The insane staying power of Mario Kart (and 3 lessons brands can learn from it)

It's wild how a 33-year-old franchise can release a new game in the ripe year of 2025, yet still manage to lead the pack.

When I heard about the recent release of Mario Kart World, I thought two things:

1. I can’t wait to download that on my Switch

2. Holy sh*t this game has existed for what feels like forever.

In today’s world, with the insane amount of high-quality graphic games at our fingertips, it almost feels like Mario Kart shouldn’t still be relevant. It was born in the early 90s. It’s chaotic, borderline absurd, and its weapons of choice include bananas and flying shells. Yet every time Nintendo releases a new version, it sells like crazy and captures hearts like it’s the first time.

There’s a reason for that - and no, it’s not nostalgia.

Mario Kart is so much more than a video game. It’s a brand with real cultural gravity. Not because it follows trends, but because it understands its people. It knows how to create joy, friction, and connection. In a world where brands often burn fast and fade faster, Mario Kart offers a blueprint for longevity.

Here are 3 concepts the franchise undertakes to keep itself relevant - not just for a quarter or a console generation, but for a lifetime.

1. Cultural intelligence over cultural relevance 

Mario Kart has never chased culture, but shaped it. It doesn’t need influencer collabs or a pop-up on Fairfax to feel current. Its relevance comes from the way it’s embedded into people’s lives. It’s a reference point, a shared memory, a common language. For many, it goes beyond gaming - it’s a social ritual. This is what makes it powerful. While many brands scramble to jump on the next trend, Mario Kart opts for timeless over timely. It’s familiar, but not static. Fresh, but never trying too hard.

This is cultural intelligence in action: a deep understanding of how people behave, relate, and make meaning. And that kind of understanding can’t be faked or fast-tracked. Mario Kart is a shared language, a connector, a nostalgia trip and a flex of joy in the now. It’s what cultural strategist Ana Andjelic might call a “meaning system”: it gives people identity, ritual, and relationship.

2. Freedom within structure is the sweet spot 

Mario Kart harnesses a rare, controlled kind of chaos. Every race feels unpredictable: a beginner can easily beat a seasoned player and the lead can flip in seconds. But none of it feels unfair - it feels alive. That’s because Mario Kart is built on a delicate balance: freedom of play, inside a tightly calibrated system.

The mechanics are designed to keep people engaged, whether they’re competitive or casual. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it never overwhelms. There’s strategy, but no steep learning curve. It’s accessible without ever being boring. That’s the genius of it: the illusion of total freedom within a very intentional framework.

3. Social by design, not just by platform 

Mario Kart is built for connection. At its core, it’s a game about other people! Even when you’re playing alone, the format, tension and joy of racing all feels social. The tension is social. It’s not just a game about winning, but who you beat, how it happened, and what you screamed while doing it.

It’s the experience of playing it with other people: the borderline abuse of your friends, the betrayal of you tossing a blue shell their way. Even solo, the game simulates that energy. The AI "racers" mimics real players, they react and know how to keep pace with one-another. And all of it is designed to be watched, talked about, and passed around.

Mario Kart isn’t still loved because it’s the perfect brand.

It’s around because it understands people want to experience connection, play, joy and competition. And it's successfully delivered that across decades, devices, and generations.

From the franchise's long-term success, there are 3 deep, strategic lessons brands and marketers can take away:

1. Don’t chase the algorithm or cultural trends. Build cultural texture, build something that matters in people’s lives. Create your own rituals, references, and language. Be the brand people return to, not just the one they scroll past.

2. Build worlds, not just assets. Give your audience room to play, remix, and participate: but give them clear rules, symbols, and emotional boundaries. People want autonomy, but they also want to feel held. When you get that balance right, you build loyalty that lasts.

3. Make things that are fun to live through together. Whether it’s a product, a campaign, or a community, ask yourself what it feels like in a group setting. Build with participation in mind, not just consumption. Design for shared experience.

Too many brands confuse being “on social media” with being social. But Mario Kart proves the power of designing with people in mind not just as end users, but as participants in a shared experience.

-Sophie Randell, Writer