Infographic: Mario Kart character evolution
The Mario Kart series is the face of its genre. Dating all the way back to the SNES, the series has enjoyed far more releases than any of its rival series, bringing something new and exciting to the table with each new entry. One key indicator of the series’ evolution is its ever-expanding roster.
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Mario Kart Characters
Super Mario Kart
At the beginning, there was Super Mario Kart. A nervous foray into a fledgling genre, the game made the most of the basics, focusing purely on fun, energetic kart racing. The roster was similarly basic. Eight of the series’ most central characters pulled its weight, and they did well. Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong Jr., Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Wario, and Bowser. An all-star cast for the very beginning of a series that would soon take the gaming world by storm.
Mario Kart 64 & Super Circuit
That core cast served the series well over the next couple of installments. The ever-popular Mario Kart 64 online and the franchise’s first portable entry, Mario Kart: Super Circuit both saw no need to update the roster (beyond swapping Donkey Kong Jr. out for Donkey Kong).
Mario Kart Double Dash!!
With Mario Kart Double Dash, though, the franchise began its tradition of entry-by-entry innovation, and the developers saw fit that the roster should evolve alongside the gameplay. With new racers such as Petey Piranha, Baby Mario and Luigi, Birdo, and even Koopa Troopa, the 20-character rotation more than doubled the size of previous rosters. For the first time, a Mario Kart roster grew beyond just the core representatives of the series, opening up new avenues for showcasing every corner of Super Mario’s widespread cast of colorful characters.
Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS lagged a bit behind Mario Kart Double Dash, but still had thirteen racers of its own. Waluigi and Daisy joined the original eight, having become staples after their participation in many Mario sports and Party games. Dry Bones ensured that Bowser’s minions were represented, while a download-play-only Shy Guy and R.O.B. rounded out the DS roster.
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii was the biggest Mario Kart yet, with room for twelve racers per track, new vehicle types, and much more, including the series’ largest roster yet. With 25 racers, the game found room plenty of Double Dash’s finest, like Birdo and King Boo, welcomed new stars like Super Mario Galaxy’s Rosalina and the iconic Miis, and expanded representation for series like Donkey Kong by tossing in Diddy Kong and Funky Kong.
Mario Kart 7
Limited by portable hardware, Mario Kart 7 reigned the roster back to a respectable 17 racers, but still covered a wide swath of Super Mario. The staples were all there, joined by common enemies like Wiggler, variants like Metal Mario, and former background characters like Lakitu.
Mario Kart 8 & Deluxe
Meanwhile, Mario Kart 8 and its Switch port pulled the roster back into rapid expansion. The original Wii U release enjoyed thirty characters, including a whole nursery’s worth of Baby racers and all seven of Bowser’s notorious Koopalings. With the franchise’s first-ever roster DLC, characters from beyond Super Mario and his related acts finally joined the fray, and by the time Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rolled around with a staggering 42 characters, Link, Splatoon Inklings, and Animal Crossing villagers had all proved that they could race with the best of them.