Mario Kart is a game absolutely chock-full of memeable moments, from the debut SNES title all the way up until Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch. With countless clips of the blue-shells from hell knocking out longtime race leaders, to the weird and wonderful world of Waluigi Wiggler Wednesday, there’s enough content for endless YouTube compilations, the occasional viral Tweet, and of course, Reddit.
So, we’ve brought together the cream of the crop when it comes to Mario Kart memes, with only the finest videos we could find on YouTube making it into this list. With Mario being the pop culture powerhouse he is, there’s some pretty crazy creations out there, from a certain Alberquerque chemistry teacher popping up in Rainbow Road, to HBO’s own Tony Soprano trying his luck on the same track, you can never really know what to anticipate.
For those who want their Mario memes with less required watching from the pantheon of modern U.S. dramas, there’s also plenty of classic in-game hijinks that don’t need a cameo to provide a few laughs. We’ve even included a little memeworthy musical number too, with a tribute to the iconic Coconut Mall.
The best Mario Kart memes
If you spent any time on gaming Twitter during August 2022, then you’re probably familiar with Walter White’s madcap dash through Rainbow Road, but even if you have, it’s always worth repeating. It has to be said, I don’t make much of Heisenberg’s drifting technique here, and he’s probably deserving of the eventual blue shell for that alone (though I don’t doubt Jessie has his own reasons).
Staying with immoral icons of American television, Super Soprano Kart is up next, a meme with the same core concept as the last, but this time it’s Tony Soprano battling it out with his extended families – that being actual family and crime family – to make it to the end of Rainbow Road (or Rainbow Turnpike as it’s been changed to here). Just like the last, it’s a finely tuned meme, and one well worthy of your attention.
There’s nothing sweeter for those who have been on the end of a badly time blue shell than watching others have to go through that same pain. For that reason, we couldn’t put together a list of Mario Kart memes without including our favourite blue shell compilation, with some truly tragic last lap highlights on offer.
If you couldn’t tell from the first two entries, we love a good Mario Kart meme with some pop culture stuffed in there, but this next one takes it to another level. Strangely titled Mario Kart Mukbang, despite there being no food on show, features the Rock, Professor Valerie Felicity Frizzle of the Magic Bus, Spiderman’s Ned Leeds, Obi-Wan and Anakin, Tyler the Creator, and even more memeable characters. Words don’t do it justice, so just watch for yourself.
Mario Kart through the lens of Spongebob Squarepants is up next. Need I say more?
Finally, we’ll round this list off with a meme that isn’t actually inside of Mario Kart, but might still be the best on this list. YouTuber and musician Joe Jenkins took to his local mall with a moving piano, and a few friends to help out, as he karted around the place belting out the classic Coconut Mall theme on keys. It takes some serious skill to play piano while turbo drifting, so we have to respect Joe for that.
With that, we’re just about out of Mario Kart memes for now, but with more tracks on the way as part of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC offering, we hope to see many more to come. For some other games filled with fast corners and daring drifts, see our picks for the best Switch racing games.
