How Mario Kart became Nintendo’s biggest franchise
7,122Mario Kart got its start back on the NES as a small project by a team of only 8 Nintendo developers. Flash forward to 2025, and Mario Kart is almost certainly Nintendo's biggest and most important game franchise! With Mario Kart World filling the role of the Switch 2's big launch title, I think it's time to take a close look at how Mario Kart became such a massive hit! We'll explore the development history of every single Mario Kart game from the SNES to the Switch 2. This is the complete history of Mario Kart!
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SOURCES
Super Mario Kart
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2017/October/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-4-Super-Mario-Kart-1286739.html
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mariokart/0/0/
https://shmuplations.com/supermariokart/
https://www.snesmaps.com/maps/SuperMarioKart/SuperMarioKartMapSelect.html (Mario Kart level maps)
Mario Kart 64
https://shmuplations.com/mariokart64/
https://kotaku.com/the-maker-of-mario-kart-justifies-the-blue-shell-5780082
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mariokart/0/0/
https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_64#Differences_in_multiplayer_modes
Super Circuit
https://web.archive.org/web/20001003153249/https://pocket.ign.com/news/23952.html (GBA is 2D system)
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mariokart/0/0/ (Why Hideki Konno wasn’t involved)
https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/06/02/mario-kart-8-speeds-to-over-1-2-million-sales-in-opening-weekend.aspx (Sales data)
Double Dash!!
https://web.archive.org/web/20070203224612/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=98090
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mariokart/0/0/
Mario Kart DS
• Mario Kart DS Nintendo DS Interview -...
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mariokart/0/1
https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/20/e3-2005-mario-kart-ds-interview
Mario Kart Wii
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mariokart/0/2
Mario Kart 7
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/mario-kart-7/0/0
https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/mario-kart-7/1/0
https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/03/05/why-blue-shells-are-mandatory-in-mario-kart-7
Mario Kart 8
https://web.archive.org/web/20130622013753/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/06/17/e3-2013-mario-kart-8-interview
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/05/interview_mario_kart_8_director_kosuke_yabuki_on_key_features_of_the_wii_us_blockbuster_release
• Wii U Developer Direct - Mario Kart 8...
http://kyoto-report.wikidot.com/mario-kart-8-interview-1
https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/07/08/miyamoto-admits-nintendo-underestimated-the-switch-to-hd/
https://www.bandainamcostudios.com/en/products/mario-kart-8.html
Misc games
https://nintendoeverything.com/mario-kart-8-deluxe-producer-on-bringing-the-racer-to-switch-new-additions-and-improvements/
https://nintendoeverything.com/mario-kart-8-deluxe-producer-didnt-anticipate-sales-success-talks-popularity/
https://nintendoeverything.com/mario-kart-8-deluxe-booster-course-pass-interview-kosuke-yabuki-future/
https://www.bandainamcostudios.com/en/products/mariokart-tour.html
CREDITS
• Longplay of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Mario Kart Double Dash footage
• Online Session #1 - Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart Wii Online footage
• Longplay of Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart Wii footage
• Longplay of Mario Kart 7 Mario Kart 7 footage
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/52776361319 Bandai Namco convention photo
CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:58 - Part 1: Super Mario Kart
5:29 - Part 2: Mario Kart 64
10:55 - Part 3: Mario Kart: Super Circuit
13:27 - Part 4: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
18:18 - Part 5: Mario Kart DS
21:20 - Part 6: Mario Kart Wii
25:56 - Part 7: Mario Kart 7
30:04 - Part 8: Mario Kart 8
33:52 - Part 8.5: Spinoffs
39:15 - Part 9: Mario Kart World