In celebration of Mario’s 35th anniversary, a survey has been published on the UK’s Mario Kart habits. Conducted by UK fueld additive and car performance brand, Redex, the survey asked UK gamers a number of questions regarding the Mario Kart racing sub-series, including favorite characters and stages, most annoying items, and more. The survey revealed tons of interesting information regarding how players enjoy Mario Kart games.
Protagonist Mario and his love interest Princess Peach tied for the character most fans enjoyed playing as, each receiving 11% of the vote. Other popular characters included Yoshi, Toad, Baby Peach, and Luigi. One guest character, the female villager from Animal Crossing, also appeared on the list with 3% of the vote.
Series mainstay Rainbow Road topped the charts for most popular course, despite its well-known difficulty and the ease with which players can fall off the infamously narrow track. Other high-scoring courses included the peaceful Moo Moo Meadows, the brightly colored and chaotic Waluigi Pinball, and the tropical Peach Beach.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its original version Mario Kart 8 both scored highly, being crowned fans’ favorite game and third favorite game respectively while Mario Kart Wii placed second. Unsurprisingly for Mario devotees, the classic 1992 Super Mario Kart placed fourth on the list, beating a number of modern titles.
Redex asked players to name both their favorite and least favorite/most annoying items in the games. Surprisingly, the simple Mushroom, with its reliable short-term speed boost, was voted the most loved item. The most annoying item was the aggressive Bullet Bill, with the slippery Banana coming in second. This came as less as a surprise – absolutely nobody likes to get knocked off course by running over a wayward banana peel.
Finally, the survey asked a number of questions regarding gamers’ play habits and feelings about playing with others. Results included the following:
- 40% of respondents said that the most annoying thing about playing Mario Kart was falling off the course, with 25% saying being hit with items was more annoying
- 65% of players said that, when playing Mario Kart against a romantic partner, they would NOT let their partner win. Additionally, 65% said they would hit their partner with items to ensure that they would lose.
- Only 25% of survey respondents said that they considered themselves “skilled” at Mario Kart. 50% said they were “average,” while 25% said they felt they were “poor” players.
- 75% of players said that they have played Mario Kart more frequently due to the coronavirus pandemic
Do these survey results match up with your own Mario Kart playing habits? What are your favorite characters, stages and items? Let us know!
