The Story of Mario Kart

The Mario Kart was originally born as an attempt to make a multiplayer game from another franchise of the company, the F-Zero. But over time, fortunately, this idea was aborted, giving rise to the story of Mario Kart. Today, the racing franchise of Nintendo is one of the company's most profitable and has encouraged the creation of a series of clones.

You can watch our video telling the whole story on YouTube or continue reading right here:

The origins of Mario Kart

For the launch of the new console from Nintendo, Super nes, the company had developed a special game to showcase the device's full capabilities. Thus, one of the company's most beloved franchises was born: F-Zero.

The game had a huge sense of speed and had very elaborate tracks, in addition to being very large. The graphics were also very innovative, something never seen before on home consoles. Such quality made sales reach almost 3 million copies. However, one thing was missing F-Zero: the possibility to play with friends.

So it was up to the director Hideki konno and the graphic artist Tadashi Sugiyama the mission to make F-Zero could be played with friends. But early on in the process they saw that it wouldn't be that easy. First, the game had to be played in split screen, which made the game Super nes work twice, and there wasn't enough power to handle the task.

The team even tried to make smaller tracks, but nothing resembled the speed and emotion seen in F-Zero. So, before throwing the whole idea away, they changed the race cars to karts. Which worked well, as the track size was believable for shorter races like the ones seen in karts. However, this created another problem.

With the change, it was necessary to put riders wearing helmets, but they all ended up being pretty generic. The group then needed to find a solution, and they began to think: who is well recognized from behind? The most famous mustache in the world, Mario. And then the development of Super Mario Kart.

So, with the universe of one of the most famous games in mind, it was necessary to choose who would participate in the races. Luigi, Mario's brother, Toad and Princess Peach were right choices. Four more were needed. Bowser and your minion Cave Troopa joined the list of runners, along with Yoshi, the newly launched mascot in Super Mario World. Finally, it was necessary to make the last choice, so nothing fairer than choosing Donkey Kong Jr., who is the son of Mario's first great rival.

With the characters chosen, it's time to put attributes for each of them. This was done so that players would have different sensations when controlling them. And in total, four were selected: acceleration, top speed, weight and handling. For example, Mario e Luigi are the most balanced of the 8 characters, while the Bowser it has a higher top speed, but its acceleration is much worse.

For the tracks, the development team needed to be even more creative. As creating objects in 3D was totally out of the question, they were forced to make do with what they had. One of the solutions used was to basically give different wraps to the tracks and change the resistance level of each one of them.

Let me explain: on a track with asphalt, for example, the resistance is 0, but if you have a flooded part, this number goes up to 1, reducing the control. Or else when the card passes over a grassy surface, and its speed decreases substantially. This was done to make development easier, but also to increase the sense of control that players have during races.

Although things were going well, one element was missing that would bring a unique touch to Super Mario Kart: the super powers. All games in the franchise have super powers that help players overcome challenges. This could not be missing from the mustachioed racing game. But now, in addition to helping the player, it would now be possible to hinder the little friend and obtain unique advantages.

In the same way as the characters, the items are the same as we see in the franchise games. The mighty star makes us invulnerable for a few seconds and also increases our speed. The mushroom increased speed. The feather made him jump. The banana peel made the card skid. The green hull came out in a straight line and hit everything until it hit someone or disappeared. The red hull was guided and almost always hit the opponent. O Boo, the little ghost, made the player invisible for a while, in addition to stealing the opponent's item. The lightning, quite rare, caused all opponents to shrink and be susceptible to being crushed. Finally, the coin, which, the more the player accumulates, the greater the speed.

The way items were introduced into gameplay, in such a simple but extremely well done way, forever changed the genre of racing games of this style, becoming practically an industry standard. Many other games have already copied this formula, some with more success, others with less, but none of them managed to beat Super Mario Kart or its sequences.

Players could compete in up to 4 different tournaments with 5 tracks each. It was still possible to select between 3 levels of difficulty: 50cc, 100cc and 150cc. In addition, there was the time mode, where players could run and get the best times on each of the screens, without the worry of being hit by lightning or a red hull.

Now if you think Super Mario Kart had only races, you are very wrong. There was a battle mode where the two players entered an arena with a mission: to take three lives from their opponents. Whoever hits the opponent first was the big winner. This greatly expanded the game's playtime, as with each new battle something new could happen.

Franchise Games Timeline

Super Mario Kart – 1992 – Super NES

The first game in the franchise. It has 8 players and has laid all the foundations for the sequels to evolve. Here we already have the first special powers, a battle mode for two players and one of the best graphics that the Super nes can provide. It was extremely well received by critics and has almost 9 million units sold.

Mario Kart 64 – 1996 – Nintendo 64

Now, instead of 2D, the game is fully 3D. Another change was the number of players, jumping from 2 to 4 simultaneously. The cast has changed a bit, since Wario e Donkey Kong entered the place of Koopa Troopa and Donkey Kong Jr. There are a total of 16 races and 4 more battle stages.

It was also here that we had the introduction of the infamous blue hull, which always chases the first place and goes over everything that is in front of it. Its critical acceptance was good, although inferior to the original game. Even so, almost 10 million copies were sold, being the second best-selling game for the Nintendo 64.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit – 2001 – Game Boy Advanced

And for the GameBoy Advanced was released Mario Kart: Super Circuit. With the same runners as in the 64th edition, the game now has 40 tracks, 20 of which are totally original, and versions of the tracks from Super Mario Kart, plus 4 battle lanes to play with friends via game link cable.

Another great addition we had was the triple items. It was now possible to get mushrooms, green and red shells in trios in the surprise boxes. This further increases the ability to wreak havoc on opponents. Critical reception was better than the previous edition, but this was not reflected in sales, reaching close to 2,5 million copies.

Mario Kart: Double Dash – 2003 – Nintendo GameCube

Originally released for Game Cube, Mario Kart: double dash was the most peculiar among the other titles on this list. The number of characters has increased dramatically, jumping from 8 to 20, counting on Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Koopa Troopa, Paratroopa, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Wario, Waluigi, Toad, Toaddete Petey Piranha and King Boo.

Now the player could choose a pair instead of a single runner, being able to make up to 190 different combinations. Now it was also possible to choose which card would be used during races, with a total of 21 available. Critical reception was very similar to Mario Kart 64, and the game sold nearly 7 million copies.

Mario Kart DS – 2005 – Nintendo DS

One of the most complete and fun games in the franchise. It was now possible to view the map and positions using the Nintendo handheld's second screen. For being a portable, the number of runners dropped, with 8 characters released: Mario, Luigi, Toad, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser, but can unlock Dry Bones, Waluigi, Daisy, and Robot Rob, responsible for Nintendo's entry into the United States.

The game has 32 tracks, 16 new and 16 with versions of old games and a total of 36 different types of karts. All classic modes are included, with the addition of Mission Mode. Here players have to face a total of 7 missions, each of which is made up of 7 stages and a boss battle. like the Nintendo DS had an internet connection, players could compete in races online, and true communities were born. Critics loved the game, and sales were great, reaching 23 million copies.

Mario Kart Wii – 2008 – Nintendo Wii

Forget the karts, it is now possible to choose motorcycles! In total, there are 36 options available, with 18 karts and 18 motorcycles. Many of these vehicles needed to be unlocked, and this happened by winning championships or meeting certain criteria. Mario Kart Wii features a total of 32 tracks, 16 new and 16 from past games, as well as 10 battle stages.

This is one of the games with the most characters available, with 26 in total. The list has Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Daisy, Baby Daisy, Peach, Baby Peach, Yoshi, Koopa Troopa, Toad, Toadette, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Birdo, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., King Boo, Rosalina, Funky Kong, Dry Bowser and two types of Miis. The online mode was one of the highlights of the game, as it was possible to play together with a friend in internet matches with up to 12 runners. But despite the good news, its reception was less heated than the previous game. Still, it managed to sell over 37 million copies, ranking second in the franchise's top sellers.

Mario Kart 7 - 2011 - Nintendo 3DS

If before we had few options for karts, we now have a huge variation of combinations to assemble the best vehicle possible. Forget the bikes, we now have 17 different types of karts, 10 tire models, 7 gliders, giving us a total of 1.190 different combinations. Of course, many of them need to be released by winning hearts and other actions, like collecting coins, and others. There are a total of 32 tracks available, 16 new and 16 versions of previous games.

Among the available characters, we have some very old faces, but some very new ones: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Daisy, Wario, Rosalina, Metal Mario, Shy Guy, Honey Queen, Wiggler, Lakitu and the Mii. as the Nintendo 3DS has a more robust online system than its predecessor, racing was even more stable and more fun. Still, critical reception was little better than Mario Kart Wii. However, sales were excellent, reaching almost 19 million copies, making it the best-selling game in the world. 3DS.

Mario Kart 8 (2014 – Wii U) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017 – Nintendo Switch)

It is practically impossible to separate these two games as they are basically the same. At first, the game was released with 32 tracks, being 16 new and 16 versions of previous games, but Mario barth 8 was the first to bring a season pass, which added 16 more tracks, being 7 versions of old games and 9 new ones. The game has about 36 characters to choose from, bringing the return of many, and adding names like Link, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, Larry, Wendy, Ludwig, Morton and Animal Crossing residents, some of which were only available on the pass.

Among the vehicle options, there is almost everything you can imagine: karts, motorcycles, sport bikes and quads. In addition to 21 types of wheels and 14 glider models, totaling more than 10 combinations. Many of these items needed to be unlocked, either by fulfilling some criteria, like winning cups, or getting coins. The online mode was even better than previous games, and more fun.

Like Wii U it was a resounding failure, it greatly affected their sales. Reviews were extremely favorable, but just under 9 million copies were sold. Still, it was the best-selling title for the platform.

After a month the Nintendo Switch was launched, the company launched Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which had all of the Season Pass content included, and the game can finally be enjoyed in its entirety. Critics consider this the best version of the franchise ever released to date, and it is also currently the best-selling game in the console's history, with more than 48 million copies.

It was so successful that a new track pack is being released. The first tracks were released in March 2022, with an estimated completion date of 2023, totaling 48 tracks, leaving an incredible number of 96 tracks.

Mario Kart Tour – 2019 – Android and iOS

Released exclusively for Android and iOS, Mario Kart Tour It's free to start, bringing several elements of porridge, such as crates that bring random items. There are several tracks based on real locations such as Los Angeles, Berlin, Sydney and many others.

The game continues to receive several updates and versions of clues from old games in the franchise. You can download it from your cell phone store, and it is available in Portuguese.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit – 2020 – Nintendo Switch

A mix of game, puppet and augmented reality, that sums it up Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. There are only, at least for now, only two dolls available: the Mario and Luigi's Kart. Within the game it is possible to change their clothes with different costumes, but that are only seen on the Switch. The great thing about the game is that the player can create the tracks he wants, with his imagination being the limit.

With the presence of the kit to assemble the tracks, in addition to the card, the price of the set is a little more expensive than a regular game, and it costs around US$99. Critical reception was mixed, but it still managed to sell just over a million copies worldwide.

The most famous clones of Mario Kart

It would be possible to talk about Super Mario Kart clones almost forever, as there are a lot of them available today, not to mention the new entries that happen from time to time. But for our list, we're only going to focus on those that have managed to stand out the most in this ocean of copies.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix

Everyone has certainly seen a Nickelodeon cartoon, and it's using the strength of its characters that Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix is guaranteed. Its cast has 30 names, such as Aang (Avatar), Leonardo and Raphael (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Patrick Star and SpongeBob (SpongeBob), and many others. In addition, it is possible to select other 70 characters from the house as team members.

The success of the franchise is such that a third game is scheduled to be released in October 2022. Among the new features we will have 36 tracks, more than 40 selectable characters, 90 team members and other things.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

The success of Crash Team Racing was such that it received an excellent remaster, called Nitro-Fueled. As a great novelty, there are several new elements that have been added from other games in the franchise, and now players can customize their card, visit the infamous shop, which sells items for real money, or play adventure mode.

There are currently 56 characters available – many of them need to be unlocked in story mode – and 36 clues. The game was very well received by critics, but faced a lot of rejection after an update that allowed real money to be used to unlock characters and variations.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Starring the main characters of the world's most famous blue hedgehog franchise, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is another one of the racing games that stood out, with 16 tracks inspired by games from Segaas the Super Monkey Ball, Golden Ax and many others, in addition to 24 characters, such as the protagonists and villains of the franchise Sonic, and others like Nights, Alex Kidd and several more.

One of the great differentials of the game is the possibility of, in the same race, using different types of vehicles, jumping from one to the other during the laps. There are cars, boats and planes available. Also, unlike Mario Kart, the screens are a little longer and full of obstacles.

ModNation Racers

One of the great bargains ModNation Racers it was the social aspect that the game had. The idea here was to give players extreme freedom to create their own tracks the way they wanted and share them with friends via the internet. In addition, it was possible to create vehicles and characters, and also to download someone else's creation and work on it.

However, if the player wanted to, it was possible to play the story mode, which shows us the adventures of Tags, who helps his mother in a paint store and ends up in the racing world, thanks to his grandfather. The creation aspects of ModNation Racers made it extremely well received by critics, selling over 1 million copies, which ensured that a version for the PlayStation Portable was produced.

Toys inspired by Mario Kart

Like every successful franchise, Super Mario Kart has several related toys available. There are replicas of karts seen in the games, racetrack tracks, Hot Wheels, and much more. With the amount is very large, we will separate here the 5 most fun released so far.

mario kart racing

Carrera is a company specialized in producing toys based on cars and race tracks. Among the many options within the company's catalog there is the Carrera First Nintendo Mario Kart Slot Car Race Track, an arcade that has a 2,89 meter long track and 2 obstacles. As characters we have Mario and Luigi, but others can be acquired, like Yoshi.

The toy is available at Amazon North American for $39,99 and is shipped to Brazil after paying shipping fees.

Hot Wheels Mario Kart

For lovers of die-cast cars (miniature types produced in scale and usually made with injected liquid metal). The collection consists of 4 karts, with Mario, Luigi, Peach and Rosalina. The carts are sold together, and they all have a great level of detail. Ideal for collectors.

Hot Wheels models are available at Amazon North American for $26,74 and are shipped to Brazil after payment of shipping fees.

Hot Wheels Mario Kart Rainbow Road

With all the certainty in the world, everyone has already played the rainbow road, one of the most iconic tracks in Mario Kart, and thought about what it would be like in real life. with this toy Hot Wheels, it is possible. The track has two types of configurations and accepts up to five different cars, in addition to having starting lights that light up. The package includes a track almost 3 meters long and the cars from Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi and King Boo.

The Hot Wheels toy can be purchased at Amazon USA for $158,98 plus payment of shipping fees.

EPOCH Games Mario Kart™ Racing Deluxe

A real race track, with obstacles, ups and downs. With capacity for two cars, Mario and Luigi, the Epoch race track has several buttons that need to be pressed at the right moment. In addition, the company produces a number of other products based on the Super Mario franchise.

The Epoch Race Track is available at Amazon USA for $39,99 plus payment of shipping fees.

Super Mario Kart 8 at McDonald's Brazil

In 2015, one year after the launch of Mario barth 8 protocols for Nintendo Wii U, McDonald's Brasil made a campaign with the cars and characters of the franchise. Among the options was Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Toad, Yoshi and Bowser. It is still possible to find the collection on used sales websites.

What is Super Mario Kart?

Super Mario Kart was born from a project where trial, error and success led Nintendo to create one of its most profitable franchises. Currently, 11 games of the brand have been launched, among home consoles, portables and cell phones. To get an idea, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, remaster of the game that was originally released for the nintendo wii u, already has more than 46 million copies sold, and there were more than 168 million copies totaling all the games.

With each new release, new mechanics, new characters, clues and new features were introduced to keep players engaged. Currently, in Mario barth 8, Nintendo continues to update the game and is working on the Additional Tracks Pass, which will bring 48 Mario Kart tracks from past generations of the franchise. It is possible to say that the game is practically the definitive version, since, in total, we will have 96 different tracks by the end of 2023.

Rumors suggest the development of a new entry for Super Mario Kart, but Nintendo has yet to give any clues or information. The certainty is that, after the end of the release of the pass, there are great chances that we will receive a lot of news, including a new console, but no one knows.

What is known is that the legacy of a game that started as a project for F-Zero for two players went far beyond the original expectations. Now, along with a new adventure of the mustachioed, players also expect a new racing title, even better and more fun than the previous one. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already excellent, and the expectation of something superior makes me motivated to look forward to the future.

Source: Nintendo's Official Website, Retro Gamer Magazine

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