Mario Kart (series)

The Mario Kart racing games are a large franchise series in Mario games; one Mario Kart game has appeared on almost every Nintendo system since the SNES. With a total of eight titles in the popular spin-off series, Nintendo has started a sort-of fad of cartoon-styled racing games amongst many gaming companies – one of the more notable similarly-designed series of racing games are those of the Crash Bandicoot series.

Super Mario Kart

 * Year Released – 1992
 * System – SNES

Super Mario Kart was the first Mario Kart game to be released. The game had a total of eight playable characters and 20 different racecourses to select from. This was the only title featuring five courses for a Grand Prix; all later installments only consisted of four. Super Mario Kart was also the only Mario Kart game to feature Donkey Kong Jr. as a playable character; he was replaced by Donkey Kong in all subsequent titles. Koopa Troopa was also playable in the game, but did not reprise this role until Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Though the game was on a 16-bit system, it featured three-dimensionally rendered surroundings, giving the graphics depth and a more realistic feel. This particular Mario Kart game was heavily influenced by Super Mario World, with some graphics and locations taken directly from the platformer. Yoshi's tongue noise from Super Mario World was also present, as was a computer-generated "hoomph" for Donkey Kong Jr.; actual voice acting was not yet possible.

Mario Kart 64

 * Year Released – 1996
 * System – Nintendo 64


 * For this game's beta elements, see here.

Mario Kart 64 is the first 64-bit Mario Kart game, which allowed for fully three-dimensional graphics, including the characters' and items' designs, and course layouts. It is the first Mario Kart title to feature Donkey Kong and Wario as playable characters, though there was still a total of eight drivers to choose from. The game featured 16 normal racecourses, as well as four battle courses. Mario Kart 64 was later re-released on the Virtual Console for 1000 points.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

 * Year Released – 2001
 * System – Game Boy Advance


 * For this game's beta elements, see here.

Mario Kart Super Circuit is the first Mario Kart title to be brought to a handheld gaming system. It was compatible with the Game Boy Advance (now with the Nintendo DS as well), and was a 32-bit game. It was highly influenced by its two home console predecessors. The game featured eight playable characters once more, all of which were in Mario Kart 64. A total of 20 racecourses (plus the 20 courses from Super Mario Kart) could be selected from. This game also has a feature that allowed players to swap ghost data via the use of a Game Boy Advance connection cord.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

 * Year Released – 2003
 * System – Nintendo GameCube


 * For this game's beta elements, see here.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the fourth game to be released in the franchise, introduced many new features. One difference is that in the game, there are two drivers to a kart, in contrary to all other games in the Mario Kart series; this allowed the player to hold more items simultaneously. Another new feature was Special Items: each pair of drivers had their own unique Special Item that only they could use, with the exception of King Boo and Petey Piranha, who did not have their own Special Item, but could use any of other drivers' instead. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! featured 16 racecourses, as well as 20 different characters to select from. It is also the first game that has uniquely designed karts for each character, rather than just color variations.

Mario Kart DS

 * Year Released – 2005
 * System – Nintendo DS


 * For this game's beta elements, see here.

Mario Kart DS is the fifth mainstream installment in the Mario Kart series, and is the second title to be released on a handheld gaming system. Unlike Double Dash!!, this game returned to one-person driving and did not feature Special Items. The game featured 64-bit graphics, as Mario Kart 64 did, and included an all new Mission Mode, for which the player needs to complete missions within certain time limits. This game featured 12 playable characters: eight default racers, four unlockable racers, and one only available for racing via Download Play.

This game was also the second in the series to feature racecourses encountered in earlier titles (the first was Mario Kart Super Circuit, which included all Super Mario Kart tracks). In the Retro Grand Prix mode, players could select to race on courses from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart Super Circuit, and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. New courses, from the the Nitro Grand Prix, were based on the latest Mario platform games. Some tracks included pipes and flat blocks in the background baced on those from Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, and some Boss stages from the new Mission Mode were also based on this game. The course Tick Tock Clock and other Mission Mode Bosses came from Super Mario 64 DS.

Mario Kart Wii

 * Year Released – 2008
 * System – Wii


 * For this game's beta elements, see here.

Mario Kart Wii is the sixth mainstream and most recent game in the series. A new feature in Mario Kart Wii is Bikes. Bikes allow the players to do wheelies, speeding them up temporarily. Also, the players can do Tricks as they jump off certain ramps, to get a short boost when landing. Another new feature is the Mario Kart Channel. This channel, installable on the Wii Menu, allows players to check rankings, race ghosts, and compete in tournaments. Similar to the Retro racecourses, the game also had five Retro Battlecourses. One Retro Battlecourse was featured from each of the past five games in the series, in addition to five all-new courses. Mario Kart Wii has 24 playable characters, with 32 courses to choose from. However, unlike the past titles, this game uses a size system instead of a weight system.

Upcoming Mario Kart Game
There will be a new Mario Kart game made in 2010, but it hasn't been confirmed yet.

Mario Kart Arcade GP

 * Year Released – 2005
 * System – Arcade Machine

Mario Kart Arcade GP was the first Mario Kart title to be released into an arcade. Though many of the same elements from previous games were still featured in this game, it was entirely unique from the rest at the time. This game featured a total of 11 playable characters; 8 were from the Mario series, while the remaining three were from the Pac-Man series. This was the first Mario Kart title to feature third-party characters. It also featured 12 racecourses to select from, two each were in a separate cup. It is notable for having many more items than other Mario Kart games.

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2

 * Year Released – 2007
 * System – Arcade Machine

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 is the second (and latest) Mario Kart title to be released in the arcades. It featured the same playable characters as Mario Kart Arcade GP, with the additions of Waluigi and Mametchi. This title also featured something different from the last arcade release: unique Karts for each playable character, just as Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii did. This game featured a total of 16 racecourses.

Playable Characters
With six Mario Kart titles, the list of characters that can be found from within these games is quite large. Below is a list of all the characters found in each game.

¹ Only in DS Download Play.

Weight/Size and Effects
Throughout the Mario Kart series, a common element in almost each game is the weight of different characters. Characters have been classified by their weight. Up until Mario Kart Wii, the three weights were "Light", "Medium", and "Heavy". In Mario Kart Wii, however, the main element was the size of the character, split in three categories: "Small", "Medium", and "Large". Different weights and sizes have different effects on racing.

Please note:
 * In Super Mario Kart, characters were classified in 4 classes with no official name.
 * In Mario Kart DS, weights of characters weren't classified in categories, but more exact weights were given to characters.
 * In Mario Kart Wii, bikes were usually lighter than karts, due to their smaller size. However, some bikes are heavier than karts, especially when size classes are taken into account.

Light/Small
Characters in this classification are easily knocked aside by their heavier opponents. Light/Small characters have high acceleration, but low top speeds. When off-road, they lose a very minimal amount of speed. In some games, however, a lightweight may own a kart that has a high top speed, but low acceleration.

Medium
Medium characters have a equal balance of weight, top speed, and acceleration. When they go off-road, they lose a moderate amount of speed, contrary to that of its corresponding weight classes. In some games, however, middleweights may own a kart that has low speed and high acceleration, or a kart that has high speed and low acceleration.

Heavy/Large
Heavy/Large characters can easily knock all opposing racers aside. They have high top speeds, but very poor acceleration. When they go off-road, their speed greatly decreases. In some games, however, a heavyweight may own a kart that has a low top speed, but high acceleration.

Items and Effects
Throughout the races of the Mario Kart games, racers can pick up items out of Item Boxes. These items differ from game to game, but this is a complete list of all the items from every game, excluding the Mario Kart Arcade GP series. After running into an Item Box, items randomly shuffle in the Item Roulette. The player can then press the button to select the item. If a player doesn't select an item right away by pressing the item button, the computer automatically selects an item. After the item is selected, the player can press the item button to use it.

Item Utilization Buttons

 * Super Mario Kart - A


 * Mario Kart 64 - Z or C-Down


 * Mario Kart: Super Circuit - L


 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!! - X or Y (also A and B when on the back seat in cooperative mode)


 * Mario Kart DS - X or L


 * Wii Virtual Console Mario Kart 64 using Classic Controller - L, X or R-Down


 * Wii Virtual Console Mario Kart 64 using GameCube Controller - L, X, Y or C-Down


 * Mario Kart Wii - D-Pad on Wii Wheel, Z on Nunchuk Attachment and L on Classic Controller and GameCube Controller


 * Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP- ITEM button on center of steering wheel.

 *  Indicates Special Item in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

Banana
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

The banana is a staple in every Mario Kart game. They can be held behind the player's kart, and anybody who hits it will spin out on contact. When thrown forward, the player's current speed and altitude determines how far it will be thrown. In certain games, if the player slows down just when he or she is about to drive over a banana, they will not wipe-out; the indication of success is a musical note appearing above the racer's head.

Banana Bunch/Triple Bananas
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

This is essentially the same as the banana, but there are multiples. In Mario Kart 64, they come in fives, and in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, they come in threes. When first activated, the bananas trail the player's kart, and can then be dropped or thrown one at a time. The Items stat available in some games increases the player's odds of getting a triple instead of a single. Triple Bananas follow the same physics as single Bananas.

Blooper
Appears in: Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Bloopers obscure the view of players by squirting ink on the screen. This item will affect every racer that is currently ahead of the player. If the player is affected by a Blooper, the player's Items stat determines how long the ink will stay on the player's screen. The lower the player's Item stat is, the faster the ink will go away. If the player is affected by a Blooper, he/she can use a Mushroom or drive onto a boost pad to get rid of the obstructive goop.

Bob-omb
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

The Bob-omb will stay on the track, exploding after a restricted period of time. If it is thrown forwards, the Bob-omb waits until another racer passes near it to explode by then. Any driver who is in the blast radius and surroundings, will be blown up or spun around. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the Bob-omb is the special item exclusive to Wario and Waluigi, and to King Boo and Petey Piranha; although it can be used for all characters during Battle Mode.

Bob-ombs also appear as unique items in the Battle Mode game, Bob-omb Blast. They're given colors that match the player numbers, and will only affect opposing players when thrown.

Boo
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart DS.

A ghost from one of the many haunted houses in the Mushroom Kingdom. In Mario Kart Super Circuit, Boos slow down the race leader when the player uses it on him/her, compared to the other games, where he simply leaves him/her alone and takes his/her item. The target that is chosen is the one with the most powerful item, including Mushrooms. However, if no other racers have items, Boo will have no effect. Another benefit to Boo is the fact that the player becomes translucent upon using it, meaning that he/she can pass right through other drivers and certain obstacles, including items. In addition to being immune to attacks, the Boo item also allows the player to increase his/her speed slightly, as well as driving through rough terrain without losing speed.

Notably, Boos are absent in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii because King Boo is playable in those installments in the Mario Kart series.

Bowser Shell
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*

The Bowser Shell is the Item used exclusively by Bowser, Bowser Jr., and by King Boo and Petey Piranha.

This monstrous Shell will go in a straight line, such as a normal Green Shell, bumping on walls and obstacles of sort, capable of knocking over random karts, or destroying other items that it collides. Unlike a Green or Red Shell, the Bowser Shell does not disintegrate if it collides on a kart. It will keep spinning around after several bumps, where it breaks apart. When the Bowser Shell collides with another special item, it will rebound away.

Bullet Bill
Appears in: Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Upon using a Bullet Bill, the player turns into a Bullet Bill, and follows the track automatically. The Bullet Bill is very fast, and boosts the player faster than any other item. The duration of the Bullet Bill depends on how high the player's Items stat is. If it is high, it will last about 8 seconds, and 4-5 seconds with a low Items stat. It is possible to steer the Bullet Bill, but only slightly. This feature may allow players to "home in" on other racers as they are flying right past them.

Chain Chomp
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*

The Chain Chomp is a special Item used only by Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, and by King Boo and Petey Piranha as well.

When used, a Chain Chomp appears on the front of the kart, pulling the vehicle ahead at a very fast speed, sweeping away any karts and Items in its path. After a limited period of time, the Chain Chomp will break away from the kart and continue down the track until it eventually vanishes. Similar in effect is the Bullet Bill Item.

Of course, if the player gets hit by any items, the Chain Chomp will break free before the time limit has even ended.

Coin
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart Super Circuit

The Coin item lets to the player's character to gain a pair of coins in order to prevent to be spun around if the driver bumps with another kart while having zero coins.

Egg
Appears in: Super Mario Kart (CPU only), Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*

Eggs are the special Items used by Yoshi and Birdo, known as Yoshi Egg and Birdo Egg, respectively. King Boo and Petey Piranha can use this item as well, but they use only the Yoshi Egg.

In Super Mario Kart, the Egg was used by Yoshi, but only when controlled by the CPU. Yoshi either dropped Eggs on the ground or threw them forwards, in the case that the player was before him. Any karts that hit an Egg would then spin out. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, these Eggs will home in on rival karts, much like a Red Shell. When they hit an object, they will break apart and let out three items onto the track. A variety of items can come out of the Egg: Mushrooms, Stars, Bananas, Green Shells, or a Bob-omb. If they take too long, they break, but still release 3 items.

Fake Item Box
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Fake Item Boxes can be placed on the stage anywhere, similar to Bananas. They can also be dragged behind the kart. Upon hitting a Fake Item Box, the player will roll over, similar to a Green Shell. As with the Banana, the speed that the player is going at, determines how far it will be thrown forward. When laid down on the track, the player can distinguish one by looking for the telltale question mark inside the box. In most games, the Box had an upside-down question mark. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii, there was an occasional red flash added. In Mario Kart DS, they simply had no question mark at all, and did not rotate either.

In Mario Kart 64, players could not throw this item forward, but it could block items. However, it loses the ability to block items in the later Mario Kart titles.

Feather
Appears in: Super Mario Kart

The Feather gives the player a spin jump which is higher than a normal hop. It is useful for jumping over obstacles, and taking shortcuts over the barriers and voids during races.

Fireballs
Appears in: Super Mario Kart (CPU only), Mario Kart Wii (CPU only); Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*

In Super Mario Kart, this item appears exclusively to Bowser when a CPU plays as him. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, they are the special item of Mario and Luigi, known as Red Fireballs and Green Fireballs, respectively. Petey Piranha and King Boo use Fireballs as well, but only the red ones.

These items can be shot both forward or backwards. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, they at first appear as a single fireball, but split into five smaller fireballs after thrown, which can hit multiple karts at once. The fire balls can bounce off of a wall one time. In Super Mario Kart, they act in a very similar manner as Banana Peels.

Fireballs appeared lately in Mario Kart Wii, used by Dry Bowser as an ability which he spits out three fireballs against his opponent to make him or her to spin out of control. This item appeared only in a competition of the game.

Giant Banana
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*

Like a normal banana in use, the Giant Banana is much bigger though, making it harder to avoid. If a kart collides with one, it will spin around much longer than a normal Banana would make it. After someone hits the Giant Banana, it will break up into three normal Bananas. Only certain special items can destroy it. The giant banana is the signature item used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, as well as King Boo and Petey Piranha.

Golden Mushroom
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

The Golden Mushroom allows the player to perform indefinite boosts of speed for a limited amount of time, until it disappears. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the item appeared as a Special Item under the name Super Mushroom, and could only be received by Toad, Toadette, King Boo, and Petey Piranha. This item usually only appears when the racer is behind by a fair bit.

Green Shell
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

One of the classic staples of the Mario Kart series. The Green Shell is a projectile that when it is thrown, it will go in a straight line, knocking over any target that gets in its way. It ricochets when it bumps against walls or certain obstacles, eventually breaking apart after several bumps. In games before Double Dash!!, however, Green Shells, rather than breaking apart, would flip over and fall off the screen. In Super Mario Kart, they slow down and eventually stop, only disappearing when a racer hits it. Green Shells can be held and thrown backwards, but they move slower when shot.

Heart
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*

When the Heart item is used, a pair of Hearts will surround the kart, protecting against any items dropped on the track. When the kart collides with an item, one of the Hearts will absorb it, and give it to one of the racers for them to use, unless they are both already holding an item. After absorbing two hits, the effect of the Heart item disappears. If the driver falls off the course, or gets struck by a Thunderbolt, the hearts in use will disappear prematurely. Also, this item can't protect the user from Spiny Shells, Chain Chomps, and Bob-omb explosions. The Heart is not timed-based, meaning that it will not expire on its own account. The Heart is the special item used by Princess Peach and Princess Daisy, and is also used by Petey Piranha and King Boo.

Mega Mushroom
Appears in: Mario Kart Wii

The player's character becomes bigger and is able to crush other characters throughout the duration. The driver also becomes immune to most other items, except for powerful items such as Bullet Bills or players utilized with Super Stars can still knock enlarged characters aside. Getting hit by Lightning will shrink enlarged players back to their normal size, as opposed to making them tiny.

Mushroom
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Mushrooms have appeared so far in every Mario Kart game. By using the item, the user gets a temporary boost of speed, allowing him/her to go through rough terrain at ease. Also, charging into another driver while using the boost will result in knocking him/her aside, regardless of how light or heavy the player's kart is. Braking is very difficult while using a Mushroom. It may offer a slight increase in handling for the duration of the boost, but it will not slow the kart down. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, using a Mushroom, allows the player to steal or drop an item directly from other driver. This technique can also be made in the Battle modes from recent games, although this is for stealing Balloons, Shine Sprites or Coins.

POW Block
Appears in: Mario Kart Wii

The POW Block works against the drivers who are ahead of the player that has the item. After used, a POW Block image appears over the drivers, which compresses itself gradually until it disappears. Then, all the drivers ahead of the player will spin around, losing their items as well. The POW Block item does not show any effects for the airborne vehicles.

Red Shell
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

This is one of the classic staples from the Mario Kart series. The Red Shell is a homing projectile which chases after the driver who is before it to knock the kart over.

The Red Shell can also be thrown backwards, although it goes in a straight line when shot in that direction. In Mario Kart Super Circuit, the driver drops the shell instead of throwing backwards. However, the dropped red shell reacts when another driver passes near to it, and chases after the nearer kart. Homing Red Shells can be stopped using a Green Shell, a Banana, or another Red Shell as a shield. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! they can also be dodged if the driver uses Powersliding. Upon hitting a wall or obstacle, the Red Shell will break apart; however, in games prior to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, it flipped over, and fell off the screen.

Red Shells weren't all that reliable in Mario Kart 64, since they always followed a straight line, often hitting walls during the process. Starting with Mario Kart Double Dash!! though, the Red Shells began to follow the whole track until they reached their target.

Spiny Shell
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

When used, the Spiny Shell navigates along the track until it zeros in on the player who is currently in first, flipping the player's kart into the air.

In Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Super Circuit, the Spiny Shell flips any karts that are on its path, until it reaches and knocks out the leader of the group. This shell tends to break apart if it bumps against walls.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the Spiny Shell appeared with wings. Unlike the past versions, where the Spiny Shell slid like a Red or Green Shell, the winged version flies at a very great speed, going directly to the player that was in first place. After hovering over the driver for a few seconds, it explodes immediately, sending the kart flying and destroying the items that the player would be holding. Any other driver who is found near to the blast zone will be sent flying, bowled over, or spun out as well. The Spiny Shell is nearly impossible to avoid, but by using certain items like the Star, Boo, or Bullet Bill, it results possible to not be affected by the item when it explodes.

Star
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

The classic Star grants to the player invincibility against every item (with the exception of Bullet Bills), as well as a great speed and power to knock other karts over.

Thunderbolt
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

When a driver uses the shocking Thunderbolt, a lightning strikes all opponent racers that are not invincible or in a Bullet Bill, causing them to spin around, as well as shrinking and slowing them down during a certain amount of time. Shrunk drivers are vulnerable to be flattened or knocked apart by a driver that was not affected by the Thunderbolt. In Mario Kart 64, Boos, Stars, Mushrooms, and Thunderbolts could not be used while the racers are tiny. In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the amount of time the players stay tiny depends on their rank; the lower the rank, the less time they stay shrunk. In the recent games, any items in possession were lost when hit by the lightning.

Beginning with Mario Kart Double Dash!!, tiny players never get squished, but they do get pushed around real easily by the normal sized racers.

Thunder Cloud
Appears in: Mario Kart Wii

When obtaining the item, a cloud appears above the driver. Then, the player automatically receives a constant, minor boost of speed. He/She can also drive off-road without losing speed. However, the Thunder Cloud will eventually strike lightning at the player, shrinking him/her similarly to the Thunderbolt. The Cloud, however, can be passed onto another racer by bumping into his/her kart before the lightning strikes, giving him/her the cloud. It can be passed as many times before the lightning strikes.

Triple Green Shells
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

A set of three Green Shells will orbit the kart of the driver. These can be used either as an offensive tool or a protective shield against other certain items as incoming Red Shells. In Mario Kart 64, the shells could be only shot forwards, but in the recent games, the shells can be thrown backwards as well. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, these Triple Shells were the special item for Koopa Troopa and Paratroopa (as well as for Petey Piranha and King Boo). In the game, characters hold the Shells with their hands. If the kart gets hit with another item on the road, the character will drop the shells, having one left then.

Triple Mushrooms
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

This is basically the same as a Mushroom, but in triple form, meaning the player can use it three times. A higher Items stat, for the games that have it, means the player will obtain this more often. Also in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, if the driver was hit by any of the items, one of the two characters will lose one or two mushrooms they had held in.

Triple Red Shells
Appears in: Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!*; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

A set of three Red Shells will orbit the kart of the driver. They can be used as an offensive arsenal or a defensive tool either. In Mario Kart 64, the shells could be only shot forwards, but in the recent games, the shells can be thrown backwards as well. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, these triple Shells were the special item for Koopa Troopa and Paratroopa (as well as for Petey Piranha and King Boo). In the game, characters hold the Shells with their hands. However, if the kart gets hit with another item on the road, the character will let drop the shells, having one left then.

Modes
Throughout the Mario Kart series, there have been several games that feature different modes of play. The standards featured in each game are 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. Other modes of play are also available. Different types of Battle Modes allow players to battle against each other in different competitions. Grand Prix Mode features different types of tournament classes as well, such as the Nitro and Retro Grand Prixes.

Grand Prix
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

The Grand Prix (known as Mario Kart GP or simply Mario GP before Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) is a game mode in the Mario Kart series. In this mode, eight drivers (or 12 in Mario Kart Wii) race a series of courses from a certain Cup and get points depending on their position when reaching the finish line. In Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, there was an additional ranking system rating the quality of a player's race performance. After all tracks are finished, points are summed up and the three drivers with the most points get Gold, Silver, and Bronze Cups. Finishing a Grand Prix race with a certain score sometimes unlocks other Cups, drivers or karts.

Nitro Grand Prix
Appears in: Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii (and technically, all past Mario Kart games aswell), there is a section of the Grand Prix mode called Nitro Grand Prix. It is one of two sections of the Grand Prix mode. In the Nitro Grand Prix, there are four different cups to choose from: The Mushroom Cup, the Flower Cup, the Star Cup, and the Special Cup.

In Mario Kart DS, in order to play the Star Cup, the player must place first in the Mushroom Cup and the Flower Cup (it does not matter which order). Then, in order to play the Special Cup, the player must place first in the Star Cup. By placing first in the Special Cup, the player will unlock something depending if it is played on 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, or 150cc Mirror.

Retro Grand Prix
Appears in: Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

A new feature in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, was the Retro Grand Prix. It is a selectable section in Grand Prix mode. In Retro Grand Prix, all racecourses are from past Mario Kart games. Within the Grand Prix, there are four cups able to choose from: The Shell Cup, the Banana Cup, the Leaf Cup, and the Lightning Cup.

In order to play the Leaf Cup, the player must place first in the Shell Cup and the Banana Cup (it does not matter which order). And in order to play the Lightning Cup, the player must place first in the Leaf Cup. By placing first in the Lightning Cup, the player will earn an unlockable, depending on which level it is played on; 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, or Mirror.

A similar thing appeared in Mario Kart Super Circuit, where all of the racecourses from Super Mario Kart reappeared in five cups of four courses, as opposed to the original which was four cups of five courses.

Time Trial
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Every mainstream game since Mario Kart 64 has featured a Time Trial mode. In this mode, players will race through the set amount of laps for each course. Every course is playable. Also, players start out with a certain amount of Mushrooms, depending on what their item status is. In games without item statuses, the player started out with three Mushrooms.

Battle Mode
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Battle Mode is a game play mode in the Mario Kart series. Some games have multiple battle modes. In Battle Mode, the objective is to defeat all the other players. All games feature Balloon Battle, and some of the more recent additions in the series have additional modes.

Balloon Battle
Appears in: Super Mario Kart; Mario Kart 64; Mario Kart Super Circuit; Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart Wii

Each player has a certain number of Balloons. Players' balloons pop when they are being hit by any item, such as Bananas or Koopa Shells. The last one standing wins. In Mario Kart DS, balloons must now be blown up by either blowing into the microphone, or holding down the Select button. In Mario Kart Wii, the score was based on how many balloons popped, and was not a survival game, unlike others. When the player's balloons are all popped in that game, the player loses a point and gets three new balloons. Up to five balloons can be obtained in Mario Kart Wii by using a Mushroom to steal other's balloons.

Bob-omb Blast
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

In this mode, all items are Bob-ombs, and players can stack up to five Bob-ombs per character on their kart. When another player is hit by a Bob-omb explosion, that player loses a point (if he has one) and the other player gains it. The player who reaches three points first wins, four points in three and four player mode.

Coin Runners
Appears in: Mario Kart Wii

This game mode is similar to Shine Runners; the teams must collect as many coins as they can. There are coins set on the stage from the beginning, and some that drop as the battle goes on. If a player with coins is hit by an item or falls off the stage, they will lose half of their coins. The team with the most coins at the end of the time limit wins.

Shine Runners
Appears in: Mario Kart DS

Shine Runners replaces Shine Thief in Mario Kart DS. Instead of one Shine Sprite there are many Sprites that fall onto the stage. Shines can be obtained by running into them. If hit by an item, the player will lose one shine, which will then drop at a random spot on the stage. After about thirty seconds, the player with the least Shine Sprites is eliminated. This continues until only one player is left.

Shine Thief
Appears in: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

In this mode, there is a Shine Sprite on the track which can be collected. As soon as a player has collected the Shine Sprite, a countdown starts. The player holding the Shine Sprite at the end wins.

Other players can steal the Shine Sprite, by hitting the player with the Sprite with any item, and then recolleting the Sprite themselves. The countdown is reset after this, but it starts at a lower level each time.

Trivia

 * The Mario Kart series is referenced to in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door by Luigi, who, while telling Mario about the races on Circuit Break Island, briefly mentions racing in karts previously.
 * In the main games (not including the GP series), there has been at least one Mario Circuit, one Bowser Castle, one Rainbow Road, one ice-themed course, and one beach-themed course.
 * Despite the fact that the Mario Kart logo was changed for Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the banners at the finish lines in these titles retained the original design.
 * Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Bowser are the only characters to be classified as the same weight class in every Mario Kart title. Also, Peach and Yoshi, along with those four, are the only ones to have been playable in all titles.
 * In Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario's Kart from Mario Kart Wii can be obtained at Tom Nook's shop for 10,000 shopping points.
 * In all three Nintendogs games, a kart is unlockable as a toy. these are Mario kart, Peach kart, and Bowser kart.