mario, Bowser, DK Jr, Toad
|[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi||[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi||[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser||[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||[[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad
|-
|-
|Toad
![[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad
|Princess, DK Jr, Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Koopa, Bowser
|[[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess||[[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.||[[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario||[[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi||[[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi||[[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa||[[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser
|}
|}
==Staff==
{{main|List of Super Mario Kart staff}}
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>{{cite|url=www.rocketbaby.net/interviews_soyo_oka.html|title=Interview between Rocketbaby and Soyo Oka|accessdate=February 12, 2015}}</ref>


==Development==
==Development==
''Super Mario Kart'' was born out of the idea of making a two-player racing game following ''[[f-zerowiki: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 prototype initially only featured a generic "guy in overalls". The decision to include ''Mario'' characters and concepts was made three to four months in development, when the developers added Mario driving one of the karts because they were curious about how the game would look, and decided that it looked better <ref name="Iwata Asks"> </ref>. 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 didn't involving competing for ranks during the races <ref name="Iwata Asks"> </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">{{cite|url=iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/mariokart/0/0|title=Iwata Asks: ''Mario Kart Wii''|accessdate=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>{{cite|author=Otero, Joseph|date=May 29, 2014|url=www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/29/how-anti-gravity-made-mario-kart-better|title=How Anti-Gravity Made ''Mario Kart'' Better|publisher=IGN|accessdate=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"/>
 
==Pre-release and unused content==
{{main|List of Super Mario Kart pre-release and unused content}}
A prototype cartridge of the game features several differences, such as the presence of animations on the podium screen when the player ranks 2nd or 3rd place, a music track for [[SNES Vanilla Lake 1|Vanilla Lake 1]] that does not appear in the final build and a different [[Battle Course 3 (Super Mario Kart)|Battle Course 3]] set in Choco Island.
 
==Regional differences==
{{main-wiki|TCRF|Super Mario Kart#Regional Differences}}
{{multiframe
|[[File:SMK Bowser US Victory Animation.gif|100px]][[File:SMK Bowser JP Victory Animation.gif|100px]]
|The left image is Bowser's international victory animation,<br>while the right is his Japanese victory animation.
|align=right
}}
Several graphical changes consisting of minor touch-ups and even censoring of questionable material has been made to international versions of the game.
*The logo in the title screen for international versions have an enlarged "O" and "E" in the title, "Super Mario Kart" and overall increased box size. The trademark symbol is in a different position as well.
*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.
**In the international versions, Donkey Kong Jr. juggles a few bottles of champagne in his celebration animation. In the European version, this was changed to him swinging the bottles around.
*Yoshi has a more defined head in the North American versions of the game. The European version retains the Japanese version's head.
*International versions of the game save the player's choices, having them already selected the next time they go through menus.
*The Japanese version plays a Boo sound when {{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}} are pressed on the Time Trial menu in order to unlock the Special Cup early. No sound is played in the international versions.
*Karts are stalled less when they are overreved at the start of the race in the North American version of the game.
 
==Glitches==
{{Main|List of Super Mario Kart glitches}}
[[File:GlitchLapSuperMarioKart.png|thumb|A demonstration of the glitched lap counter in [[Mario Circuit 4]]]]
===Continue boost===
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">{{cite|author=呂理彬 Lu Li Bin|date=February 14, 2013|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=30iZWoq6c3o|title=【TAS】SNES Super Mario Kart 150cc All-Cup Stage By Stage Comparison|publisher=YouTube}}</ref>
 
===Glitched lap counter===
When some glitches are performed, occasionally Lakitu shows glitched lap counters, such as "LAP 05" or, rarely, "LAP 16". "LAP" is normal, but the part of the panel that displays the lap number is missing, and the digits are small, stacked, and displayed in red.<ref name="smkglitch"/>
 
===Music muting===
In any two-player game, after Lakitu gives the green light, the player must keep mashing {{button|snes|start}} in both controllers. Occasionally, the music does play.


==Reception==
==Reception==
''Super Mario Kart'' met with very favorable reviews. The game was placed 32nd in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.<ref>http://www.gamekult.com/communaute/forum/voirmessage.html?foid=13000909, retrieved 6/4/2009</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.
===Critical reception===
''Super Mario Kart'' met with very favorable reviews, scoring a 93.60% on GameRankings based on 10 reviews.<ref>{{cite|archive=web.archive.org/web/20150629081951/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588738-super-mario-kart/index.html|title=Archived URL for GameRankings score for ''Super Mario Kart''|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=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>{{cite|url=www.metacritic.com/game/wii/super-mario-kart|title=Metacritic score for ''Super Mario Kart'' on the Wii|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}</ref>


==References to Other Games==
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>{{cite|author=Stevens, Shey|date=December 1992|url=archive.org/stream/Electronic-Games-1992-12/Electronic%20Games%201992-12#page/n77/mode/2up|title=Archive for Electronic Games magazine|page=79 and 80|accessdate=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>{{cite|author=Bro. Buzz|date=December 1992|url=retrocdn.net/images/2/26/GamePro_US_041.pdf|title="Super NES Pro Review: ''Super Mario Kart''", ''Game Pro''. No. 51|page=80–82|accessdate=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>{{cite|author=Oxford, Nadia|date=January 23, 2019|url=www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-game-by-game-7-super-mario-kart|title=Super NES Retro Review: ''Super Mario Kart''|publisher=USgamer|accessdate=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>{{cite|author=Alessi, Martin; Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed, Sushi X|date=November 1992|url=retrocdn.net/images/7/7f/EGM_US_040.pdf|title=Review Crew: ''Super Mario Kart''|publisher=Electronic Gaming Monthly|page=25|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}</ref>
*''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'':  The computer-controlled Toad and Peach are able to throw [[Poison Mushroom]]s, which are not usable by the player.
 
*''[[Super Mario World]]'': Several sound effects from this game are reused, for example, the music in the [[Bowser's Castle]] levels is very similar from the final boss in this game. Most of the races take place on [[Dinosaur Land]]. Also, sprites such as the Lakitu bear a resemblance to their ''Super Mario World'' sprite.
''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>{{cite|date=September 1997|archive=web.archive.org/web/20091225020235/http://www.gamekult.com/communaute/forum/voirmessage.html?foid=13000909|title=Nintendo Power's 100 Best Games of All Time - Sept. 1997|publisher=GameKult|accessdate=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''.
*''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'': All twenty of the 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|? Panels]] laid and some tracks changed a little. The music for all tracks is remixed.
{| class="wikitable reviews"
!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%; text-align:center; background-color:silver;"|Reviews
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
|Release
|Reviewer, Publication
|Score
|Comment
|-
|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]
|Shey Stevens, [https://archive.org/stream/Electronic-Games-1992-12/Electronic%20Games%201992-12#page/n77/mode/2up Electronic Games]
|93%
|align="left"|"''Super Mario Kart has a fast-paced feel with plenty of in-depth play. While the game isn't totally revolutionary, the action does deviate from what we've exposed to in the past to make this new driving adventure something worthwhile to add to a collection, whether you're a fan of driving titles or Mario.''"
|-
|SNES
|Karn Spydar Lee Bianco, [http://www.cubed3.com/review/194/1/super-mario-kart-snes.html Cubed3]
|9/10
|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.''"
|-
|SNES
|Jason Venter, [https://www.honestgamers.com/200/snes/super-mario-kart/review.html HonestGamers]
|5/5
|align="left"|"''Chock full of great visuals, awesome sound, tight play control, amazing track design, items galore and a multi-player mode that's hard to beat, Super Mario Kart is my favorite game of all time. It’s also one of the main reasons to own a Super Nintendo.''"
|-
|SNES
|Brett Alan Weiss, [https://web.archive.org/web/20141206083454/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2628 allgame]
|5/5
|align="left"|"''Super Mario Kart has spawned numerous imitators over the years, but it finishes in front of the pack every time.''"
|-
|[[Wii]]
|Nintendo Life Staff, [https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/super_mario_kart Nintendo Life]
|9/10
|align="left"|"''Super Mario Kart has certainly made its mark on gaming history, spawning several sequels on successive Nintendo consoles, not to mention many imitators. To play it today is every bit as enjoyable as it ever was; sure the graphics and sound may have dated, but the core gameplay is still top notch. This is one hell of a fun racing game with enough playability to keep you coming back for more. It's amazing that Nintendo chose to wait three years before treating us to this seminal game on the Virtual Console, but we're glad they finally saw sense!''"
|-
|Wii
|Lucas M. Thomas, [https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/24/super-mario-kart-review IGN]
|9/10
|align="left"|"''Where each of the [[Nintendo 64|N64]], [[Nintendo GameCube|Cube]] and Wii installments of the series have focused on multiplayer, more characters and more crazy items, though, this SNES original keeps things simpler -- emphasizing, instead, the actual racing instead of the combat within each race. It's a different take on the same idea, which is interesting since it's the original take on that idea. So stick with the other Kart games if you want the multiplayer chaos, but come on back to this very first racing adventure with Mario and his crew. It's absolutely worth 800 of your [[Virtual Console#Wii Points|Wii Points]] to re-experience, or to play for the very first time.''"
|-
|Super NES Classic Edition
|Nadia Oxford, [https://www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-game-by-game-7-super-mario-kart USgamer]
|4.5/5
|align="left"|''"Super Mario Kart is pretty bare-bones compared to its feature-laden sequels, but in many ways, its simplicity is its strength. Super Mario Kart's core concept is still a whole lot of rad fun, and that's what matters most.''"
|-
!colspan="4"style="background-color:silver; font-size:120%; text-align:center;"|Aggregators
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
|colspan=2|Compiler
|colspan=2|Platform / Score
|-
|colspan=2|GameRankings
|colspan=2|[https://web.archive.org/web/20150629081951/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588738-super-mario-kart/index.html 93.60%]
|}
{{br}}
 
===Sales===
''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>{{cite|author=Futter, Mike|date=June 2, 2014|archive=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|title=''Mario Kart 8'' Speeds To Over 1.2 Million Sales In Opening Weekend|publisher=Game Informer|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}</ref>
 
==Adaptations in other media==
===''Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater''===
[[File:Mario SMK SM4MT.png|thumb|Mario driving a go-kart in the ''Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater''.]]
''Super Mario Kart'' is occasionally referenced in the gag comic series, the ''[[Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater]]'', alongside other ''Super Mario'' titles.
 
===''Super Mario-kun''===
The sixth volume of the ''[[Super Mario-kun]]'' by Yukio Sawada completes the ''[[Super Mario World]]'' arc, though it contains a story that is heavily based on ''Super Mario Kart''; the title even bases its Mario artwork off official artwork of the game.
 
===''Super Mario'' Kodansha manga===
Three volumes feature ''Super Mario Kart'' in Kodansha's [[Super Mario (Kodansha manga)|''Super Mario'']] series by Kazuki Motoyama. The first volume's cover [[:File:All super mario kart issues.jpg|features the cast driving on Rainbow Road.]]
{{br}}
 
==''Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race''==
{{main|Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race}}
[[File:Super Mario Kart Dokidoki Race.png|thumb|Photo for ''Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race'']]
''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>{{cite|author=Borp|url=www.marioboards.com/index.php?topic=35637.msg1780735#msg1780735#msg1780735|title=Arcade coverage: Banpresto|publisher=Super Mario Boards|date=October 28, 2015|accessdate=May 3, 2024}}</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>{{cite|author=Super Mario Wiki|date=October 31, 2015|url=youtu.be/1SMFdLu-cuw|title=''Super Mario Kart'' Dokidoki Race Gameplay|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 3, 2024}}</ref>
{{br}}
 
==Merchandise==
Due to the game's popularity and success, multiple merchandise based on ''Super Mario Kart'' has been sold. Diecast kart racers are frequent merchandise, with a few plush dolls.
<gallery>
figurines.jpg|A set of character figurines
koopakartpullback.jpg|A figurine of Koopa
toadkartpullback.jpg|A figurine of Toad
luigikartpullback.jpg|A figurine of Luigi
mariokartpullback.jpg|A figurine of Mario
yoshikartpullback.jpg|A figurine of Yoshi
smkkartcollection1.jpg|A set of figurines including Koopa, Mario, Yoshi, and Toad
Smkcollection2.jpg|A set of figurines including Bowser, Luigi, Peach, and [[Donkey Kong Jr.]]
rcyoshikart.jpg|A Japan-only kart of Yoshi
plushkart.jpg|A plushie of Mario
plushluigikart.jpg|A plushie of Luigi
plushpeachkart.jpg|A plushie of Princess
plushyoshikart.jpg|A plushie of Yoshi
plushbowserkart.jpg|A plushie of Bowser
plushdkjrkart.jpg|A plushie of Donkey Kong Jr.
plushkoopakart.jpg|A plushie of Koopa Troopa
plushtoadkart.jpg|A plushie of Toad
lakituplush.jpg|A plushie of [[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]]
SMK Carddass Trading Card 17.jpg|''Super Mario Kart'' - Carddass Trading Card series
SMK Carddass Trading Card 18.jpg|''Super Mario Kart'' - Carddass Trading Card series
SMK Carddass Trading Card 19.jpg|''Super Mario Kart'' - Carddass Trading Card series
SMK Carddass Trading Card 20.jpg|''Super Mario Kart'' - Carddass Trading Card series
SMK Japanese Card.jpg|A Japanese collectible card
</gallery>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{morepic}}
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
Mario collecting coin SMK artwork.jpg|[[Mario]]
SMK Luigi Artwork.png|[[Luigi]]
SMKYoshiSpin.png|[[Yoshi]]
SMK Battle Mode Artwork.jpg|Mario vs. [[Bowser]]
Lakitu SMK artwork.jpg|[[Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)|Lakitu]]
SMK Japanese Logo Artwork.png|The game's logo
</gallery>


==Media==
==Soundtrack==
{{Main|Super Mario Kart/Media}}
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".


==Glitches==
The instrument samples used for the soundtrack included the "flat shots", grand piano, distorted guitar, electric bass, and organ from the {{wp|Akai S1000}}; the reedy keys from an {{wp|E-mu Proteus}} synthesizer; the clarinet from the {{wp|Kawai K1|Kawai K1r}}; 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}} (as well as the latter's synth brass); and an agogo, bongo, electric kick drum, and timbale taken from unknown equipment.<ref>{{cite|url=docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JJBlHHDc65fhZmKUGLrDTLCm6rfUU83-kbuD8Y0zU0o/edit?pli=1#gid=717751203|title=NEWER VGM Sound Sources|publisher=Google Docs|accessdate=March 3, 2021}}</ref>
[show]
 
*It is possible to get stuck in a one tile prison.
===Media===
*If you jump with a feather and crash into a wall at the same time, you may go flying away.
{{main-media}}
{{media table
|file1=SMK-Music-MainTheme.oga
|title1=Title theme
|length1=0:30
|file2=SMK Choose your Driver.oga
|title2=Choose your Driver
|length2=0:30
|file3=SMK-Music-MarioCircuit.oga
|title3=[[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit]]
|length3=0:30
|file4=SMK Luigi Ranks.oga
|title4=[[Luigi]]'s Ranks
|length4=0:14
}}
 
==References to other games==
*''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'': [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] appears as a playable character.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': Mario's theme is a slight variation of part of the overworld theme from this game.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'': The computer-controlled Toad and Peach are able to throw [[Poison Mushroom]]s, which are not usable by the player.
*''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'': The quadricolor wall blocks use the design of the indestructible barrier tiles seen throughout this game, especially in its [[fortress]]es.
*''[[Super Mario World]]'': Several sound effects from this game are reused. The music for the [[Ghost Valley]] and [[Bowser's Castle|Bowser Castle]] courses are remixes of the music from the [[Ghost House]]s and the final boss theme, respectively, in this game. Most of the races take place in [[Dinosaur Land]]. Also, sprites such as Lakitu's bear a resemblance to their ''Super Mario World'' sprite. The [[Cape Feather]] appears as a usable item.
 
==References in later media==
[[File:SM3DW Dash Panel.png|thumb|A portion of Mount Must Dash]]
*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'': The title music from this game 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 ''Super Mario Kart'' courses appeared in this game, but all of their track hazards have been removed, coins and [[Item Box|Item Boxes]] are at different places than where coins and [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] laid originally 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 ''Super Mario Kart'', respectively.
*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'': ''Super Mario Kart'' can be seen as a sponsor in some tracks, such as [[GCN Dry Dry Desert|Dry Dry Desert]] and [[Mushroom City]].
*''[[Mario Kart DS]]'': [[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]], [[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]], [[SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]], and [[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]] all return in this game.
*''[[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 ''Super Mario Kart''. The [[Banana Peel]] and [[Lightning Bolt]] appear as items in this game.
*''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'': [[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]] and [[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]] return as retro tracks and [[SNES Battle Course 4|Battle Course 4]] returns as a retro battle stage.
*''[[Mario Kart 7]]'': Collecting coins also returns from ''Super Mario Kart''. [[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 original kart design, 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''.
*''[[Fortune Street]]'': The theme for the Mario Circuit board is an arrangement of Mario Circuit's music from ''Super Mario Kart''.
*''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'': The level [[Mount Must Dash]] is based on the Mario Circuit courses from ''Super Mario Kart'', complete with a rearrangement of the courses' music.
*''[[NES Remix 2]]'': The 21st Bonus level's unique rendition of the [[P Switch]] theme incorporates a melody from ''Super Mario Kart''{{'}}s Rainbow Road theme.
*''[[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 ''Super Mario Kart''. [[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''. Portions of the staff roll theme are heard in the ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'' staff credits.
*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'': ''Super Mario Kart'' appears as a masterpiece in this game.
*''[[Super Mario Maker]]'': The invincibility 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.
*''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'': An arrangement of Mario Circuit's music is used during the [[RC Car Challenge]] in [[New Donk City]].
*''[[WarioWare Gold]]'': This game contains [[Super Mario Kart (microgame)|a microgame]] that is based off of ''Super Mario Kart'', which involves Mario staying on Rainbow Road while avoiding items that are on the track.
*''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'': One of the sound effects replaces the level music with the Mario Circuit theme.
*''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'': [[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]], [[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]], [[SNES Ghost Valley 1|Ghost Valley 1]], [[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]], [[SNES Choco Island 1|Choco Island 1]], [[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]], [[SNES Donut Plains 2|Donut Plains 2]], [[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]], [[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]], [[SNES Vanilla Lake 1|Vanilla Lake 1]], [[SNES Bowser Castle 3|Bowser Castle 3]], [[SNES Donut Plains 3|Donut Plains 3]], [[SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]], [[SNES Vanilla Lake 2|Vanilla Lake 2]] and [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] 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 variants. The Mushroom, Banana, Green Shell, Red Shell, Coin, Lightning, Super Star, and Feather sprites are reused as badges in this game. Sprites of all of the drivers and Lakitu also appear as badges. The [[Super Mario Kart Tour]] is themed and named after ''Super Mario Kart''.
*''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'': The title theme and the [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] theme are arranged in the track "Buckle Up".


==Names in Other Languages==
==Names in other languages==
{{foreignname
{{foreign names
|Jap=スーパーマリオカート
|Jap=スーパーマリオカート
|JapR=Sūpā Mario Kāto
|JapR=Sūpā Mario Kāto
|JapM=Super Mario Kart
|JapM=Super Mario Kart
|Kor=슈퍼 마리오 카트
|KorR=Syupeo Mario Kateu
|KorM=Super Mario Kart
|ChiS=超级马力欧卡丁车<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_200904_02_sc.html|title=超级马力欧兄弟 35周年! |publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=September 4, 2020}}</ref>
|ChiSR=Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Kǎdīngchē
|ChiSM=Super Mario Kart
|ChiT=超級瑪利歐賽車<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_200904_02.html|title=超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年!|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=September 4, 2020}}</ref>
|ChiTR=Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Sàichē
|ChiTM=Super Mario Kart
}}
}}


==Trivia==
===''Super Mario Kart: Fully souped up!''===
*In the Japanese version of ''Super Mario Kart'', every character has a winning animation that involves a bottle of champagne. Bowser and Peach drink champagne in their winning animations, which goes against Nintendo of America's policy on the depiction of alcohol, as they considered it inappropriate for younger children. Instead, they just toss and catch the bottles in the Western versions.
{{foreign names
*In the manual, the picture for [[Mario Circuit 1]] is upside down.
|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
**In the manual, Karts were incorrectly spelled as "Carts" in the section about the remaining Karts that indicate the player's remaining chances before getting a [[Game Over]].
|JapR=Sūpā Mario Kāto Furu Kōsu de Omotenashi Bājon
*This is the only game in the ''Mario Kart'' series to have more than three laps on every course, and the only one to have 5 courses per cup, as opposed to 4 in later games.
|JapM=Super Mario Kart Full Course Treatment Version
*There is a prototype cartridge that belongs to a customer with some differences from the final. <ref>http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?121546-Super-Mario-Kart-prototype</ref>
|ChiS=超级马力欧卡丁车 全赛道庆典版
*There is a secret way to get the Special Cup. On Time Trials, put the cursor on Mushroom Cup, then press these buttons in order: L R L R L L R R A. That also works for Grand Prix, except without pressing A in the combo.
|ChiSR=Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Kǎdīngchē Quán Sàidào Qìngdiǎnbǎn
*The instruction manual states that the ''Chocolate Island'' courses are in the desert.
|ChiSM=Super Mario Kart All Racetracks Celebration Edition
|ChiT=超級瑪利歐賽車 全賽道款待版本
|ChiTR=Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Sàichē Quán Sàidào Kuǎndài Bǎnběn
|ChiTM=Super Mario Kart All Racetracks Hospitality Version
|Fre=''Super Mario Kart: Sur les chapeaux de roues !''
|FreM=''Super Mario Kart: At full throttle!''
|Ger=''Super Mario Kart: Komplett aufgemotzt!''
|Spa=''Super Mario Kart: ¡A tope de revoluciones!''
|SpaM=''Super Mario Kart: Full throttle!''
|Ita=''Super Mario Kart: A tutto gas!''
|ItaM=''Super Mario Kart: Full throttle!''
|Dut=''Super Mario Kart: Maximaal opgevoerd!''
|Por=''Super Mario Kart: A todo o gás!''
|Rus=''Super Mario Kart: Полный газ!''
|RusR=Super Mario Kart: Polnyy gaz!
|Kor=Super Mario Kart 완전 파워 업!
}}


==References==
==References==
<references/>
<references/>
{{BoxTop}}
 
==External links==
{{NIWA|NWiki=1|SmashWiki=1|StrategyWiki=1}}
{{TCRF}}
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/ja/pdf/CLV-P-VAAFJ.pdf Super Famicom manual]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/common/pdf/CLV-P-SAAFE.pdf North American instruction booklet]
{{SMK}}
{{SMK}}
{{MK Players}}
{{Super Mario games}}
{{Spinoffs}}
{{SNES}}
{{SNES}}
{{VirtualConsole}}
{{Virtual Console}}
[[Category:Mario Kart games]]
{{NSO}}
[[Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System Games]]
[[de:Super Mario Kart]]
[[Category:Virtual Console Games]]
[[it:Super Mario Kart]]
[[Category:Racing Games]]
[[Category:Super Mario Kart|*]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[Category:Racing games]]
[[Category:1992 games]]
[[Category:1992 games]]
[[Category:Mario Games]]
[[Category:1993 games]]
[[Category:1993 games]]
[[Category:Super Mario Kart|*]]
[[Category:Nintendo Classics]]
[[Category:Player's Choice]]
[[Category:Amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits]]

Latest revision as of 01:49, October 28, 2024

This article is about the game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. For the microgame from WarioWare Gold of the same name, see Super Mario Kart (microgame). For the musical composition from the game's title screen, see Super Mario Kart (theme).
Not to be confused with Super Mario Kart Tour.
"SMK" redirects here. For the manga, see Super Mario-kun.
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart North American box art
North American box art
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo EAD
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, New 3DS), Super NES Classic Edition, Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date SNES:
Japan August 27, 1992
USA September 1, 1992[1]
Europe January 21, 1993
Player's Choice:
USA May 20, 1996
Virtual Console (Wii):
Japan June 9, 2009
USA November 23, 2009
Europe April 2, 2010
Australia April 2, 2010
Virtual Console (Wii U):
Japan June 19, 2013
Europe March 27, 2014
Australia March 28, 2014
USA August 6, 2014
Virtual Console (New 3DS):
Europe March 17, 2016
Australia March 18, 2016
USA March 24, 2016
Japan May 9, 2016
Super NES Classic Edition:
USA September 29, 2017
Europe September 29, 2017
Australia September 30, 2017
Japan October 5, 2017
Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online:
USA September 5, 2019[2]
Japan September 6, 2019[3]
Europe September 6, 2019[4]
Australia September 6, 2019[5]
HK September 6, 2019
South Korea September 6, 2019
Fully souped up!:
Japan May 26, 2021
USA May 26, 2021
Europe May 26, 2021
Australia May 26, 2021
Language(s) English (United States)
Japanese
Genre Racing
Rating(s) SNES:
ESRB:K-A - Kids to Adults
GRAC:All - All ages
Virtual Console:
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
ClassInd:L - General audience
Mode(s) 1–2 players
Format
Super NES:
Game Pak
Wii:
Digital download
Wii U:
Digital download
Nintendo Switch:
Digital download
Nintendo 3DS:
Digital download
Super NES Classic Edition:
Built-in
Input
Super NES:
Wii:
Wii U:
Nintendo Switch:
Joy-Con (horizontal)
Nintendo 3DS:
Super NES Classic Edition:
Serial code(s) Japan SHVC-MK

Super Mario Kart is a 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 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 Super Mario World's assets and music cues rearranging its melodies.

The game's success spawned the hugely influential Mario Kart series, while also helping to pioneer the kart-racing genre. The game's success has also influenced the greater Super Mario franchise, with elements from it appearing throughout it. Examples of these kinds of elements include a level designed after Super Mario Kart's courses appearing in Super Mario 3D World, item-based battles in multiple Mario sports games, Rainbow Road making an appearance in Paper Mario: Color Splash, and an entire scene dedicated to Mario Kart in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Super Mario Kart's use of a wider cast of characters such as Bowser and Peach was the first of many multiplayer-oriented Super Mario spin-off titles that included a diverse, playable cast of Super Mario characters such as those from the Mario Tennis series and Mario Party series. Additionally, the game has been ranked as one of the greatest games of all time by various organizations due to its aforementioned legacy and its ground-breaking gameplay.

Super Mario Kart was rereleased on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2009–2010, on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013–2014, and on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2016. It is one of the 21 titles included on the Super NES Classic Edition and is one of the 20 launch titles for Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online, which also released a special version titled Super Mario Kart: Fully souped up! with 150cc and the Special Cup unlocked on May 26, 2021.

Gameplay[edit]

Title screen for Super Mario Kart

Players select a Super Mario character out of a cast of eight characters with which to race (or battle in Battle Mode) against opponents; each racer has their own stats which determine how they control, though these are not displayed in-game. Players then race or battle against their opponents, depending upon which game mode is chosen. Integral to the gameplay is the item system, where players can pick up items from Question Blocks clustered around parts of the track. The item obtained is dependent on the player's position in the race. For example, players farther behind obtain stronger items such as the invincible, speed-raising Star or the Lightning that can shrink all racers, while players farther ahead receive the basic Banana Peels and Green Shells items. Question Blocks get depleted whenever a player runs over them, and they do not respawn their items until all Question Blocks in the track have been depleted.

At the start of the race, players can rev their kart up for a boost, though if they rev up too much, they begin the race by accelerating much slower. Players can hop if they press either L Button or R Button. If they hold the button after hopping while holding either left or right, they can power slide, which enable them to drive through harder turns while losing less speed than steering normally through them. A slight drift is also possible by hopping and only holding either the left or right button. While karts in this game can brake with Y Button, they cannot go in reverse: players need to perform a U-turn or hop around to go backwards. Some tracks feature water that players can fall into: if players fall into these areas, they are able to move around for a little while before eventually being picked up by Lakitu. Players immediately get rescued by Lakitu if they fall into pits or into lava, however.

While driving the course, coins can be picked up, which increase the player's top speed as well as shield them from other racers. If a player runs into another racer while they have zero coins, they spin out; however, if a player runs into another racer while they have several coins, they simply lose one coin while still being able to continue driving. Having ten coins gives the player the maximum amount of speed they can possess, though they are still able to collect additional coins without gaining any additional speed. Players start each race with a number of coins depending on their rank: first and second start with two coins, third and fourth start with three coins, fifth and sixth start with four coins, and seventh and eighth start with five coins. Players lose four coins if they are hit with an item, they lose two coins if they are picked up by Lakitu by falling off the track, and they lose one coin if they bump into another racer. The number of coins found on each course varies from one course to another.

Three speeds are available: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. 50cc is the slowest and therefore easiest difficulty while 150cc is the fastest and hardest engine class that must be unlocked by clearing all cups in the 100cc engine class which has a medium level of speed and difficulty. Vehicles in all modes outside of Mario Kart GP use 100cc engines.

The game is always split in two screens. The top screen is the main screen that players see the gameplay in while the bottom screen displays an overhead map, displaying progress of all characters. If players press X Button or Select Button, they can switch the overhead map to a backwards view. When two players are playing, the bottom map is replaced by the second player's screen.

If players want to delete their save data, they need to press L Button, R Button, Y Button, and A Button at the title screen. If players want to delete just Time Trial records, they can go to the course records they wish to delete and press the same button combination.

Controls[edit]

Action(s)
SNES Wii (Classic Controller) GameCube Controller New Nintendo 3DS Wii U Nintendo Switch (Dual Joy-Con / Pro Controller) Nintendo Switch (Single Joy-Con)
Change option during the Menus/Steer +Control Pad Classic Controller Left Stick / +Control Pad +Control Pad / Control Stick Circle Pad / +Control Pad +Control Pad / Left Stick Directional Buttons / Left Stick Control Stick
Use items, stop Item Roulette A Button Classic Controller a Button A Button A Button A Button A Button Single Joy-Con Right Button
Accelerate B Button Classic Controller b Button B Button B Button B Button B Button Single Joy-Con Bottom Button
Switch view X Button / Select Button Classic Controller x Button / Minus Button X Button / Z Button X Button / Select Button X Button / Minus Button X Button / Minus Button Single Joy-Con Top Button / Plus Button or Minus Button + SL Button
Brake Y Button Classic Controller y Button Y Button Y Button Y Button Y Button Single Joy-Con Left Button
Jump / Drift L Button / R Button Classic Controller L Button / Classic Controller R Button L Button / R Button L Button / R Button L Button / R Button L Button / R Button SL Button / SR Button
Pause / Select Start Button Plus Button START/PAUSE Button Start Button Plus Button Plus Button Plus Button or Minus Button + SR Button

Game modes[edit]

Mario Kart GP[edit]

The first race of the Mario Kart GP is about to begin.

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 8th 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 points based on their ranking: 1st place gives the player 9 points, 2nd place gives the player 6 points, 3rd place gives the player 3 points, and 4th place gives the player 1 point, while 5th place, 6th place, 7th place and 8th place give the player 0 points. Players who rank 5th or below lose one of 3 lives. If all players rank 5th or below, the race must be tried again. If the player ranks 5th or below without any lives left, the game is lost. A single extra life can be earned by placing in the same position three times. The maximum score in a GP cup is 45 points, obtained by winning five times. The three best drivers move on to the award ceremony where they receive their trophies. 3rd place gives the player a bronze trophy, 2nd place gives the player a silver throphy, and 1st place gives the player a gold throphy (the player can watch the ceremony only when they place first: however, a prototype version has animations for second and third). If the player ranks 4th or below 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 A Button and Y Button 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.

Time Trial[edit]

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. By pressing B Button on the second controller, a computer-controlled opponent can be chosen to race against.

If the player enters the cheat code L Button, R Button, L Button, R Button, L Button, L Button, R Button, R Button, A Button 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.[6]

Match Race[edit]

This mode is two-player only: the players can race each other like in GP, except CPU racers do not appear and players can freely choose the track to race in. Players start with three coins each. Bullet Bills slide around the courses as well, and coming in contact with one results in the kart spinning out and the object disappearing as if it were a Green Shell. The game keeps track of wins and losses of each player.

Battle Mode[edit]

Super Mario Kart's Battle Mode
Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario in Battle Mode
Main article: Battle Mode

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 (player 1 is blue, and player 2 is red). Each player has three balloons that cannot be recovered. The first to pop all the opponent's balloons wins.

Characters[edit]

Character select screen from Super Mario Kart
Character selection screen.

The game features eight playable characters from the Super Mario franchise, such as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Bowser. However, some other characters from the series act as obstacles in the game's tracks, like Thwomps, Gophers, Piranha Plants, Bullet Bills, and Flopping Cheep Cheeps. Ghosts do not act as enemies, but both as item and as part of the Ghost Valley tracks' background. Yoshi, Bowser, and Donkey Kong Jr. are the only drivers in this game to have their own taunts when surpassing other racers regardless if they are being used by the player or CPU. The others do not have their own taunts and instead the standard beep is heard when surpassing other racers, but can only be heard when used by the player.

As stated in the game's manual, Lakitu oversees the race track. He appears on the track to start the race, to warn the player if they are going the wrong way on the course, and when they fall off the edge of the track or go out of bounds. If the latter happens, Lakitu transports the racer back onto the course at the price of two coins. A Cheep Cheep balloon distributes the trophy to the GP winner.

Drivers[edit]

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. 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.

This is one of only two Mario Kart games to feature Donkey Kong Jr. as a playable character, the other being Mario Kart Tour, where he uses his two-dimensional sprite from this game.

The Bros.
Standard Performance
"The Mario Brothers have pretty much the same abilities in cart driving. Mario and Luigi have had a friendly rivalry that goes back to their childhood. You can expect a heated contest between them. When Mario and Luigi are computer controlled, they try to block your path."
Placement icon for Mario in Super Mario Kart
Mario
Placement icon for Luigi in Super Mario Kart
Luigi
Artwork of Mario holding a checkered flag for Super Mario KartArtwork of Luigi winking for Super Mario Kart
Acceleration: Top Speed:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
Weight: Handling:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
CPU item:
Sprite of a Star item from Super Mario Kart.
Star
Victory theme:
The Dragon and The Lady
Fast Acceleration
"At first, you might think that The Princess and Yoshi would have nothing in common (except their fondness for Mario). As it turns out, they have the same driving ability. Both of these racers have very fast acceleration. As enemies, the Princess will toss poison mushrooms in your path, and Yoshi will use eggs to hinder your progress."
Placement icon for Princess in Super Mario Kart
Princess
Placement icon for Yoshi in Super Mario Kart
Yoshi
Artwork of the Princess for Super Mario KartArtwork of Yoshi for Super Mario Kart
Acceleration: Top Speed:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
Weight: Handling:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
CPU item:
Poison Mushroom
Poison Mushroom
Yoshi Egg Super Mario Kart.png
Egg
Victory theme:
The Showdown
High Top Speed
"These two drivers have long been Mario's arch enemies. They are both rather hefty, so they have slow acceleration, but their top speed is great! As enemies, look out for Bowser's fireballs and Donkey Kong Jr.'s banana peels. These two really throw their weight around. Stay clear of them!"
Placement icon for Bowser in Super Mario Kart
Bowser
Placement icon for Donkey Kong Jr. in Super Mario Kart
Donkey Kong Jr.
Artwork of Bowser, with a Red Shell bonking him on the head, for Super Mario KartArtwork of Donkey Kong Jr. (formatted Donkey Kong JR. in the manual) for Super Mario Kart
Acceleration: Top Speed:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
Weight: Handling:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
CPU item:
Fireball
Fireball
SMK Banana.png
Banana
Victory theme:
The Small Guys
Good Control
"Neither of these racers have qualities that make them stand out. They are, however, good all around racers with better than average control in corners- they do not skid as easy. These racers are good for beginners who are just learning to race. In the GP race as enemies, Koopa Troopa will drop shells and Toad will place poison mushrooms on the track."
Placement icon for Koopa Troopa in Super Mario Kart
Koopa Troopa
Placement icon for Toad in Super Mario Kart
Toad
Artwork of Koopa Troopa for Super Mario KartArtwork of Toad for Super Mario Kart
Acceleration: Top Speed:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
Weight: Handling:
Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart Rating emblem from the manual of Super Mario Kart
CPU item:
Green Shell (in-track version) in SMK
Green Shell
Poison Mushroom
Poison Mushroom
Victory theme:

Maximum speed[edit]

The Japanese Official Nintendo Guidebook of the game lists the maximum speed in the 100cc engine class in various conditions.[7] This maximum speed is increased by 1 km/h per each coin collected, until 10 coins are collected.[8]

Maximum speed in the 100cc engine class
Driver Maximum speed (km/h)
Normal road Circuits' sand Choco Island's rocks Choco Island's mud Donut Plain's grass Koopa Beach's water Vanilla Lake's snow
Mario
Luigi
130 84 40 90 82 82 76
Princess
Yoshi
125 88 44 94 86 86 70
Bowser
Donkey Kong Jr.
135 86 42 92 80 88 74
Koopa Troopa
Toad
120 90 46 96 84 84 72

Acceleration[edit]

A graph showing the speed as a function of time when accelerating from a standstill with various characters in Super Mario Kart.
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.

Performance chart[edit]

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.

A chart in the instruction manual that details performance for characters in Super Mario Kart.

Non-playable[edit]

Characters and elements
Character/element Location Description
Animation of the big Cheep Cheep in Super Mario Kart
Big Cheep Cheep
Winner's circle A giant blimp-like fish that appears at the winner's circle, depositing the player's trophy before deflating away.
A Bullet Bill found in Super Mario Kart
Bullet Bill
N/A Appears in Match Races where they bounce back and forth between two walls and causes racers who drive into them to spin out.
Animation of a Flopping Cheep Cheep in Super Mario Kart
Flopping Cheep Cheep
Koopa Beach Bouncing fish that spin players out if they come in contact with them.
Animation of a ghost in Super Mario KartAnimation of a ghost in Super Mario Kart

Ghost
Ghost Valley Background elements in the Ghost Valley courses.
A Monty Mole from Super Mario Kart
Gopher
Donut Plains Gophers attach themselves onto racers if ran into, which cause them to lose speed and coins. Players must hop repeatedly to get them off.
Animation of Lakitu in Super Mario Kart
Lakitu
N/A A helpful track manager who oversees the race. He starts the race up, pulls racers out of lava, water, and pits, tells players that they are going the wrong way, and waves a checkered flag for a racer who has finished.
Animation of a Piranha Plant in Super Mario Kart
Piranha Plant
Choco Island A carnivorous plant that acts like a stationary obstacle. Players who run into them spin out.
SMK Thwomp.png
Thwomp
Bowser Castle 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 Super Thwomps appear in Rainbow Road and act identically to Thwomps, though touching them causes racers to spin out, unlike regular Thwomps.
Super Thwomp
Super Thwomp
Rainbow Road Flashing Thwomps that cause racers to spin out on contact.

Courses[edit]

The game has 20 race courses and 4 battle courses, the former being divided in four cups. Super Mario Kart is the only game in the Mario Kart series to have five courses per cup, as opposed to four in later games.

Race courses[edit]

Aside from Rainbow Road, all of the courses are numbered. In the credits, each character is assigned a course.

Some common hazards include the following:

  • 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.
  • Lava: Racers who fall in immediately get picked up by Lakitu.
  • Abyss: Racers who fall immediately get picked up by Lakitu.
  • Destructible blocks: Walls that get destroyed when struck in Ghost Valley and Vanilla Lake.
  • Dirt: Decreases traction when driven on in Donut Plains.
  • Chocolate Mud: Decreases traction and slows speed when driven on in Choco Island.
Course Attributes Character Description
Background of the Mario Circuit-type of track from Super Mario Kart Luigi
Luigi
"A paved track with good traction. Look out for the pipes!"
Mario Circuit
Background of the Donut Plains-type of track from Super Mario Kart
  • Terrain: Grassy
  • Slipperiness: 2
  • Obstacles: Gophers, Water, Pipes
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
"A tranquil setting with a beautiful pond. Pipes or Gophers may get in your way."
Donut Plains
Background of the Ghost Valley-type of track from Super Mario Kart
  • Terrain: Wooden
  • Slipperiness: 1
  • Obstacles: Falling walls
Yoshi
Yoshi
"A track made of wood built a long time ago. There are no special obstacles, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for holes."
Ghost Valley
Background of the Bowser Castle-type of track from Super Mario Kart
  • Terrain: Stone
  • Slipperiness: 1
  • Obstacles: Thwomp, Lava
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
"A course made of stones set on a bed of lava. Be careful, or you'll get Thwomped."
Bowser Castle
Background of the Choco Island-type of track from Super Mario Kart
  • Terrain: Chocolate
  • Slipperiness: 3
  • Obstacles: Piranha Plants, Chocolate Mud
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
"A dirt course in the desert. The infamous Piranha Plant hangs out here."
Choco Island
Background of the Koopa Beach-type of track from Super Mario Kart Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
"A race on the beach around a small island. The Flopping Cheep Cheep makes its home here."
Koopa Beach
Background of the Vanilla Lake-type of track from Super Mario Kart Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
"A frozen lake that is very slick. Pipes and holes in the ice should be avoided at all costs."
Vanilla Lake
Background of the Rainbow Road-type of track from Super Mario Kart Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
-
Rainbow Road


Cup races[edit]

Mushroom Cup Text for Mushroom Cup race from Super Mario Kart
Mushroom Cup
Background of the Mario Circuit-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Mario Circuit 1 from Super Mario Kart.
Mario Circuit 1
Background of the Donut Plains-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Donut Plains 1 from Super Mario Kart
Donut Plains 1
Background of the Ghost Valley-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Ghost Valley 1 from Super Mario Kart.
Ghost Valley 1
Background of the Bowser Castle-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Bowser Castle 1 from Super Mario Kart.
Bowser Castle 1
Background of the Mario Circuit-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Mario Circuit 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Mario Circuit 2
Flower Cup Text for Flower Cup race from Super Mario Kart
Flower Cup
Background of the Choco Island-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Choco Island 1
Choco Island 1
Background of the Ghost Valley-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Ghost Valley 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Ghost Valley 2
Background of the Donut Plains-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Donut Plains 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Donut Plains 2
Background of the Bowser Castle-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Bowser Castle 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Bowser Castle 2
Background of the Mario Circuit-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Mario Circuit 3 from Super Mario Kart.
Mario Circuit 3
Star Cup Text for Star Cup race from Super Mario Kart
Star Cup
Background of the Koopa Beach-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Koopa Beach 1 from Super Mario Kart.
Koopa Beach 1
Background of the Choco Island-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Choco Island 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Choco Island 2
Background of the Vanilla Lake-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Vanilla Lake 1 map
Vanilla Lake 1
Background of the Bowser Castle-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Bowser Castle 3 from Super Mario Kart.
Bowser Castle 3
Background of the Mario Circuit-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Mario Circuit 4 from Super Mario Kart.
Mario Circuit 4
Special Cup Text for Special Cup race from Super Mario Kart
Special Cup
Background of the Donut Plains-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Donut Plains 3
Donut Plains 3
Background of the Koopa Beach-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Koopa Beach 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Koopa Beach 2
Background of the Ghost Valley-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Ghost Valley 3 from Super Mario Kart.
Ghost Valley 3
Background of the Vanilla Lake-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Vanilla Lake 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Vanilla Lake 2
Background of the Rainbow Road-type of track from Super Mario Kart
SNES Rainbow Road.
Rainbow Road

Course features and obstacles[edit]

Feature Description
Tile of a Coin in Super Mario Kart Animation of a Coin in Super Mario Kart
Coin
These are scattered throughout the course and increase the player's speed as well as give them durability against opponents. They do not respawn once taken.
Tile of a Jump in Super Mario Kart Tile of a Jump in Super Mario Kart
Jump
Players hop if they drive over this. Driving over it at high speeds causes racers to jump higher and farther.
Oil Slick from Super Mario Kart
Oil Slick
Located in the Mario Circuits, players spin out if they drive over them.
A green Warp Pipe from Super Mario Kart An orange Warp Pipe from Super Mario Kart
Pipe
Stationary obstacles found in Mario Circuit, Vanilla Lake, and Donut Plains that act as walls and slow players down when struck.
A ? Panel A ? Panel after driven over.
Question Block
These panels gives players an item if driven over. Once they are driven over, they are depleted until all Question Blocks in the course get depleted, in which they all respawn.
Tile of a Zipper in Super Mario Kart
Zipper
Zippers give a burst of speed for players who drive over it.

Battle courses[edit]

Background of the Donut Plains-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Battle Course 1 from Super Mario Kart.
Battle Course 1
Background of the Koopa Beach-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Battle Course 2 from Super Mario Kart.
Battle Course 2
Background of the Vanilla Lake-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Battle Course 3 from Super Mario Kart.
Battle Course 3
Background of the Mario Circuit-type of track from Super Mario Kart
Battle Course 4 from Super Mario Kart.
Battle Course 4

Items[edit]

Items are obtained through Question Blocks scattered around the tracks. When the player passes over one, it deactivates until all other Question Blocks are used. Once a racer passes over one, with a few exceptions, they receive an item in their box from the following:

Item Description Notes
Banana (Banana Peel) (in-box version) SMK Banana.png
Banana Peel
When a kart hits a Banana Peel, it spins out. Can be thrown backward and forward. Also used by Donkey Kong Jr. if he is CPU-controlled.
Green Shell from SMK Animation of a Green Shell in Super Mario Kart
Green Shell
The Green Shell sends an enemy into a spin if they are hit. Green Shells can bounce off barriers. Throwing it backwards causes it to remain stationary. Can be thrown backward and forward. Used by Koopa Troopa if CPU-controlled, but they behave similar to Banana Peels even when thrown forward, and remain stationary.
Red Shell (in-box version) in SMK Animation of a Red Shell in Super Mario Kart
Red Shell
The Red Shell acts similarly to a Green Shell, but homes in on the target instead. It does not bounce off walls, however. Can be thrown only forward.
Feather
Feather
A Feather allows the user to perform a high jump, high enough to take normally impossible shortcuts and to sail over obstacles and other racers. Can be used by every CPU. Cannot appear on a Mario Circuit or a Donut Plains course.
Mushroom (Dash Mushroom) from SMK
Mushroom
The Mushroom is a more common item than a Feather or a Star, and grants the user a slight boost. It can either be used to slam an opponent or drive over hazards such as sand and grass without losing speed. When using a Mushroom in front of a jump pad, the jump is higher and farther.
Sprite of a Star item from Super Mario Kart.
Star
The Star provides two benefits, allowing the user to receive a small speed boost and to become invulnerable to everything. Contact with other racers causes them to spin out. Used also by Mario and Luigi if they are CPU-controlled. They do not receive a speed boost, however, and the effect does not last as long.
Ghost (Boo) from SMK Ghost from Super Mario Kart
Ghost
The Ghost turns the user transparent for a few seconds and steals an opponent's item. Exclusive to Battle Mode and Match Race.
Coin in the Item Box (SMK) Animation of a Coin in Super Mario Kart
Coin
The Coin adds two coins to the total coin count, increasing the user's overall top speed. Does not appear in Battle Mode and Time Trial. Maximum benefit is achieved with 10 coins.
Lightning (Lightning Bolt) from SMK
Lightning
The Lightning Bolt shrinks all the racers except for the user, making them slower and vulnerable to being squashed by normal sized racers. The effect wears off after a brief period of time. Does not appear in Battle Mode.
Yoshi Egg Super Mario Kart.png
Egg
Works similar to a Banana Peel, the only difference being that it does little hops. Usable only by Yoshi if he is CPU-controlled.
Fireball
Fireball
Similar to a Banana Peel, but moves in a circular motion, making them harder to pass safely. Usable only by Bowser if he is CPU-controlled.
Poison Mushroom
Poison Mushroom
A stationary item. If one is run into, the victim shrinks, as if hit by a Lightning Bolt. Shrunken racers who run into it revert to normal size. Usable only by Princess and Toad if they are CPU-controlled.

Probabilities[edit]

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).[9] In the races, the probability of obtaining an item depends on the track theme, on the current lap and on the rank of the driver, while in Battle Mode the probability is not affected by any factor.

Mario Kart GP[edit]

In Mario Kart GP races, during the first lap all the drivers receive items with the same probabilities they would obtain if they were in first place, regardless of their rank.

Track theme Rank Mushroom (Dash Mushroom) from SMK Feather Sprite of a Star item from Super Mario Kart. Banana (Banana Peel) (in-box version) Green Shell from SMK Red Shell (in-box version) in SMK Ghost (Boo) from SMK Coin in the Item Box (SMK) Lightning (Lightning Bolt) from SMK
Mario Circuit 1st C F F B C B D F
2nd-4th E F F A B E A F
5th-8th A F D E E A F E
Donut Plains 1st B F F C C B D F
2nd-4th E F F B A E A F
5th-8th A F C E E A F E
Ghost Valley 1st C B F D C D D F
2nd-4th E E F A C E A F
5th-8th A B C E E D F E
Bowser Castle
Rainbow Road
1st D D F C C D D F
2nd-4th E E F C A E A E
5th-8th A D C E E B F E
Choco Island 1st B E F C C C D F
2nd-4th E E F A A E C F
5th-8th A E D E E A F E
Koopa Beach 1st B E F F C C D F
2nd-4th E E F A A E C F
5th-8th A C D E E C F E
Vanilla Lake 1st C C F C D C D F
2nd-4th E E F A A E C F
5th-8th A C D E E C F E

Match Race[edit]

Track theme Lap/Rank Mushroom (Dash Mushroom) from SMK Feather Sprite of a Star item from Super Mario Kart. Banana (Banana Peel) (in-box version) Green Shell from SMK Red Shell (in-box version) in SMK Ghost (Boo) from SMK Coin in the Item Box (SMK) Lightning (Lightning Bolt) from SMK
Mario Circuit 1st lap C F F B B C E E F
1st place E F F A A E F B F
2nd place A F D E E A E F E
Ghost Valley 1st lap C B F B E D F E F
1st place E D F B B E B B F
2nd place B B E E E D E F E
Donut Plains 1st lap B F F B C C E E F
1st place E F F B A E F A F
2nd place B F C E E B E E E
Bowser Castle
Rainbow Road
1st lap C F F C C D E E F
1st place E E F C A E F A F
2nd place A E D E E B E F E
Choco Island 1st lap C D F C C C E E F
1st place E E F A B E F B F
2nd place A E D E E B E F E
Koopa Beach 1st lap C D F C C D E E F
1st place E E F A B E F B F
2nd place A E D E E D E F E
Vanilla Lake 1st lap C C F C C D E E F
1st place E E F A B E F B F
2nd place A D D E E D E F E

Battle Mode[edit]

Mushroom (Dash Mushroom) from SMK Feather Sprite of a Star item from Super Mario Kart. Banana (Banana Peel) (in-box version) Green Shell from SMK Red Shell (in-box version) in SMK Ghost (Boo) from SMK Coin in the Item Box (SMK) Lightning (Lightning Bolt) from SMK
E D E E A A E

Rivals[edit]

Mario gets first in Super Mario Kart
The rivals are expected to finish in a particular order. In this case, though, Princess finished on a lower spot than normal.

Super Mario Kart has a different rival system from the rest of the series (except for Mario Kart: Super Circuit); the rivals contain one very fast driver, one fast driver, one medium driver, one slow driver and three very slow drivers. It is notable that when one of the three slowest drivers gets hit, that kart keeps its place, while when one of the faster cars gets shot, it usually resumes its previous place very quickly unless unable to catch up fast enough before the race ends. For this reason, the drivers (except the human racer) are expected to finish in a particular order if unaffected. Also, if the player tries to hit an opponent, the opponent may jump over the item similar to when they jump over CPU-placed items. Also, the rivals are not determined in pairs, so that even if Donkey Kong Jr. is Mario's rival, Mario is not Donkey Kong Jr.'s rival, as shown in the table below.

The rivals for each driver are always the same, the list is in the order the line up for the first race. It is possible to change the order if the rivals cannot recover their place at the end (for example, if someone is playing as Luigi and Yoshi finishes last, Yoshi then becomes one of the three slower drivers while everybody takes the next position up). It happens mostly on 100cc and 150cc.

The rivals are determined by the current points standing, meaning that if Yoshi was still only second to the player, he boosts back to first position from the start.

Character Rival Order
Very Fast Fast Medium Slow Very Slow
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Yoshi
Yoshi
Luigi
Luigi
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Yoshi
Yoshi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Luigi
Luigi
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Luigi
Luigi
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Yoshi
Yoshi
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Luigi
Luigi
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Yoshi
Yoshi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
Luigi
Luigi
Yoshi
Yoshi
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
BowserSMK.png
Bowser
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Toad from Super Mario Kart
Toad
Princess from Super Mario Kart
Princess
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Mario from Super Mario Kart
Mario
Yoshi
Yoshi
Luigi
Luigi
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa
BowserSMK.png
Bowser

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Super Mario Kart staff

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 Rainbow Road being one of her favorite compositions.[10]

Development[edit]

Super Mario Kart was born out of the idea of making a two-player racing game following F-Zero, which was exclusively single-player.[11] 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.[12] 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.[11] 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.[11]

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article: List of Super Mario Kart pre-release and unused content

A prototype cartridge of the game features several differences, such as the presence of animations on the podium screen when the player ranks 2nd or 3rd place, a music track for Vanilla Lake 1 that does not appear in the final build and a different Battle Course 3 set in Choco Island.

Regional differences[edit]

TCRF article: Super Mario Kart § Regional Differences
Bowser's victory animation from Super Mario Kart.Bowser's wining animation from the Japanese version of Super Mario Kart.
The left image is Bowser's international victory animation,
while the right is his Japanese victory animation.

Several graphical changes consisting of minor touch-ups and even censoring of questionable material has been made to international versions of the game.

  • The logo in the title screen for international versions have an enlarged "O" and "E" in the title, "Super Mario Kart" and overall increased box size. The trademark symbol is in a different position as well.
  • 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.[13][14] In the Western releases of the game, Bowser merely poses happily agitating the bottle and Peach tosses and catches her bottle.
    • In the international versions, Donkey Kong Jr. juggles a few bottles of champagne in his celebration animation. In the European version, this was changed to him swinging the bottles around.
  • Yoshi has a more defined head in the North American versions of the game. The European version retains the Japanese version's head.
  • International versions of the game save the player's choices, having them already selected the next time they go through menus.
  • The Japanese version plays a Boo sound when L Button, R Button, L Button, R Button, L Button, L Button, R Button, R Button, A Button are pressed on the Time Trial menu in order to unlock the Special Cup early. No sound is played in the international versions.
  • Karts are stalled less when they are overreved at the start of the race in the North American version of the game.

Glitches[edit]

Main article: List of Super Mario Kart glitches
Glitched lap counter
A demonstration of the glitched lap counter in Mario Circuit 4

Continue boost[edit]

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.[15]

Glitched lap counter[edit]

When some glitches are performed, occasionally Lakitu shows glitched lap counters, such as "LAP 05" or, rarely, "LAP 16". "LAP" is normal, but the part of the panel that displays the lap number is missing, and the digits are small, stacked, and displayed in red.[15]

Music muting[edit]

In any two-player game, after Lakitu gives the green light, the player must keep mashing Start Button in both controllers. Occasionally, the music does play.

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Super Mario Kart met with very favorable reviews, scoring a 93.60% on GameRankings based on 10 reviews.[16] 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. 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.[17]

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.[18] 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."[19] Nadia Oxford from USgamer, reviewing the game's release on the 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.[20] 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.[21]

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.[22] 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 Book of World Records Gamer's Edition 2009 - 2014.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
SNES Shey Stevens, Electronic Games 93% "Super Mario Kart has a fast-paced feel with plenty of in-depth play. While the game isn't totally revolutionary, the action does deviate from what we've exposed to in the past to make this new driving adventure something worthwhile to add to a collection, whether you're a fan of driving titles or Mario."
SNES Karn Spydar Lee Bianco, Cubed3 9/10 "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."
SNES Jason Venter, HonestGamers 5/5 "Chock full of great visuals, awesome sound, tight play control, amazing track design, items galore and a multi-player mode that's hard to beat, Super Mario Kart is my favorite game of all time. It’s also one of the main reasons to own a Super Nintendo."
SNES Brett Alan Weiss, allgame 5/5 "Super Mario Kart has spawned numerous imitators over the years, but it finishes in front of the pack every time."
Wii Nintendo Life Staff, Nintendo Life 9/10 "Super Mario Kart has certainly made its mark on gaming history, spawning several sequels on successive Nintendo consoles, not to mention many imitators. To play it today is every bit as enjoyable as it ever was; sure the graphics and sound may have dated, but the core gameplay is still top notch. This is one hell of a fun racing game with enough playability to keep you coming back for more. It's amazing that Nintendo chose to wait three years before treating us to this seminal game on the Virtual Console, but we're glad they finally saw sense!"
Wii Lucas M. Thomas, IGN 9/10 "Where each of the N64, Cube and Wii installments of the series have focused on multiplayer, more characters and more crazy items, though, this SNES original keeps things simpler -- emphasizing, instead, the actual racing instead of the combat within each race. It's a different take on the same idea, which is interesting since it's the original take on that idea. So stick with the other Kart games if you want the multiplayer chaos, but come on back to this very first racing adventure with Mario and his crew. It's absolutely worth 800 of your Wii Points to re-experience, or to play for the very first time."
Super NES Classic Edition Nadia Oxford, USgamer 4.5/5 "Super Mario Kart is pretty bare-bones compared to its feature-laden sequels, but in many ways, its simplicity is its strength. Super Mario Kart's core concept is still a whole lot of rad fun, and that's what matters most."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
GameRankings 93.60%

Sales[edit]

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.[23]

Adaptations in other media[edit]

Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater[edit]

Mario in a strip of Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater.
Mario driving a go-kart in the Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater.

Super Mario Kart is occasionally referenced in the gag comic series, the Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater, alongside other Super Mario titles.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

The sixth volume of the Super Mario-kun by Yukio Sawada completes the Super Mario World arc, though it contains a story that is heavily based on Super Mario Kart; the title even bases its Mario artwork off official artwork of the game.

Super Mario Kodansha manga[edit]

Three volumes feature Super Mario Kart in Kodansha's Super Mario series by Kazuki Motoyama. The first volume's cover features the cast driving on Rainbow Road.

Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race[edit]

Main article: Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race
Photo for Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race
Photo for Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race

Super Mario Kart was adapted into a Japan-only electro-mechanical arcade game developed by Banpresto and Atlus called Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race, released in 1994.[24] The playable characters are Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser, with Cheep Cheep, Monty Mole, and 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.[25]

Merchandise[edit]

Due to the game's popularity and success, multiple merchandise based on Super Mario Kart has been sold. Diecast kart racers are frequent merchandise, with a few plush dolls.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario Kart.

Soundtrack[edit]

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 Castle music, simply titled "Castle".

The instrument samples used for the soundtrack included the "flat shots", grand piano, distorted guitar, electric bass, and organ from the Akai S1000; the reedy keys from an E-mu Proteus synthesizer; the clarinet from the Kawai K1r; a guitar from the Korg M1; the bass marimba from the Roland D-550; the reverb snare and closed hi-hat from the Roland R-8; whistling samples from the Yamaha RX-8 and TG77 (as well as the latter's synth brass); and an agogo, bongo, electric kick drum, and timbale taken from unknown equipment.[26]

Media[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Super Mario Kart media.
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

References to other games[edit]

References in later media[edit]

Screenshot of Super Mario 3D World.
A portion of Mount Must Dash

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese スーパーマリオカート[?]
Sūpā Mario Kāto
Super Mario Kart
Chinese (simplified) 超级马力欧卡丁车[27]
Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Kǎdīngchē
Super Mario Kart
Chinese (traditional) 超級瑪利歐賽車[28]
Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Sàichē
Super Mario Kart
Korean 슈퍼 마리오 카트[?]
Syupeo Mario Kateu
Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart: Fully souped up![edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 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[?]
Sūpā Mario Kāto Furu Kōsu de Omotenashi Bājon
Super Mario Kart Full Course Treatment Version
Chinese (simplified) 超级马力欧卡丁车 全赛道庆典版[?]
Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Kǎdīngchē Quán Sàidào Qìngdiǎnbǎn
Super Mario Kart All Racetracks Celebration Edition
Chinese (traditional) 超級瑪利歐賽車 全賽道款待版本[?]
Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Sàichē Quán Sàidào Kuǎndài Bǎnběn
Super Mario Kart All Racetracks Hospitality Version
Dutch Super Mario Kart: Maximaal opgevoerd![?] -
French Super Mario Kart: Sur les chapeaux de roues ![?] Super Mario Kart: At full throttle!
German Super Mario Kart: Komplett aufgemotzt![?] -
Italian Super Mario Kart: A tutto gas![?] Super Mario Kart: Full throttle!
Korean Super Mario Kart 완전 파워 업![?] -
Portuguese Super Mario Kart: A todo o gás![?] -
Russian Super Mario Kart: Полный газ![?]
Super Mario Kart: Polnyy gaz!
-
Spanish Super Mario Kart: ¡A tope de revoluciones![?] Super Mario Kart: Full throttle!

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nintendo Switch Online app
  2. ^ Nintendo (September 4, 2019). Nintendo Direct 9.4.2019. YouTube. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  3. ^ Nintendo (September 4, 2019). Nintendo Direct 2019.9.5. YouTube. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  4. ^ Tweet by Nintendo of Europe (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date). X. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  5. ^ Tweet by Nintendo AU NZ (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date). X. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  6. ^ TCRF. Super Mario Kart. The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  7. ^ Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook. Page 17.
  8. ^ Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook. Page 15.
  9. ^ Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook. Page 142 and 143.
  10. ^ Interview between Rocketbaby and Soyo Oka. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c Iwata Asks: Mario Kart Wii. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  12. ^ Otero, Joseph (May 29, 2014). How Anti-Gravity Made Mario Kart Better. IGN. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  13. ^ https://youtu.be/hNZfd3JDFOA
  14. ^ http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/smk_j2e.shtml
  15. ^ a b 呂理彬 Lu Li Bin (February 14, 2013). 【TAS】SNES Super Mario Kart 150cc All-Cup Stage By Stage Comparison. YouTube.
  16. ^ Archived URL for GameRankings score for Super Mario Kart. GameRankings. Retrieved November 27, 2020. (Archived June 29, 2015, 08:19:51 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  17. ^ Metacritic score for Super Mario Kart on the Wii. Metacritic. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  18. ^ Stevens, Shey (December 1992). Archive for Electronic Games magazine. Page 79 and 80. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  19. ^ Bro. Buzz (December 1992). "Super NES Pro Review: Super Mario Kart", Game Pro. No. 51. Page 80–82. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  20. ^ Oxford, Nadia (January 23, 2019). Super NES Retro Review: Super Mario Kart. USgamer. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  21. ^ Alessi, Martin; Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed, Sushi X (November 1992). Review Crew: Super Mario Kart. Electronic Gaming Monthly. Page 25. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  22. ^ September 1997. Nintendo Power's 100 Best Games of All Time - Sept. 1997. GameKult. Retrieved November 27, 2020. (Archived December 25, 2009, 02:02:35 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  23. ^ Futter, Mike (June 2, 2014). Mario Kart 8 Speeds To Over 1.2 Million Sales In Opening Weekend. Game Informer. Retrieved November 27, 2020. (Archived June 4, 2014, 08:49:37 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  24. ^ Borp (October 28, 2015). Arcade coverage: Banpresto. Super Mario Boards. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  25. ^ Super Mario Wiki (October 31, 2015). Super Mario Kart Dokidoki Race Gameplay. YouTube. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  26. ^ NEWER VGM Sound Sources. Google Docs. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  27. ^ 超级马力欧兄弟 35周年!. Nintendo. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  28. ^ 超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年!. Nintendo. Retrieved September 4, 2020.

External links[edit]