Mario Kart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mario Kart |
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Logo since 2014
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| Genres | Racing |
| Developers |
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| Publishers | Nintendo |
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| First release | Super Mario Kart August 27, 1992 |
| Latest release | Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit October 16, 2020 |
| Spin-offs | Mario Kart Arcade GP |
Mario Kart is a super fun series of racing games made by Nintendo. In these games, players race go-karts and use cool power-up items to get ahead or slow down opponents.
The games feature many popular characters and tracks from the Mario universe. You can also find characters from other famous games like The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, F-Zero, and Splatoon.
The first Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart, came out in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was a huge hit! So far, there are fourteen Mario Kart games. They include games for home consoles, handheld devices, arcade machines, and even mobile phones.
The newest game, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, was released in October 2020 for the Nintendo Switch. Over 164 million Mario Kart games have been sold around the world!
Contents
How to Play Mario Kart
In Mario Kart, you pick a character, usually from the Mario series, and race go-karts. Up to twelve characters can race at once, depending on the game.
Power-Ups and Items
To make races more exciting, you can collect power-up items by driving through special boxes on the track. These items can give you a boost or mess with your rivals!
Some common items include:
- Mushrooms: Give you a quick burst of speed.
- Shells: You can throw red or green shells at other racers.
- Banana peels: Leave these behind to make other racers spin out.
- Fake Item Boxes: Look like real item boxes but cause trouble if someone hits them.
The game tries to keep races fair. If you're far behind, you might get powerful items like a Bullet Bill. This item makes you zoom forward automatically. If you're in the lead, you'll usually get smaller items like shells or bananas. This helps other players catch up, making every race exciting!
Driving Skills
You can also use special driving moves to gain an edge:
- Rocket starts: Get a speed boost right at the beginning of the race.
- Slipstreaming: Drive behind another kart to get a speed boost.
- Drifting: Slide around corners to keep your speed up and get mini-turbos.
New Features in Each Game
Every new Mario Kart game adds cool new things like tracks, items, game modes, and characters.
Mario Kart 64 (1996)
This game brought Mario Kart into the world of 3D. It also allowed four players to race together. New characters like Wario and Donkey Kong joined the fun. It added items like the Fake Item Box and the powerful Spiny Shell (Blue Shell). A "Mirror Mode" was also introduced, where tracks are flipped around!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003)
This game was unique because two players could control one kart! One player drives, and the other uses items. It added many new characters, including Daisy, Waluigi, and Bowser Jr.. Each character also had their own special item.
Mario Kart DS (2005)
Mario Kart DS used the dual screens of the Nintendo DS. It was the first game to let you play online against others using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It also brought back classic tracks from older games.
Mario Kart Wii (2008)
This game introduced motion controls, letting you steer by tilting the Wii Remote. You could also race on bikes and compete with up to 12 players online. New characters like Rosalina joined the roster.
Mario Kart 7 (2011)
Mario Kart 7 featured 3D graphics. It added gliders and submersible karts, letting you race through the air and underwater. You could also customize your kart parts.
Mario Kart 8 (2014)
This game introduced anti-gravity racing, where karts can drive on walls and ceilings. It also added ATVs (quad bikes) and many new characters. For the first time, characters from other Nintendo games like Link from The Legend of Zelda and Villager from Animal Crossing appeared!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
This updated version for the Nintendo Switch added the Inklings from Splatoon as playable characters. It also brought back double item boxes, letting you hold two items at once.
Mario Kart Tour (2019)
This was the first Mario Kart game for mobile phones. It introduced a points system for racing actions and many new character outfits.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (2020)
This game mixes video games with real life! It uses augmented reality (AR) and remote-controlled karts with cameras. You set up a track in your own home, and the game creates virtual opponents to race against on your floor!
Game Modes
Mario Kart games have different ways to play. Here are the most common ones:
Grand Prix
In Grand Prix, you race in "cups" which are a series of four tracks. You can choose different difficulty levels based on engine size (like 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and 200cc). The higher the "cc," the faster the race! You earn points based on where you finish in each race. At the end of the cup, the top three players get a trophy.
Time Trials
Here, you race alone to finish a track as fast as possible. Your best time is saved as a "ghost" that you can race against later to try and beat your own record.
Match Race
This mode lets multiple players race on any track with custom rules. You can set up team races or change how often items appear.
Battle Mode
In Battle Mode, players use items to battle each other in special arenas. The most popular type is "Balloon Battle," where each player starts with three balloons. If you get hit, you lose a balloon. The last player with balloons wins!
Online Multiplayer
You can race and battle against players from all over the world using online services like Nintendo Switch Online. You can also share your Time Trial ghosts and join online tournaments.
Development of Mario Kart
The very first Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart, was released in 1992. Its creation was guided by Shigeru Miyamoto, a famous Japanese designer who made many successful Nintendo games, including Super Mario Bros.. Experts believe Super Mario Kart became popular because it featured beloved Super Mario characters and offered a fresh new way to play racing games.
Mario Kart Games Released
| 1992 | Super Mario Kart |
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| 1993 | |
| 1994 | |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | Mario Kart 64 |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | Mario Kart: Double Dash |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | Mario Kart Arcade GP |
| Mario Kart DS | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 |
| 2008 | Mario Kart Wii |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | Mario Kart 7 |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | Mario Kart Arcade GP DX |
| 2014 | Mario Kart 8 |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP VR | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | Mario Kart Tour |
| 2020 | Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit |
Console and Handheld Games
| Year | Game | Platform | Virtual Console/ Nintendo Switch Online re-release |
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| Wii | Wii U | 3DS | New 3DS | Switch | Android /iOS | |||
| 1992 | Super Mario Kart | SNES |  |
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| 1996 | Mario Kart 64 | Nintendo 64 | |
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| 2001 | Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Game Boy Advance | |
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| 2003 | Mario Kart: Double Dash | Nintendo GameCube |  |
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| 2005 | Mario Kart DS | Nintendo DS | |
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| 2008 | Mario Kart Wii | Wii |  |
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| 2011 | Mario Kart 7 | Nintendo 3DS | |
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| 2014 | Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | |
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| 2017 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | |
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| 2019 | Mario Kart Tour | Android/iOS | |
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| 2020 | Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | Nintendo Switch | |
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Available on Virtual Console or Nintendo Switch Online Available by using backwards compatibility Available natively on the console
Arcade Games
- Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005)
- Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (2007)
- Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (2013)
- Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (2017)
Mobile Games
- Mario Kart Tour (2019)
Future Games
In 2022, a game expert said that a new Mario Kart game might be in the works. It could have a "new twist" to make it even more exciting! Fans have wondered if it might include more characters from different games or be inspired by real-life Formula One racing.
Mario Kart's Impact
Cool Merchandise
The Mario Kart series has inspired lots of cool toys and products!
- You can find slot car racers and radio-controlled karts with Mario and other characters.
- There are many racer figurines and even "Sound Drops" that play sounds from the games.
- K'Nex has released building sets based on Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart 8.
- LINE has animated stickers from Mario Kart 8.
- Club Nintendo, a Nintendo rewards program, offered Mario Kart soundtracks and trophies.
- In 2014, McDonald's included Mario Kart 8 toys in their Happy Meals.
- There's even a Monopoly board game with a Mario Kart theme!
- Hot Wheels has released many Mario Kart cars and track sets, including a cool Rainbow Road track.
- For the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary, Cold Stone Creamery made Mario-themed desserts, including a Rainbow Road ice cream cake!
Go-Kart Fun in Japan
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For a while, a Japanese company called MariCar rented out real-life go-karts in Tokyo. People could even dress up as Nintendo characters while driving them on public roads! Nintendo was not happy about this because the name "MariCar" sounded too much like "Mario Kart." They also didn't like that the company used their characters without permission. Eventually, a court told MariCar to stop using the characters and pay Nintendo money.
Theme Park Rides
You can experience Mario Kart in real life at Universal Parks & Resorts! The Super Nintendo World areas in Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood have an amazing ride called Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. On this ride, you wear special glasses that use augmented reality to make it feel like you're racing through Mario Kart 8 tracks, including Rainbow Road!
Formula E "Attack Mode"
Even real-world racing has taken inspiration from Mario Kart! The Formula E racing series, which features electric race cars, added something called "attack mode." This lets a driver get a temporary speed boost if they drive through a special area on the track. The people who created Formula E said this idea was inspired by Mario Kart!
Images for kids
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Go-karters dressed as Nintendo characters in Harajuku, Tokyo
See also
In Spanish: Mario Kart para niños
