Mario Kart (series)

The Mario Kart Series is a major franchise in the video game world. It features many different characters from the Mario world as they race to the finish line on unique and different tracks (compared to other racing titles) as they toss plenty of items at you and other opponents. The first game in the series was Super Mario Kart for the SNES. The first game in the series to go on Wi-Fi was Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS. The next Wi-Fi Mario Kart was Mario Kart Wii for the Wii.

History
The Mario Kart series debuted on the SNES with the release of Super Mario Kart. The game is considered the foundation of the Kart genre, which has spawned hundreds of video games, most of which star popular characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man and Mickey Mouse.

The next installment appeared on the Nintendo 64, thus introducing the series to an improved 3D engine and various new characters such as Donkey Kong and Wario. The series' first handheld game was with Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! brought two characters for each kart. Probably the most dramatic update to the series was with Mario Kart DS, which allowed players to compete online with each other. Pac-Man and a few other Namco characters appeared in the first and second arcade Mario Kart video games, and the Wii Wheel is included with Mario Kart Wii.