Everyone says that Mario Kart 64 hasn't aged well at all (which is true), but I go even further than that. Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Super Circuit have also aged terribly. SMK has probably aged the worst because CPUs can use items whenever they want. The Mario Kart series didn't get good until Double Dash.

@xianc78 I still think 8(DX) is the pinnacle of the series.

@beardalaxy I don't. I haven't played the Wii U version, but I know the Switch version has mostly everything unlocked by default and that's no fun. Though I haven't downloaded the DLC, so maybe that would change my view.

@xianc78 i can't remember if it does or not, i'm pretty sure i had to unlock a decent amount of stuff and i am still unlocking random stuff like wheels and vehicles whenever i play. maybe all the stages and characters are unlocked by default but the vehicles/parts aren't?

either way, i put them in the same category because the DLC is absolutely massive and really adds a lot to the game, and the addition of a second item slot really makes things more interesting. buuuuttt, the wii u version's got fire hopping and demon sliding so it can make the actual racing way more fun if you know how to do it. overall though i'd say DX is the better package.

i think double dash and wii are just fine, but i don't like the way they feel in terms of racing nearly as much as 8. world's racing is great but the rest of the game is kind of cheeks.

@beardalaxy There is just no way I am going to memorize all those vehicle parts and try to find the best combination. It's just a waste of my time.

I still haven't played MKW. I was expecting the open world to be something like the RPG mode in Mario Tennis/Golf for the GBC, but from what I've heard it's basically just the missions from Mario Kart DS, but you select them via a hub world.

@xianc78 @beardalaxy
Shameful that it took you two this long to mention Mario Kart DS, the actual best Mario Kart game.
- You actually steer your kart. The series had fishtailing steering up to and including Double Dash.
- Karts have stats (visible stats! in a Nintendo game from the 00s!) and you can put different racers in different karts, allowing limited customizability without burdensome number crunching.
- You can unlock characters and karts but they aren't excessive about it.
- Snaking exists, allowing a modicum of skill to be prevalent in races. DS is also the final game before Mario Kart Wii introduced tricks, which was a feature that ruined track design and topology for every game past it (and which often slows you down unless you're autistic and follow a particular line).
- The tracks are fun.
- The music is great.
- The minimap is actually relevant, both for navigating the course (especially when inked from a squid) and for checking your exact position in the pack.