Super Mario Kart cover art

Game entry

Super Mario Kart

1992 · Racing, Arcade · Super Nintendo, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U · Nintendo

Super Mario Kart is ranked no. 136 among the best video games of all time by GameForever voters, with an ELO score of 1,824 and 73% of duels won.

World rank

no. 136

ELO score

1,824

Wins

73%

Duels played

246

Join the debate · 37

About Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart is a racing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the first game of the Mario Kart series, as well as the game that sets precedents to the fictional kart racing genre. Part of this game is heavily based on Super Mario World in terms of graphics and overall theme. Using Mode 7 scaling, the first true kart game on the SNES has you collecting coins to boost your speed while using shells and bananas to stop others on the track.

The community says

Comparing this to GTA is a weird matchup by nature, arcade kart racing against open world crime sim. But if we're talking pure replay value in short bursts…

ELO progression

Score moved from 1,500 to 1,824 ELO points over the last 123 days.

Head-to-head

Direct record on the most played match-ups.

In the same genre

All Racing games →
  1. 33 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe2017 · Racing 1,893
  2. 97 Burnout Paradise2008 · Racing 1,838
  3. 99 Mario Kart 641996 · Racing 1,837
  4. 130 Grand Theft Auto V2013 · Racing 1,825
  5. 196 Need for Speed: Most Wanted2005 · Racing 1,797

Keep exploring

Greatest racing games All-time best Nintendo games The best 1990s games Ranking of 1992 games

Around this spot

The games Super Mario Kart sits between in the world ranking.

  1. 133 Tekken 7 1,825
  2. 134 Guilty Gear: Strive 1,825
  3. 135 Assassin's Creed Origins 1,824
  4. 136 Super Mario Kart 1,824
  5. 137 Unreal Tournament 1,823
  6. 138 Street Fighter 6 1,822
  7. 139 Suikoden II 1,821

More games from Nintendo

Released in 1992

The community

The debate

37 comments

Posting requires an account: log in or sign up.

  1. gdicki

    Comparing this to GTA is a weird matchup by nature, arcade kart racing against open world crime sim. But if we're talking pure replay value in short bursts, this one still wins for me every time.

  2. CoopKnight4

    I get why it sits where it is historically, but stacking it against open world giants in these duels feels off from the start. People vote on nostalgia for the format it created, not on how it actually plays now, and that gap shows every time I revisit it.

    Vinyl_Millet

    Le mot magie revient souvent pour ce jeu, et franchement je comprends, ce tracé qui tournait sous nos yeux avait un côté presque irréel à l'époque.

    Marina_8

    Yo sigo votando por él aunque sepa que estos duelos son injustos, y créanme que contra GTA lo he defendido más de una vez sin dudar

  3. ArcadeOwl

    It keeps winning duels against games three console generations ahead technically. The ranking system rewards duels, duels, not eras.

    PaulLegend

    Ma sœur gardait toujours la deuxième manette pour elle, jamais pour jouer, juste pour appuyer sur les boutons du menu, allez comprendre cette logique d'enfant

    NeonHunter2

    J'y joue une demi-heure par mois grand max et pourtant il me bat des jeux bien plus récents dans mes propres votes aussi

  4. CritMaster95

    man I remember being a kid staring at that mode 7 track spinning and thinking it was magic

    Arnaude_40

    Ça me rappelle mon cousin qui hurlait dès qu'une carapace bleue arrivait

  5. lenoir_bernadette

    Face à GTA il n'a évidemment ni l'ampleur ni l'ambition, mais ce n'est pas le sujet du tout. Un tour de circuit bien négocié procure un plaisir immédiat que ces open world n'offrent pas de la même façon.

    Lenoir80

    négocier après une course ratée, ça me rappelle des dizaines de sessions chez moi aussi

    Neon_Picard

    Replying to Lenoir80

    Ces sessions ratées, on les garde plus que les victoires, non (bizarre) ?

See the whole Super Mario Kart debate →