34 Years Ago Today, Nintendo Created One of Gaming’s Greatest Racing Franchises
Thirty-four years ago, Nintendo had an idea that today seems totally normal: put Mario and his friends in go-karts and have them race around.
But when Super Mario Kart arrived in Japan on August 27, 1992, the concept was far from obvious. This was the start of one of Nintendo's biggest gaming franchises, combining traditional racing with Mario characters, weaponry, and lots of opportunities to ruin your friend's race.
The original game wasn't even intended to be a Mario game. Before Mario was behind the wheel, Nintendo had been working on a multiplayer kart racer. It was a match made in heaven.
Participants could choose from eight characters and races across 24 colorful tracks, gathering items to attack opponents. Bananas, shells, and the Star soon became as important as being fast, and two-player Battle Mode gave friends another reason to argue over who was cheating.
From 16-Bit Experiment to Mario Kart World
Super Mario Kart was also technically impressive for its day. Nintendo used the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 technology to rotate and scale the tracks, creating the illusion of three-dimensionality. It looks primitive by today's standards, but back in 1992 it made the game feel quite different from other racers.
The formula was nearly indestructible. Mario Kart 64 was the first to bring the series into 3D, Double Dash!! introduced two-character teams, Mario Kart Wii added motion controls, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe became one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch .
The latest entry, Mario Kart World, arrived for the Nintendo Switch 2 in June 2025 and takes the series a lot further. Instead of just picking a track and racing, players can explore a massive connected world, drive between locations, and compete in new modes like Knockout Tour. The game is still being updated by Nintendo; the latest update was released in June 2026.
That's a pretty big evolution for a series that started with tiny 16-bit karts on the SNES.
And despite all the technological upgrades, the basic idea is almost exactly the same. Choose your character, learn the course, grab some items, and try not to scream when someone hits you with a Blue Shell right before the finish line.
That's probably why Super Mario Kart still matters. It wasn't just another racing game. It created a formula that Nintendo has been refining for over 30 years without sacrificing the chaotic fun that made the original so special.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
