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53-459: Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the Mario franchise developed and published by Nintendo . Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items . It features characters and courses mostly from the Mario series as well as other gaming franchises such as The Legend of Zelda , Animal Crossing , F-Zero , Excitebike , and Splatoon . The series

106-593: A GameCube -shape controller. Many racer figurines have been made. Sound Drops were inspired by Mario Kart Wii with eight sounds including the Spiny Shell and the race start countdown. A land-line telephone features Mario holding a lightning bolt while seated in his kart. K'Nex released Mario Kart Wii , Mario Kart 7 , and Mario Kart 8 sets. LINE has released an animated sticker set with 24 stickers based on Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe . Nintendo's own customer rewards program Club Nintendo released

159-502: A Mario Kart 8 soundtrack, a Mario Kart Wii -themed stopwatch , and three gold trophies modeled after those in Mario Kart 7 . Before Club Nintendo, a Mario Kart 64 soundtrack was offered by mail. In 2014, McDonald's released Mario Kart 8 toys with Happy Meals . In 2018, Monopoly Gamer features a Mario Kart themed board game with courses from Mario Kart 8 serving as properties, ten playable characters as tokens (pingas) and

212-520: A podcast version of Nintendo Power was launched, which ran until 2023. It was hosted by Chris Slate, the former Editor-in-Chief of the magazine. The podcast is on hiatus as of 2024. Nintendo Fun Club News preceded Nintendo Power as a newsletter sent to club members for free. In mid-1988 it was discontinued after seven issues in favor of Nintendo Power . The new magazine was founded by Nintendo of America marketing manager Gail Tilden in 1988. The first issue, dated July/August 1988, spotlights

265-632: A default character name such as in To the Earth . The original NES release of Dragon Warrior references both Howard and Nester through character dialog, however this was removed in the later Game Boy Color version. He is mentioned in one line of dialogue in the game StarTropics . A DLC microgame in WarioWare D.I.Y. created by Nintendo Power called Funky Boxing (a loose reference to Nester's Funky Bowling ) does not have any apparent references to

318-498: A podcast, using the original logo design. The magazine was founded by Gail Tilden with support from Nintendo's first Fun Club "President" Howard Phillips , himself an avid gamer. While the Fun Club News focused solely on games made in-house by Nintendo, Nintendo Power was created to allow for reviews of games produced by those licensed by Nintendo, such as Konami , Capcom , and the like. Nintendo Power ' s mascot in

371-454: A revamped "Community" section. Nintendo introduced a new incentive promotional offer that involved the registration of three Nintendo (or Nintendo affiliated) products through Nintendo.com to receive a free three issue trial subscription to Nintendo Power . Later, the magazine changed its focus from game strategies and cheat codes to mainly news, previews, and articles on upcoming games. On September 19, 2007, Nintendo officially announced that

424-569: A special die with power-ups. In 2019, Hot Wheels released Mario Kart sets of cars and tracks. In commemoration of Mario Day celebrations for March 10, 2021, Hot Wheels also released a Mario Kart track set based on Rainbow Road on June 24, 2021. In 2020, for the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary , Cold Stone Creamery released Mario themed desserts including a Rainbow Road themed ice cream cake , from September 30 to December 15. In September 2016, Nintendo filed an objection against

477-562: A variety of modes. The following five modes recur most often in the series: The debut game in the Mario Kart series was Super Mario Kart released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992. Its development was overseen by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto , the Japanese designer of many successful Nintendo games including Super Mario Bros. Darran Jones of NowGamer suggests that

530-602: A very short Metroid Prime comic, and another story based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games translated from the original Japanese version. Nintendo Power produced a series of strategy magazines called Official Guides from Nintendo Power , beginning with The Official Nintendo Player's Guide . After Nintendo Power switched from a bi-monthly magazine to a monthly magazine in May 1990, some issues were positioned as strategy guides for single games replacing

583-468: Is also expected to be built in Epic Universe 's version of Super Nintendo World. Starting with its 2018–19 season , electric open wheel racing series Formula E added a so-called "attack mode", which allows a driver to gain a temporary speed boost if they take an alternate lane (highlighted on television via augmented reality computer graphics ). The concept has been described by members of

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636-421: Is critically acclaimed. Nintendo Power named it one of the greatest multiplayer experiences, citing the diversity in game modes and the entertainment value. Guinness World Records listed six records set by the Mario Kart series, including "First Console Kart Racing Game", "Best Selling Racing Game", and "Longest Running Kart Racing Franchise". Guinness World Records ranked Super Mario Kart number 1 of

689-420: Is often considered as the pioneer of kart racing series, and is the most successful in the genre, topping other popular games such as Diddy Kong Racing . Though the genre seems to have been the most popular among developers during the 1990s, Mario Kart DS (2005), and Mario Kart Wii (2008) became two of the best-selling kart racing games. In the late 2010s, Mario Kart 8 and its Deluxe port became

742-474: Is seen again in issue #231, the magazine's twentieth anniversary, here a grown man with a son new to Nintendo. Nester's final appearance in Nintendo Power is in the final issue, Volume 285, in a comic titled "Nester & Max", where he is seen reading and lamenting the final issue. Nester is featured in a few video games that were released while the character was in the magazine. His first appearance

795-626: Is the best-selling Wii U game at 8.46 million total copies sold. It was the fastest-selling Wii U game with 1.2 million copies shipped in North America and Europe combined on its first few days since launch, until Super Smash Bros. for Wii U . The enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch , Mario Kart 8 Deluxe , is the fastest-selling game in the series with 459,000 units sold in the United States in one day of its launch. It

848-535: Is the highest-selling Nintendo Switch game with a total of 57.01 million copies worldwide, outperforming the Wii U version. Both versions have a combined total of 65.47 million copies sold, making it the best-selling game in the series, and also the best selling Mario game as a whole. The handheld games are commercial successes. Mario Kart: Super Circuit is the fourth-best-selling Game Boy Advance game at 5.9 million copies. The second portable game, Mario Kart DS ,

901-468: Is the second-best-selling game for the Nintendo 64 (behind Super Mario 64 ), at 9.87 million copies. Mario Kart: Double Dash is the second-best-selling GameCube game (next to Super Smash Bros. Melee ) with 6.96 million copies sold. Mario Kart Wii is the second-best-selling in the series and is the second-best-selling Wii game (next to Wii Sports ) at 37.38 million copies. Mario Kart 8

954-655: Is the third-best-selling Nintendo DS game and the best-selling portable game in the series with a total of 23.6 million copies. Mario Kart 7 is the best-selling Nintendo 3DS game as of March 2023 at 18.98 million copies. The Mario Kart series has had a range of merchandise. This includes a slot car racer series based on Mario Kart DS : one set of which comes with Mario and Donkey Kong figures, with Wario and Luigi available separately. A line of radio-controlled karts are controlled by Game Boy Advance -shaped controllers, and feature Mario, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi. There are additional, larger karts which are radio-controlled by

1007-487: The Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride as their primary "anchor" attraction. Utilizing innovative augmented reality technology and dark ride set design, guests travel through several environments from Mario Kart 8 , including Rainbow Road . The Japan version of the attraction includes a Mario Kart themed shop called "Mario Motors", and a nearby "Pit Stop Popcorn" food stand. The Bowser's Challenge ride

1060-719: The Japan Patent Office dismissed the objection, ruling that MariCar was not widely recognized as an abbreviation of Mario Kart . In February 2017, Nintendo sued MariCar over copyright infringement for renting unauthorized costumes of Nintendo characters and using their images to promote its business. In September 2018, MariCar was ordered to stop using the characters and pay Nintendo ¥10 million in damages. Universal Destinations & Experiences ' immersive Super Nintendo World areas in Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood feature

1113-569: The NES game Super Mario Bros. 2 . Of this issue, 3.6 million copies were published, with every member of the Nintendo Fun Club receiving a free copy. From the beginning, Nintendo Power focuses heavily on providing game strategy, reviews, and previews of upcoming games. In mid-1998, Nintendo Power first allowed outside advertising in the magazine, formerly reserved for Nintendo-based products only. In its early years, ads only appeared in

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1166-554: The American subsidiary of British publisher Future plc . Its 24-year production run is one of the longest of all video game magazines in the United States and Canada. On August 21, 2012, Nintendo announced that it would not be renewing its licensing agreement with Future Publishing, and that Nintendo Power would cease publication in December. The final issue, volume 285, was released on December 11, 2012. On December 20, 2017,

1219-628: The Internet. The hotline was revived as automated messages, from November 11 to November 13, 2016, in celebration of the release of the NES Classic Edition . During 2001, Nintendo Power released a spin-off semi-magazine named Nintendo Power Advance , featuring the Game Boy Advance and its games. The first issue was complimentary for subscribers, and sold at newsstands. Four issues of Nintendo Power Advance were printed,

1272-698: The Japanese company MariCar, which rents go-karts modified for use on public roads in Tokyo along with costumes resembling Nintendo characters. MariCar's English website warned customers not to throw "banana peels" or "red turtle shells". The service is popular with tourists. Nintendo argued that the MariCar name was "intended to be mistaken for or confused with" Mario Kart , citing games commonly known by abbreviations in Japan, such as Pokémon (for Pocket Monsters ) and Sumabura ( Super Smash Bros. ). In January 2017,

1325-607: The Past . After these stories ended, they were replaced by similar multi-issue stories based on Star Fox , Super Metroid , and later, Nintendo 64 games such as Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Blast Corps . It had several comics based on the animated series of Pokémon and Kirby: Right Back at Ya! . Toward the end, it included short excerpts based on Custom Robo and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes . It included

1378-522: The best-selling racing video game of all time. The kart racing mobile game GKART / QQ Speed (2010), which was heavily inspired by Mario Kart , became one of the highest-grossing mobile games. A notable recent addition to the genre is Smash Kart (2023). It's a kart racing game. It combines traditional racing with combat and customizable karts. Smash Kart aims to please both competitive and casual gamers. It has dynamic tracks and fun online multiplayer. Critics praised it, comparing it to classic games in

1431-439: The character, but if the game is opened in the editor, the player's boxer is named "NESTER". On December 20, 2017, Nintendo of America announced the official return of Nintendo Power as a podcast, hosted by former Editor-in-Chief of the original magazine, Chris Slate. In the first episode, Slate states that the podcast was a "passion project" for Nintendo and that he wanted Nintendo Power to return. He also acknowledged that

1484-520: The clock in a Time Trial mode. In multiplayer mode, two players can simultaneously take part in the cups or can race against each other one-on-one in Match Race mode. In a third multiplayer mode – Battle Mode – the aim is to defeat the other players by attacking them with power-ups, destroying balloons which surround each kart. Each new game has introduced new gameplay elements, such as new circuits, items, modes, and playable characters. Each game has

1537-457: The course. These power-ups vary across games in the series, but generally include Mushrooms to give players a speed boost, Red and Green Shells to be thrown at opponents, Banana Peels, and hazards such as Fake Item Boxes. The game selects an item based on the player's current position in the race, utilising a mechanism known as rubber banding . For example, players lagging far behind may receive more powerful items such as Bullet Bills , which give

1590-447: The distinct trait or personality of the character driving it. Kart racing games are a more arcade-like experience than other racing games and usually offer over-the-top gameplay in which player characters can shoot projectiles against one another, collect power-ups to gain advantage, or perform special techniques to gain a speed boost. Typically, in such games, vehicles move more like go-karts and scooters , lacking anything along

1643-513: The expense of writer Chris Shepperd. During the early 1990s, the magazine undertook a unique and powerful promotion: giving away a free copy of the NES game Dragon Warrior ( Dragon Quest in Japan) to every new subscriber. The Dragon Quest series had been a huge hit in Japan, and Nintendo had hoped the localized North American release would also be a success and promote the RPG genre. However,

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1696-440: The first and last few pages of the magazine, leaving no ads to break up the magazine's editorial content. In July 2005, Nintendo Power introduced a new design to appeal to a limited gaming audience, including a new logo and article format. Along with the cosmetic overhaul came a greater focus on Nintendo fans, staff reviews, rumor-milling, and fan service including an expanded and enhanced reader mail segment (known as "Pulse") and

1749-512: The first kart racing game to implement combat elements within races. The game was also slower than other racing games of the time due to hardware limitations, prompting its developers to use a go-kart theme. Since then, many kart racing games have been released, with franchises such as Nicktoons and South Park featuring such games. The Crash Bandicoot franchise in particular (starting with Crash Team Racing in 1999) consists of numerous kart racing video games. The Mario Kart series

1802-505: The format of that episode was experimental and that the frequency of the series' episodes hasn't been determined. Later in the episode, Slate interviews the developers of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and discusses the Nintendo Switch . On May 12, 2023, an episode based on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released. In it, Chris Slate announced that the episode

1855-476: The game had not sold nearly as well as Nintendo had anticipated, leaving the company with a large number of unsold cartridges. The promotion both helped the company get rid of the unsold merchandise, and won the magazine thousands of new subscribers. Following the release of the Super NES , the magazine featured lengthy, continuous comic strips based on Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to

1908-492: The genre. They also noted its unique, fresh elements that set it apart. Nintendo Power Nintendo Power was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America , first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Nintendo of America, then independently, and in December 2007 contracted to Future US ,

1961-483: The guides. However, only four such issues were produced before Nintendo outsourced production of official guides to Prima Games . The Nintendo Power Line was a staffed hotline providing gameplay hints about Nintendo consoles, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System . It ran from the publishing of the first issue publication of Nintendo Power in 1988 until June 2010, closing in favor of

2014-547: The large magazine publisher Future US would begin publishing Nintendo Power . The company's first official issue was released in October, as issue #222 (December 2007). It was also revealed that circulation would be increased to 13 issues a year, with the extra magazine being a holiday season bonus issue. Nintendo Power stopped making the Bonus issue in 2011. On August 21, 2012, Nintendo announced that it had opted not to renew

2067-494: The last of which is a strategy guide for Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 . With the release of Pokémon for the Game Boy in 1998, Nintendo Power includes six mini-issues of Pokémon Power mainly featuring tips and strategies for the game. In 1989, a smaller version of the magazine called Pocket Power was distributed at movie theaters showing The Wizard . Nester is the mascot of Nintendo Power . Nester

2120-488: The late 1980s and early 1990s was Nester , character created by the staff at Work House, Japan who first appeared in the magazine's Howard and Nester comic strip . After Phillips left the company, Nester became the magazine's sole mascot. Early issues of the magazine featured a two-page Howard and Nester comic, which was later replaced with the two-page Nester's Adventures , later reduced to one page, and eventually dropped altogether. Subsequently, Mario replaced Nester as

2173-416: The licensing agreement with Future Publishing and that Nintendo Power would cease publication after 24 years. The final issue would be December 2012. Senior Editor, Chris Hoffman stated that his staff would "try to make the last issues memorable". Nintendo reportedly did not actively participate in discussions to continue the magazine online. Nintendo Power officially returned on December 20, 2017, as

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2226-405: The lines of a gear stick and clutch pedal . Kart racing games are distinct from and not to be confused with kart simulators, which is a minor subgenre of racing simulator games that simulates actual kart racing without over-the-top gameplay elements. Power Drift featured go-kart racing in 1988, but Super Mario Kart (1992) is cited to have popularized the kart racing genre, being

2279-512: The magazine as the "Nesters" in reference to the Oscars . In the June 1991 issue (Volume 25), Phillips was written out of the strip after his real-life counterpart left Nintendo to work for LucasArts . The strip was retitled Nester's Adventures the following issue and continued publication until Volume 55 (December 1993). Nester, now as a college student, appeared in Nintendo Power issue #100. He

2332-406: The mascot of the magazine. Later, during the early 2000s, the magazine made another mascot out of its Senior Writer, Alan Averill. Apparently very camera-shy, Averill himself never appeared in any photos; rather, he was represented by a plush toy of a Blue Slime from Dragon Quest . Fans often clamored to see what Averill actually looked like, but the magazine continued to substitute with photos of

2385-642: The player invincibility while auto-piloting them forward at great speed, while the leader of a race may only receive small defensive items, such as Shells or Bananas. This gameplay mechanism allows other racers a realistic chance to catch up to the leading racer. In the original game, Super Mario Kart , the player takes control of one of eight Mario series characters, each with differing capabilities. In single player mode, players can race against computer-controlled characters in 4 multi-race cups consisting of 20 tracks (5 in each cup) over three difficulty levels (50cc, 100cc and 150cc). Alternatively, players can race against

2438-457: The press and by series CEO Alejandro Agag as inspired by Mario Kart . Kart racing game Kart racing games are known to have simplified driving mechanics while adding obstacles, over-the-top racetrack designs, a wide range of background music and various action elements. Kart racers are also known to cast fictional characters, particularly from animated media franchises , as the drivers of vehicles with unusual designs, often reflecting

2491-518: The series have been sold worldwide. In the Mario Kart series, players compete in go-kart races , controlling one of a selection of characters, mainly from the Mario franchise. Up to twelve characters can compete in each race (varying per game). Players can perform driving techniques during the race such as rocket starts, slipstreaming , drifting , and mini-turbos. Gameplay is enhanced by power-up items obtained by driving into item boxes laid out on

2544-499: The success of Super Mario Kart resulted from the Super Mario characters, and being a new type of racing game. In January 2022, Serkan Toto, an industry analyst for GamesIndustry.biz indicated that a new entry in the Mario Kart series (referred to colloquially by some as Mario Kart 10 , Mario Kart X , or Mario Kart 9 ) was "in active development" at Nintendo. The game would feature "a new twist". The Mario Kart series

2597-628: The top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy. Super Mario Kart was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2019. Like the Super Mario series, the Mario Kart series is a commercial success with 178.19 million copies sold in total. It is currently the most successful racing game franchise of all time. Super Mario Kart is the fourth-best-selling Super Nintendo Entertainment System game with 8.76 million copies sold. Mario Kart 64

2650-493: The toy, and even claimed that Alan was, in fact, a Blue Slime. Eventually, Averill retired from Nintendo Power , joining Nintendo of America's localization department. To this day, most fans have never seen a real image of Averill. The inclusion of a photo of Mr. T in the Player's Pulse section became a running gag in the early half of 2005. Late in the magazine's life, running gags centered on Chuck Norris references and jokes at

2703-659: Was as a commentator in NES Play Action Football . Other appearances include the ending of To the Earth . Nester is the main character in Nester's Funky Bowling for the Virtual Boy , which also introduces his sister Hester. The character of Lark in Pilotwings 64 for the Nintendo 64 was based on Nester. Several NES games feature the name "NESTER" as one of the pre-set names on high-score lists, or

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2756-418: Was created by Howard Phillips , "President" of the Nintendo Fun Club and a former editor of Nintendo Power , to be the supporting character in his comic strip, Howard & Nester . The comic strips generally advertised new games, often by dream sequences where Nester was actually a given video game character. From 1989 to 1993, The Nintendo Power Awards featured Nester-shaped trophies and were referred to in

2809-461: Was launched in 1992 with Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), to critical and commercial success. The Mario Kart series totals fifteen games, with seven on home consoles, three on handheld consoles, four arcade games co-developed with Namco , and one for mobile phones. The latest game in the series, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit , was released on the Nintendo Switch in October 2020. Over 178.19 million copies in

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