What's the best/worst Mario Kart Game?

Of all games that I played, it is Mario Kart Wii. But for the probable true best game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Mario Kart: Double Dash.

Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario Kart 64 (in this order from worst) can be consider the worst of the series, but they were the ones that started the series. Because of this, I like to call them the early games.
 
Plague Knight said:
They couldn't exactly have 3D tracks on a GBA... If you compare the two games just as they are without taking when they came out and the series' past into account, I find that MKSC simply plays better than SMK. Its physics feel closer to a 3D Mario Kart than SMK's physics (although still not the same at all), it has a bit more course variety, and it's just easier to play than SMK. Both games feel off and disorienting to someone who's only played 3D Mario Kart, but MKSC is not as bad as SMK in that regard. Therefore, it's like MKSC is like SMK but improved. Of course, the question is whether you compare games at face value or compare them to their time period and what improvements had already been made in the series. To me, both should be taken into account, but I can't deny that MKSC just plays better than SMK, even though it is a step backward from MK64.
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I see what you're saying, but I feel like if they really needed a Mario Kart on GBA, they could've simply ported Super Mario Kart with improved gameplay like the Super Mario Advance series (which they kinda did as all its tracks appear, but I mean just the SMK tracks with similar graphics to it). The fact that it uses 3D artwork like MK64 shows they were trying to make it the next big Mario Kart game like 64 was, when it couldn't live up to that on the GBA. And of course, since I was very young when I played it, I didn't know much about system limitations and just from screenshots alone (due to the sprite style) and artwork I thought it would be like Mario Kart 64 but handheld, which was obviously not possible but to a kid, I imagine it's an easy thing to get your hopes up for anyway. I do appreciate the tracks Super Circuit contributed to the series though, which are actually fun in later games like MKDS, Wii and 8, and have more interesting themes than the Super Mario Kart tracks. I also appreciate the Paper Mario reference. I just can't personally play the game and enjoy it when there are far less awkward games in the series after it and even one before it. I guess Super Mario Kart is the worst technically, but I don't think a Mario Kart on the GBA was needed after 3D was introduced to the series.

I feel similarly about Mario Party Advance. Though something in me feels it could've been possible to make a 2D Mario Party with 2D boards and at least similar rules to the boards in the console games, but that's a topic for another day :P
 
I think 2D Mario Karts are difficult to return to, mainly for the reason that they control very differently from the 3D Mario Karts, which offer better control and overall better object orientation. What I mean is, you see a Green Shell and you know how close you are to it because it has a shadow, but in the 2D games you need to know how big the Shell is to know how close you are to hitting it. I do have to commend Super Mario Kart for having freer control. That leaves the worst Mario Kart to the undisputed game: Mario Kart Super Circuit.

One thing that's great about Super Circuit is the fact that you can choose to race with the CPUs on any track you want thanks to the Quick Run mode, but other than that, it's very difficult to play. It's also very notorious for a harsh ranking system and difficult unlocking conditions for original Super Mario Kart tracks.

The best Mario Kart is undoubtedly Mario Kart 8. It has the most tracks to date, and each of them is filled with detail that is unprecedented for a Mario Kart game, which tends to forgo details for simplicity due to how much resources a Mario Kart game can use. This game, however, has lots of details in every track and reimagines old tracks with vibrant details, with my favourite being Ribbon Road. Battle Mode is the best in Deluxe thanks to having five different ways to play. Of course, there's the fact that it has lots and lots of different characters, including the obligatory Waluigi. There are the standard features like a VS mode (which Mario Kart 7 sorely lacks) and Time Trial mode, and of course an online mode. The only thing missing that the DS had is Mission Mode, so it's not the best it could be until this game has a robust Mission Mode.

thank you for reading.
 
Best one imo is Mario Kart DS by far, mostly due to countless local multiplayer races and Balloon Battles with family/friends and Missions mode. Worst one is Mario Kart Wii; I've had the worst experiences with that game, somehow always getting hit by shells right before the finish line and costing me 1st place in so many GP races (that buzzing alert sound didn't help either). I swear it's like they programmed them to show up at the wrong time.
 
Fawfulthegreat64 said:
I see what you're saying, but I feel like if they really needed a Mario Kart on GBA, they could've simply ported Super Mario Kart with improved gameplay like the Super Mario Advance series (which they kinda did as all its tracks appear, but I mean just the SMK tracks with similar graphics to it). The fact that it uses 3D artwork like MK64 shows they were trying to make it the next big Mario Kart game like 64 was, when it couldn't live up to that on the GBA. And of course, since I was very young when I played it, I didn't know much about system limitations and just from screenshots alone (due to the sprite style) and artwork I thought it would be like Mario Kart 64 but handheld, which was obviously not possible but to a kid, I imagine it's an easy thing to get your hopes up for anyway. I do appreciate the tracks Super Circuit contributed to the series though, which are actually fun in later games like MKDS, Wii and 8, and have more interesting themes than the Super Mario Kart tracks. I also appreciate the Paper Mario reference. I just can't personally play the game and enjoy it when there are far less awkward games in the series after it and even one before it. I guess Super Mario Kart is the worst technically, but I don't think a Mario Kart on the GBA was needed after 3D was introduced to the series.
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They already sorta did this by making all SNES tracks playable via the Extra Cup feature. And to be honest, Super Mario Kart had really shitty AI who cheats against you. At least the AI in Super Circuit is very tame, arguably the tamest in the series (even in Mirror Mode they don't do much to you than toss the occasional red shell at you or use a Boo on you. spiny shells are exceedingly rare).

Mario Kart Super Circuit also has better feedback effects and voices, more advanced graphics, and far better track variety (Boo Lake and Broken Pier >>>>>> Ghost Valley 2390748293498749) something I'd prefer any day over Super Mario Kart.

And at the time of release, Mario Kart: Super Circuit WAS hyped up. I remember publications praising it to death and I remember it was a hot thing to get excited over. It's probably one of the most popular Mario titles for the GBA. Again, it was the first portable Mario Kart game, it was the first Mario Kart you could play on the go, that was reason to get excited for it.

All in all, I really think they did a better job making a new game that plays better than Super Mario Kart than just porting Super Mario Kart.

I won't dispute why else you think it's bad. I'm pretty much victim of playing games in the wrong order as well: it's that reason I couldn't enjoy Super Mario Bros. 3 nor Yoshi"s Island as much as I should.
 
Swiftie_Luma said:
Every Mario Kart game is luck based to a considerable extend, let's not lie to ourselves please.
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While that is true, the importance of the factor can vary between games, and it often feels like the deciding factor as to whether or not you win a race in Mario Kart 8. This is why I prefer Mario Kart Wii, as there's a great amount of things to learn on most tracks (intended or unintended), if you want to win a race.
 
Mario Kart Wii is highly prone to seeing Spiny Shells pop up at frequent rates though, and they do leave you defenseless as well. At least in MK7 and MK8, they're less frequent, and won't take away most of your items.
 
Russian Baby Luigi said:
Fawfulthegreat64 said:
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Yeah, I definitely agree that 2D Mario Kart is hard to go back to when you've played 3D. I do consider the 2D ones to be the worst of the series, just with the two places switched compared to most people. Hey, even MK64 has some aspects that are seem pretty bad when compared to modern games. The games that still hold up decades after release are some of the greatest, which is one of the reasons Super Mario Bros. is a masterpiece, but I digress.
 
Plague Knight said:
Hey, even MK64 has some aspects that are seem pretty bad when compared to modern games.
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If by "some" you mean "a whole lot that makes Mario Kart 64 borderline unplayable", then yeah.
 
mario kart 64 has aged utterly disgracefully. i very much doubt it holds up at all.
 
Eh, I think the visuals are the most badly aged thing about it, though the controls are questionable. I still find it playable if you don't try to play it exactly like modern Mario Kart titles (like only use drifting rarely since the controls are so sensitive that you don't need it). The battle mode is still a lot of fun and probably better than some of the other games.
 
the physics of the game are also atrocious and i find the track designs themselves to be very bland.

for the battle mode, i don't find it any better than mario kart double dash's battle mode. in fact, because it's multiplayer only in a pvp fashion, i never touched battle mode until mario kart ds, where not only a single player battle is offered with ai opponents but also the ability to team up, something lgm and i wanted from the start. mario kart 7 remains to have our favorite battle mode: i really really dislike how mario kart 8 deluxe handles with battle mode. every time i play mario kart 8 deluxe's battle mode, i forgot how terrible the controls are for making quick, sharp turns, something that you need to do constantly in that mode.
 
These days I only play the more recent Mario Kart games (DS onwards) because you can play VS and Battle mode against CPUs in single player. The first four games don't have these modes in single player, and so they become really dull after you beat the Grand Prix cups. There's no point in playing Grand Prix mode anymore if there's nothing to unlock, and I hate playing Time Trials. Even if you play VS mode or Battle in multiplayer, there's no CPUs, and it's boring with just a few racers. So yeah, the Mario Kart games from DS onwards are the best and the first four are the worst.

Mario Kart 8 is number one for its amazing graphics, amazing race tracks, and being very fun to play. The worst is Super Mario Kart.
 
MarioFan632 said:
These days I only play the more recent Mario Kart games (DS onwards) because you can play VS and Battle mode against CPUs in single player. The first four games don't have these modes in single player, and so they become really dull after you beat the Grand Prix cups. There's no point in playing Grand Prix mode anymore if there's nothing to unlock, and I hate playing Time Trials. Even if you play VS mode or Battle in multiplayer, there's no CPUs, and it's boring with just a few racers. So yeah, the Mario Kart games from DS onwards are the best and the first four are the worst.
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That's exactly why I don't like the first games' battle modes. And also exactly how I play Mario Kart; I tend to migrate to Battle Mode once I've seen and done everything in Grand Prix. And you notice quickly how sparse the single-player content in most Mario Kart games are. And even the multiplayer isn't that great. We had Mario Kart DS adding a little more through Mission Mode, and it made me realize why people liked that one so much.
 
Russian Baby Luigi said:
for the battle mode, i don't find it any better than mario kart double dash's battle mode. in fact, because it's multiplayer only in a pvp fashion, i never touched battle mode until mario kart ds, where not only a single player battle is offered with ai opponents but also the ability to team up, something lgm and i wanted from the start. mario kart 7 remains to have our favorite battle mode: i really really dislike how mario kart 8 deluxe handles with battle mode. every time i play mario kart 8 deluxe's battle mode, i forgot how terrible the controls are for making quick, sharp turns, something that you need to do constantly in that mode.
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Double Dash's is better because it's the same but with more modes. However, I'd still say 64's is better than some, definitely better than SMK. Despite the fact that it's just 2-4 people against each other, I've found it to be really fun to play with my siblings. I guess it's the sort of thing that Mario Party thrives on where playing it with other people is half the fun. That doesn't happen so much with the later ones in my experience (though to be fair I haven't played that much of the DS - 7 battle modes). There's something nice about fiercely competing to destroy a small number of opponents who are in the room with you rather than throwing items at whatever random computer passes by to get points.
 
I personally love throwing items at computer opponents, if only to hear their groaning noises when they get hit.

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This is fun for me for some reason. It's more fun when my sister joins the fray.
 
also, i got 21 points one time, and i spent the entire match getting only wario. no one else.

that means wario died 7 times in 2 minutes
 
To be clear, I do like that style as well, but it's a different kind of fun. I'm not totally decided on which is better, but I think PVP has caused more laughter-inducing moments (not that that's the only thing to go by).
 
for me, the knock-out method has me relieve memories of me killing yoshi less than several seconds into the match so there's good in that.

i really wish there was options for both survival and timed based modes. neither would be that difficult to both implement.
 
I'd say Super Mario Kart is the weakest in the series but understandably so given that it was the first one before any of the improvements by subsequent titles were made, I still very much enjoy it but it does have it's share of flaws and limitations that can occasionally be somewhat of nuisance.

As for the strongest, I'd say 8/Deluxe currently fits the bill.
 
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