The iconic Mario Kart franchise is over 30 years old, and here’s a look back at some of the best tracks of all time in Nintendo’s series.
First released as Super Mario Kart in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Mario Kart is a racing spin-off of the Nintendo staple Super Mario games. Since then, Nintendo has released a whopping 14 Mario Kart games, spanning across six consoles. Most recently, the series saw Mario Kart 8, which featured some of its own best tracks.
Much like Super Mario Kart on the SNES, Mario Kart 8 has become the Nintendo Switch’s best-selling game, having sold 53.7 million copies, even overtaking incredibly popular games such as Super Smash Brosand Splatoon. Across all 14 games, Nintendo has brought fans a total of 193 racetracks across the Mario Kart franchise, meaning there is some debate among fans on which course is the best and why. 10 Bowser’s Castle (Mario Kart 8)
First appearing in the iconic first-ever Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart, Bowser’s Castle is a staple track for Mario Kart games. Since the Bowser’s Castle course has made appearances in both Mario Kart Super Circuit and as a revised version in Mario Kart 8.
This track has players embarking on a great track in one of the best racing games, through the dangerous Bowser’s castle, where they must race by jumping over lava and dodging falling rocks. This track is full of life and keeps players on the edge of their seats, making it a definite fan favorite. The track also acts as a piece of nostalgia for the location of Bowser’s Castle which has been featured in almost every single Mario game that has been released. 9 Moo Moo Meadows (Mario Kart Wii)
Moo Moo Meadows is another old but gold track that first made its debut in 1996 within Mario Kart 64 as Moo Moo Farm. The track was absent from the series for a while, not re-appearing until 2008 on Mario Kart Wii, and again being absent from following games until the latest Mario Kart 8.
Despite the tracks’ inconsistency across games, Moo Moo Meadows is a course beloved by players for its nostalgic scenes that will remind players of the iconic and replayable Nintendo 64 on which it debuted, and the course itself shares cute and comforting scenery covered with adorable cows. Hence, the course’s name. 8 Koopa Troopa Beach (Super Mario Kart)
Koopa Troopa Beach is arguably one of the best-known and most recognizable racetracks from the franchise having appeared in Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart 8. This track is one of the most commonly appearing tracks within the series and for this reason, has become a staple for the game series
The course features beach scenes, sunny skies, and cheerful tropical water, also featuring many fish and objects from the stressful underwater levels featured in most Mario games. There are a few reasons Koopa Troopa Beachis one of the best, for its scenery, cheerful tone as well as recognition among players from a huge variety of Mario Kart games. 7 Tick-Tock Clock (Mario Kart DS)
Only featured in 2 of the Mario Kart games.
