Deleted:Mario Kart

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Mario Kart (マリオカート, Mario Kāto) is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed and published by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Super Mario series of video games. The first in the series, Super Mario Kart, was launched in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to critical and commercial success.

To date, there have been four Mario Kart games for home consoles, three portable games, and two Namco co-developed arcade games. The seventh and most recent game of the Mario Kart series on Nintendo systems is Mario Kart 7.

Gameplay

File:MK7 snapshot10.png

Hang gliding as seen in Mario Kart 7, the seventh game in the series.

In the Mario Kart series, players compete in go-kart races, controlling one of a selection of characters from the Mario video game series. One of the features of the series is the use of various power-up items obtained by driving into item boxes laid out on the course. These power-ups include mushrooms to give players a speed boost, Koopa Shells to be thrown at opponents, and banana peels that can be laid on the track as hazards. The type of weapon received from an item box is random and often influenced by the player's position in the race. For example, players lagging far behind may receive more powerful items while the leader will only receive small defensive items. This gameplay mechanic–called "rubber banding"– allows other players or computers a realistic chance to catch up to the lead player no matter how far ahead they are. Also in this series, there are special boosts at the start of the race known as a rocket start, which will give racers an early lead when the signal light turns green. This technique upgrades to a Double Dash!! in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, which requires both members of the team.

Recurring items

• Banana peel: deployed as a hazard to other racers
• Green/Red Koopa shell: projectile fired at other racers, green shells go straight and bounce off walls whereas red shells home in on other racers, appears either as a single shell or a group of three
• Spiny shell: indestructible shell that homes in on the player in 1st place. Also known as Blue Shells.
• Starman: gives temporary invincibility and increase in speed

• Lightning: strikes all other racers with lightning causing them to become smaller and slow down
• Mushroom: gives user speed boost
• Boo: makes user temporarily invisible and invincible, also steals another players item
• Fake Item: looks similar to a real item box, but is instead used as a hazard to trick other racers

As the series has progressed, each new title has introduced new elements in order to keep the gameplay fresh. Changes typically include new items, new stages, and new methods of obtaining speed boosts, but most games have also featured a new play mechanic as well. Changes new titles have brought to the series include: Mario Kart 64 introducing 4-player racing and bringing the series into the third dimension, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s introducing a partner system and the Double Dash!! racing technique, Mario Kart Wii's use of motorbikes, and the newest entry into the franchise, Mario Kart 7, featuring hang gliders and submarines. Many stages also recur throughout the series. For example, most games have featured a circuit stage, a desert stage, a city or highway stage with traffic, some form of a beach stage, a stadium stage, an ice or snow stage, Bowser's Castle, and Rainbow Road.

Modes of Play

Each Mario Kart game features a variety of modes. The following modes recur most often in the series:

• Grand Prix - players compete in various "cups," groups of several courses each. Players earn points according to their finishing position in each race, and the player with the most points at the end of the cup wins.
• Time Trial - (single player) the player attempts to complete any course in the fastest time possible with three speed boost items to be used at the player's discretion.
• VS - multiple human players compete against each other on any course.
• Battle - players use race items to battle each other in an arena. Each player starts with a set number of balloons and loses a balloon with every hit sustained; the last player possessing at least one balloon wins.

Series

File:Mario kart first logo.png

Classic logo used up until Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Still used for start/finish line banners on tracks before Mario Kart 7.

Console games

• Super Mario Kart (1992, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console)
• Mario Kart 64 (1996, Nintendo 64, Virtual Console)
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001, Game Boy Advance, 3DS Virtual Console)
• Mario Kart: Double Dash‼ (2003, Nintendo GameCube)
• Mario Kart DS (2005, Nintendo DS)
• Mario Kart Wii (2008, Wii)
• Mario Kart 7 (2011, Nintendo 3DS)

Arcade games

• Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005, Arcade) (Co-developed by Namco)
• Mario Kart Arcade GP2 (2007, Arcade) (Co-developed by Namco)

Future games

Hideki Konno, the series producer, has stated that he hopes to release a Mario Kart game for Nintendo's upcoming games console; the Wii U. Konno said that he wanted to create "a new and enjoyable game that uses the unique function of Wii U", He also added that he'd never considered adding other franchise characters into the series.

Appearances in other games

Template:One source Several Mario Kart-related items appear in the Super Smash Bros. series, with Super Smash Bros. Brawl in particular featuring a stage based on one of Mario Kart DS's courses. Certain courses from the series have also appeared in F-Zero X and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Various items from the series can also be seen in games such as Nintendogs and Animal Crossing.

Characters

Playable drivers

Driver	Super Mario Kart	Mario Kart 64	Mario Kart: Super Circuit	Mario Kart: Double Dash‼	Mario Kart Arcade GP	Mario Kart DS	Mario Kart Arcade GP 2	Mario Kart Wii	Mario Kart 7
Baby Daisy	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Baby Luigi	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Baby Mario	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Baby Peach	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Birdo	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Blinky	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N
Bowser	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Bowser Jr.	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Daisy	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y
Diddy Kong	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Donkey Kong	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Donkey Kong, Jr.	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N
Dry Bones	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Dry Bowser	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Funky Kong	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Honey Queen	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y
King Boo	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Paratroopa	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N
Koopa Troopa	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y
Lakitu	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y
Luigi	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Mario	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Mametchi	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N
Metal Mario	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y
Mii	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y
Pac-Man	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N
Ms. Pac-Man	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N
Petey Piranha	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N
Peach	Template:YTemplate:R	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
R.O.B.	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N
Rosalina	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y
Shy Guy	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:YTemplate:R	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y
Toad	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Toadette	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N
Waluigi	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:N
Wario	Template:N	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Wiggler	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:N	Template:Y
Yoshi	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y
Total	8	8	8	20	11	13	13	25	17

Notes

Supporting characters

File:MushroomGorge-Start-MKWii.png

Lakitu is best known as the race referee in all of the installments.

Several characters are featured throughout the Mario Kart series, but are not playable drivers. Lakitu is the track marshal that appeared in all of the installments. He aids the racers in various situations like fishing them out in case they fall off course, signaling the start of the race or battle with his starting traffic lights, and alerting the players when the next lap will begin. However, in Mario Kart 7, Lakitu is a playable character. Other supporting characters that appear during the races are Cheep-Cheeps, Bullet Bills, Goombas, Thwomps and many more.

Merchandise

Mario Kart has had a range of merchandise released. This includes a Scalextric style Mario Kart DS Figure-8-Circuit. It comes with Mario and Donkey Kong figures, while a Wario and a Luigi are available separately. A line of remote-controlled Mario Karts are available in stores. Each kart has a Game Boy Advance-shaped controller. It features forward driving and rotates when put in reverse, instead of steering. The current line-up of karts is Mario, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. There are three large karts that depict the same trio. These karts are controlled by a GameCube controller shape. Japanese figurines of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, and Bowser are also available for purchase as well as for Mario Kart 64, figures of Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi were made by Toybiz. There is also a land-line telephone featuring Mario holding a lightning bolt while seated in his Kart. as seen here. K-NEX has released Mario Kart Wii sets, with Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Bowser in karts and bikes.^{[citation needed]}

Reception

Nintendo Power listed the Mario Kart series as being one of the greatest multi-player experiences, citing the diversity in game modes as well as the entertainment value found.

Guinness World Records awarded the Mario Kart series with five world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008, including "First Console Kart Racing Game" and "Best Selling Handheld Racing Game." Guinness World Records ranked the original Super Mario Kart number 1 on the list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.

External links

• Official Nintendo sites:
  • North American Mario Kart 7 site
  • UK Mario Kart DS site
• Mario Kart Wiki