Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart was one of those Flash games you'd find on a website in the early 2000s. It was a simple, browser based take on the Mario Kart idea, made for a quick play during a break. The graphics were basic, with flat tracks and familiar characters rendered in a chunky, pixelated style that loaded almost instantly.

You pick a character like Mario or Luigi and drive a kart around a short, looping track. The main goal is to finish first against a few computer opponents. You steer with the arrow keys, trying to stay on the road while other karts bump into you. Pressing a key lets you fire items you pick up from question blocks scattered on the course; these might be shells or bananas to slow down the racers ahead of you. The races are fast and a little slippery, making tight turns tricky to handle. It feels like a stripped down, frantic version of a kart race where a single mistake can cost you the lead.