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Remember those nights crammed into a friend’s living room, fighting over controllers and eating a Spiny Shell right before the finish line? Or maybe you just booted up Mario Kart World on your Nintendo Switch 2, took one look at that massive open world, and said “whoa” out loud. No shame. We’ve all been there.
The Mario Kart series has been evolving for a staggering 33 years, from 1992’s Super Mario Kart all the way to 2025’s Mario Kart World. Count just the main console and handheld entries and you get eight games, which means plenty of people are stuck asking the same questions: “Which one is actually the best?” and “If I’m jumping in now, which one should I pick?”
In this article, the SpotGeeks editorial team scores all eight mainline Mario Kart games on four criteria (Accessibility, Graphics, Content, and Popularity), each out of 100, and ranks them from top to bottom. We’re laying everything on the table, including prices, release dates, and how easy each game is to play on current hardware, so you can make an informed call on what to buy and play.
Bottom line: one tried-and-true classic stands head and shoulders above the rest in overall quality. That said, if you want the freshest experience of the moment, the newest entry has plenty going for it too. Let’s start with the big picture.
*Prices in this article are converted from Japanese yen at ¥153 = US$1 (September 2026 rate).
How Many Mario Kart Games Are There?
From the 1992 original to the latest entry released in 2025, the Mario Kart series spans eight games on home consoles and handhelds (excluding ports and spin-offs).
- Super Mario Kart (1992, Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mario Kart 64 (1996, Nintendo 64)
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003, Nintendo GameCube)
- Mario Kart DS (2005, Nintendo DS)
- Mario Kart Wii (2008, Wii)
- Mario Kart 7 (2011, Nintendo 3DS)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017, Nintendo Switch)
- Mario Kart World (2025, Nintendo Switch 2)
There are also arcade versions and the mobile game Mario Kart Tour, but this article focuses on scoring and comparing the eight mainline entries released on Nintendo’s own consoles and handhelds.
Every Mainline Mario Kart Game: Score Comparison
We scored each game out of 100 in four categories. “Popularity” is a combined score reflecting sales, name recognition, and how much hype the game generated at launch. Don’t just look at the totals, though. Pick based on the category that matters most to you.
| Title | Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 96 | 90 | 98 | 98 |
| Mario Kart World | 90 | 98 | 90 | 85 |
| Mario Kart Wii | 85 | 75 | 88 | 95 |
| Mario Kart 7 | 92 | 78 | 80 | 85 |
| Mario Kart DS | 88 | 65 | 78 | 80 |
| Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | 82 | 70 | 70 | 72 |
| Mario Kart 64 | 78 | 55 | 60 | 82 |
| Super Mario Kart | 70 | 40 | 55 | 78 |
Sorted by total score, the ranking shakes out like this: 8 Deluxe > World > Wii > 7 > DS > Double Dash!! > 64 > the original. From here, we’ll go from #1 on down, digging into what makes each game great and what to watch out for.
#1: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | The Greatest All-in-One Package in Series History
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 90 | 98 | 98 | 382 |
Released on Nintendo Switch on April 28, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had sold 71.08 million copies worldwide as of the end of March 2026. That’s not just a Mario Kart record; it puts the game among the very best-selling titles in Nintendo’s entire history. The SpotGeeks team has sunk hours upon hours into head-to-head races, and nothing else in the series comes close to how well it balances the floaty thrill of anti-gravity tracks with underwater driving and gliding, all packed into one game.
The MSRP is $43 (tax included). You get 48 base courses, and with the add-on content that jumps to an incredible 96 courses total. As the “definitive edition” that carries over everything from the original Wii U release, its level of polish really shines. Its design philosophy has room for everyone from total beginners to seasoned veterans; to borrow a Gunpla analogy, it’s the HGUC-style “successor model built on the latest design philosophy.”
If there’s one knock against it, it’s that the game is more than eight years old at this point, so it can’t match the newest entry for sheer novelty. Even so, if you’re choosing based on the balance of price, content, and polish, there’s no question it’s still the first game that should come to mind in 2026.
- The biggest course lineup in series history: 96 courses including DLC
- 71.08 million copies sold worldwide (as of end of March 2026) speaks to its quality
- Anti-gravity, underwater, and gliding action all in one game
- Requires a Nintendo Switch console (sold separately)
- It’s been out for years, so it can’t match the newest entry for freshness
#2: Mario Kart World | The Newest Entry Goes Open World
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 98 | 90 | 85 | 363 |
Mario Kart World launched on June 5, 2025, alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 console itself. It sells for $65 (tax included) physical and $59 (tax included) digital, and it’s the first game in the series to go open world. Its biggest hook is that nearly every course connects seamlessly across land, sea, and air. In Grand Prix, even the drive between courses becomes part of the race, and honestly, that kind of rethink caught me completely off guard.
Races and battles now support up to 24 players at once, double the count in Mario Kart Wii and 8. New modes like “Knockout Tour” and “Free Roam” have been added too, and on top of the 7 cups and 28 courses confirmed so far, reports suggest there are more than 100 drivable routes. It scored 36/40 in Famitsu’s review and 87 on the review aggregator Metacritic. It’s worth highlighting that critics specifically praised the sheer density of detail made possible by the Switch 2’s hardware.
On the flip side, you’ll need a Switch 2 console, which runs about $327, so the barrier to entry is far from low. The game is also still fairly new, and it’ll take time before it builds the kind of rock-solid track record 8 Deluxe has. Still, when it comes to fresh experiences and gorgeous visuals, it’s hands down the best the series has ever been.
- The series’ first open world, with 100+ routes to freely explore
- Up to 24-player races, the most in series history
- Strong reviews: 87 on Metacritic and 36/40 from Famitsu
- Requires a Switch 2 console (about $327), sold separately
- Still new, so its content score could shift depending on future DLC
#3: Mario Kart Wii | The Go-To Party Game for the Whole Family
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 75 | 88 | 95 | 343 |
Released on April 10, 2008 (in Japan), Mario Kart Wii was the first game in the series to let you race on bikes. It supports a wide range of control options, from the Wii Wheel to the Classic Controller to the Nunchuk, and its “anyone can jump right in” charm when family and friends get together still hasn’t faded one bit. I actually remember back when I was working at a manga café in Kabukicho, the staff would fight over Wii Remotes after closing time.
It features 32 courses and supports online play. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into, like conquering every Grand Prix and unlocking hidden characters and karts, and it ranks among the best-selling games in the series. On the other hand, luck of the item draw plays a big role, and its competitive balance issues ended up prompting adjustments in later entries.
These days, just getting your hands on a Wii console and Wii Remotes has become tough, so setting up a brand-new play environment is a real hurdle. Still, there’s a whole generation for whom “Mario Kart means this game,” which is why we gave it a Popularity score of 95, one of the highest in the series.
- The addition of bikes greatly expanded how you can play
- Works with a wide range of controllers, so anyone can join in
- 32 courses plus online play give it serious replay value
- Heavy reliance on item luck doesn’t sit well with some hardcore players
- Hard to find a Wii console and Wii Remotes today
#4: Mario Kart 7 | A Handheld Masterpiece That Conquered Land, Sea, and Air
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 78 | 80 | 85 | 335 |
Released on December 1, 2011 (in Japan), Mario Kart 7 is a masterpiece that ranks among the best-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS. It added land-sea-air course design where you soar through the sky on a glider and dive underwater, plus a much deeper kart customization system. 4Gamer’s review also praised how well it paired with the 3DS’s glasses-free 3D.
Dropping bikes and toning down the overpowered items that frustrated players in the previous game gave it a well-tuned balance, and it earns particularly high marks for accessibility within the series. In terms of freedom of movement, being able to fine-tune your hang time with the Circle Pad while gliding was so polished it was hard to believe it was running on a handheld.
That said, Nintendo 3DS online services ended in April 2024, so StreetPass and online multiplayer are no longer available. And glasses-free 3D is a feature few people use anymore. Even so, as far as handheld polish goes, it’s among the best the series has ever produced.
- Brilliant course design that switches between land, sea, and air
- A track record as one of the best-selling 3DS games
- Removing bikes and rebalancing items made it more accessible
- Online multiplayer service ended in April 2024
- Glasses-free 3D is a rarely used feature these days
#5: Mario Kart DS | The Handheld That Perfected Battle Mode
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 65 | 78 | 80 | 311 |
Released in Japan on December 8, 2005, Mario Kart DS is a landmark entry: the first game in the series to support online play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Sixteen of its 32 tracks were retro courses brought back from earlier games, and that structure kicked off the “classic tracks” tradition that every Mario Kart since has followed.
Its controls were praised as remarkably polished even back then, and the Battle Mode still holds up today. That just-one-more-try addictiveness is about as close to a perfect handheld game as it gets.
Sure, these are DS-era graphics, so parts of it definitely look dated by modern standards. And since the Wi-Fi service shut down long ago, all you can play now is local multiplayer and single-player. Even so, its controls and Battle Mode rank among the best the series has ever produced.
- Highly polished controls with tons of replay value
- Battle Mode ranks among the best in series history
- A milestone that established the retro-track tradition
- Graphics show their DS-era age
- Wi-Fi online play has already been shut down
#6: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | The One-of-a-Kind Two-Rider System
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 70 | 70 | 72 | 294 |
Released in Japan for the Nintendo GameCube on November 7, 2003, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is the oddball of the family, and the only entry to put two riders on a single kart. Swapping characters between the front and back seats while holding two items at once genuinely blew my mind when I first played it: “Wait, you can do that?” And as a guy with two divorces under his belt, I’ll admit I also have bitter memories of playing this head-to-head with whoever I was dating back then and watching things get ugly fast.
At 16 tracks, it’s on the lighter side for the series, but the strategy that comes from mixing and matching character pairs still feels fresh today. The chunky, weighty GameCube visuals were also plenty impressive for their time.
That unique control scheme isn’t for everyone, though. Finding a new copy is next to impossible, and used copies tend to go for a bit of a premium. Still, as a “one-time-only experiment,” it has real value, and series fans should absolutely have it on their shelf.
- Two riders plus two held items, a system unique in the series
- Character pairings add a layer of strategy
- The unique controls take getting used to and aren’t for everyone
- New copies are nearly impossible to find, and used prices are climbing
#7: Mario Kart 64 | Where 3D Began, and a Timeless Classic
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 55 | 60 | 82 | 275 |
Released in Japan on December 14, 1996, Mario Kart 64 is the milestone that brought the series into 3D polygons for the first time. It sold 9.87 million copies worldwide, including 2.24 million in Japan, making it one of the biggest hits in the N64 library. Even from the perspective of a Dreamcast-and-Sega-Saturn guy like me, the thrill of four-player split-screen is something that transcends its era.
Sixteen tracks is a modest lineup, and the polygon visuals and hit detection feel rough by today’s standards. But its contribution in creating the whole “everybody piles into a friend’s house for four-player races” experience is huge, which is why we gave it a Popularity score of 82, one of the highest in the series.
These days, it’s included in the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Switch Online library, part of the Expansion Pack for Nintendo Switch Online members, so as long as you have a compatible controller, you can jump in with no additional cost. Not having to hunt down original hardware is a big plus.
- Historic value as the origin of 3D Mario Kart
- Playable right now with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
- The rush of four-player battles hasn’t faded one bit
- Handling and hit detection feel rough by modern standards
- Only 16 tracks, so content is on the light side
#8: Super Mario Kart | The One That Started It All
| Accessibility | Graphics | Content | Popularity | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 40 | 55 | 78 | 243 |
Released in Japan on August 27, 1992, Super Mario Kart is, needless to say, where the entire series began. It sold 3.82 million copies in Japan, setting the record as the best-selling Super Famicom game in the country. Its tracks, rendered with the pseudo-3D “Mode 7” technique, must have felt revolutionary at the time.
The eight characters are split into acceleration types and grip types, and it’s fascinating from a design standpoint that the prototypes of items still around today, like banana peels and Stars, were already locked in at this stage. With 20 tracks and multiplayer capped at two players, though, it feels pretty limited by modern expectations.
The graphics definitely show their age, but if you’re a Nintendo Switch Online member, you can play it anytime at no additional cost. Being able to jump into a 33-year-old game right now arguably makes it the easiest entry to play on current hardware.
- The series’ origin, with historic Mode 7 pseudo-3D visuals
- Playable at no additional cost with Nintendo Switch Online
- Track record as the best-selling Super Famicom game in Japan (3.82 million copies)
- Controls and graphics undeniably feel dated today
- Multiplayer supports only two players
Mario Kart Series FAQ
Which Mario Kart should beginners start with?
For beginners, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the top pick. With a massive 96 tracks and a robust set of assist features, it’s easy to pick up and play with family and friends. If you already own a Switch 2, starting with Mario Kart World works great too.
What is the newest Mario Kart game?
As of July 2026, the latest entry is Mario Kart World, released on June 5, 2025. It launched on Nintendo Switch 2 and is the first game in the series with an open world.
What is the best-selling Mario Kart game?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe holds the all-time record with 71.08 million copies sold worldwide (as of the end of March 2026). Counting the entire Mario Kart 8 line including the Wii U version, it boasts some of the biggest sales of any racing game in the world.
Can You Play All 8 Mario Kart Games on Current Hardware? A Complete Platform-by-Platform Guide
Bottom line: 4 of the 8 games are easy to play on current hardware and services. The other 4 are hard to find new, so you’ll need the original hardware or a used copy.
1. Titles Playable via Subscription or at No Extra Cost
| Title | How to Play |
|---|---|
| Super Mario Kart | No additional cost with Nintendo Switch Online |
| Mario Kart 64 | Playable with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack |
2. Titles Available as Standalone Purchases
| Title | Price (USD) / Where to Get It |
|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | $43 (tax included), currently sold in both physical and digital editions |
| Mario Kart World | Physical edition $65 / digital edition $59 (tax included), currently on sale |
3. Titles Playable via Remasters or Remakes
As of July 2026, there are no official standalone remasters of Double Dash!!, DS, Wii, or 7. That said, many fan-favorite tracks from each of those games have been reworked into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Tour, so on a track-by-track basis you can still soak up the vibe of the originals on current hardware.
4. Titles That Are Hard to Get on Current Hardware
| Title | Current Status / Alternatives |
|---|---|
| Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | Requires a used copy plus original GameCube hardware |
| Mario Kart DS | Requires a used copy plus DS-family hardware; Wi-Fi online play has ended |
| Mario Kart Wii | Requires a used copy plus Wii hardware and a Wii Remote |
| Mario Kart 7 | Requires a used copy plus 3DS-family hardware; online play ended in April 2024 |
If convenience is your priority, the most budget-friendly route is to trace the series’ history starting with the original and 64, which you can play on Nintendo Switch Online for next to nothing, then move straight on to 8 Deluxe or World for the latest experience.
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Wrap-Up: So Which Mario Kart Should You Actually Pick?
We’ve now scored all 8 mainline Mario Kart games, so let’s look back at the results. Overall, #1 went to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (382 points), #2 to Mario Kart World (363 points), and #3 to Mario Kart Wii (343 points). Pricing-wise, 8 Deluxe is $43, and World is $65 for the physical edition (Switch 2 console sold separately).
If you’re only going to pick one, it has to be Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For its balance of content, polish, and price, nothing tops it right now. If you already own a Switch 2, the fresh experience of Mario Kart World is well worth your time too. And if nostalgia is what you’re after, tracing the series’ history through the original and 64, both easy to play on Nintendo Switch Online, is a great way to go.
At the end of the day, even after 33 years, the fun of everyone fighting over the controllers hasn’t changed one bit.
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