Mario Kart Series Review (Nintendo)

There’s this old saying: thou does not know the true nature of their closest relatives till the illustrious quarters of Rainbow Road unsheathe their spoils. In other words, one does not simply know how far one would be willing to go in order to earn a podium finish, particularly when the conditions are perilous and bursting at the seams with razor sharp edges and nonsensical frills of a Skittles sort. And if the words Rainbow Road fail to resonate with you on a personal level, then congratulations — Mario Kart hasn’t dug its claws into you deep enough yet. If it does bring about some painful memories, then join the club, we’ve got jackets.

It’s common knowledge that, where most party games bring out the best in everyone, it’s series like Monopoly or Mario Kart that make every possible effort to rattle your cage and give you something to pull your hair out to. A banana peel on the track; a turtle shell fleeting around a bend faster than the speed of light; a densely packed manor with impossible geometry; a brother, a sister, or a four-year-old nephew, giggling at your expense as you squeeze the wheel and jackknife into eternal oblivion for the eight time in a row. Frankly, Mario Kart has a lot of tricks up its sleeve, some of which are pretty and bashful, some of which are downright outrageous and fodder for the feeble-minded rage quitter. I fall somewhere in the middle—between a rock and a hard place, often overjoyed to be a small part of it, but also as equally frustrated to be the brunt of the joke more often than not. But that’s Mario Kart — and you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, depending on the mood and the current status of your ego.

Say what you will about Mario Kart, but the fact is, no other karting series in the world has come quite as close to capturing that same level of excitement as, well, Rainbow Road and the likes. And not just with its courses, but with its instantly recognizable roster of characters, weapons, and technical innovations—a live mode that allows you to transform your own front room into a complex track, for example. The point is, where a lot of racing franchises have merely followed in the same dirt road as Mario Kart, it was Nintendo that helped to blaze the trail and formulate a blueprint that would, after a few major iterations, go on to revolutionize the genre and give players something to look forward to.

Suffice it to say that, of all the Nintendo IPs on the block, Mario Kart is one of the select few that has the timeless appeal to span countless installments across a wide spectrum of platforms. It’s also a series that doesn’t need to alter its DNA to produce a good reproductive model, so to speak, mainly due to the fact that, with the infrastructure and technology already there to fortify its genetic code, it can merrily incubate the same award-winning traits and still find fresh ways to evolve whilst retaining its core genes. To call it a cash cow with dried up udders just wouldn’t be an accurate description, what with the amount of tracks, characters, and quality of life upgrades that each new chapter brings to the table. It has always been the same idea — yet Nintendo continues to prove that old dogs can learn new tricks.

Of all the entries in the Mario Kart series, there isn’t just one that stands tall above the rest. On the one hand, you could argue that the earlier installments had a lot to offer in terms to generational appeal and nostalgic charm, whereas on the other hand you could argue that the newer chapters offer a lot more variety, particularly when it comes to tracks, weapons and tournaments. However you choose to slice it, Mario Kart has, and always will have that iconic feel that fans love to frequent. The buttery smooth drift mechanics; the colorful biomes and set pieces; and the competitive atmosphere that makes each boot feel both rigorously intense and oddly satisfying at the same time. Frankly, Mario Kart has kept to that theme since day one, despite having undergone vast changes to align with the times and appeal to technological advances.

If you’re looking for the best Mario Kart game on the market, then you won’t have to look too far to find a level playing field across most mainline installments. Consistency is key here, and if there’s one thing that Nintendo does better than most, it’s keeping to a strict standard of quality. In other words, you’re more or less spoilt for choice. For argument’s sake, though, we’ll leave you with this: if it’s a relentless PvP racing game that you’re hungry for, then you should consider taking a good ol’ gander at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, if not for its extensive track selection, then for its polished graphics and plethora of DLC and all-inclusive features. For everything else—a quick romp through the motions and the far corners of Rainbow Road, usually—seek comfort in Mario Kart World or one of the earlier chapters.

Verdict

If, for whatever reason, you’ve yet to get behind the wheel of a Mario Kart escapade and explore the highs and lows of the road, then you’re missing out on a whole bunch of genuinely exciting experiences. Take it with a grain of salt, mind you; it’s as equally tedious as it is fun — but that’s sort of the point. That said, if you’re looking for a party series that gets the blood flowing and the spirit of competition in motion, then you honestly needn’t carve any deeper than into the pits of Nintendo’s iconic racing saga. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll most definitely develop a lot of love-hate relationships with your closest friends. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Will you find a series that’s as engaging as it is ridiculous? Probably not, no.