![]() ![]() This first game included an eight-character roster, with players competing against each other and/or computers in three-round “cups” across various tracks and difficulties. The mechanics introduced in Super Mario Kart would go on to set the standard for the series as a whole. It came about following Shigeru Miyamoto’s desire to make a racing game like F-Zero that could accommodate two players on the screen simultaneously, and is now cited as the game that started the kart-racing genre. Super Mario Kart was the first installment of the series, released on the SNES to highly positive reception. Without further ado, let’s look at the Mario Kart games in order and see how the series has taken shape over the years. If you appreciate games with growing character rosters, increasingly complex customization options that encourage experimentation without punishing “bad builds,” easily-navigable UI, and just plain fun racing games, Mario Kart is a good series for you. ![]() The controls are easy to learn and fun to master, making the game compelling for both those who want a quick, good-natured Grand Prix and those who seek the crown… and the bragging rights that go with it. It fits Nintendo’s “games for all ages” brand really well due to its accessibility and relative unpredictability - the use of items and track gimmicks ensures that even skilled players aren’t guaranteed to win, giving everyone a fair shot at the gold. Mario Kart is a fun and lightly-competitive party game series that’s seen massive success since its debut on the Super Nintendo. ![]() But I’d like to take a moment to explore the evolution of the Mario Kart and give a little extra love to a game that’s so close to my heart. It’s easy to reduce each new Mario Kart game to a rehashing of the same, 28-year-old formula. But there’s something beautiful about the simple evolution of Mario Kart that showcases Nintendo’s style and innovation over the years. There are obviously games out there that provide an incredible metric when it comes to graphics, animation, storytelling, etc. When my boyfriend got Super Mario Kart with the SNES Classic Edition, and I picked up that gray controller for the first time in years, it made me think about how far video games have come in such a short time. I don’t remember much else about that moment -how old I was, who I was playing with, where we were - but I do remember the particular thrill of realizing that the buttons I was pressing were making the Princess move in her car. I don’t mean it was the first game I ever bonded with or played to completion - I mean that it was my very first experience with a controller.
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