Super Mario Kart: Difference between revisions

{{about|the game for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]|the microgame from [[WarioWare Gold]] of the same name|[[Super Mario Kart (microgame)]]}}

{{Infobox

|image=[[File:SMK NA Box Cover.jpg|250px]]<br>North American box art

|released='''SNES:'''<br>{{released|Japan|August 27, 1992|USA|September 8, 1992<ref>''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' [[smashwiki:Masterpieces|Masterpieces]]</ref>|Europe|January 21, 1993}} '''Player's Choice:'''<br>{{released|USA|May 20, 1996}} '''Virtual Console (Wii):'''<br>{{released|Japan|June 9, 2009|USA|November 23, 2009|Europe|April 2, 2010|Australia|April 2, 2010}} '''Virtual Console (Wii U):'''<br>{{released|Japan|June 19, 2013|Europe|March 27, 2014|Australia|March 28, 2014|USA|August 6, 2014}} '''Virtual Console (New 3DS):'''<br>{{released|Europe|March 17, 2016|Australia|March 18, 2016|USA|March 24, 2016|Japan|May 9, 2016}} '''Super NES Classic Edition:'''<br>{{released|USA|September 29, 2017|Europe|September 29, 2017|Australia|September 30, 2017|Japan|October 5, 2017}} '''Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online:'''<br>{{released|USA|September 5, 2019<ref>Nintendo (September 4, 2019). [https://youtu.be/8TVE44feo_I?t=1386 Nintendo Direct 9.4.2019]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|Japan|September 6, 2019<ref>Nintendo (September 4, 2019). [https://youtu.be/IjZbFWW23d0?t=3568 Nintendo Direct 2019.9.5]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|Europe|September 6, 2019<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1169375812610592769 Tweet by Nintendo of Europe (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date)]. ''Twitter''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|Australia|September 6, 2019<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1169378280031436800 Tweet by Nintendo AU NZ (Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online release date)]. ''Twitter''. Retrieved September 4, 2019.</ref>|HK|September 6, 2019|South Korea|September 6, 2019}} '''''Fully souped up!'':'''<br>{{released|Japan|May 26, 2021|USA|May 26, 2021|Europe|May 26, 2021|Australia|May 26, 2021}}

|genre=[[Genre#Racing|Racing]]

|modes=1-2 players

|media={{media|snes=1|wiidl=1|wiiudl=1|3dsdl=1|snesclassic=1|nsdl=1}}

|input={{input|snes=1|classic=1|wiigcn=1|wiiu=1|wiiuclassic=1|wiiupro=1|3ds=1|snesclassic=1|joy-con=1|nspro=1|nssnes=1}}

'''''Super Mario Kart''''' is a [[Genre#Racing|racing]] game for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], which was first released in 1992 and re-released in 1996 as a [[Player's Choice]] title, being the first title in the line up. Unlike the other racing games at the time, which focused on single-player pure racing with more complicated tracks, ''Super Mario Kart'' had a development focused on two players and was designed to be an easy and intuitive "pick up and play" experience that heavily involves the use of acquiring weapons on an obstacle course-like track to impede another player's progress. The development of a one-on-one [[Battle Mode]] was invented as another way to enjoy the competitive system by another means. A notable aspect of the game is its {{wp|Mode 7}} graphics, where the game simulates a 3D plane by rotating and scaling a background graphic on a scanline-by-scanline basis, allowing players to simulate driving through a track. Part of this game is heavily based on ''[[Super Mario World]]'' in terms of graphics and overall theme, such as sprites reusing assets from ''Super Mario World'' and the game's soundtrack rearranging ''Super Mario World'' melodies.

The game's high success has created the hugely influential [[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' series]], as well as being the pioneer of the kart-racing genre. Due to the game's success and creation of the ''Mario Kart'' spin-off, many elements from the game has found their way into multiple other [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' series]], such as ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' receiving [[Mount Must Dash|a level designed after one of its courses]]. The game's use of its wider cast of characters such as [[Bowser]] and [[Peach]] has likely influenced the creation of later multiplayer-oriented ''Mario'' spin-off titles that involved a playable, larger cast of ''Mario'' characters such as [[Mario Tennis (series)|''Mario Tennis'']] and [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'']]. It has ranked among the greatest games of all time by various organizations due to its legacy and its gameplay.

''Super Mario Kart'' was re-released on the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console#Wii|Virtual Console]] in 2009-2010, on the [[Wii U]]'s [[Virtual Console#Wii U|Virtual Console]] in 2013-2014, on the [[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintendo 3DS/New Nintendo 3DS XL|New Nintendo 3DS]]'s [[Virtual Console#Nintendo 3DS|Virtual Console]] in 2016, is one of the 21 titles included on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System#Super NES Classic Edition|Super NES Classic Edition]], and is one of the 20 launch titles for [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]], which also released a special version titled ''Super Mario Kart: Fully souped up!'' with 150cc and the [[Special Cup]] unlocked on May 26, 2021.

[[File:SMK Title Screen.png|thumb|left|Title screen for ''Super Mario Kart''.]]

Players pick a ''Mario'' character out of a cast of 8 characters to race against opponents; racers have their own stats which determine how they will control, though it is not displayed in-game. In a race, players must rank high in the opposition by completing a race around a racetrack first, which consists of five laps due to their short length. Integral to the gameplay is the item system, where players can pick up items from [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] mostly clustered around parts of the track, where the item obtained is dependent on their position. For example, players farther behind obtain stronger items such as the invincible, speed-raising [[Star]] or the [[Lightning]] that can shrink all racers while players in better positions receive the basic [[Banana Peel]]s and [[Green Shell]]s items. Question Blocks get depleted whenever a player runs over them, and they do not respawn their items until all Question Blocks in the track get used up.  

At the start of the race, players can rev up for [[Rocket Start|a boost]], though if they rev up too much, they accelerate much slower. Players can hop if they press either {{button|snes|L}} and {{button|snes|R}}. If they hold the button after hopping while holding either left or right, they can [[Drift|power slide]], which will enable them to drive through harder turns while losing less speed than steering through them. A slight drift is also possible by only holding either the left or right button after a hop. While karts in this game can brake with {{button|snes|Y}}, they cannot go in reverse: players need to perform a U-Turn or hop around to go backwards. Some tracks feature water that players can fall into: if players fall into deeper areas, players can move around for a little while before eventually being picked up by Lakitu. Players immediately get rescued by Lakitu if they fall into pits or into lava, however.

In the course, [[coin]]s are picked up, which increase the player's top speed as well as shield them from other racers: if a player runs into another racer while they have zero coins, they spin out. Having ten coins is the max speed a player can drive in, though players are able to collect extra coins. Players start out with a number of coins depending on their rank: first and second start with two coins, third and fourth start with three coins, fifth and sixth start with four coins, and seventh and eighth start with five coins. Players lose four coins if they are hit with an item, they lose two coins if they are picked up by [[Lakitu]] if they fall off the track, and they lose one coin if they bump into another racer. The number of coins found on each course varies from one course to another.

Three speeds are available: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. 50cc is the slowest and therefore easiest difficulty while 150cc is the fastest and hardest engine class that much be unlocked by clearing all cups in the 100cc engine class. Vehicles in all modes outside of Mario Kart GP use 100cc engines.

{|class="wikitable" style="width:65%; text-align:center"

!rowspan=2 width=16%|Action(s)

!width=16%|SNES

!width=16%|Wii (Classic Controller)

!width=16%|New Nintendo 3DS

!width=16%|Wii U

!width=16%|Nintendo Switch

|{{button|wii|CCStickL}} / {{button|wii|Pad}}  

|{{button|ns|Pad}} / {{button|ns|stick}}

|{{button|ns|A}}

|{{button|ns|B}}

|{{button|wii|X}} / {{button|wii|-}}  

|{{button|ns|X}} / {{button|ns|Minus}}

|{{button|ns|Y}}

|{{button|snes|L}}/{{button|snes|R}}

|{{button|wii|L}}/{{button|wii|R}}

|{{button|3ds|L}}/{{button|3ds|R}}

|{{button|wiiu|L}}/{{button|wiiu|R}}

|{{button|ns|L}} / {{button|ns|R}}

|{{button|ns|plus}}

The Mario Kart GP is the main mode in ''Super Mario Kart''. Here, up to two players can race against seven other CPU-controlled opponents in a five-course cup; they first start out in eighth place and must make their way to the top position; players keep their position for the next race if they end in that position. The top four players receive [[point]]s based on their ranking: first place earns the player nine points, second earns six, third earns three, and fourth earns one, while fifth and below get zero points. Players who rank fifth or below lose one of three lives. If both players rank fifth or below, the race must be tried again. If the player ranks fifth or below without any lives left, the game ends. A single extra life can be earned by placing in the same position three times. The maximum score in a GP cup is forty-five, obtained by winning five times. The three best drivers move on to the award ceremony where they receive their trophies. Third place gives the player a bronze trophy, second gives silver, and first gives gold (the player can watch the ceremony only when they place first: however, a [[List of Super Mario Kart pre-release and unused content|protoype version]] has animations for second and third). Each race is five laps long.  

This one-player mode have the player to race through five laps of the selected track the fastest they can without items or coins in the 100cc engine class. The five lap times are recorded which are then combined to make the total time, as well as the fastest lap time and the characters used, for each track.

If the player enters the cheat code {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|SNES|A}} on the cup selection menu in Time Trial, the Special Cup is unlocked. In the Japanese version, a [[Boo]] sound is heard upon successfully inputting the code.<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Super_Mario_Kart ''Super Mario Kart'']. ''The Cutting Room Floor''. Retrieved September 16, 2019.</ref>

This mode is two-player only: the players can race each other like in GP, except CPU racers do not appear and players can freely choose the track to race in. [[Bullet Bill]]s slide around the courses as well, and coming in contact with one will result in the kart spinning out and the object disappearing as if it were a Green Shell. The game keeps track of wins and losses of each player.

The game features eight playable characters from the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]], such as [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Yoshi]], and [[Bowser]]. However, some other characters from the series acts as obstacles in the game's tracks, like [[Thwomp]]s, [[Monty Mole|Gopher]]s, [[Piranha Plant]]s, and [[Cheep Cheep|Flopping Cheep Cheep]]s. [[Boo|Ghost]]s do not act as enemies, but both as item and as part of the [[Ghost Valley|Ghost Valley tracks]]' background. Yoshi, Bowser, and Donkey Kong Jr. are the only drivers in this game to have their own taunts when surpassing other racers regardless if they are being used by the player or CPU. The others do not have their own taunts and instead the standard beep is heard when surpassing other racers, but can only be heard when used by the player.

As stated in the game's manual, [[Lakitu]] is the owner of all the racetracks, thus overseeing all races. He appears on the track to start the race, to warn the player if they are going the wrong way on the course, and when they fall off the edge of the track or go out of bounds. If the latter happens, Lakitu transports the racer back onto the course at the price of two [[Coin]]s. A Cheep Cheep balloon distributes the trophy to the GP winner.

''Super Mario Kart'' has eight available drivers, divided into statistically identical pairs of two. While subsequent ''Mario Kart'' games would classify characters based on weight class, in this game other criteria are used. The stats presented here are derived and inferred from the manual.<ref>http://gamesdbase.com/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_SNES//Manual/formated/Super_Mario_Kart_-_1992_-_Nintendo.pdf</ref> The Bros are average drivers with a high top speed, The Dragon and The Lady have the highest acceleration with low handling, The Showdown have low acceleration and handling with the highest top speed and weight, while The Small Guys have high acceleration and handling, which makes them recommended for beginners. Each pair of characters has different engine sounds for their karts, which reflect their appearances and characteristics. All drivers also have a unique theme music whenever they finish a race with a good position.

On a side note, this is only one of two ''Mario Kart'' games to feature [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] as a playable character (subsequent installments have replaced him with [[Donkey Kong]]), the other being ''Mario Kart Tour''.

{| align=center

|

<gallery caption="The Bros">

'''Acceleration''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Top Speed''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Weight''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Handling''' &ndash; Medium |  

Mario holding flag SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Mario]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Star

Luigi winks SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Luigi]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Star

{| width=400px border=1 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse;background:white; margin:0 auto;"

|- bgcolor=#dedede

! width=100px | Acceleration

! width=100px | Top Speed

! width=100px | Weight

! width=100px | Handling

|-  

| Medium || High || Medium || Medium

|

<gallery caption="The Dragon and The Lady">

'''Acceleration''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Top Speed''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Weight''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Handling''' &ndash; Medium |  

SMK Princess artwork.jpg | '''[[Princess Peach|Princess]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Poison Mushrooms

Yoshi SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Yoshi]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Eggs

{| width=400px border=1 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse;background:white; margin:0 auto;"

|- bgcolor=#dedede

! width=100px | Acceleration

! width=100px | Top Speed

! width=100px | Weight

! width=100px | Handling

|-  

| Very High || Medium || Medium || Low

{| align=center

|

<gallery caption="The Showdown">

'''Acceleration''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Top Speed''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Weight''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Handling''' &ndash; Medium |  

Bowser SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Bowser]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Fireballs

Donkey Kong JR SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Banana Peels

{| width=400px border=1 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse;background:white; margin:0 auto;"

|- bgcolor=#dedede

! width=100px | Acceleration

! width=100px | Top Speed

|-  

| Low || Very High || High || Low

|}

|

<gallery caption="The Small Guys">

'''Acceleration''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Top Speed''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Weight''' &ndash; Medium <br> '''Handling''' &ndash; Medium |  

Koopa Troopa SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Koopa Troopa]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Green Shells

Toad SMK artwork.jpg | '''[[Toad]]''' <br> '''CPU Item:''' <br> Poison Mushrooms

{| width=400px border=1 style="text-align:center; border-collapse:collapse;background:white; margin:0 auto;"

|- bgcolor=#dedede

! width=100px | Acceleration

! width=100px | Top Speed

! width=100px | Weight

! width=100px | Handling

|-

The Japanese ''Official Nintendo Guidebook'' of the game lists the maximum speed in the 100cc engine class in various conditions.<ref>''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook'', page 17.</ref> This maximum speed is increased by 1 km/h per each coin collected, until 10 coins are collected.<ref>''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook'', page 15.</ref>

 

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto;"

|88

[[File:SMK Acceleration Graph.png|thumb|center|600px|A graph showing the speed as a function of time when accelerating from a standstill with various characters. The horizontal axis shows the time in seconds. The red line refers to Mario and Luigi, the green line refers to the Princess and Yoshi, the light blue line refers to Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr., the yellow line refers to Koopa Troopa and Toad.]]

The official instruction manual illustrates a chart that details how well characters perform on tracks and their stats. It notes that Toad and Koopa Troopa have the best steering while the Princess and Yoshi steer worse. Another point it mentions is that Toad and Koopa Troopa can get knocked aside by Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr.

 

[[File:SMK PerformanceChart.png|800px|center]]

{|border="1" cellpadding="3" style="background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;width:100%;" align=center

!colspan="3" bgcolor="#9c9c9c" align=center|Characters and elements

!width="15%" bgcolor="#dedede" align=center|Character/element

!width="20%" bgcolor="#dedede" align=center|Location

!width="65%" bgcolor="#dedede" align=center|Description

|align=center|[[File:SMK Ghost.png]]<br>[[Boo|Ghost]]s

|align=center|Ghost Valley, appears as an item

|Background elements in the Ghost Valley courses. They also appear as an item in Match Race and Battle Mode.

|align=center|[[File:SMKLakituSprite.png]]<br>[[Lakitu]]

|align=center|Bowser Castle, Rainbow Road

 

*'''Water''': Racers who fall in have a few seconds to drive out, before Lakitu picks them up. Koopa Beach contains shallow water that is safe to drive through. In Vanilla Lake, racers appear frozen when they are fished out.

{| cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"

! width=25% |

! width=15% | Name

! width=60% | Terrain and obstacles

![[File:SNES Mario Circuit 1 map.png|100px]]

![[File:SMK Donut Plains 1 Overhead Map.png|100px]]

![[File:SMK Ghost Valley 1 Overhead Map.png|100px]]

![[File:SMK Bowser Castle 1 Overhead Map.png|100px]]

![[File:SMK Choco Island 1 Overhead Map.png|100px]]

![[File:SMK Koopa Beach 1 Overhead Map.png|100px]]

![[File:SMK Vanilla Lake 1 Overhead Map.png|100px]]

*'''Obstacles:''' Icy water, destructible blocks, Pipes.

![[File:SMK Rainbow Road Overhead Map.png|100px]]

<gallery>

SNES Mario Circuit 1 map.png | [[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]]

SMK Donut Plains 1 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]]

SMK Ghost Valley 1 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Ghost Valley 1|Ghost Valley 1]]

SMK Bowser Castle 1 Overhead Map.png | [[Bowser Castle 1]]

SNES Mario Circuit 2.png | [[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]]

<gallery>

SMK Choco Island 1 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Choco Island 1|Choco Island 1]]

SMK Ghost Valley 2 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Ghost Valley 2|Ghost Valley 2]]

SMK Donut Plains 2 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Donut Plains 2|Donut Plains 2]]

SMK Bowser Castle 2 Overhead Map.png | [[Bowser Castle 2]]

SMK Mario Circuit 3 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Mario Circuit 3|Mario Circuit 3]]

<gallery>

SMK Koopa Beach 1 Overhead Map.png | [[Koopa Beach 1]]

SMK Choco Island 2 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]]

SMK Vanilla Lake 1 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Vanilla Lake 1|Vanilla Lake 1]]

SMK Bowser Castle 3 Overhead Map.png | [[Bowser Castle 3]]

SMK Mario Circuit 4 Overhead Map.png | [[Mario Circuit 4]]

<gallery>

SMK Donut Plains 3 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Donut Plains 3|Donut Plains 3]]

SMK Koopa Beach 2 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Koopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]]

SMK Ghost Valley 3 Overhead Map.png | [[Ghost Valley 3]]

SMK Vanilla Lake 2 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Vanilla Lake 2|Vanilla Lake 2]]

SMK Rainbow Road Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]

{|border="1" cellpadding="3" style="background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;width:100%;" align=center

!width="15%" bgcolor="#dedede" align=center|Feature

!width="85%" bgcolor="#dedede" align=center|Description

|align=center|[[File:SMK NP art Coin.png|50px]]<br>[[Coin]]

|align=center|[[File:SMK Jump.png|50px]]<br>[[Ramp|Jump]]

|align=center|[[File:SMK OilSlickSprite.png|64px]]<br>[[Oil Slick]]

|align=center|[[File:SMK QuestionBlock.png]]<br>[[? Panel|Question Block]]

|These panels gives players an item if driven over. Once they are driven over, they are depleted until all Question Blocks in the course get depleted, in which they will respawn.

|align=center|[[File:SMK Zipper.png|50px]]<br>[[Dash Panel|Zipper]]

<gallery>

SMK Battle Course 1 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Battle Course 1|Battle Course 1]]

SMK Battle Course 2 Overhead Map.png | [[Battle Course 2 (Super Mario Kart)|Battle Course 2]]

SMK Battle Course 3 Overhead Map.png | [[Battle Course 3 (Super Mario Kart)|Battle Course 3]]

SMK Battle Course 4 Overhead Map.png | [[SNES Battle Course 4|Battle Course 4]]

Items are obtained through [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] scattered around the tracks. When the player passes over one, it will deactivate until all other Question Blocks are used. Once a racer passes over one, with a few exceptions, they will receive an item in their box from the following:

 

{|border="1" cellpadding="3" style="background:white;text-align:center;width:94%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-bottom:5px;" align=center

! width="15%" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| Item

! width="55%" bgcolor="#dedede"| Description

! width="25%" bgcolor="#dedede"| Notes

|align=left|When a kart hits a Banana Peel, it will spin out.  

|align=left|The Green Shell will send an enemy into a spin if they are hit. Green Shells can bounce off barriers. Throwing it backwards will cause it to remain stationary.

|align=left|Can be used by every CPU.

|align=left|The Mushroom is a more common item than a Feather or a Star, and grants the user a slight boost. It can either be used to slam an opponent or drive over hazards such as sand and grass without losing speed. When using a Mushroom in front of a jump pad, the jump will be higher and farther.

|align=left|The Star provides two benefits, allowing the user to receive a small speed boost and to become invulnerable to everything. Contact with other racers will cause them to spin out.

|align=left|Works similar to a Banana Peel.

|align=left|Similar to a Banana Peel, but oscillates from left to right on the spot, making them harder to pass safely.

The following tables are derived from the Japanese ''Nintendo Official Guidebook'' of the game and report the probability of obtaining each item in the various modes with letter codes ranging from '''A''' (most likely) to '''F''' (unlikely).<ref>''Super Mario Kart Nintendo Official Guidebook'', pages 142 and 143.</ref>

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

!rowspan="3"|Bowser Castle

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-bottom:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

!rowspan="3"|Bowser Castle

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-top:2px solid black;"

|- style="border-bottom:2px solid black;"

[[File:MarioWins SMK.png|thumb|The rivals always finish in a particular order. In this case, though, Princess got a lower spot than normal.]]

''Super Mario Kart'' has a different [[rival]] system from the rest of the series (except for ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]''); the rivals contain one very fast driver, one fast driver, one medium driver, one slow driver and three very slow drivers. It is notable that when one of the three slowest drivers gets hit, that kart will keep its place, while when one of the faster cars gets shot, it will usually resume its previous place very quickly unless unable to catch up fast enough before the race ends. For this reason, the drivers (except the human racer) will (if unaffected) always finish in the exact same order. Also, if the player tries to hit an opponent, the opponent may jump over the item similar to when they jump over CPU-placed items. Also, the rivals are not determined in pairs, so that even if Donkey Kong Jr. is Mario's rival, Mario will not be Donkey Kong Jr.'s rival, as shown in the table below.

The rivals for each driver are always the same, the list will be in the order the line up for the first race. It is possible to change the order if the rivals can't recover their place at the end (for example, if someone is playing as Luigi and Yoshi finishes last, Yoshi will then become one of the three slower drivers while everybody takes the next position up). It happens mostly on 100cc and 150cc.

The rivals are determined by the current points standing, meaning that if Yoshi was still only second to the player, he will boost back to first position from the start.

 

{| style="text-align:center; width:820px; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellspacing="1"

! rowspan=2 width=120px | Character

! colspan=7 | Rival Order

|- bgcolor=#dedede

! Very Fast

! Fast

! Medium

! Slow

! colspan=3 | Very Slow

! [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario

| width=100px | [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || width=100px | [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || width=100px | [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi || width=100px | [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi || width=100px | [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad || width=100px | [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser || width=100px | [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa

! [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi

| [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi || [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser || [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa || [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad

! [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess

| [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser || [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad || [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi || [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi || [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa

! [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi

| [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa || [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser || [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad || [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi

! [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser

| [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi || [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi || [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad || [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa

! [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr.

| [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad || [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser || [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa || [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi || [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi

! [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa

| [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi || [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi || [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser || [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad

! [[File:SMKToadSprite.png]]<br>Toad

| [[File:SMKPrincessSprite.png]]<br>Princess || [[File:SMK Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png]]<br>Donkey Kong Jr. || [[File:SMKMarioSprite.png]]<br>Mario || [[File:SMKYoshiSprite.png]]<br>Yoshi || [[File:SMKLuigiSprite.png]]<br>Luigi || [[File:SMKKoopaTroopaSprite.png]]<br>Koopa Troopa || [[File:BowserSMK.png]]<br>Bowser

The staff for ''Super Mario Kart'' has consisted of 15 members. ''Super Mario Kart'' was directed by Tadashi Sugiyama and [[Hideki Konno]], the latter who would go on to play prominent roles in later main entries of the ''Mario Kart'' series with the exception of ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' [[Yoichi Kotabe]], Mie Yoshimura, and [[Yoshiaki Koizumi]] has provided the illustrations for the game. [[Soyo Oka]] has composed the game's soundtrack, with [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] being one of her favorite compositions.<ref>[http://www.rocketbaby.net/interviews_soyo_oka.html Interview between Rocketbaby and Soyo Oka]. Retrieved February 12, 2015.</ref>

''Super Mario Kart'' was born out of the idea of making a two-player racing game following ''[[fzerowiki:F-Zero|F-Zero]]'', which was exclusively single-player.<ref name="Iwata Asks">[http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/mariokart/0/0 Iwata Asks: ''Mario Kart Wii''] (accessed March 22 2012)</ref> The team wanted to make a fun, multiplayer-oriented alternative and was aimed to be enjoyed "with family and friends." according to Nintendo Producer Hideki Konno.<ref>Otero, Joseph. (May 29, 2014). [https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/29/how-anti-gravity-made-mario-kart-better How Anti-Gravity Made ''Mario Kart'' Better.] ''IGN''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> The prototype initially only featured a generic "guy in overalls". The design for the characters onscreen were three heads tall as opposed to ''F-Zero''{{'}}s seven heads tall to suit the design of the karts. At first, there was no racing involved; it was a test of two karts moving freely. The decision to include ''Mario'' characters and concepts was made three to four months in development, when the developers added Mario driving one of the karts moving around because they were curious about how the game would look, and decided that it looked better.<ref name="Iwata Asks"/> Before Banana Peels were added, oil cans that spill their substance out were used to spin karts out.  The battle mode was implemented because the developers thought it would be a good idea to include a form of one-on-one battles that did not involve competing for ranks during the races.<ref name="Iwata Asks"/>

| [[File:SMK Bowser US Victory Animation.gif|100px]][[File:SMK Bowser JP Victory Animation.gif|100px]]

| The left image is Bowser's international victory animation,<br>while the right is his Japanese victory animation.

| align=right

*In ''Super Mario Kart'', every character has a winning animation that involves a bottle of champagne. In the Japanese version, Bowser and the Princess drink champagne in their animations (with the latter becoming drunk in the process), which goes against Nintendo of America's policy on the depiction of alcohol, as it was considered inappropriate for younger children.<ref>https://youtu.be/hNZfd3JDFOA</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/2VjWfW6XCN (deleted video)</ref><ref>http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/smk_j2e.shtml</ref> In the Western releases of the game, Bowser merely poses happily and Peach tosses and catches her bottle.

*The Japanese version plays a Boo sound when pressing {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|L}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|R}}, {{button|snes|A}} on the Time Trial menu, while in international versions, it unlocks the Special Cup.

*Karts are stalled less when they are overreved at the start of the race in the North American version of the game

''Super Mario Kart'' met with very favorable reviews, scoring a 93.60% on GameRankings based on 10 reviews.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150629081951/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588738-super-mario-kart/index.html Archived URL for GameRankings score for ''Super Mario Kart'']. ''GameRankings''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>  Much of the praise of the game has been attributed to its bright and colorful graphics, fun gameplay involving its items that set it apart from ''F-Zero'', intuitive controls, its ''Mario'' franchise theming, and retroactively, its legacy that helped pioneer the kart-racing genre and the overall introduction of the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' series. While ''Super Mario Kart'' does not have an official Metacritic entry due to the game coming out before its inception, the user score for the Wii Virtual Console is mixed, scoring 7.4, with common laments being that while the game is regarded as a classic, it is outclassed by later ''Mario Kart'' entries.<ref>[https://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/super-mario-kart Metacritic score fr ''Super Mario Kart'' on the Wii.] ''Metacritic. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>

 

Shey Stevens from the magazine, ''Electronic Games'' gave the game a 93%, citing how the game changes up mechanics from ''F-Zero'' such as the item-based system to deliver a unique experience. Stevens has additionally praised the one-on-one combat modes the game offers.<ref>Stevens, Shey. (December 1992). [https://archive.org/stream/Electronic-Games-1992-12/Electronic%20Games%201992-12#page/n77/mode/2up Archive for Electronic Games magazine, page 79-80.] Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> A section by Bro. Buzz from the ''Game Pro'' magazine has given the game a score of 5.0 in graphics, control, and fun factor and a 4.0 in sound, ending with, "''Super Mario Kart'' makes wheel-spinning, bumper-grinding, motor racing actually cute! The little guys definitely have a lot of drive."<ref>Bro. Buzz (December 1992). [https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/GamePro_US_041.pdf "Super NES Pro Review: ''Super Mario Kart''"] ''Game Pro''. No. 51. pp. 80–82. Retrieved November 17, 2020.</ref> Nadia Oxford from USgamer, reviewing the game's release on the [[Classics#Super NES Classic Edition|Super NES Classic Edition]], has called the game "the SNES Classic Edition's most perfect inclusion." and has generally praised how well the game is held up, despite its simplicity compared to later ''Mario Kart'' entries, with ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' being compared to in the review.<ref>Oxford, Nadia. (January 23, 2019). [https://www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-game-by-game-7-super-mario-kart Super NES Retro Review: ''Super Mario Kart''.] ''USgamer''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> The flaw Oxford has cited was the single-player splitscreen and the fact that the game supports only two players rather than four. ''Electronic Gaming Montly'' has given the game an Editor's Choice award in its November 1992 issue.<ref>Alessi, Martin; Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed, Sushi X. (November 1992). [https://retrocdn.net/images/7/7f/EGM_US_040.pdf Review Crew: ''Super Mario Kart''.] ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. p. 25. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>

''Super Mario Kart'' has seen frequent placements in Top Games lists. The game was placed 32nd in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.<ref>(September 1997). [https://web.archive.org/web/20091225020235/http://www.gamekult.com/communaute/forum/voirmessage.html?foid=13000909 Nintendo Power's 100 Best Games of All Time - Sept. 1997.] ''GameKult''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref> In the book, ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition'' for 2009, ''Super Mario Kart'' was placed as the #1 best console game. The game was placed 33rd in the 200th issue of GameInformer's "Top 200 Games of all Time" in December 2009. The game was awarded the Most Critically Acclaimed ''Mario Kart'' Game by ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]] Gamer's Edition 2009 - 2014''.

{| class="wikitable review_template" style="border: 2px solid black; width:100%; font-size: 100%; text-align:center; margin-bottom: 5px;" cellpadding="4"

!colspan="4" style="font-size:120%; text-align:center; background-color:silver;"|Reviews

|Karn Spydar Lee Bianco, [http://www.honestgamers.com/200/snes/super-mario-kart/review.html Cubed3]

|Jason Venter, [http://www.honestgamers.com/200/snes/super-mario-kart/review.html HonestGamers]

|align="left"|''"Chock full of great visuals, awesome sound, tight play control, amazing track design, items galore and a multi-player mode that's hard to beat, Super Mario Kart is my favorite game of all time. It’s also one of the main reasons to own a Super Nintendo.''"

|align="left"|''"Super Mario Kart has spawned numerous imitators over the years, but it finishes in front of the pack every time.''"

|Nintendo Life Staff, [http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/super_mario_kart Nintendo Life]

|align="left"|''"Super Mario Kart has certainly made its mark on gaming history, spawning several sequels on successive Nintendo consoles, not to mention many imitators. To play it today is every bit as enjoyable as it ever was; sure the graphics and sound may have dated, but the core gameplay is still top notch. This is one hell of a fun racing game with enough playability to keep you coming back for more. It's amazing that Nintendo chose to wait three years before treating us to this seminal game on the Virtual Console, but we're glad they finally saw sense!''"

|align="left"|''"Where each of the [[Nintendo 64|N64]], [[Nintendo GameCube|Cube]] and Wii installments of the series have focused on multiplayer, more characters and more crazy items, though, this SNES original keeps things simpler -- emphasizing, instead, the actual racing instead of the combat within each race. It's a different take on the same idea, which is interesting since it's the original take on that idea. So stick with the other Kart games if you want the multiplayer chaos, but come on back to this very first racing adventure with Mario and his crew. It's absolutely worth 800 of your [[Virtual Console#Wii Points|Wii Points]] to re-experience, or to play for the very first time.''"

!colspan="4" style="background-color:silver; font-size:120%; text-align:center;"|Aggregators

''Super Mario Kart'' is the 4th best-selling game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, selling 8.76 million copies worldwide as of December 31, 2009.<ref>Futter, Mike. (June 2, 2014). [https://web.archive.org/web/20140604084937/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/06/02/mario-kart-8-speeds-to-over-1-2-million-sales-in-opening-weekend.aspx ''Mario Kart 8'' Speeds To Over 1.2 Million Sales In Opening Weekend.] ''Game Informer''. Retrieved November 27, 2020.</ref>

''Super Mario Kart'' is occasionally referenced in the gag comic series, the ''[[Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater]]'', alongside other ''Mario'' titles.

==''Super Mario Kart Dokidoki Race''==

[[File:Super Mario Kart Dokidoki Race.png|thumb|Photo for the ''Super Mario Kart Dokidoki Race'']]

''Super Mario Kart'' was adapted into a Japan-only electro-mechanical arcade game developed by {{wp|Banpresto}} and {{wp|Atlus}} called ''[[Super Mario Kart Dokidoki Race]]'', released in 1994.<ref>[https://www.marioboards.com/index.php?topic=35637.msg1780735#msg1780735#msg1780735] Borp's coverage on Mario boards</ref> The playable characters are [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Princess Peach]], [[Yoshi]], and [[Bowser]], with [[Cheep Cheep]], [[Monty Mole]], and [[Lakitu]] in supporting roles. The game seems to operate on magnets to move the karts and is based on chance by who can press a series of buttons fast enough. There are five music tracks in total, two in particular being the music for the title screen and the Mario Circuit theme. The latter theme is sped up and has additional notes that play throughout the track with an ending note. A male announcer voice can also be heard throughout the gameplay. The other three music tracks are a preparation theme and two different victory themes.<ref>Super Mario Wiki (October 31, 2015). [https://youtu.be/1SMFdLu-cuw ''Super Mario Kart'' Dokidoki Race Gameplay]. ''YouTube''.</ref>

lakituplush.jpg|A plushie of [[Lakitu]]

==References in later games==

*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'': The title music from ''Mario Kart 64'' is a slower and elongated remix of the title music from ''Super Mario Kart''. Also, part of [[N64 Banshee Boardwalk|Banshee Boardwalk]]'s music is a remix of the music used for the [[Ghost Valley]] courses in ''Super Mario Kart''.

*''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'': All twenty courses appeared in this game, but all of their track hazards have been removed, [[Item Box|Item Boxes]] are at different places than where [[? Panel|Question Blocks]] laid and some tracks changed a little. The music for all tracks is redone for the Game Boy Advance. Also, part of the music for [[Boo Lake]]/[[Broken Pier]] and [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)|Rainbow Road]] is a remix of the music from the Ghost Valley and Rainbow Road courses in this game, respectively.

*''[[Mario Kart DS]]'': [[SNES Mario Circuit 1|Mario Circuit 1]], [[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]], [[SNES Koopa Beach 2|Koopa Beach 2]], and [[SNES Choco Island 2|Choco Island 2]] all return to this game.

*''[[Mario Kart 7]]'': Collecting coins also returns from this game. [[SNES Mario Circuit 2|Mario Circuit 2]] and [[SNES Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]] return as retro tracks. Also, the rival system returned in this game. The kart now called [[Pipe Frame]], returns in this game as an kart body, however it uses the dual exhaust design from ''Mario Kart 64'' instead of the single exhaust from ''Super Mario Kart''.  

*''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'': The level [[Mount Must Dash]] is based on the Mario Circuit courses from this game. The music from the Mario Circuit courses also is remixed for that level.

**''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'': The [[Cape Feather|Feather]] item returns with the same function. [[SNES Battle Course 1|Battle Course 1]] reappears as a retro battle stage; a billboard in the course background is modeled after the player select screen from ''Super Mario Kart''.

*''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'': Mario Circuit 1, Donut Plains 1, Ghost Valley 1, Mario Circuit 2, Choco Island 1, Donut Plains 2, Mario Circuit 3, Choco Island 2, Vanilla Lake 1, Koopa Beach 2, and Rainbow Road appear as returning courses. Much of the artwork from ''Super Mario Kart'', such as Yoshi spinning out, are reused as badges in this game, in addition to the cover art of the game being used for the [[Super Mario Kart Glider]]. Mario and Donkey Kong Jr.'s sprites are reused from this game for separate playable variants. The sound effects used for the pre-race jingle, item roulette, and post-race jingle are reused from this game exclusively for the two aforementioned characters. The Mushroom's sprite was reused as a badge in this game. The [[Super Mario Kart Tour]] is named after this game.

 

Mario collecting coin SMK artwork.jpg|[[Mario]]

SMK Luigi Artwork.png|[[Luigi]]

SMKYoshiSpin.png|[[Yoshi]]

SMK Battle Mode Artwork.jpg|Mario vs. [[Bowser]]  

Lakitu SMK artwork.jpg|[[Lakitu]]

|Jap=''スーパーマリオカート''

|JapM=''Super Mario Kart''

|Kor=''슈퍼 마리오 카트''

|KorM=''Super Mario Kart''

|ChiS=''超级马力欧卡丁车''<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_200904_02_sc.html 超级马力欧兄弟 35周年！] ''Nintendo''. Retrieved September 4, 2020.</ref>

|ChiSM=''Super Mario Kart''

|ChiT=''超級瑪利歐賽車''<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/topics/article/a_200904_02.html 超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年！] ''Nintendo''. Retrieved September 4, 2020.</ref>

|ChiTM=''Super Mario Kart''

|Jap=''スーパーマリオカート フルコースでおもてなしバージョン''

|JapR=Sūpā Mario Kāto Furu Kōsu Omotenashi Bājon

|JapM=''Super Mario Kart Full Course Treatment Version''

|Fra=''Super Mario Kart: Sur les chapeaux de roues !''

|FraM=''Super Mario Kart: At full throttle!''

|Ger=''Super Mario Kart: Komplett aufgemotet!''

|Kor=''Super Mario Kart 완전 파워 업!''

*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/common/pdf/CLV-P-SAAFE.pdf Instruction manual]

 

{{MarioGames}}

{{VirtualConsole}}