This is a list of glitches in Super Mario Kart. Unless otherwise noted, all names are conjectural.
Glitches
Bounce and end
In Donut Plains 1, the player must steer to the right, hit the wall, and hop continuously. If done right, Lakitu will count a lap almost every second.[1]
Continue boost
The player should pick up a Mushroom, then use it and hop very close to a corner. If done correctly, the player will always be facing left regardless of whether or not they are steering and will be under the effect of the Mushroom longer than normal. The player should get a time of a lap under 10 seconds.[1]
CPU stuck in endless loop
In Mario Circuit 2, during a Grand Prix, the player should place a Banana Peel just before the big jump near the end of the course. If done correctly, one of the CPU characters will get stuck in an endless loop of failing the jump (due to having to avoid the Banana Peel) and trying again.[2]
In the rare case that Princess Peach throws a Poison Mushroom just before the jump, this glitch will also result in all the CPU characters being stuck in the endless loop as long as the Poison Mushroom is there. When the Poison Mushroom is taken, the glitch ends.
Driving after losing
In Battle Mode, the player needs to hold the gas before, during, and after they lose their last balloon. Sometimes they will be able to continue driving around and battling. If the player erroneously presses the button, they will go to the menu, but they will still be able to drive around until they press another button.
Drive forever
The player must be in Battle Mode and select one or two players. Either player needs to lose all of their balloons; when they do, they should keep pressing the accelerate button. If their timing is right, it is possible to continue to drive around even without any balloons.[3]
Glitched lap counter
By doing any of the other glitches (except the CPU loop glitch), Lakitu will occasionally show 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.[1]
Invincibility music glitch
There should be two players racing. One must pause while the other should be under the effect of a Star. When the effect runs out, the Star jingle will still play.
Lap around the start
The glitch works in Ghost Valley 1. The player will need a Feather and possibly a character with a high handling stat, such as Koopa or Toad. They should be next to the Start line, possibly to the far left, and use a Feather to end up behind the lap. If done correctly, they will have completed a lap simply by doing this.
Lava finish
In Bowser Castle 1, the player will need a Feather and be in the fourth lap near the Start line. They should use the Feather to jump to the left. If done correctly, the race will finish.[1]
Music muting
In any two-player game, after Lakitu gives the green light, the player must keep pressing on both controllers. Occasionally, the music will not play.
Out-of-bounds double lap count
In Mario Circuit 2, the player should go near the jump to the end and go as far left as they can. If they finish out of bounds, Lakitu will count two laps.[1]
Persistent balloons
In Battle Course 2, if the player jumps out of the course with a Feather, they will be picked up by Lakitu and they will disappear from their opponent's screen, but their balloons will remain.
Save time by falling
In Ghost Valley 1, the player should go to the right while hopping and fall. Their position will decrease, but after they place eighth, it will go back to 1 and Lakitu will count the lap.[1]
References
Glitches
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Super Mario franchise
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Super Mario Platformers |
Super Mario series
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Super Mario Bros. (Minus World) (1985, NES) • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986, FDS) • Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, NES) • Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988, NES) • Super Mario Land (1989, GB) • Super Mario World (1990, SNES) • Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992, GB) • Super Mario 64 (1996, N64) • Super Mario Sunshine (2002, GCN) • New Super Mario Bros. (2006, DS) • Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii) • New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009, Wii) • Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010, Wii) • Super Mario 3D Land (2011, 3DS) • New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012, 3DS) • New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U (2012 / 2013, Wii U) • Super Mario 3D World (2013, Wii U) • Super Mario Maker (2015, Wii U) • Super Mario Odyssey (2017, Switch) • Super Mario Maker 2 (2019, Switch)
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Mario vs. Donkey Kong series
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Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004, GBA) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! (2010, DS)
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Ports and remakes
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Super Mario Advance (2001, GBA) • Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (2002, GBA) • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (2003, GBA) • Super Mario 64 DS (2004, DS) • Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021, Switch)
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Mario Kart series
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Super Mario Kart (1992, SNES) • Mario Kart 64 (1996, N64) • Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003, GCN) • Mario Kart DS (2005, DS) • Mario Kart Wii (2008, Wii) • Mario Kart 7 (2011, 3DS) • Mario Kart 8 (2014, Wii U)
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Sports games |
Mario Tennis series
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Mario Power Tennis (2004, GCN) • Mario Tennis: Power Tour (2005, GBA)
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Mario Baseball series
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Mario Super Sluggers (2008, Wii)
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Mario Strikers series
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Super Mario Strikers (2005, GCN)
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Other
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Mario Sports Mix (2010, Wii)
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Mario Party series
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Mario Party (1998, N64) • Mario Party 2 (1999, N64) • Mario Party 3 (2000, N64) • Mario Party 4 (2002, GCN) • Super Mario Party (2018, Switch) • Mario Party Superstars (2021, Switch)
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Super Mario RPGs |
Paper Mario series
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Paper Mario (2000, N64) • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004, GCN) • Super Paper Mario (2007, Wii) • Paper Mario: Sticker Star (2012, 3DS) • Paper Mario: Color Splash (2016, Wii U) • Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020, Switch)
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Mario & Luigi series
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Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003, GBA) • Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (2005, DS) • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009, DS) • Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (2013, 3DS) • Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (2015, 3DS)
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Mario + Rabbids series
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Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (2016, Switch) • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022, Switch)
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Other
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Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996, SNES)
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Remakes
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Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (2017, 3DS) • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2018, 3DS) • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024, Switch)
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Luigi's Mansion series
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Luigi's Mansion (2001, GCN) • Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (2013, 3DS) • Luigi's Mansion 3 (2019, Switch)
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Donkey Kong franchise
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Donkey Kong Country series
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Donkey Kong Country (1994, SNES) • Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995, SNES) • Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1996, SNES) • Donkey Kong 64 (1999, N64) • Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010, Wii) • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014, Wii U)
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Donkey Kong Land series
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Donkey Kong Land (1995, GB) • Donkey Kong Land 2 (1996, GB) • Donkey Kong Land III (1997, GB)
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Racing games
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Diddy Kong Racing (1997, N64)
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Other
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Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004, GCN)
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Yoshi franchise
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Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995, SNES) • Yoshi's New Island (2014, 3DS)
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Wario franchise
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Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994, GB) • Wario Land 3 (2000, GBC) • Wario Land 4 (2001, GBA)
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Super Smash Bros. series
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Super Smash Bros. (1999, N64) • Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001, GCN) • Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, Wii) • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (2014, 3DS) • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014, Wii U) • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018, Switch)
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