Super Mario Kart Started Out as an F-Zero Multiplayer Mode

"Didn't include Mario or karts"

By Hope Corrigan

1992's Super Mario Kart was originally conceived as a multiplayer prototype for SNES launch title, F-Zero.

In an interview with Retro Gamer (via GamesRadar), original development team members Shigeru Miyamoto, Hideki Konno, and Tadashi Sugiyama explain how the fast-paced single-player title F-Zero transitioned into the iconic Super Mario Kart

"Our original plan didn’t include Mario or karts," they explain. "The game’s roots lie in one of the launch titles for the SNES: F-Zero. The game was designed for single-player gameplay because of our focus on getting across the sense of speed and the size of the courses.

"It was a prototype for a multiplayer version of F-Zero that ended up being the starting point for Super Mario Kart, and from there we went through a period of trial and error to find what worked.”

Although the two titles are similar, key differences such as the change in scale of environments “seemed a huge challenge”. However even in the development stages Hideki Konno admits to finding the addictive and fun essence of Mario Kart.

“I really played the game a lot during the adjustment and debug phases of the development”, he says. “Because of the strong competitive gameplay, once I started test playing I would get excited and start shouting out while I played. We aimed to create a game that’s fun to play with family, friends, with everyone".

With the latest title in the series Mario Kart 8 Deluxe receiving a 9.3 "Amazing" review from us, it seems that the titles are still succeeding in their original goal.

Hope Corrigan is a freelancer who always picks Yoshi. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch.

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