Super Mario Kart
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| Super Mario Kart | |
| Developer | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| System | Super Nintendo |
| Release Date | JP August 27, 1992 US September 1992 EU January 21, 1993 |
| Genre | Racing |
| Gallery | GH Gallery |
Super Mario Kart is the first in the series of kart-racing video games starring Mario and supporting characters from his games. The game was made by Nintendo EAD following the success of their previous racing game, F-Zero, and utilizes the same Mode 7 technology. Intsead of the high-speed F-Zero experience, Super Mario Kart took on a more fun and cartoonier style.
Gameplay
The player controlled one of eight racers. Each racer rode a go-kart. In a twist that was unique at the time, the racers could collect items which they could use to sabotage other players (or to enhance their own speed). The game contained twenty racetracks, which were divided into four different "cups" (the last one, the Special Cup, had to be unlocked via a code). The game also had a popular two-player mode. Not only could the two players race each other, there was a Battle Mode in which the goal was to collect items and use them to bust all three balloons of the opponent.
Legacy
The game impacted the gaming world, inspiring many imitator games. Most game series eventually got their own "kart racing" game at one point in their life cycle. Within the Mario universe, Super Mario Kart was also notable as the first "sports" game to be based heavily on the Mario games and to feature many Mario-related characters. This led to a variety of Mario sports games that mostly emerged during the Nintendo 64 era.
Playable Characters
Tracks
| Mushroom Cup | Flower Cup | Star Cup | Special Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Circuit 1 | Choco Island 1 | Koopa Beach 1 | Donut Plains 3 |
| Donut Plains 1 | Ghost Valley 2 | Choco Island 2 | Koopa Beach 2 |
| Ghost Valley 1 | Donut Plains 2 | Vanilla Lake 1 | Ghost Valley 3 |
| Bowser Castle 1 | Bowser Castle 2 | Bowser Castle 3 | Vanilla Lake 2 |
| Mario Circuit 2 | Mario Circuit 3 | Mario Circuit 4 | Rainbow Road |
Sequels
The Mario Kart series continued and had a game for nearly every console to come out since Super Mario Kart's release (with the exception of the Gameboy Color). The next game to be released was Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo 64 in 1996.
Ports/Remakes
Super Mario Kart has yet to receive an official remake. However, all of the game's tracks appear as unlockables in Mario Kart: Super Circuit for the Gameboy Advance. Four of the game's tracks are also featured in the Retro Cup of Mario Kart DS.
| Titles in the Mario Kart Series |
|---|
| Super Mario Kart - Mario Kart 64 - Super Circuit - Double Dash!! - Mario Kart DS Mario Kart Wii - Mario Kart 7 - Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe) Mario Kart Arcade GP (2 - DX - VR) - Mario Kart Tour - Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit |