Series guide
All Mario Kart games in order
Mario Kart is the best-selling racing series there is, and one that never told a story: every entry is a fresh set of tracks, karts and items on the console of the moment. That is why the "best" Mario Kart is usually the first one you played. Below are all eleven games in release order, console by console, with the Nintendo platforms linked — because those are the copies we stock and test.
The short answer
Super Mario Kart (1992) → Mario Kart 64 → Super Circuit → Double Dash!! → Mario Kart DS → Mario Kart Wii → Mario Kart 7 → Mario Kart 8 → 8 Deluxe (2017) → Live: Home Circuit → Mario Kart World (2025). No order is required. If you want one game today: 8 Deluxe. If you want retro: Mario Kart 64 or Mario Kart DS.
Every Mario Kart game in order
Years are the first release; Europe got Super Mario Kart in early 1993 and Mario Kart 64 in mid-1997, everything else arrived here in the same year. The mobile Mario Kart Tour (2019) and the Arcade GP cabinets are left out — neither is something you put on a shelf.
- Super Mario Kart · 1992 · SNES
- Mario Kart 64 · 1996 · Nintendo 64
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit · 2001 · Game Boy Advance
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! · 2003 · GameCube
- Mario Kart DS · 2005 · Nintendo DS
- Mario Kart Wii · 2008 · Wii
- Mario Kart 7 · 2011 · Nintendo 3DS
- Mario Kart 8 · 2014 · Wii U
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe · 2017 · Nintendo Switch
- Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit · 2020 · Nintendo Switch
- Mario Kart World · 2025 · Nintendo Switch 2
Do you have to play them in order?
No. Nothing carries over between entries. What does change is the feel: the SNES and GBA games are flat and fast, Mario Kart 64 goes 3D, Mario Kart Wii adds bikes and tricks, and Mario Kart 8 introduces the anti-gravity tracks. Pick the one on your console and go.
Which Mario Kart should you buy now?
- Today, on Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — the most complete entry, 96 tracks with the Booster Course Pass, and it plays on Switch 2 as well.
- Retro with four on the sofa: Mario Kart 64 — four players on one television and the tracks everyone still remembers.
- The odd one out: Double Dash!! — two characters per kart, the only time the series did that.
- Handheld: Mario Kart DS — the first entry with online play and retro cups, still one of the best handheld racers. Mario Kart 7 on 3DS adds gliding and underwater sections.
- Cheapest way in: Mario Kart Wii — it sold in enormous numbers, so supply is plentiful and prices are friendly. Works on a Wii U too.
Buying Mario Kart second-hand
8 Deluxe is the safe buy — and plays on Switch 2 as well
The most complete Mario Kart ever made: the Booster Course Pass added 48 tracks for 96 in total. Check what a listing actually contains, though — some Switch console bundles shipped 8 Deluxe as a download code in the box rather than a cartridge. Ours always say which you get.
Mario Kart Wii plays fine without the wheel
The white Wii Wheel is a plastic holder for the Remote, not a requirement: the game plays with the Remote held sideways, with Remote and Nunchuk, with the Classic Controller or with a GameCube controller. A loose disc is a complete game; a copy with the wheel is simply the bigger box.
N64, GBA and DS: cartridges without battery worries
Mario Kart 64, Super Circuit and Mario Kart DS keep their records in the cartridge itself, so there is no save battery to die. What matters is that the cartridge is genuine — GBA and DS cartridges are widely counterfeited — which is why every copy we sell goes through the authenticity checks first.
Double Dash!! is the GameCube one to watch
Two characters per kart, the only time the series did that, and a GameCube favourite that is still searched for. It was also sold in a bundle with a bonus disc at the time; the bonus disc is nice for a collection, but the game itself is the same either way.
Every copy tested before it is listed
Booting, a race, saving the records, label, disc surface — checked on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. Originals only; if something ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
Browse tested Mario gamesQuestions we get asked
Do I need to play the Mario Kart games in order?
No. There is no story running through the series and no entry refers to a previous one. Each game is complete on its own — a set of cups, karts and items, plus multiplayer — so start with the one that runs on the console you own.
Which Mario Kart game should I start with?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch: the most complete entry, with 96 tracks including the Booster Course Pass, and it plays on Switch 2 too. If you want retro, Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS are the classics most people look for.
What is the difference between Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World?
Mario Kart World (2025) is Switch 2 only, with 24 racers and an open world between the tracks. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe plays on both the Switch and the Switch 2, has more tracks and is much cheaper second-hand. If you only own a Switch 1, the choice is made for you.
Can I play Mario Kart Wii without the wheel?
Yes. The Wii Wheel is only a plastic holder for the Wii Remote. The game plays with the Remote held sideways, with Remote and Nunchuk, with the Classic Controller or with a GameCube controller.
Is Mario Kart suitable for young children?
Yes — every Mario Kart carries PEGI 3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also has Smart Steering and Auto-Accelerate, which let a five-year-old join a race and stay on the track.
Does Mario Kart Wii work on a Wii U?
Yes. The Wii U plays Wii discs in Wii mode. You need a Wii Remote for it — the GamePad does not act as a controller in Wii games.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels leave from the Netherlands, there are no customs charges within the EU, and your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
Years given are the first release; European dates were sometimes a few months later. Deze gids in het Nederlands.
