Mario Kart (MK)
Mario Kart has a long and storied history. Whether you are convinced that the series peaked on the Super NES, or the motion controls of Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel is the series' purest expression of speed, odds are that one of the entries in this influential saga has a place in your heart.
The Story
The first, Super Mario Kart, had eight characters, twenty tracks, and something called a "Mode 7" graphics chip. Who could possibly resist the opportunity to pit Mario versus Bowser in the most ridiculous imaginable scenario: on the race track. While now it seems ingrained in stone, the idea that "kart-racing" would ever be a known and respected videogame genre must have seemed absurd.
The first, Super Mario Kart, had eight characters, twenty tracks, and something called a "Mode 7" graphics chip. Who could possibly resist the opportunity to pit Mario versus Bowser in the most ridiculous imaginable scenario: on the race track. While now it seems ingrained in stone, the idea that "kart-racing" would ever be a known and respected videogame genre must have seemed absurd.
After the mediocre reception of MK for the Gamecube, Nintendo pushed the series to new heights of interactivity with MK Wii. Intended to be played with the MK Wii Wheel, this iteration introduced motion-sensitive steering. MK with wheel has been one of the Nintendo Wii's breakout hits. For nearly twenty years people have been enjoying the combination of skill and reflexes inherent in the fast-paced MK games, from the series beginning to MK for Wii. Getting ahead was never so much about MK codes, but MK skills. For that purity, the Mario Kart series is sure to be remembered.