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Mario Kart is Nintendo's premier kart racing series, featuring characters from the Mario universe racing on themed tracks. Launched in 1992, it has become the most successful racing game franchise in history, with over 206 million copies sold across 17 titles. mc_1

Grand Prix: The classic mode where players compete in "cups" of four races to earn trophies across different speed classes (50cc to 200cc).

Power-Ups: Strategic items like Red Shells, Mushrooms, and the notorious Blue Shell allow players to attack opponents or gain speed boosts.

Battle Mode: Instead of racing to a finish line, players battle in arenas to pop each other's balloons or collect the most coins. Multiplayer: Most games support split-screen local play, local wireless between systems, and global online competition.

Key Game History Game Platform Key Innovation

Super Mario Kart (1992) SNES First console kart racer; introduced Mode 7 graphics.

Mario Kart 64 (1996) N64 4-player multiplayer and 3D graphics.

Double Dash!! (2003) GameCube Two characters per kart and special character-exclusive items.

Mario Kart Wii (2008) Wii Motion controls and the introduction of bikes.

Mario Kart 7 (2011) 3DS Added hang gliders and underwater racing.

Mario Kart 8 (2014) Wii U Anti-gravity racing and HD graphics.

Fun Facts Origins: The series started because the developers wanted a two-player version of F-Zero, but the SNES hardware couldn't handle those high speeds in split-screen. Guinness World Record: It holds the record for the "Longest Running Kart Racing Franchise".

Hall of Fame: Super Mario Kart was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2019.

Theme Park: You can experience a real-life version of the game via the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride at Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios.