The Best Mario Kart Games, Ranked

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Video by Felix Sanchez
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[@nataliedecicco8761]

Doubledash was the best mariokart for me. I loved it and played it constantly. With my friends and alone. ❤

[@simo.nassiri]

I wish these Top 10s weren't blinded by nostalgia... putting Super Circuit under Super and 7 under 64 is crazy lol

[@sparkypack]

Indeed 😣

[@TommyStanley-cw7tt]

😂😂 64 is better than all of them. What the fuck are you talking about? 🤣

[@Kritigri]

Mario Kart DS my beloved. The second that intro music played, my heart soared. It was my first Mario Kart, and I'll always be fond of it. I also have a lot of nostalgia for Mario Kart Wii, specifically for its online play. As a teenager I'd stay up way too late just racing online because it was so much fun. Brilliant video as always Felix, you made it super fun!

[@12thMandalorian]

Mario Kart DS was my first Mario kart game and I’ve been hooked since

[@Jack_TheSkyWriter]

Mario Kart DS was hands down my favorite experience in Mario Kart. Being able to play 8 people at once in high school was a lot of fun. It was also the longest lasting within my friend group. We all played it for years. Double Dash and Mario Kart 8, are definitely better games, but DS holds a special place in my heart.

[@Ceruleannn]

Mario Kart DS is part of the reason why I didn't graduate college. It all started with me and my best friend playing MKDS on the back row of the 200 seat auditorium, and a few weeks later, co-students were fighting to join the limited 8 player roster. Needless to say it was soooo hard to stay quiet during classes, but we had so, so much fun. I don't know if the memories are worth more than the degree I failed to obtain but oh well 😅

[@JamesBond-j4b]

​@@Ceruleannnoh yeah and all those people had DS consoles waiting in line right? Yeah whatever GTFO 😂

[@diabeticman2194]

For me, I think Mario Kart Wii will be the undisputed forever goat, however with my personal bias it’s a three way race between 8DX for the sheer content of it and cleanest controls, 7 for having an absolutely stacked track selection and DD!! for being so distinct mechanically and having incredible local multiplayer with some good tracks. Really good video, loved the gags throughout!

[@chiquita683]

Nah, it was the cheapest mario for cheating AI, closely followed by Kart 64

[@darkknightniner9862]

MK Wii would be great if it didn't have a disgusting amount of Blue Shell usage. I swear you don't go a race without 3 of then being used. It ruins the game.

[@jclkaytwo]

@@chiquita683 the SNES and N64 games had way worse AI cheating

[@starcodieannaz]

Mario Kart Wii will always be the best one despite how broken it is. No one will ever change my mind on that.

[@Kudo005]

It is definitely the most fun imo. I mean, the tech takes hours to learn and months to master. I'm still working on improving 15 years later... Where as 8, there's just not as much too it, the courses feel generic and not as charming as well. So yeah I'd say wii or double dash is my favorite but double dash takes the cake for me due to nostalgia

[@Wil_Dsense]

Nah Double Dash Is the Best Mario Kart Game.

[@starcodieannaz]

@@Kudo005 I believe the hate for MKWii is because it’s the worst CASUAL Mario Kart game, not the worst Mario Kart game in general. (Much like how people only hate Brawl because it’s the worst “competitive” Smash game.)

[@starcodieannaz]

@@Wil_Dsense I disagree but I respect your statement

[@NCozy]

​@@starcodieannaz It's not the worst casual but it's 100% one of the worst singleplayer ones.

[@CommanderZaktan]

10:45 Actually, Super Circuit introduced the retro tracks, and all of them are from Super Mario kart.

[@WCircuit7224]

Oh yeah I forgot. That was cool.

[@parvanaturalia]

the short cutaway jokes were really enjoyable, Felix! I appreciate the acting and editing.

[@SuperPaperPokemon]

It felt like a ScottTheWoz episode.

[@sparkypack]

​@@SuperPaperPokemonHaven't heard that name in years. I thought something bad happened to him.

[@wouterdutch4706]

Ikr, made it such a good video to watch. We all love Felix

[@wouterdutch4706]

@@leighdappa it didn't remind me of Scott the Woz myself originally, but I do happen to enjoy the type of humour. Not for everyone I guess, but I value them having fun with videos like these :) And you can always make your own list, of course

[@badmeetsevil6163]

@@wouterdutch4706no I definitely do not love Felix. Bring back Alex and Zion.

[@griffinpresnell6747]

I love the little skits in this Felix! Got a chuckle from me

[@badmeetsevil6163]

I can’t stand the guy. Bring back Alex or Zion.

[@griffinpresnell6747]

@@badmeetsevil6163 stfu we stan Felix from Nintendo Life in this house

[@kwipiper]

next Mario Kart will be design own tracks like Super Mario Maker

[@sakholdsastar]

??? That's Mario Kart Live Home Circuit

[@justnewo798]

​@@sakholdsastarp😊ñ

[@nothingrhymeswithorange5294]

Okay grandma, let's get you to bed

[@Mariosonicguy]

@@nothingrhymeswithorange5294lol

[@osberswgaming]

And hopefully a hub world, Wuhu Island perhaps?

[@mrdocena8082]

Adored Mario Kart Double Dash - still the best in my book. Nothing like co-op racing against friends. Didn't have many fond memories of DS... mostly because I was still a casual Mario Kart player (refused to do advanced techniques... though I can do them now, I really don't prefer *having* to do them), and a ton of players were obsessed with drift-boosting. Mario Kart Wii was a wild ride. Cherish it a lot. But since we jumped from Double Dash to Wii, something definitely felt like it was missing. Mario Kart 8, for sheer content alone, would be the best... but I'm not a believer of "quantity can beat quality". In a few years' time, if a better Mario Kart comes out with far less courses: people will forget Mario Kart 8. Quantity only beats quality in present memory - it dies off in the long-run. That said, I ADORED the *first* Mario Kart 8, the one on the Wii U, and really prefer it over MK8 Deluxe - for one reason: Mario Kart Channel. Yes, Mario Kart channel still "exists", but the one on the Wii U was a COMMUNITY-shared channel. Friends could share clips, post it onto youtube, and quite a long time could be spend just reliving people's favorite clips. Sure, a ton of them were just kids sharing their basic victories, but the Luigi Death Stare meme didn't come to existence on its own: That came *from* the Mario Kart Channel. The Community of MK8 just felt a whole lot more connected on the Wii U, and just feels like a shrugged-off mess in Deluxe. Only reason why people who played the original MK8 think "MK8D > MK8" is because they want any excuse to not fit into the demographic of "genuinely enjoyed their time playing on the Wii U" just so they don't feel cringe around modern Nintendo fans.

[@Romidamn]

Awesome video, Felix! The love and effort that went into editing this one can really be felt. It's a lot of fun to watch, and not only because of the ranking, but especially because of you. Keep it up, you're doing a fantastic job!

[@desh206]

Mario kart Tour became actully a pretty good game after a lot new content was added,is't just the fact that is a mobile game that hold the game back for a lot of people

[@NCozy]

Nah the driving sucks, really slow and it takes a lot of control away from you.

[@leecrawford6560]

If I'm gonna let Nostalgia speak for a moment DOUBLE DASH #1 baby personal favorite, I was also like 10yrs old I really do love how Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Switch turned out. I'm not a big racer, although, really fun to play.

[@ben8446]

Same as my list! Mario kart ds was just so so cool for its time and double dash is perhaps my most “nostalgic” Mario kart even though I started on the snes.

[@SolinoOruki]

Hot take, Marie Kart Tour is actually a great mobile game

[@josehiguera3068]

I agree, it’s probably one of the best mobile games in recent years. Even as a Mario Kart game it’s really good, it has a lot of content, it’s extremely replayable, and surprisingly, it’s a really fun game too. It does have a lot of flaws (even after battle tour 2022), but it definitely isn’t the worst MK game. It’s really sad that there isn’t going to be any new content.

[@paulonetto9652]

It must have been so cool to be at school in the DS/3DS times lol because multiplayer was so easy with wireless comm. In my case, me and my friends would get together with a 4-player link cable plugged in our GBAs, and play MK Super Circuit using just one cartridge. It's funny it was placed so low on this list, I remember of being so excited about this game back in the day. I didn't own the game, I'd only play it occasionally with my friends, but I remember reading over and over again about this game in the Brazillian edition of Nintendo World magazines.

[@jemilumanzor7049]

Mario Kart 64 and Wii are my favorite MK games as I grew up with them and have fond memories, as also being must-be games when i had parties with friends. MK8 DX is obviously the best but sometimes classics can’t be beaten. Also, the funny moments and video editing is so impressive I almost thought this was a Scott The Woz episode. Felix is such an amazing member of the NL crew

[@seraphimsforge-master5433]

Double Dash is the Dopest 😮

[@DBTGAMER]

I prefer Mario kart Super Circuit To Super Mario kart. Because It has more tracks This was the first Mario kart Game to have retro tracks.🙂🎮

[@get_stached]

I genuinely can't imagine Nintendo Life without lovely Felix

[@DrViperVideos]

Wii is my favorite, for being so broken

[@carlosfer2201]

My favorite is 64, but yeah I agree with this list. 8 is just close to perfect.

[@PillowEgg]

I hope the next Mario Kart is aesthetically completely different from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I’m talking about visuals and character models on par with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. So distinct that it actually feels very different and next gen.

[@Edtlus]

I think tour is a good mobile game, I have had fun with it since launch, constantly getting new characters and other stuff without spending a single penny on it.

[@vijfsnippervijf]

When I was still in primary school, I knew a friend who owned both a Wii and a DS and played both MarioKart Wii and DS (the former one sometimes together with her!) a lot whenever we visited! Later, they got an SNES out and I had a lot of fun with Super MarioKart, and later still a Switch was put in place temporarily, on which I played 8 Deluxe. In the later years of secondary, but especially at this very moment (I'm in university now!) I got into retro emulation a lot, and play MarioKart Wii and DS on my computer, and MarioKart 64 on my phone. I used to play Super MarioKart, but when I discovered F-Zero, I lost in it. That very much unlike Double Dash, which I never owned or downloaded ever, though I really love to get that game going, even though I have F-Zero GX as well (doesn't stop me from revisiting MarioKart Wii too!).

[@sakholdsastar]

"Mario Kart Tour is bs am I right?!?!!" ***Applause*** Can't believe people are still this prejudiced in 2023

[@lorob1654]

I absolutely love your skits

[@Nimtendo03]

Honestly, the editing and the jokes in this remind me of the Mii video Felix made when he first joined, as well as Scott the Wozz and Radical Soda. A couple of jokes didn't quite stick the landing in my opinion, but keep up the good work Felix! Also "Karting with Mario" is such a great line.

[@infinitygamingyt266]

Mario Kart Wii is my personal top favorite Mario Kart game of all time. I have a lot of memories with that game, and it was even my first Mario Kart game I’ve ever played! ❤😊

[@gromitmug467]

DS, Wii and 8 are the standouts for me

[@thesoulshreddah]

mkds is the best for me. one of the best experiences I had

[@Incense3]

I would love to see a Mario Kart All Stars with some of the old games with wide screen, online play and some extras (concept art, music track selection…). After seeing F-Zero 99 you know they could do something great with the old games.

[@knuclear200x]

Double Dash forever

[@thomasjohnson8391]

Mario kart ds and Wii were my childhood

[@kwipiper]

Mario Kart is great

[@EpicAj11]

Yea

[@millasgameroom]

Mario Kart Wii was my childhood so it will always be my favourite. But you can't go wrong with any of them (even Tour now the MTX have been removed).

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

I like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe so much!

[@DanHoger]

Super Circuit was the first Mario Kart game to include tracks from a previous game.

[@wasthistaken2970]

Countless hours of MK 8 Deluxe??? There’s a counter in your profile…

[@jasperstuart5745]

I’ve 100% Completed Mario Kart Wii With every single cup in every Class with 3 star ranks

[@lynch42o]

@ 7:27 hearing that was like, I was 11-12 again playing this at a friends house. Damn that nostalgia hit me hard. Mario for SNES and 64 will always be the best for me.

[@TommyStanley-cw7tt]

Mario kart 64. 4 at once. We would get into fights. 😂 I wish I could go back.

[@mtmike8737]

Felix, your content has been incredible on the channel! Keep it up!

[@stevieb274]

Next Mario game has to be a mix between Mario kart double dash, and Mario kart 8

[@sageoffire3964]

0:15 And with that, the last 1% of doubt I had that you could fill in for Jon has officially been vanquished.

[@kunalnn017]

The mario kart tour segment was just ❤

[@tctt185_dg]

Ouch. Mario Kart Tour is fine now with no more new content. People are just mad that they don't play it because it is a _mobile game_ - well, what other games do you play on mobile devices? They're trash too.

[@JennicaReis]

I thought it was diddy kong racing 🤣

[@sparkypack]

Diddy Kong Racing 🏆

[@JJKoester]

"We have Scott The Woz at home..."

[@Dcond3]

MK Double Dash literally is the best! Always loved the double character concept

[@heroic_teddy]

I cannot wait for the next Mario Kart. I know plenty of folks will miss MK8D, but as someone who isn't too big on MK8/MK8D, I am so glad the booster pack is nearly done. Great video all the same, Felix!

[@MDGamestation]

Tour is getting too much hate than it should. People seem to just give games a second chance do they

[@WritingCountingOriginal]

These idiots just ranked it from the first impressions lmao

[@martinocampo1624]

Felix channeling some Scott the Woz vibes in this video 😂

[@sparkypack]

Isn't Scott like in his 40s by now? He could be Felix's teacher.

[@gantoris3811]

Little know fact about DoubleDash: it is compatible with the Gamecube ethernet adapter and allowed for more than 4 players at a time. My fondest memory of that game was playing 8 players on two TVs in my cramped bedroom.

[@TheOgreMan]

I only started playing Mario Kart Tour this past summer and I got hooked on the gameplay immediately. Now being comparable to the other Mario Kart games…. It’s hard to do being that it’s a far different experience. Is it fair to put it in last place? Well, I don’t think so, but the bottom 4 for sure. The rest are just so iconic and…. Well superior

[@RainstormProductions]

This list is spot-on. I played a ton of MK 64 growing up but my favorite is probably DD because it’s so unique

[@kimwasalreadytaken]

Am I crazy or does this video not have any sound?

[@AlphaFlare]

you're crazy

[@Sculk.Gaming]

you're crazy

[@sparkypack]

I can hear Felix. There were previous videos in which people mentioned the same.

[@Thundervolt888]

1.Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 2.Mario Kart Tour 3.Mario Kart Wii 4.Mario Kart Double Dash 5.Mario Kart 7 6.Mario Kart DS 7.Mario Kart 64 8.Mario Kart Super Circuit 9.Super Mario Kart 10.Mario Kart Live Home Circuit

[@0070Link]

Mario kart ds is my favorite it was the last one to have a proper battle mode and not the garbage the Wii made standard.

[@totalprocall6894]

Super Mario Kart is the best. The reasons are many but if i had to focus on two it would be, racing mechanics not tailored to the lowest possible skill level, then the items that are finely tuned to perfection, with very little feeling cheap when compared to the generic later entries(by comparison). SMK rewarded skill and felt like more of a pure racer. Then you consider it came first on old hardware and it's a no brainer...also the handling of SMK is designed to feel loose so you master the drifting mechanic, the one that unlike every modern iteration, your nan couldn't easily master. SMK>SM64>any of the generic dumbed down modern entries.

[@NCozy]

They aren't really dumbed down, they've definitely gotten simpler but every Mario Kart game has been optimized and get tech and strategies developed. I feel like it's impossible for a game like this to just have no depth no matter how hard they've tried

[@golemofwill4728]

Double Dash, DS, and 7 will always be the peak for me. The Ds and 3DS titles having download play lead to many fun experiences with a single cartridge.

[@thierrys85]

Super Circuit was so much better than the OG Super Mario Kart on SNES though. 😢

[@davidcates3402]

You forgot Mario kart 8…

[@Demeech]

Where'a Mario Kart: Arcade GP?

[@gowzahr]

My favorite part of Double Dash was co-op.

[@RensPolman-pz2bx]

Those skits remind me from Scott the Woz

[@ChristophKammerl]

No Mario Kart GP DX love? 🥲

[@gregwilliams4926]

Who is this new addition to NL and why is he making me laugh and smile on his skits?

[@greyowl3787]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is definitely the best entry in the franchise, no question. But it has so much content it’s almost guaranteed MK9 will disappoint a little.

[@topgame88]

I would put Mariokart Double Dash in the top spot as out of all of the Mariokart games I have played that was the one that truly felt more like a racer than the rest of them, if you were good enough to be 10 seconds out in front a blue shell became essentially useless whereas in other games it automatically changes the order of the race and it can be very difficult to recover from and of course there is no better track than DK Mountain!! Best Mariokart ever! Imo 😂

[@joopvanhedel1372]

Personally, I think Mario Kart Super Circuit is better than Super Mario Kart. I know that Super Circuit did nothing special, but it is still better.

[@dg-vc8fz]

i love this video it's super funny good job Felix

[@alejandroostosramirez1740]

My favorite Mario Kart games of all time are Super Mario Kart (SNES), Mario Kart 64 (N64), Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Tour. I play Mario Kart Tour at least half an hour a day. It is very good but it's not for everyone

[@rhettmitchell]

I’ve been saying this for years, but if they just take all the stuff from 8 , and just make it double dash again for 9, that’ll make me happy. It’ll be the most chaotic shit ever. It’d be cool if there were just separate modes for single-car and double-car play too!

[@Caolan114]

It wasn't until the Switch Online that I really became a fan of Super Circuit At a glance It's Just Super Mario Kart but I think It extends the 2D Mario formula and when you have a group of friends It can be a lot of fun also battle mode Is restricted to multiplayer

[@Cyber_Chriis]

I forgot about Mario Kart live’s existence until you mentioned it

[@pandybee1011]

I love this list. Mario Kart is one of my favorite game series of all time. In my mind, there’s not a single bad Mario Kart game.

[@GeorgeMarionerd]

What??? How is SMK better than Super Circuit??? It literally has everything that first game had to offer but way more, along with much less unfair CPUs and overall improvements. The heck?????

[@StarlightMirror]

Mario Kart DS is number 1 for me, with Mario Kart 64 in second and Mario Kart Wii in third.

[@many_feet]

I love when you guys give Felix the ability to be creative. Just excels~

[@KevinFought]

Idk i feel like alot of his jokes are just.. forced..

[@robertbrookes2000]

I'm a massive Mario Kart DS and I'm so glad it got up to third. I still play it, even though Mario Kart 8 deluxe is also available to play. And on the whole I probably still prefer DS for a few reasons. The main one being the overall control of karts, I think that DS had such tight controls which is why missions worked so well on it, I doubt the physics of 8 deluxe would really work as well for that. Also you can't deny that having the bottom screen for the map and showing everyone's items in their slot (unless they're holding it behind them) isn't one of the greatest W for DS, you can practically race just looking at that screen. Some minor personal preferences as well, I prefer racing without coins, I wish you could toggle them off separately to items. Also I prefer a longer respawn of item boxes, in 8 deluxe there's basically no wait time, whereas in DS it felt a bit more tactical when you got an item box before someone. And while I don't mind some anti-gravity sections, I don't think it needed to be a feature in every race, same goes for underwater (although to my memory less tracks use it), sometimes you can keep a course more simple. I think I prefer being able to see the path ahead of me more clearly, which was actually aided with the less detailed DS screen.

[@kingxevi]

I grew up with Mario kart ds, Wii, 7 and 8 on the Wii U. Mario kart 8 is the best Mario kart game ever, 8 deluxe even better!

[@luigitime202]

I heavily disagree with these people

[@JasLamArr91]

Double Dash has to be a feature in the next Mario Kart!

[@GhibliNova]

Mario Kart Super Circuit introduced classic courses

[@aafrophonee]

Double Dash was absolutely my favorite Mario Kart.

[@GeorgeMarionerd]

You forgot the sound

[@mackers_855]

Poor Mario Kart Wii with 37M sales (understand sales in part due to Wii console sales)- def feel it is better than tour or Super Circuit for me. Brought a lot of good family memories of times of Wii and enjoyed tracks and new bike edition (motion controls aside). Nice vid Felix!!!

[@Mahshevonie]

saying mk7 is worse than 64 is wild man

[@sparkypack]

b/c nostalgia driven people I think.

[@brandonnasuti2155]

How did DS beat Wii. Idk if it’s just me, but Tour, Wii, and 7 should’ve been above DS. DS is very average in my opinion and it’s tracks selection is ok. (Waluigi Pinball is super overrated)

[@zekmaster644]

Super Circuit is objectively better than SMK, there are some really good nitro track designs and the atmosphere they convey are incredible. You can't look at Sky Garden, Sunset Wilds, Cheese Land, Ribbon Road and Lakeside Park and say that the game didn't bring anything fresh. It definitely reuses track ideas but it's not nearly as much of a culprit as SMK. For the hardware it was released on, it's a pretty dang good game, especially once you master the controls.

[@Nope2479]

Felix the Woz

[@fruitsnacks155]

happy to see DS so high on the list

[@aprilfelton6001]

Mario kart wii will always be number one for me

[@corey657]

I love Mario Kart Tour on the mobile app! HOWEVER there are some tweaks that need to be made. I will say the app gets better and better.

[@Zadlerma]

Double Dash is the most fun! And it has the best battle mode.

[@Samiro7175]

What about those arcade Mario Karts? 👉👈

[@Nintentips.]

I think Wii is easily my favorite, but 8 dx on switch is close because I played it a bunch with my friends I made when I moved to me new home.

[@samuelv.r.1339]

My first Mario Kart was 64 and it is the one I dislike the most lol. It feels like driving on ice. The tracks and music are good tho. Every other Mario Kart was better than it's predecesor in one way or another (except 7 to wii).

[@Real_Aron]

No audio 🤨

[@sparkypack]

All good on my end. 👌

[@Real_Aron]

@@sparkypack the magic of something. Thank you, Fox, for... something... I don't know.

[@sparkypack]

@@Real_Aron thou shall rely on me always.