Mario Kart: Super Circuit

When Nintendo brought its racing legend to a handheld, many doubted that four buttons and no analog stick could ever handle controlled drifts. Mario Kart: Super Circuit swept those doubts away before the engines even quieted at the starting line. This game proved that the joy of drifting, banana peels and shells fits right into the palm of your hand.

Mechanically, Super Circuit stands firmly on the foundations laid by its predecessor Super Mario Kart on the SNES. The isometric view returns, using the pseudo-3D Mode 7 technique, which the Game Boy Advance handled surprisingly smoothly. The heart of the fun is the power-slide: hold the jump button in a corner, the kart breaks into a drift, and with the right timing you earn a short burst of speed. Add the classic set of items, four cups and three difficulties measured in engine sizes (50cc, 100cc, 150cc).

Development was handled by Intelligent Systems in collaboration with Nintendo, a team with a deep knowledge of the brand. The game launched as one of the first major titles for the Game Boy Advance in 2001, shortly after the console's release, and instantly became one of the reasons to pick up the handheld. Nintendo also added a bonus that became legendary: on top of twenty new tracks, the cartridge hides all the circuits from the original SNES game, unlockable by collecting coins.

It's this nostalgic layer that makes Super Circuit a bridge between generations. For many players it was the very first portable Mario Kart, and it defined expectations for the series' handheld entries for years to come. Multiplayer via link cable allowed races of up to four players, and a single cartridge was enough for the basic multiplayer game.

Critics welcomed the game warmly, and commercially it was a huge success, ranking among the platform's best-selling titles. Today Super Circuit is also available on newer devices through Nintendo Switch Online, so you can enjoy its retro charm legally without an original cartridge.

Why play: It's a pure-blooded handheld Mario Kart with great controls and a generous bonus in the form of the complete set of SNES tracks.