Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart was the first installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Players race motorized go-karts as one of eight characters from the Super Mario series. It features advanced graphics for the time thanks to its use of Mode 7 texture mapping. This was the only Mario Kart title ever to feature Donkey Kong Jr. or the item Cape Feather and the only Mario Kart game where Wario, Donkey Kong, Spiny Shell, Triple Mushroom, Triple Green Shells, Triple Red Shells do not appear.

Gameplay
Super Mario Kart can be played by one or two players. All gameplay uses a forced split screen view. In single player mode, the top displays the course, while the bottom screen can either display a rear-view mirror perspective, or an overhead view of the whole track, displaying where all the racers are currently. In multiplayer, the bottom screen is assigned to the second player's view.

The first single player mode is Grand Prix, in which one player races seven computer-controlled drivers. Engine classes of 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc are available (150cc is available upon acquiring gold in all the cups in 100cc). Mario and Luigi are average in all stats. Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr have the highest top speed and weight but the lowest acceleration and handling. Toad and Koopa Troopa have the highest handling but lowest weight. Peach and Yoshi have the worst speed but the best acceleration. There are four cups to select: the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special Cups (100cc and 150cc only). Each cup consists of five tracks and the player must receive fourth place or better to advance to the next track. Places five through eight are given the "ranked out" title. The second mode is Time Trial, in which the player races through one track in an attempt to set a record for best lap time or course time.

The first multiplayer mode is Grand Prix, which plays just like the single player version, but with one less computer-controlled driver. In order to proceed to the next track only one player is required to rank in the top four. The second mode is Match Race, which is a one-on-one race on any track. In Battle Mode, two players choose from four levels specially designed for battle mode and try to pop the three balloons surrounding the other player with items such as Koopa shells or banana peels. The last player with balloons wins.

In Grand Prix and Match Race modes racers can collect coins which affect top speed and acceleration. In all modes, Lakitu rescues drivers who have driven off the track.

Racers
There are eight playable drivers. These can be classified into four types based on top speed, handling, strength and acceleration.
 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Princess Peach
 * Toad
 * Yoshi
 * Bowser
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Donkey Kong Jr.

Tracks
All tracks use five laps.

!Mushroom Cup !Flower Cup !Star Cup !Special Cup
 * SNES Mario Circuit 1 map.png Mario Circuit 1
 * SNES Choco Island 1.png Choco Island 1
 * SNES Koopa Beach 1.png Koopa Beach 1
 * SNES Donut Plains 3.png Donut Plains 3
 * SNES Donut Plains 1.png Donut Plains 1
 * SNES Ghost Valley 2.png Ghost Valley 2
 * SNES Choco Island 2.png Choco Island 2
 * SNES Koopa Beach 2.png Koopa Beach 2
 * SNES Ghost Valley 1.png Ghost Valley 1
 * SNES Donut Plains 2.png Donut Plains 2
 * SNES Vanilla Lake 1.png Vanilla Lake 1
 * SNES Ghost Valley 3.png Ghost Valley 3
 * SNES Bowser Castle 1.png Bowser Castle 1
 * SNES Bowser Castle 2 map.png Bowser Castle 2
 * SNES Bowser Castle 3 map.png Bowser Castle 3
 * SNES Vanilla Lake 2.png Vanilla Lake 2
 * SNES Mario Circuit 2.png Mario Circuit 2
 * SNES Mario Circuit 3 map.png Mario Circuit 3
 * SNES Mario Circuit 4.png Mario Circuit 4
 * SNES Rainbow Road.png Rainbow Road
 * }
 * SNES Mario Circuit 2.png Mario Circuit 2
 * SNES Mario Circuit 3 map.png Mario Circuit 3
 * SNES Mario Circuit 4.png Mario Circuit 4
 * SNES Rainbow Road.png Rainbow Road
 * }

Battle Stages
The four battle courses. Click on each one to visit the corresponding article.

Reappearance
Super Mario Kart can be found in Wii Shop Channel (a channel preinstalled into the Wii that is for buying games from older consoles or from a special thing called WiiWare) for 800 points (1,000 points costs $10.00 using MasterCard or Visa). The game is compatible with a Nintendo GameCube Controller or a Classic Controller (both sold separately). The game is exactly the same as the original, and one of the only very noticeable changes is the controller used to play it.

Super Mario Kart