Battle Mode

Battle Mode is a minigame featured in all main Mario Kart games. In the first four games, Battle Mode is only available in multiplayer. Starting in Mario Kart DS, Battle Mode could be a single player mode with computer players or a multiplayer mode with or without them. Starting with Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, there are usually at least two different battle options.

Unlike regular races, Battle Mode takes place in specially designed Battle Courses, which are flat, enclosed arenas that are smaller than normal racetracks, but still contain various obstacles, and come in different layouts. An exception is Mario Kart 8, where the battle takes place in select racetracks instead of Battle Courses. However, the Nintendo Switch enhanced port of this game returns to the traditional arena-based battle.

Since Mario Kart Wii, Battle Mode has a different countdown sound at the start; instead of the regular beeps heard in normal races, they are replaced by air horns.

Balloon Battle
Debuting in Super Mario Kart and appearing in all installments since then, players must use items to hit the opposing player to pop one of three balloons. If all balloons are popped, the player is out.

Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! have four-player support, allowing up to four players to battle, unlike Super Mario Kart, which only has two-player support. The latter game's LAN Mode even allows up to eight players (sixteen with Co-op Play) to play in Battle Mode. In Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, once a player loses all of their balloons, they turn into a Mini Bomb Kart or a Bob-omb, respectively. In this form, they can ram into other players to blow them up and steal their balloons, although after doing so in Mario Kart 64, they don't respawn. Getting hit by items don't cause it to explode.

Mario Kart DS has a few tweaks to Balloon Battle. It can be played in single-player mode this time, unlike the previous four games which require being in multiplayer to play. The player also starts out with one balloon instead of three, and more can be generated by holding the select button or by blowing into. There are four balloons in reserve, and the kart has to be stopped before blowing a new balloon

Mario Kart Wii introduced a lot of changes to Balloon Battle. First, the match is now timed to three minutes, where the objective is to pop the most balloons within that time limit, competing with the other team. Second, the characters are divided into two teams; free-for-all matches are not available. Finally, the winning objective has been changed. Losing all balloons causes one point to be deducted from the player's score, though unlike previous Balloon Battles, this causes players to respawn elsewhere on the map, starting again with three balloons.

Mario Kart 7 allows players to battle in two teams or in a free-for-all match. The time limit of the match is reduced to two minutes, although the goal remains the same as in Mario Kart Wii.

Mario Kart 8's battles take place on regular race courses throughout the game, alongside the rules changing again. Players start with three points, and getting hit by items will deduct a point. If all balloons are popped, they are out of the game, but they can still participate as a ghost. Appearing as a transparent version of the character on the player's screen, but invisible to everyone else, they can still use items to harm the other players.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe changes the Battle Mode rules to the style last used in Mario Kart 7 with new battle arenas and some changes. Each player starts with five balloons, rather than the traditional three, and losing all balloons now halves the player's score, instead of merely deducting a point. The player will respawn with three balloons.

Shine Thief
First appearing in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and returning in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a Shine Sprite is found in a random spot on the course. Once a player grabs it, they must hold on to it without getting hit by any items. If they get hit by an item, they drop the Shine Sprite and another player has a chance to get it. If the player holds the Shine Sprite until the timer reaches zero, they win.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the timer will stop and be reduced by few seconds when the player with the Shine Sprite is hit by an item and drops it (i.e. When the timer is at 48 seconds and the player with the Shine Sprite drops it, the timer will stop and instantly be reduced to 45 seconds).

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the player has to hold onto the Shine Sprite for a total of 20 seconds to win (e.g. When the player has the Shine Sprite in possession, the timer will count down from 20 seconds. If that player drops it when 14 seconds remains, they will then have that time left to hold the Shine Sprite once they picks it up again. However if another player who has never touched it picks it up, the timer will start from 20 seconds for that player). When the game ends, the total time the player held the Shine Sprite will be counted toward the player's total points, even if they did not hold onto the Shine Sprite until the timer reached zero.

Bob-omb Blast
Another battle option that appears in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this mode features Bob-ombs as the only items obtainable in Item Boxes. If a player hits someone else with a Bob-omb, they earn a point, but if a player is hit by a Bob-omb, they lose a point. If they earn the necessary amount of points first, they win. The points needed to win is three for a two-player battle and four for a three-player or four-player battle. Notably, players can hold more Bob-ombs in this mode than they can items in all other modes, up to ten (five per character).

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe changes the rules to those of a normal Balloon Battle, but with every item being a Bob-omb. The limit of Bob-ombs a player can hold is still ten.

Shine Runners
A battle option found only in Mario Kart DS. A certain amount of Shine Sprites are found on the battle arena. The goal is to get more Shine Sprites than the opponents. Getting hit by items causes the player to lose a Shine Sprite. There's a timer on the Touch Screen; when it reaches zero, any players with the least amount of Shine Sprites get removed from the game. The process repeats until one player remains.

Coin Runners
A battle option which appears in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Similarly to Shine Runners, Coins are scattered across the arena. Teams or players have to collect the most Coins before time runs out to win. Players lose Coins they've obtained if they get hit by items. In Mario Kart 7 only, a maximum of 10 Coins can be collected at a time.

Renegade Roundup
A battle option that debuts in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it is a new mode in the vein of "cops and robbers", with the racers being divided into two teams. One team, known as "The Authorities", has to use Potted Piranha Plants (which are permanently attached to the front of their vehicle and only serve to capture the opposing team; they do not operate like the regular item) in order to attack and capture players from the other team, known as "The Renegades". Captured Renegades are transported into one of several cells floating above various points on the course. Remaining Renegades can free teammates from the cells by driving over a key switch placed below said jail cells. The Renegades win if at least one member is still running free after the time runs out, and the Authorities win if all the Renegades get captured. The Authorities also temporarily lose their ability to capture if they are hit by items, and Renegades receive a speed boost when they are freed from the cell.