Super Mario Kart features a respectable 20 tracks spread across four cups. Like with other Nintendo EAD games at the time, it re-uses assets for tracks belonging to the same set, such as Mario Circuit 1 and Mario Circuit 2, to provide the most content possible within the hardware’s memory limits.
The developers wanted the game to feel like racing in an amusement park more so than just going around a go-kart track. While the colorful and imaginative Mario Bros. world gave them a more spirited and cartoony vibe than other, more serious racing games at the time, the reliance on Mode 7 prevented varying elevations in the courses. In this way, Super Mario Kart, more than any other entry in the series, almost has a pop-up book-esque aesthetic, further adding to its exceptional charm.
