Review – Super Mario Kart

developer: Nintendo | publisher: Nintendo

Mario Kart is a household name these days, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch being one of the best selling video games of all time, and the top selling title on the Nintendo Switch itself. But its origins are humble. Mario Kart was originally born into the world via the SNES with Super Mario Kart.

I almost feel guilty reviewing Super Mario Kart in 2025. The game has a lot of love, soul and passion poured into it. For its time of release (1992), its a spectacular achievement with unique ideas and good execution. Yet playing it in the modern day, despite being able to appreciate its origins, it doesn’t rank among the best of Mario Kart.

The format of Super Mario Kart in itself has stood the test of time, and is one used up until Mario Kart 8 DX, with Mario Kart World finally changing the formula. The Grand Prix mode has you competing against 7 other racers in rounds of 4. At the end of each race, you are awarded points based on your finishing position. Where the game differs slightly from modern iterations, is you have 3 “lives”. If you finish 5th place or worse in a race, you lose a life and are forced to replay the race. Lose all 3 lives and you have to restart the Grand Prix again. Thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online system, you can just rewind your race and try to avoid this, but if you’re aiming for a true experience, Super Mario Kart could offer a little bit more in this aspect. I like the way it is implemented with the lives system, though I’d rather just get awarded points for 5th and go about my day, desperately trying to recuperate my position in the following race, as opposed to replaying the same track until I finish at least 4th.

The game itself is, at its core, the same as what you play now. Race on each track, pick up items and strive for first place while frustrating your opponents and ruining friendships. The item boxes are on the floor and are not replenished after use, as opposed to respawning in later entries. On the second or third lap of each race, more boxes will be inert and you are required to drive to active ones or risk missing out. It actually adds an interesting dynamic to each course and feels right in the context of Super Mario Kart. While I had to plan my drive in order not to miss out on items, I enjoyed the scramble to ensure I could get an item, or potentially ruin my competitors chances at obtaining any at all.

The actual controls for the game do feel a bit loose and, at times, its like someone has greased every course. Turning is awkward and slippery. Handling just feels non-existent and its difficult to get to grips with. In the chaos that is Mario Kart, good handling is necessary. When there’s plenty of other Mario Kart titles on offer, it’s hard to enjoy the game with these controls.

The art direction and graphics are cute and colourful, with a charming style and execution for what the SNES could handle. This game feels like a technical masterpiece for its time, offering a good racing experience on the hardware, with an almost dual-screen perspective. The “bottom” screen shows the map and racer positions, and sometimes changes to show a rear-view perspective when a competitor is closing in on you from behind. It’s really quite charming, despite it feeling difficult to take your eyes off the track to appreciate it.

Overall, Super Mario Kart is a title to be appreciated for the time it was released. It’s a huge feat for the SNES and its easy to see why it was loved and is still considered a good effort in this day and age. On a voyage of discovery of where Mario Kart began, it’s good to experience. But to actually sit down to play and enjoy? It’s difficult to recommend.

5 out of 10

Tested on Nintendo switch