Mario Kart Games Tier List: Every Entry Ranked
Eleven games, three decades, one banana peel that has ruined more friendships than anything else in gaming. We're ranking every mainline Mario Kart release (plus the oddballs like Tour and the cardboard-box one) from genre-defining classics to the entries that just didn't have the same spark.
This is based on where fans and critics generally land after years of forum arguments, review scores and "remember when" nostalgia, with our own take added where the community still can't agree. Disagree with where we put your favorite? That's half the fun. Rank it yourself and see how close you get.
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SS Tier: The gold standards
Mario Kart 8
Anti-gravity tracks, the Deluxe re-release that fixed the battle mode nobody asked to be broken, and a Booster Course Pass that eventually crammed in basically every track from the series. This is the version of Mario Kart most people have actually spent hundreds of hours with, and it earns that time.
About Mario Kart 8
Originally released on Wii U and later re-released as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch. Known for anti-gravity track sections and an expanding roster of DLC tracks pulled from the entire series history.
- Platform
- Wii U, Switch
- Released
- 2014
Mario Kart Wii
Twelve-player online races felt like magic in 2008, and the bike vs. kart meta (plus that blue shell discourse) still gets debated today. Wild in a lobby, chaotic on Wiimote, and the best-selling Mario Kart ever for a reason.
About Mario Kart Wii
The best-selling entry in the series, bundled with the Wii Wheel accessory and supporting up to 12 players online. Bikes with wheelie mechanics were introduced here alongside karts.
- Platform
- Wii
- Released
- 2008
Mario Kart 64
Four-player split screen on one TV, Rainbow Road's terrifying lack of guardrails, and Battle Mode arenas people still namedrop decades later. The jump to 3D could have gone wrong. It didn't, and it set the template everyone still follows.
About Mario Kart 64
The first fully 3D entry in the series, bringing the kart racer to the Nintendo 64 with four-player split-screen support. Rainbow Road and Battle Mode from this entry are still fan favorites.
- Platform
- Nintendo 64
- Released
- 1996
AA Tier: Genuinely great
Mario Kart DS
The first Mario Kart with real online play, a surprisingly deep mission mode, and Waluigi Pinball as one of the best tracks the series has made. It doesn't get the same nostalgia love as 64 or Wii but plenty of fans will argue it should.
About Mario Kart DS
The Nintendo DS entry that brought the series online for the first time, along with a single-player mission mode. It remains one of the best-selling games on the DS.
- Platform
- Nintendo DS
- Released
- 2005
Mario Kart 7
Gliders and underwater sections sound like gimmicks on paper but actually opened up track design in a meaningful way. Custom karts and a genuinely good 3DS online mode make this one of the more underrated entries in the series.
About Mario Kart 7
A 3DS entry that added gliders, underwater driving, and kart customization parts. It also introduced a first-person view option using the console's 3D screen.
- Platform
- Nintendo 3DS
- Released
- 2011
Super Mario Kart
The SNES original that invented the whole genre deserves respect it doesn't always get. Mode 7 scaling was a trick in 1992, the Feather item is still missed, and without this game none of the rest of this list exists.
About Super Mario Kart
The game that started the kart-racing genre, released for the Super Nintendo. It introduced items, grand prix cups, and the Mode 7 pseudo-3D visuals that defined early 90s racing games.
- Platform
- SNES
- Released
- 1992
BB Tier: Solid fun, some baggage
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Two characters per kart was a bold swing, special items tied to specific drivers was an even bolder one, and somehow it mostly worked. Fans either adore the chaos of Chain Chomp items or wish it played more like every other entry. We lean toward adore.
About Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
A GameCube entry that let two characters ride in one kart, each with a special item tied to them. It's remembered for its unique driver-pair mechanic unlike any other game in the series.
- Platform
- GameCube
- Released
- 2003
Mario Kart World
The newest entry brings a connected open-world structure to the series, a genuine first for Mario Kart. It's ambitious and shows where the series could go, but it's still settling into fans' good graces compared to the established favorites.
About Mario Kart World
The newest entry in the series, introducing a connected open-world structure that links tracks together rather than keeping them as separate cups.
CC Tier: Fine, but you can skip it
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Porting every SNES track into a GBA cartridge was a genuinely nice bonus, but Super Circuit itself plays a little flat compared to what came right before and after it. Solid handheld effort, rarely anyone's favorite.
About Mario Kart: Super Circuit
A Game Boy Advance entry notable for including every track from the original Super Mario Kart as unlockable content. It kept the series alive on handhelds between console generations.
- Platform
- Game Boy Advance
- Released
- 2001
DD Tier: Only for completionists
Mario Kart Tour
Mobile Mario Kart with gacha-style pipe pulls and a stamina-adjacent energy system rubbed a lot of longtime fans the wrong way. Some neat guest tracks from the mainline games snuck in, but the monetization overshadowed everything else.
About Mario Kart Tour
A free-to-play mobile entry featuring gacha-style item and character unlocks plus rotating themed tours. It brought touch-screen Mario Kart racing to phones for the first time.
- Platform
- Mobile (iOS, Android)
- Released
- 2019
FF Tier: Missed the finish line
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
A real RC kart that drives through cardboard gates in your living room is a fun idea for about twenty minutes, and a genuinely clever bit of engineering. As an actual Mario Kart game to sit down and play, it just doesn't deliver what the name promises.
About Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
An unusual hybrid of a physical remote-control kart and a Switch game, letting players build real-world tracks with cardboard gates. It blends augmented reality elements with actual driving.
- Platform
- Nintendo Switch
- Released
- 2020
How we ranked them
We weighed track design, roster and item balance, multiplayer chaos, how well each game played at the time of release, and how it holds up now. Innovation counts too: a game that changed the series gets credit even if a later entry refined the idea. Longevity and replay value mattered as much as first impressions.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is the best Mario Kart game of all time?
Mario Kart 8 (especially the Deluxe version) is the most common pick thanks to its huge track roster and anti-gravity racing, though Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 64 have passionate followings that argue just as hard.
What is the worst Mario Kart game?
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit tends to rank lowest among fans since it's more of a novelty toy experience than a traditional racing game, with Mario Kart Tour close behind due to its mobile monetization.
Is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the same as Mario Kart 8?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an expanded Switch re-release of the Wii U original, adding characters, a fixed battle mode, and eventually every track from past games through downloadable content.
Which Mario Kart game was the first to have online multiplayer?
Mario Kart DS was the first in the series to support online play, letting players race against others over the internet rather than just locally.
Is Mario Kart World an open-world game?
Yes, Mario Kart World introduces a connected world structure that links tracks together, a first for the series compared to the separate-cup format used in every prior entry.
More rankings
Image credits
- Mario Kart 8Cover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart WiiCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart 64Cover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart DSCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart 7Cover: Wikipedia · Source
- Super Mario KartCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!!Cover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart WorldCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart: Super CircuitCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart TourCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mario Kart Live: Home CircuitCover: Wikipedia · Source