RANKING EVERY MARIO KART GAME

11. SNES
JUST LAME 2D TEST TRACKS
10. N64
JUST LONG, UNFUN 3D TEST TRACKS
9. MKHC
MAKING FUN LONG TRACKS WITH ... HOUSE MATERIALS?! O_O
8. MK8
MK8DX WAS TONS BETTER NGL. THIS DIDN'T HAVE GOOD 200CC, OR BATTLE MODE
7. MK7
NOT BAD, JUST VS/BATTLE FOR SINGLE PLAYER WAS LAME
6. MKSC
JUST YOUR AVERAGE 2D MARIO KART
5. MK8DX
MK8, BUT PERFECTED
4. MKDD
THE FIRST TRUE 3D MARIO KART. PSYCHO ITEMS
3. MKT
WE HAVE TO FACE IT, MKT WAS AN EXCUSE FOR MK9. BUT COOL
2. MKDS
GETTING WARMER, BETTER THAN MKWII IF MKWII DIDNT HAVE CTGP
1. MKWII
BEST! HAS CTGP EVEN

Here's my ranking!


#16: Super Mario Kart (SNES)
#15: Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
#14: Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (arcade)
#13: Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (arcade)
#12: Mario Kart 64 (N64)
#11: Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
#10: Mario Kart Arcade GP (arcade)
#9: Mario Kart DS (DS)
#8: Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
#7: Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (arcade)
#6: Mario Kart Tour (mobile)
#5: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN)
#4: Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (NS)
#3: Mario Kart PC (mobile)
#2: Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
#1: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)

CTGP WASN'T MADE BY NINTENDO!

Fun fact: CTGP Nitro now exists for MKDS! This list is considered null and void!

Then two is wii and one is ds

I personally say MK7 is way higher up but then again it was my first competitive MK title so I'm probably bias there

Ok

Alright, time for my own list...
I will be talking from mainly a competitive standpoint because that's how I play mario kart. Don't judge me.

1. Mario Kart DS. When I first played this game I thought it was just a game that would ruin my hands, but WOW this was fun. Mission Mode was also a good bonus to the game, and the progression of unlocking karts feels really good in this game. And now I've been tryharding time trials for the last 3 months, I can say I actually enjoy the game's mechanics now. Going fast is based off your skill level which is something I wish more MK games had, BUT ALL YOU CASUALS CRIED TO NINTENDO ABOUT SNAKING, THANKS GUYS! (don't worry I get the skill gap is a bit too much but there has to be some level of skill within a game...we'll get to that later.)
2. Mario Kart 7. This is why I said I was talking from a competitive view...this game's a weird one casually. No VS mode is a bummer, but I never played vs that much anyway. However I will take time to say that a lot of the game is extremely solid. It added more new features than any other game, and the collection of new tracks was the best in my opinion. Also was my first competitive title so it holds a special place in my heart, I love how different each track is to play.
3. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU). Nostalgia? Maybe. But I will wholeheartedly say that it was better than MK8DX. The game looked incredible for the WiiU, and felt amazing to play. Also again, in terms of tech it looks amazing. A lot of the reasons I find it better than DX however, I'll get to when we talk about it.
4. Mario Kart 64. A massive step in the series as it transitioned to 3d. While it didn't do well in...some regards *looks at the game's shortcuts* it did extremely well at being a 3d Mario Kart game that still feels fun to play to this day.
5. Mario Kart Wii. For everyone reading this who is under 13, head over to Bowser's Castle you'll find all the torches and pitchforks you need there.

I'm gonna say it: This game is heavily overrated. It's extremely broken and unbalanced, and it's a boring game to play competitively. While I admit it can be fun casually, the community is so toxic it would prevent me from playing casually anyway. I'd say I'm sorry but I'm really not. ​
6. Mario Kart Double Dash. Take everything I said about MKDS competitively, apply it here. Only difference is no mission mode, not as fleshed out in terms of karts and I haven't played it myself.
7. Super Mario Kart. I gotta give it credit for being the first game in the series and actually being fun, but a lot of stuff just doesn't make sense about it. The physics engine feels extremely off, and why are PAL and NTSC versions so different? It's cool to watch but it feels so weird to play...
8. Mario Kart Super Circuit. There really isn't anything to say other than it being a straight downgrade to both MK64 and SMK, in both looks and feel.
9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It's finally time. Let's look at every downgrade this made to the original game:
Made everything unlocked from the start, completely removing the progression other Mario Kart games had. Like yeah I actually want to earn the right to play the best tracks in MK history, not get them day 1.
Stripped it of all interesting movement that Mk8U had, leaving a barebones game with no way to go faster other than stuff that already used in MKWii.
Changes to the meta I don't understand, why is mini-turbo suddenly the most important stat? Even in the snaking-oriented games where you're at MT speed all the time, speed is still an important stat so where's the difference here? It's confusing and makes the game just a case of "pick Roller tyres to win".
Ripped off double items from MKDD, with none of the strategy to using them.
I'm sorry but this really doesn't hold up to the original in my opinion.
I would talk about MKL:HC but I don't consider it a proper MK game.

9. Mario Kart Tour
...how do you guys LIKE this game?
-It has microtransactions
-You can't play the character you like/want to play without gambling
-he game is HELL to control
-It's all luck-based in every way
-There are SO MANY bad and bland clones
-It's barely even a Mario Kart

8. Mario Kart 64
Look, I know you guys all love this game, but honestly this game is just a mess. Half of the tracks are bland, the CPU's rubber banding is a bit too good, the Mini-Turbo just doesn't feel satisfying to land, and Rainbow Road, the one everyone loves, is way too f*cking long to even be considered a good time.

7. Mario Kart: Super Circuit
I haven't played this one, but I don't think it's THAT bad.

6. Super Mario Kart
The one that started it all. It's a little slippery for my liking.

5. Mario Kart 8/8 Deluxe
My opinion's honestly the same for this one. Both are just kinda average.

4. Mario Kart 7
It has Wario Shipyard.
And literally nothing else good.

3. Mario Kart Wii
I honestly just put this high so I don't die at the hands of the community

2. Mario Kart DS
What can I say that hasn't been already said?
Special Karts for the second time
A stupid useless item mechanic
Mission Mode
Blooper
ROB
Almost all the karts being unviable
Uhhh...Mission Mode?
A lot of the tracks being honestly kinda stupid
Um, me? You can stop with the negatives now.
The worst retro selection in the series
...
It's beginner unfriendly
I-
NO HORN!?

In all seriousness, I like the game.

1. Mario Kart: Double Dash
I got a bucket of pitchforks and torches if ya want 'em, people.
OK, in all seriousness, I love this game. It's the fastest of the Mario Karts, blazing through every unique and fun track, using 2 people per kart.
And this was only the 4th game in the series, somehow.
The Special Items are really fun, and the double item mechanic adds strategy to the game. On the topic of strategy, this Mario Kart is one of the only ones in the series to be more skill-based than anything. You say the game sucks because you're bad at it? Learn to get good. The game is brutal, especially in Grand Prix, so actually knowing how to f*cking play the game is crucial.
And I don't know how to end this.

9. Mario Kart Tour - Awful gameplay, everything is just different, even the laps were shrunk from 3 to 2, too many clone characters
8. Mario Kart 7 - Just plain boring to me. No exciting fun tracks, a majority of retro tracks are bland choices too.
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Fairly good, but also boring.
6. Mario Kart Wii - Terrible controls. Better than some other games listed, but the steering mechanic opposed to the joystick is a bad decision. Bikes can't charge super mini turbos.
5. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! - Very hard game. By 100cc, there's a CPU that takes the lead by halfway, and is invulnerable.
4. Super Mario Kart - Don't hate me. I love this game. Sure the special cup is a pain but I still love it regardless. Music is cute and it's a great way to start the series.
3. Mario Kart: Super Circuit - Again, please. This is fairly the easiest game in the series - no spiny shells (well yes but they almost never make it to 1st), no powerful and annoying items to stop the leader, and the maps are fun.
2. Mario Kart DS - Epic 2nd place game. The retro selection is awesome, the soundfont for the game is awesome (mainly for the nitro maps), the tracks are really REALLY fun to play, and it even has my favorite character - R.O.B.!!!
1. Mario Kart 64 - OK where to begin: All the maps are AMAZING AS FUCK. Sure the rubber banding is a pain, but the AI is also very clumsy and hits like every single banana. AND if you even fall back to just 2nd, you can get triple red shells or even THE LIGHTING. And it's home to my favorite map, Choco Mountain!!! IDC what you all say, MK64 is the best title.

Thanks for putting the arcade games and PC in there. PC has a ton of cool features, and the arcade games are so underrated (especially DX).
Here are my rankings:
Super Mario Kart
Super Circuit
Tour
64
Arcade GP
Arcade GP 2
Home Circuit
7
Wii
PC
Arcade GP DX
8
8 Deluxe
Double Dash
DS

10. Super Mario Kart. THIS GAME IS BAD. The controls are stupid and the tracks are short

9. Mario Kart Super Circuit. Same reason os SMK but the tracks are better and longer

8. Mario Kart Tour. Honestly, the tracks are really good especially the nitro, but the controls and rubies are stupid

7. Mario Kart 64. I like the controls. tracks and battle. Most are a little bit too long and hard t
though

6. Mario Kart 7. No VS Mode is a really bad thing is this game. The Nitro tracks are amazing. The sad part are the Wii Retro tracks because they were ruined. But the game is really fun.

5. Mario Kart 8. This is my second MK I have ever played. All the tracks except for BDD is nice. This Mario has BAD BATTLE MODE

4. Mario Kart DS. This is my first MK I have played, and it has AMAZING Nitro Tracks

3. Mario Kart Double Dash. I love EVERYTHING in the game even the 2 players in a kart idea

2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I love this better than MK8 because it actually has battle mode and NEW CHARATERS

1. Mario Kart Wii. I love everything in this game.
The tracks, the battle tracks, the karts and bikes. just EVERYTHING

CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.
BUT EVEN WITH CRUISE CONTROL YOU STILL HAVE TO STEER.

Apologies in advance for bumping a topic that's not been bumped for about a week, but I might as well throw my two cents into the mix.

I might as well elaborate now that I'm given the chance!

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
The arcade versions should be viewed as they are, fun little excursions that aren't really worth much critical evaluation.

Don't revive old topics

first GCN

Same, don't revive old topics

I think so.