Best Mario Kart Games Ranked, According to Metacritic

Since Nintendo released Super Mario Kart in 1992, fans have flocked to the kart racer. With that in mind, it wasn’t a surprise when the developer revealed Mario Kart World as the marquee game in the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch lineup. That said, the franchise hasn’t always been at the top of its game. There have been a few duds in the mix over the years. Here are the best Mario Kart games, as ranked by Metacritic.

Before diving into the rankings, it’s important to note that Metacritic doesn’t have a rating for Super Mario Kart as it released long before game reviews were widespread. If it were included, it would be toward the top of this list, but we’ve excluded it from these rankings on a technicality. Now, on to the rankings.

10) Mario Kart Tour – 59 Metascore

Mario Kart Tour launched on mobile devices in 2019 after Nintendo saw success with Fire Emblem Heroes. The gacha-based game scored poorly with critics, but was financially a positive for Nintendo. Nintendo removed the gacha mechanics in 2022 and stopped releasing new updates in 2023. As of 2021, over 200 million players had downloaded the mobile game.

9) Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit – 75 Metascore

Home Circuit tried to mix real-life playsets and radio-controlled cars with video games. The mixed reality game was moderately successful, selling well over a million units. However, it certainly didn’t light the world on fire.

8) Mario Kart Wii – 82 Metascore

Despite being on the low end for Metacritic scores, Mario Kart Wii sold 37 million copies. Most of that has to do with the Wii’s popularity. Still, the game’s online multiplayer and addition of motorcycles proved popular with fans and critics alike. We could do without the motion controls, though.

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7) Mario Kart 64 – 83 Metascore

Mario Kart 64 is the second-best-selling game on the Nintendo 64 and a fan-favorite amongst Nintendo fans. However, the game wasn’t without its detractors, with many reviewers lamenting the rubberband difficulty that the series has since become infamous for. Still, it has several classic levels and a great Battle Mode.

6) Mario Kart 7 – 85 Metascore

Mario Kart has proven to work as well on the go as it does on the big screen, but Mario Kart 7 was seen by many as taking a step back by not taking a step forward. It’s not a bad game, but many reviewers felt Nintendo was playing it too safe, and the small roster left some feeling slighted.

5) Mario Kart: Double Dash!! – 87 Metascore

If Mario Kart 7 played it safe, Double Dash went the other direction. Players control two riders in single-player, while in co-op, one person drives and the other uses items to take out the other racers. Add in the new drifting mechanics, and you have a cult classic that many remember as their favorite in the franchise.

4) Mario Kart 8 – 88 Metascore

The core racing in Mario Kart 8 is some of the best in the franchise. There’s still the lingering issue of its rubberband difficulty, but it doesn’t get much better than this. However, the Battle Mode is one of the weakest in the history of the franchise and was heavily criticized by reviewers.

3) Mario Kart DS – 91 Metascore

On the other hand, Mario Kart DS has some of the best multiplayer offerings, whether in Battle or Versus Mode. Critics levied complaints about its repetitive single-player offerings, but still called Mario Kart DS one of the must-play games on the system. Fans agreed, as more than 23 million copies were sold.

2) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 92 Metascore

Take everything you knew about Mario Kart 8 and make it better. Deluxe looks and plays better, sure, but this improvement is across the board. Nintendo even revamped Battle Mode, remedying one of the major complaints. As of 2024, Deluxe has sold nearly 64 million units, making it one of the best-selling games of all time.

1) Mario Kart: Super Circuit – 93 Metascore

Super Circuit was developed by Intelligent Systems, the team behind the Paper Mario series. At the time, reviewers praised the Game Boy Advance game’s replay value via the ghost mode. They also loved the Battle Mode and multiplayer offerings. In the years since, critics have re-examined the game, saying that it lacked much innovation, but in 2001, fans and reviewers were in love with Super Circuit.