Rank the Mario Kart games!

[BetaWolf47]

After owning a Wii U for a few weeks, I finally got Mario Kart 8. It's been great so far, but I'm wondering how everyone thinks it stands up compared to the rest of the series. I'll kick it off with some thoughts of my own.

Super Mario Kart: Where it all began more than 20 years ago now. Showed off Mode 7 graphics well, played smoothly, had good level design. It kicked off its own subgenre of "kart racers based on platforming icons" including Crash Bandicoot, Diddy Kong, Mega Man, and Sonic. Not much more to say about it.

Mario Kart 64: My personal favorite in the series. It made smart design choices, like using sprites for characters in a game that featured a lot of action, reasonably fast speed, and eight characters on the course at a time. While some may prefer later games due to improved controls, there's something about it that struck a perfect balance.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit: The first in the series to include such features as viewing of character attributes and the inclusion of retro courses. Being the only other 2D title in the Mario Kart franchise, it improved the controls of the SNES game. I can't really comment on the quality since it's the one I've played the least.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: This is my least favorite game in the series, and what I consider a huge step backwards. Where Mario Kart 64 struck a perfect balance between using items and perfecting driving skills, this entry was far too frantic for me. Character models hopped around juggling items, the music was extremely zany, and item boxes appeared way too frequently. I recall some stages, such as Luigi Raceway, having item boxes appear as fast as you can dump the items. Some of the least inventive level designs in the series are also featured here, such as Baby Park, a course with less creativity than a virtual bumper car track. Karts also drove like tanks compared to later titles.

Mario Kart DS: A large step up from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Considered alongside Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow as the first killer app for the DS by some, this one felt toned down compared to DD!!, and placed a higher emphasis on timing drift boosts and choosing the right kart for the course. Controls also felt tighter, and were extremely responsive for relying on a dpad for a 3D game. My 2nd favorite in the series.

Mario Kart Wii: I had little interest in the series at this point. Earned half of the unlockables and then stopped. Felt closer to Mario Kart DS quality than DD!! quality. Can't really say more.

Have not played Mario Kart 7.

Mario Kart 8: Having just beaten the game on 50CC, my impressions of the game so far are pretty positive. It has as big of an emphasis on skill, and they rebalanced karts and bikes. Will post more when I've broken it in some more.

So, for me, it goes
Mario Kart 64 > Mario Kart DS > Super Mario Kart > Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

The others I don't feel I've played enough to rank.

[Tanooki]

In order...
Super Mario Kart -- Not nostalgia, not because it's first, but because the game was equally about item use and driving skill.
Mario Kart 64 -- Still fairly like the SNES game but in 3D, item use got a bit more heavy though but enjoyable still
Mario Kart Super Circuit -- Felt like the SNES and N64 game rolled into one, loved it.
Mario Kart Double Dash -- Middler to me, not truly excellent, but not bad by far, fun but plays out pretty quickly
Mario Kart 7 -- Good tracks and karts, but boring to me because they years ago turned it into a Mario Party on wheels game, little driving skill needed, just item use and focused on multiplayer


Beyond that point screw it. It's a toss up. The Wii release was a snore, online abuse by d-bags. I detested the stupid bikes they forced in 100cc so I didn't bother much. Didn't care for the very heavy use of items over driving ability.

I think toss up or not I'd throw the most hate at the DS one. The game is a cheating mofo on 150cc when playing alone. It will literally put you in 2nd place the entire race and unlike normal logic would dictate to take down the guy in the lead, the game entirely 1P and 3-last will just all attack only you, no one else, they don't even care about taking 1st, they just kick your ass for sport. It is an all new low in infuriating single player that makes rubber band AI feel welcome in a driving game. The fact I had the will not to bite the game in half and throw it out was amazing and at least I got a good bit of my money back on it.

WiiU was sold, never played MK8 but understand other than zero-g carts it's basically 7 so it would fall above the 2 last gen atrocities. Personally I'm done with the franchise as it's no longer fun for me. People cheat and abuse the system with the online which I'm not a fan of, and they don't bother making much fun on the whole with single player anymore because they know the online is the bread and butter, MK has gone call of duty in that respect. The fact items play so heavily it's like a Mario Party challenge made the series a huge turn off. I can't stand Mario Party, a game where you can be in first until the last move and someone hits a star block and sets your ass back to 4th place in a second and the AI will do it very frequently too so you have to play with all people or it's a bust. Mario Kart went there and I went walking with my wallet.

[buzz_n64]

1. Mario Kart 64 - 4 player nostalgia, and great head to head racing.
2. Super Mario Kart - Nostalgia, and great 2D racing.
3. Mario Kart Wii - Great graphics, online play (now discontinued), old track brought back
4. Mario Kart Double Dash - My least favorite Mario Kart game. I couldn't get into it.

Haven't played the other games.

[ZeroCool]

Mario Kart Wii...I can't believe I discovered the game online after having it for so many years untouched. Then again I never touched my Wii anyways. Great roster and great tracks.
Mario Kart 7. Great tracks.
Mario Kart 8. Lackluster roster. Tracks are meh. But I love playing online and its still fun.
Mario Kart Double Dash. I love the 2 character system.
SNES Mario Kart.
Mario Kart 64. I gotta play this again just to be sure it really belongs here.

[PreZZ]

#1 mario kart snes #2mariokart 64 #3 mariokart ds #4 mariokart double dash #5 mariokart wii #6 mariokart wii u #7 mariokart 7 #8mariokart gba

[celerystalker]

Mario Kart DS
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart 7
Mario Kart Double Dash
Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart Advance

I think I like Diddy Kong racing better than Mario Kart 64, and Crash Team Racing better than 8. I still need to try Sega All-Stars...

[Tanooki]

Mario Kart DS
Super Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64
...
Mario Kart Advance

Surprised to see the GBA game dead last. The way it was designed was basically like a 50/50 cross between the SNES and N64 title. Was it just boring to you or not comfy to play on a little handheld?

[celerystalker]

Surprised to see the GBA game dead last. The way it was designed was basically like a 50/50 cross between the SNES and N64 title. Was it just boring to you or not comfy to play on a little handheld?

Yeah, I'm not big on the GBA hybrid feel. Truthfully, I like the original and DS editions waaay more than the others. 64 is a very distant third to me, and I only rank it that high from getting nostalgic for some 4 player battle mode. I went back to Advance later on my Gamecube player, but it doesn't feel quite right to me. Most of the newest ones I agree with you about; they're a circus.

[Tanooki]

I had a feeling, just figured I'd ask as it was so far away. I wish I could respect the DS game as the courses were great but 150cc was a cockpunch in how they handled the AI on there, just unforgivable in my book or it would be above the GC game. If 150cc was as hard as it is now on DS but where the Ai targeted anyone on the field as an equal opportunity kill shot that game would be magnificent.

[Guntz]

#1 Double Dash - I can't believe Nintendo has yet to do another Mario Kart like this one. It's still my favorite, if only because it added so much.
#2 Mario Kart 64 - Still a classic all the way. It has awesome tracks, nice graphics and timeless music. Only real issue is the handling, it's a little weird.
#3 Mario Kart DS - Excellent straight forward Mario Kart. When I first played it, I was still expecting the Wii installment to be like Double Dash.
#4 Mario Kart: Super Circuit - Also excellent, nice graphics and sound. Has the most tracks of any Mario Kart, because it includes all tracks from SMK. Back when SC was new, it still made me wish I had an N64 and Mario Kart 64 though...
#5 Super Mario Kart - It's hard to put this one down at #5, but it really does feel old compared to the others. Still fun and challenging though.
#6 Mario Kart 7 - I thought it was standard and unnoteworthy. Decent effort, but lacked the charm of SC and DS.

I have not played Mario Kart Wii or 8. I'm still waiting for that Double Dash followup.

[davidbrit2]

Anything without blue shell > anything with blue shell.

[Kevincal]

Mario Kart 64 is my favorite by far. Original SMK is OK, Double Dash is not good.

I think Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing are the best kart racers of all time.

[Emperor Megas]

This is really hard because how I feel about each is based on different factors.

I spent the most time with Mario Kart Wii, racing online, but the cheaters really ruined it for me.

I really love Mario Kart 8, but I'm absolutely TERRIBLE at it. I, like most, was disappointed that they didn't have any custom tracks for battle mode, but it didn't take long for me to get over it, honestly. I seems worse on paper than it actually is (to me).

Man, I spent HUNDREDS of hours playing Mario Kart: DoubleDash with my girlfriend back in the day. We LOVED the mode where you would race the entirety of the game's tracks in a single Grand Prix. It was amazing, and I never understood the hate that the game got. I have a theory that it wouldn't have received even half the hate were there online play. It was also the only Mario Kart game I recall having Paratroopa playable in the roster. I don't know why, but I really like the guy. I also loved how much personality the game had. The way that the characters would juggle the multiple items, and speak when they'd switch (Hi, I'm Daisy!!). The way that the secondary characters would hold on for dear life when they were shot out of a cannon or the way that their ass would catch fire. I REALLY enjoyed the partner system; it's a shame no one else did. When I go back to it now though, it's tough to get back into it. I could have SWORN that there was a rear view mirror in the game, but I guess I was just including it retroactively in my mind. Also, the way that the karts handle is just weird now compared to all of the modern ones.

I know that I spent a lot of time playing Mario Kart 64 multi-player with friends, but I honestly don't remember much about it beyond enjoying it a great deal. I think it's the only Mario Kart game that I spent more time playing Battle Mode than actually racing. I hope I'm not confusing it with another Mario Kart game.

I really remember close to nothing about the original Mario Kart on the SNES. I don't think that I ever owned a copy. I only played it a few times at friends. Actually, I never owned Mario Kart 64 either, but friends would come over and we'd go at it with Mario Kart and Golden Eye for HOURS on end.

I didn't spend much time with Mario Kart DS. I recall not liking how snaking was such a huge part of online play.

I own, but I've never played Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

I've never played Mario Kart 7 either, and don't own it.

At any rate, I suppose if I had to rank them, it'd be:

Mario Kart Wii
Mario Mario 8
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart 64
Super Mario Kart

I feel weird when I look at the list, and want to tie MK8 and MK:DD!!, but I can't justify that when I ask myseld if I really think that MK:DD!! is as good as MK8.

[Emperor Megas]

Was Double Dash!! the only one with a Speedometer? Or just the last one with one? I don't remember anymore.

[Tanooki]

Anything without blue shell > anything with blue shell.

Well that more or less wins the argument right there. The blue shell converted it into an even handed racer and item combat mix game into like I said, Mario Party. Total crap shoot and abuse of the guy in front.

[BetaWolf47]

Man, I spend HUNDREDS of hours playing Mario Kart: DoubleDash with my girlfriend back in the day. We LOVED the mode where you would race the entirety of the game's tracks in a single Grand Prix. It was amazing, and I never understood the hate that the game got. I have a theory that it wouldn't have received even half the hate were there online play. It was also the only Mario Kart game I recall having Paratroopa playable in the rooster. I don't know why, but I really like the guy. I also loved how much personality the game had. The way that the characters would juggle the multiple items, and speak when they'd switch (Hi, I'm Daisy!!). The way that the secondary characters would hold on for dear life when they were shot out of a cannon or the way that their ass would catch fire. I REALLY enjoyed the partner system; it's a shame no one else did. When I go back to it now though, it's tough to get back into it. I could have SWORN that there was a rear view mirror in the game, but I guess I was just including it retroactively in my mind. Also, the way that the karts handle is just weird now compared to all of the modern ones.

It is quite odd... you perfectly described the reasons I don't like Double Dash. Everything you like about the game, I particularly hate. The partner system seemed like an excuse to not let you shield with items. Instead of being able to hold a green shell behind you and have a second item in your queue, they take that ability away and give you another character to hold an extra item. Aside from that, it seemed to be the reason for the sluggish steering, like they were factoring in the mass of another character standing on the back of the kart when they made the physics. In all, the partner system does absolutely nothing to enhance the gameplay for me.

The "personality", as I mentioned before, was just way too over the top frantic. Even compared to the quirkiness of the later games, this one was just way too crazy for me. I rather liked the presentation of the previous games, and think that Mario Kart 64 struck the perfect balance between its zaniness and calmer moments.

You could actually play online with a LAN adapter and tunneling software called Warp Pipe. It let you play any of the LAN games available for the system online.

[Tanooki]

I really like Megas's write up there. I totally agree with the lot of it, not that I used the troopa but it was unique to the game. The partner system just worked and well, plus the comedic behavior depending on what was going on added to the fun. I just found the courses less interesting than some others which is why I rated where I did. It was the last honest(more or less) Mario Kart game because it wasn't polluted with online play where Nintendo decided to make the fun of the single player mode a secondary thought while also upping the mario party-esque feeling of the game which I really loathe. It does have that stupid blue shell, but it wasn't heavily spammed either.

[Mayhem]

I've not played the Wii U version, so that's off the table...

Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DD!
Mario Kart SNES
Mario Kart 7
Mario Kart Wii

I'd be happy playing any of those above five if I had to pick only one to play from here on in...

Mario Kart N64 (the multiplayer elevates a poor single player)
Mario Kart GBA

Surprised to see the GBA game dead last. The way it was designed was basically like a 50/50 cross between the SNES and N64 title. Was it just boring to you or not comfy to play on a little handheld?

See my voting. There's just something "off" about it imo, that I never liked it anywhere as near as the original SNES version.

[BetaWolf47]

I really like Megas's write up there. I totally agree with the lot of it, not that I used the troopa but it was unique to the game. The partner system just worked and well, plus the comedic behavior depending on what was going on added to the fun. I just found the courses less interesting than some others which is why I rated where I did. It was the last honest(more or less) Mario Kart game because it wasn't polluted with online play where Nintendo decided to make the fun of the single player mode a secondary thought while also upping the mario party-esque feeling of the game which I really loathe. It does have that stupid blue shell, but it wasn't heavily spammed either.

I'm not too sure I see the line between "Mario Party-esque feeling" and Double Dash. I'm also not sure I see how the "comedic behavior" in Double Dash differentiates it from the future Kart titles; that description, IMO, seems to describe Mario Party as much as Double Dash. Don't get me wrong, I agree with you on item abuse becoming a problem with Mario Kart games. I just think that Double Dash had the worst of it. My cheapest losses on any Mario Kart game were in Double Dash. Like I mentioned before, it's also the worst equipped game in the series to protect yourself from items, too.

Believe me, I get what people are saying. I'm just confused as to how Double Dash is the exception to what people don't like about modern Mario Kart games.

[Nesmaster]

Mario Kart 64 is the only one that matters here. Nostalgia is strong and the glasses aren't coming off.

That's not to say the others aren't awesome, in fact DD has arguably the best battle mode, DS added the challenge mode which was a ton of fun, and 7 is a great looking, and playing, handheld version.

The SNES and GBA aesthetics make it very hard for me to get into. Even being really young I didn't really care for the SNES game. Wii I haven't played much, and I'm waiting on a deal to grab 8.

So for me:

MK64
DD/DS/7, interchangeably #2. I don't really like any one of these more than the others.