Mario Kart Advance, Japanese version of Super Circuit. Same immediate fun and generous content, texts in Japanese. The classic GBA Mario Kart in its original version.
Your verdict
Category
Racing4 players3+
Description
Kart racing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo in Japan in July 2001. Mario and friends race on 40 circuits across five cups including 20 Super Nintendo circuits and exclusive GBA tracks. Classic franchise items, Grand Prix, time trial and link cable versus modes. GBA launch version for Japan, known in the West as Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Mario Kart Advance review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Released at the machine's Japanese launch, this edition acts as a demonstration: it shows what the console can produce in scrolling ground, with a horizon that tilts through the bends and track textures contrasted enough for the racing line to read at a glance. The trackside scenery stays deliberately simple to preserve that clarity.
The Japanese edition presents the compositions written specifically for the machine, ahead of any later arrangement: short skipping melodies, deliberately tart synthetic timbres, tempos matched to the speed of the karts. Each cup receives a colour of its own, and the themes repeat enough to become familiar within a few races.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Drifting through corners to snatch a mini-turbo brings the grin back at once, so precisely does the arcade driving land. The snappy track layouts and arsenal of items keep races tight, crowned by every Super NES circuit as a bonus. The drift technique takes a little finesse, but the fun stays intact years later.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Drifting through the corners, dropping a shell at the right moment and snatching first place on the final lap: all the flavour of Mario racing fits in your pocket. The snappy tracks and prankish items keep up a joyful chaos, irresistible in multiplayer. Immediate, balanced and packed with tracks to unlock, an ideal dueling companion anywhere.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Drifting through a corner to snag a mini-turbo, picking up a shell and then wresting first place at the line sets up an immediate racing pleasure that calls for the next Grand Prix. Unlocking cups and retro tracks feeds a constant progression. The aggressive AI can annoy, but this quest for the best time and the three stars stays furiously addictive.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Original Japanese edition of the first portable Mario Kart, distributed in July 2001 under the Mario Kart Advance title, two months ahead of the PAL Super Circuit release. Nintendo rigid case with intact obi, more dynamic cover than the European version. Japan run was high carried by the Mario Kart 64 fervour, but the 3DS Virtual Console re release has not eroded demand for the original Mario Kart Advance obi piece, the identifiable landmark of the first Japanese edition.
Better with friends
A handheld kart race for up to four, where cunning drifts and nasty items constantly reshuffle the order on quickly memorized tracks. The fun swings between driving and chaos: a well-placed shell flips the race at the last corner, for joy and for fury alike. Enjoying multiplayer calls for the cable and several consoles, but once going, the urge for an instant rematch grows irresistible.
Is Mario Kart Advance still worth playing in 2026?
Mario Kart Super Circuit brings Nintendo karting to handheld arcade form, and tosses in the complete circuit lineup of the original Super Mario Kart as a bonus. Five fresh cups, the return of classic items and four player link cable play from a single cartridge make this a very generous pick. The driving stays crisp and pointy, faithful to the SNES feel. Now eclipsed in comfort by recent Mario Kart entries, but the wealth of tracks and built in retro content keep it worth exploring.
