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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Mario Kart began in 1992 with Super Mario Kart and grew through successive Nintendo console and handheld generations. Its latest major turn is Mario Kart World (2025), which connects courses across one world instead of treating each race as a stop on a separate track.
Where Mario Kart began
The series started with Super Mario Kart in 1992. Its central premise—Mario characters racing on colorful, themed courses with items in play—proved adaptable enough to carry forward across Nintendo hardware generations.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Mario Kart™ World (Nintendo Switch 2) | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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NINTENDO Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Switch | $58.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Mario Kart Wii - Game Only by Nintendo (Renewed) | $49.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Non-US Version) | $57.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
![Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517O3bI45YL._SL160_.jpg)
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The principal console and handheld sequence is a useful guide to that history, but it is not a complete ledger of every release. Arcade games and spin-offs sit outside this core chronology, and the available record does not establish every regional launch date.
The principal games, in chronological order
- Super Mario Kart (1992) — The first game in the series.
- Mario Kart 64 — The next principal console entry.
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit — A handheld milestone in the main sequence.
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! — The next principal console entry.
- Mario Kart DS — Another handheld entry.
- Mario Kart Wii — A later console installment.
- Mario Kart 7 — The sequence’s next handheld milestone.
- Mario Kart 8 — The predecessor to the expanded Switch release.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) — The Nintendo Switch edition that became a platform for substantial additional course content.
- Mario Kart World (2025) — The Nintendo Switch 2 release that puts courses within an interconnected world.
This ordering describes the principal console and handheld line, not every Mario Kart game or variation. It also should not be read as a list of exact launch dates for the earlier entries.
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#1 Best Overall
- Race from one course to another through interconnected paths that span the world
- Traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more—with shifting weather patterns and a day/night cycle
- Ride on rails, jump off walls, skim across water, and more as you race for the finish line
- Take on the adrenaline-packed Knockout Tour—a fierce 24-driver elimination mode
- Explore courses at your own pace and wander the world to discover fun surprises in Free Roam
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe expands the Switch-era game
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launched for Nintendo Switch on April 28, 2017. Nintendo’s official game site lists 48 courses and 42 characters in the base game. Nintendo UK also describes local wireless, split-screen, and online play, alongside motion controls and Smart Steering; a Joy-Con Wheel is separately available.
The Booster Course Pass
The separately released Booster Course Pass added 48 courses and eight characters. Nintendo Support records six releases, running from March 18, 2022, through November 8, 2023. The full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game is required to play the pass content.
Rank #2
- With Nintendo Switch, fans can enjoy the definitive version of Mario Kart 8 anywhere, anytime
- the Mario Kart you know and love, with many new features
- Enjoy Mario Kart alone or with friends, anytime, anywhere, with anyone
- Supports 2 players in handheld mode, 4 players on one TV and 12-player online
- 5 exclusive new characters join the tournament, including Inkling Boy and Inkling girl.4 exclusive new multiplayer battle modes including Balloon battle and Bob-omb blast.48 tracks.40+ racers.It's the biggest Mario Kart roster ever.all downloadable content from the Wii U version included as standard Compatible with the Nintendo Switch only
Together, the figures on Nintendo’s site describe a substantial extension to the Switch game: the base course and character counts, plus the courses and characters added through the pass. The pass is additional content, not a replacement for the base game.
Mario Kart World connects the courses
Mario Kart World launched for Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. Nintendo describes races with up to 24 drivers—a series high—and three modes: Grand Prix, Knockout Tour, and Free Roam. Its defining structural change is that roads connect courses across one world, rather than sending players from one discrete course to the next.
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Rank #3
- -Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- -This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
The design goal behind the connected world
In a Nintendo developer interview, producer Kosuke Yabuki explained the idea this way: “In previous Mario Kart games, after finishing a course, you’d move on to the next course. However, I thought that with modern technology, being able to seamlessly transition between courses and realize a single, vast world wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.” The connected layout is therefore a stated design aim, not just a different way to describe the scenery.
The same interview says the development team considered 60 frames per second and split-screen multiplayer important. That describes the team’s priorities; it does not establish that every Mario Kart game runs at the same frame rate.
Rank #4
- Nuevos personajes: Inkling, Rey Boo, Huesitos y Bowsy
- Inclusi n de circuitos in ditos en el modo batalla
- Los pilotos cuentan con el volante inteligente, que ayuda a no salirse de la pista
- Hasta 8 pilotos en partidas de multijugador local
How to read the series’ evolution
The main line is best understood as a sequence of games adapted to successive Nintendo systems, rather than as a complete catalog of every arcade release, spin-off, or regional edition. The sources document the later entries in greater detail than the early titles. For the clearest documented contrast between the two latest major releases, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe extends a course-based game with a separate pass, while Mario Kart World makes the connections between courses part of the world itself.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Hit the road with the definitive version of Mario Kart 8 and play anytime, anywhere! Race your friends or battle them in a revised battle mode on new and returning battle courses
- Play locally in up to 4-player multiplayer in 1080p while playing in TV Mode. Every track from the Wii U version, including DLC, makes a glorious return
- Plus, the Inklings appear as all-new guest characters, along with returning favorites, such as King Boo, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr.
- Players can choose a new Smart Steering feature which makes driving and staying on the track easy for novice players and kids even at 200cc
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
