Ranking every official Mario Kart game
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1203 - 
On 2023-04-16 at 17:47:09
#11: Super Mario Kart
Yeah, it's the first one, predictable, but it wasn't good.
#10: Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Better than SMK, still not very good
#9: Mario Kart Live
Useless if you live in an apartment, pretty limited no matter what
#8: Mario Kart Tour
Thought this would be lower tbh, it sucks but not as bad as the previous offenders
#7: Mario Kart 64
Only 16 tracks and nothing to make up for it like MKDD
#6: Mario Kart 7
Lame compared to most of the modern MK games
#5: Mario Kart 8
MK8DX exists
#4: Mario Kart DS
Only this high bc most of its tracks are really good
#3: Mario Kart: Double Dash
I liked the concept, and it makes up for only having 16 tracks, especially since those tracks are pretty good
#2: Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii. Need I say more? The gameplay is fun, the tracks are awesome, CTGP exists but it's not official so it doesn't count toward this list lol
#1: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Only MK game to have actually good DLC. Plus the base game was already great. They took MK8, made it better and then gave it even more DLC
Feel free to put your rankings here too, or let me know if I missed a game
Yeah, it's the first one, predictable, but it wasn't good.
#10: Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Better than SMK, still not very good
#9: Mario Kart Live
Useless if you live in an apartment, pretty limited no matter what
#8: Mario Kart Tour
Thought this would be lower tbh, it sucks but not as bad as the previous offenders
#7: Mario Kart 64
Only 16 tracks and nothing to make up for it like MKDD
#6: Mario Kart 7
Lame compared to most of the modern MK games
#5: Mario Kart 8
MK8DX exists
#4: Mario Kart DS
Only this high bc most of its tracks are really good
#3: Mario Kart: Double Dash
I liked the concept, and it makes up for only having 16 tracks, especially since those tracks are pretty good
#2: Mario Kart Wii
#1: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Only MK game to have actually good DLC. Plus the base game was already great. They took MK8, made it better and then gave it even more DLC
Feel free to put your rankings here too, or let me know if I missed a game
1
36499 pts ★ Legend
8835 pts ★ ExpertOn 2023-04-16 at 17:51:35
you dont play maro kart tour 
2
On 2023-04-16 at 18:25:35
you dont play maro kart tour
you clearly havent played mario kart wii >: (
On 2023-04-16 at 18:35:14
i dont play mario kart wii 3DS double dash and 8 Deluxe
i play classic mario kart and Mario Kart Tour
Thats All
i play classic mario kart and Mario Kart Tour
Thats All
On 2023-04-16 at 19:14:21
you dont play maro kart tour
You have no evidence to back this up. I actually do play MKT
On 2023-04-16 at 19:15:40
me too i do this emoji its a tie
You don't just facepalm people for fun, you facepalm them bc it's a useless message, or an insult or something like that
On 2023-04-16 at 19:15:52
i have my mario kart tour name is luigiboo7
2On 2023-04-16 at 19:16:45
ok fine i dont want to talk right now
3
1On 2023-04-16 at 19:16:47
i have my mario kart tour name is luigiboo7
Cool, but useless message, we didn't need to know that and if you wanted to say it put it on Space for Anything
On 2023-04-16 at 19:45:46
Personally, I'd knock Wii, DS & 64 down a tad.
It'd look something like:
11: SNES
Super simple, awful controls
10:GBA
Better SNES
9:N64
Terrible AI, 5 minute tracks are never good, screen looks like someone peed on it the whole time
8:NDS
Better 64. But still on crappy hardware
6: Live
Get a house
5: Wii
Too janky. In literally every & any way imaginable.
4: Mario Kart 7
Wii but less janky, automatically above, even though it's on WORSE hardware than Wii.
3: Double Dash
Unique concept, & the copy-paste GCN art style means it doesn't look dogshit like every single other Mario Kart besides 8. Still too many overly long tracks.
2: Tour
Too much content to be lower than the other games. Even if everything else is "bad", there's too much effort in it to be lower. If it had a few more stuff(which it will by next year), it'd be first.
1: 8/8 Deluxe
Good game in everyway, and some good DLC, 5th best DLC Nintendo has ever done. Sadly, Tour will likely overtake once Wave 6 releases, so enjoy it's time at the top.
It'd look something like:
11: SNES
Super simple, awful controls
10:GBA
Better SNES
9:N64
Terrible AI, 5 minute tracks are never good, screen looks like someone peed on it the whole time
8:NDS
Better 64. But still on crappy hardware
6: Live
Get a house
5: Wii
Too janky. In literally every & any way imaginable.
4: Mario Kart 7
Wii but less janky, automatically above, even though it's on WORSE hardware than Wii.
3: Double Dash
Unique concept, & the copy-paste GCN art style means it doesn't look dogshit like every single other Mario Kart besides 8. Still too many overly long tracks.
2: Tour
Too much content to be lower than the other games. Even if everything else is "bad", there's too much effort in it to be lower. If it had a few more stuff(which it will by next year), it'd be first.
1: 8/8 Deluxe
Good game in everyway, and some good DLC, 5th best DLC Nintendo has ever done. Sadly, Tour will likely overtake once Wave 6 releases, so enjoy it's time at the top.
On 2023-04-16 at 23:18:05
I agree with your choice, except some things…
11 : Super Mario Kart
The handling is… Just horrible, but some tracks are cool, and the musics are good.
10 : Mario Kart : Home Live Circuit
Meh.
Nintendo just wanted to do another Mario Kart game to wait for a Mario Kart 9, and this is not really… Interesting…
Also rip all the people who have this game and an agressive cat/dog.
9 : Mario Kart 64
I love the Rainbow Road song.
The handling is so-so, but the game tried the 3D. It worked.
The tracks are beautiful, the sprites are also beautiful, it looks like 3D models… But no.
The players are sprites.
It’s also the first apparition of the awesome Blue Shell in a Mario Kart game.
8 : Mario Kart DS
The tracks are cool, I really like the Rainbow Road.
The online was cool, the missions add a lot of things to the game (now I realise that a lot of DS Mario games have Minigames).
It’s just that… The graphics… A DS can do better, we all saw this in Super Mario 64 DS.
7 : Mario Kart 8
Without the 1st DLC, it’s just a basic Mario Kart, but with better graphics.
32 tracks, a bad balloon battles mode (because without any DLC, Mario Kart 8 has only some tracks (yeah, not arenas) to fight, that’s… )
Disappointing.
6 : Mario Kart 7
There is a good addition to this game : the gliders.
There’s also something to customise our karts. Nice.
The game has new characters…
5 : Mario Kart : Double Dash !!
Nintendo tried something new in this Mario Kart game.
Two players in one kart.
That’s interesting, right ?
All the tracks are attractions park-based, and Daisy Cruiser/Rainbow Road are my favorite.
There is a lot of characters, compared to the old Mario Kart.
4 : Mario Kart Tour
There is a lot of characters and alts.
Sadly, some of them (Rosalina, Diddy Kong) aren’t free…
The controls are easy, since this is on phone, but it’s very difficult to be first…
This is like Mario Kart Ultimate, but it’s not the last.
3 : Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
This is a cool game. Really.
Nintendo changed Mario Kart 8 + its DLC to another Mario Kart, with other DLC !!
Musics are really cool.
2 : Mario Kart : Super Circuit
This opus on Game Boy Advance is wonderful.
The graphics are good, the tracks are good, and the musics…
These musics… They are so… Beautiful, emotional, nostalgic…
This game deserves a high place for me.
1 : Mario Kart Wii
This game is my favorite Mario Kart, it’s also my first one.
The tracks are wonderful, the musics are super cool, and the characters are the best.
The handling is wonderful, the WiiMote adds a lot of possibilities (ex : Wheelies).
If you have this game, you’re really lucky.
If you don’t have it, try it some times.
This is my opinion, respect me please
11 : Super Mario Kart
The handling is… Just horrible, but some tracks are cool, and the musics are good.
10 : Mario Kart : Home Live Circuit
Meh.
Nintendo just wanted to do another Mario Kart game to wait for a Mario Kart 9, and this is not really… Interesting…
Also rip all the people who have this game and an agressive cat/dog.
9 : Mario Kart 64
I love the Rainbow Road song.
The handling is so-so, but the game tried the 3D. It worked.
The tracks are beautiful, the sprites are also beautiful, it looks like 3D models… But no.
The players are sprites.
It’s also the first apparition of the awesome Blue Shell in a Mario Kart game.
8 : Mario Kart DS
The tracks are cool, I really like the Rainbow Road.
The online was cool, the missions add a lot of things to the game (now I realise that a lot of DS Mario games have Minigames).
It’s just that… The graphics… A DS can do better, we all saw this in Super Mario 64 DS.
7 : Mario Kart 8
Without the 1st DLC, it’s just a basic Mario Kart, but with better graphics.
32 tracks, a bad balloon battles mode (because without any DLC, Mario Kart 8 has only some tracks (yeah, not arenas) to fight, that’s… )
Disappointing.
6 : Mario Kart 7
There is a good addition to this game : the gliders.
There’s also something to customise our karts. Nice.
The game has new characters…
Queen Bee, Metal Mario, Lakitu, Wiggler, and Shy Guy.
Nintendo didn’t add Wiggler and Queen Bee in another Mario Kart game. Seriously, Nintendo !
Nintendo didn’t add Wiggler and Queen Bee in another Mario Kart game. Seriously, Nintendo !
5 : Mario Kart : Double Dash !!
Nintendo tried something new in this Mario Kart game.
Two players in one kart.
That’s interesting, right ?
All the tracks are attractions park-based, and Daisy Cruiser/Rainbow Road are my favorite.
There is a lot of characters, compared to the old Mario Kart.
4 : Mario Kart Tour
There is a lot of characters and alts.
Sadly, some of them (Rosalina, Diddy Kong) aren’t free…
The controls are easy, since this is on phone, but it’s very difficult to be first…
This is like Mario Kart Ultimate, but it’s not the last.
3 : Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
This is a cool game. Really.
Nintendo changed Mario Kart 8 + its DLC to another Mario Kart, with other DLC !!
Musics are really cool.
2 : Mario Kart : Super Circuit
This opus on Game Boy Advance is wonderful.
The graphics are good, the tracks are good, and the musics…
These musics… They are so… Beautiful, emotional, nostalgic…
This game deserves a high place for me.
1 : Mario Kart Wii
This game is my favorite Mario Kart, it’s also my first one.
The tracks are wonderful, the musics are super cool, and the characters are the best.
The handling is wonderful, the WiiMote adds a lot of possibilities (ex : Wheelies).
If you have this game, you’re really lucky.
If you don’t have it, try it some times.
This is my opinion, respect me please
On 2023-04-18 at 00:30:33
Third topic, third year, same rating. I'll insert my updated/clarified reasoning where applicable.
With the addition of MK8D's DLC tracks, you'd be surprised for me to say that it doesn't really change my views of them. While I've made my hatred of how they butchered most of the retro tracks known, ultimately it's still just another drop of piss in the ocean of the rest of MK8D's problems, which were problems stemming or even amplified from MK8U. Boring, uninspired track design, overly simplified controls, overreliance on gimmicks to make gameplay interesting, and just being a chore to play through due to the reduced gameplay speed (150cc feels like 100cc of the games of old). Same old story, same old song and dance.
I will commend Nintendo's ideas on display here, but you can dress up shit as much as you want and it's still gonna be shit. By far the most wasted potential in kart.
See MK8D's flaws which stemmed from this game. No updated thoughts, seeing as I haven't touched the game since like 2016.
If you'd fucking believe it...I've slightly warmed up to MKW. It's still staying the same ranking but it's closer to MK7 in quality than MK8U. Maybe it's nostagia talking but in a casual setting it's just a rip-roaring good time. Competitively, I still think it's lacking, but the party aspect keeps it afloat for now. Maybe this will keep rising, maybe it won't.
Kinda the antithesis to MKW here, in that it's boring as fuck casually but actually has some interesting competitive aspects. The flaws that would plague MK8 start to show up here but they are in small enough numbers to really not drop the ranking all that much.
A bit of a diet MKSC. I've never been really able to grasp the controls considering it's just similar enough to MKSC to lure me into a false sense of security but just different enough to completely obliterate any skill that would transfer over. Still its influence cannot be understated.
Probably the first kart that I would consider truly enjoyable both on a casual and competitive level. Nintendo was still getting 3D geometry down so some of these tracks are hilariously frustrating, but the tracks that work are honestly unmatched in gameplay. Plus these mechanics go super deep.
I still can't rank one over the other here. I will note that MKSC has some crazy tech that I did not mention before, so that's a point in its favor.
I've kept my promise, still haven't played MKT since then. I've also never played MKHC, but the discussion around that game is surprisingly barren. Don't know why.
Good luck finding a machine that isn't MKAGPD.
9. MK8D:
This is a lazy port that took away nearly every competitive aspect MK8U had, with very little payback that wasn't already in MK8U.
This is a lazy port that took away nearly every competitive aspect MK8U had, with very little payback that wasn't already in MK8U.
With the addition of MK8D's DLC tracks, you'd be surprised for me to say that it doesn't really change my views of them. While I've made my hatred of how they butchered most of the retro tracks known, ultimately it's still just another drop of piss in the ocean of the rest of MK8D's problems, which were problems stemming or even amplified from MK8U. Boring, uninspired track design, overly simplified controls, overreliance on gimmicks to make gameplay interesting, and just being a chore to play through due to the reduced gameplay speed (150cc feels like 100cc of the games of old). Same old story, same old song and dance.
8. MKDD:
By far the weakest of the original karts. The graphics looks better than ever (even if everything looks a little bit plasticky), and you can get nearly-neck deep in the competitive mechanics of the game (as you can every kart pre-MKW). It's too bad that it controls like dogshit. Every track is the ice track, and none of the tracks seem to compliment the control scheme. It's like they designed the tracks first and then attempted to make the controls around it and failed miserably with one or two exceptions.
By far the weakest of the original karts. The graphics looks better than ever (even if everything looks a little bit plasticky), and you can get nearly-neck deep in the competitive mechanics of the game (as you can every kart pre-MKW). It's too bad that it controls like dogshit. Every track is the ice track, and none of the tracks seem to compliment the control scheme. It's like they designed the tracks first and then attempted to make the controls around it and failed miserably with one or two exceptions.
I will commend Nintendo's ideas on display here, but you can dress up shit as much as you want and it's still gonna be shit. By far the most wasted potential in kart.
7. MK8U:
The first game that I ever preordered at the young age of 11 definitely left something to be desired. Competitively, this might be the most complex since the days of MKDS, but elsewhere the entire package is lacking. Many of the tracks I felt were half-baked and sometimes didn't exactly coalesce with the controls. This is probably the most "just another Mario Kart" that is up to this point.
The first game that I ever preordered at the young age of 11 definitely left something to be desired. Competitively, this might be the most complex since the days of MKDS, but elsewhere the entire package is lacking. Many of the tracks I felt were half-baked and sometimes didn't exactly coalesce with the controls. This is probably the most "just another Mario Kart" that is up to this point.
See MK8D's flaws which stemmed from this game. No updated thoughts, seeing as I haven't touched the game since like 2016.
6. MKW:
I feel Nintendo definitely took a bit of a risk with the Wii, and by extension MKW. Gone are the input-heavy days of yore, replaced with a more streamlined experience geared more towards a casual audience that works for the most part. The track/control combo is generally more stable, and while none of them feel great, they all generally work. The pace of the game has also massively slowed down partially due to a lack of easy way to acheive MT speed, but comparing the scale of the retro tracks to the originals (especially the DS tracks) also leaves a different story. This ultimately results in a slightly more boring experience all around, and generally signals the "beginning of the end" for Mario Kart's quality peak.
(I am aware of CTGP's existence, but I'm not accounting it in the ranking here. Not like it would affect it much.)
I feel Nintendo definitely took a bit of a risk with the Wii, and by extension MKW. Gone are the input-heavy days of yore, replaced with a more streamlined experience geared more towards a casual audience that works for the most part. The track/control combo is generally more stable, and while none of them feel great, they all generally work. The pace of the game has also massively slowed down partially due to a lack of easy way to acheive MT speed, but comparing the scale of the retro tracks to the originals (especially the DS tracks) also leaves a different story. This ultimately results in a slightly more boring experience all around, and generally signals the "beginning of the end" for Mario Kart's quality peak.
(I am aware of CTGP's existence, but I'm not accounting it in the ranking here. Not like it would affect it much.)
If you'd fucking believe it...I've slightly warmed up to MKW. It's still staying the same ranking but it's closer to MK7 in quality than MK8U. Maybe it's nostagia talking but in a casual setting it's just a rip-roaring good time. Competitively, I still think it's lacking, but the party aspect keeps it afloat for now. Maybe this will keep rising, maybe it won't.
5. MK7:
The best nu-kart of the bunch, for all the wrong reasons. MK7 sees the streamlining taken to a whole new level, leading to the most straightforward karting experience up to this point. Weirdly enough though, it works. The tracks generally feel complete and most of them (with the exception of Rosalina's Ice World) all work with the controls given. The advent of kart customization is a neat idea, with additional glider and underwater mechanics also adding to the variety presented, you have one of the most diverse karts to this date.
As to be expected with any nu-kart though, the pace of the game is generally slower comparative to those MKDS backwards, and it's actually probably the slowest kart experience that you'll get from a mainline game. The amount of extra bells and whistles in tech is also near zero, with possibly the most emphasis on pure lines in any game since MKSC. This game should be a disaster. It isn't. Consider this as a last hurrah before Mario Kart's dive into mediocrity.
The best nu-kart of the bunch, for all the wrong reasons. MK7 sees the streamlining taken to a whole new level, leading to the most straightforward karting experience up to this point. Weirdly enough though, it works. The tracks generally feel complete and most of them (with the exception of Rosalina's Ice World) all work with the controls given. The advent of kart customization is a neat idea, with additional glider and underwater mechanics also adding to the variety presented, you have one of the most diverse karts to this date.
As to be expected with any nu-kart though, the pace of the game is generally slower comparative to those MKDS backwards, and it's actually probably the slowest kart experience that you'll get from a mainline game. The amount of extra bells and whistles in tech is also near zero, with possibly the most emphasis on pure lines in any game since MKSC. This game should be a disaster. It isn't. Consider this as a last hurrah before Mario Kart's dive into mediocrity.
Kinda the antithesis to MKW here, in that it's boring as fuck casually but actually has some interesting competitive aspects. The flaws that would plague MK8 start to show up here but they are in small enough numbers to really not drop the ranking all that much.
4. SMK:
Half of this kart's ranking is due to sheer influence alone, but it also holds up damn near 30 years on. The tracks are for the most part simple with the controls mostly working with the track design with the obvious exception of the 2 Vanilla Lake tracks. It's a little bit hard to grasp for sure, but once it's been grasped it's very rewarding.
Half of this kart's ranking is due to sheer influence alone, but it also holds up damn near 30 years on. The tracks are for the most part simple with the controls mostly working with the track design with the obvious exception of the 2 Vanilla Lake tracks. It's a little bit hard to grasp for sure, but once it's been grasped it's very rewarding.
A bit of a diet MKSC. I've never been really able to grasp the controls considering it's just similar enough to MKSC to lure me into a false sense of security but just different enough to completely obliterate any skill that would transfer over. Still its influence cannot be understated.
3. MK64:
SMK may have been the blueprint to the kart racing formula, but MK64 was the realization of it in its purest form. These tracks are zany, cartoony, and contol surprisingly well. These tracks are huge but the pace is still fast, even on the obscenely long ones like Toad's Turnpike and Rainbow Road. This is also the most technically complex kart bar none, with so many ways to increase your speed and optimize your play. The beginning of the true manual MT increases the skill ceiling to near-infinity. There are still some tracks that don't exactly work, mostly due to RNG elements but they're pretty few and far in between. 25 years later and on a system that was woefully underpowered compared to its competitors, it still holds up as a fun albeit slightly frustrating kart racer.
SMK may have been the blueprint to the kart racing formula, but MK64 was the realization of it in its purest form. These tracks are zany, cartoony, and contol surprisingly well. These tracks are huge but the pace is still fast, even on the obscenely long ones like Toad's Turnpike and Rainbow Road. This is also the most technically complex kart bar none, with so many ways to increase your speed and optimize your play. The beginning of the true manual MT increases the skill ceiling to near-infinity. There are still some tracks that don't exactly work, mostly due to RNG elements but they're pretty few and far in between. 25 years later and on a system that was woefully underpowered compared to its competitors, it still holds up as a fun albeit slightly frustrating kart racer.
Probably the first kart that I would consider truly enjoyable both on a casual and competitive level. Nintendo was still getting 3D geometry down so some of these tracks are hilariously frustrating, but the tracks that work are honestly unmatched in gameplay. Plus these mechanics go super deep.
1. MKSC + MKDS:
Trying to rank one game over another here is near impossible, so here they share the top spot. Both games are equally great for different reasons. On MKSC's side, you have the sheer quantity and quality of the tracks, the small scale of the tracks (the smallest scale MK would ever get to), the consistent track/control alliance. On MKDS's side, you have the insane input-heavy gameplay, the extremely fast pace at which tracks are taken, and the introduction of online play. I see MKDS as having the higher peaks, but MKSC being more consistent in its greatness. Both games control extremely well, with MKSC offering a refinement of the SMK control scheme and MKDS offering a faster-paced and less slippery version of MKDD's controls. The track selection for all is a joy to play through. It all comes together here exactly twice, and all for it.
Trying to rank one game over another here is near impossible, so here they share the top spot. Both games are equally great for different reasons. On MKSC's side, you have the sheer quantity and quality of the tracks, the small scale of the tracks (the smallest scale MK would ever get to), the consistent track/control alliance. On MKDS's side, you have the insane input-heavy gameplay, the extremely fast pace at which tracks are taken, and the introduction of online play. I see MKDS as having the higher peaks, but MKSC being more consistent in its greatness. Both games control extremely well, with MKSC offering a refinement of the SMK control scheme and MKDS offering a faster-paced and less slippery version of MKDD's controls. The track selection for all is a joy to play through. It all comes together here exactly twice, and all for it.
I still can't rank one over the other here. I will note that MKSC has some crazy tech that I did not mention before, so that's a point in its favor.
Please bear in mind that I'm not accounting for MKT or MKHC, as I don't really consider those as "mainline" karts. I have no intention of ever playing MKHC and I played about 15 minutes of MKT once on a friend's phone and swore to never play it again. It goes without saying that MKT would be dead last if it were counted here.
I've kept my promise, still haven't played MKT since then. I've also never played MKHC, but the discussion around that game is surprisingly barren. Don't know why.
The arcade versions should be viewed as they are, fun little excursions that aren't really worth much critical evaluation.
Good luck finding a machine that isn't MKAGPD.
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