There are also three to six original battle arenas in each game, designed exclusively for Battle mode. Most races have three laps, while some games have more or less. Each game in the series includes 16 original courses, with the exception of Super Mario Kart and Super Circuit, which holds 20. For example, most games have featured a circuit course, a desert course, a city or highway course with traffic, some form of a beach course, a stadium course, a jungle course, an ice or snow course, Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road. Many course themes are repeated throughout the series. Changes new titles have brought to the series include: Mario Kart 64 introducing 4-player racing and bringing the series into the third dimension, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s introducing a partner system and the Double Dash!!, Mario Kart Wii's use of motorbikes and twelve participants per race, and the newest entry into the franchise, Mario Kart 7, featuring hang gliders, submarines and a new first-person perspective as well as customizing karts. Changes typically include new items, new stages, and new methods of obtaining speed boosts, but most games have also featured a new play mechanic as well. As the series has progresses, each new title has introduced new elements in order to keep the gameplay fresh. This gameplay mechanic–called 'rubber banding'– allows other players or computers a realistic chance to catch up to the leading player no matter how far ahead they are. For example, players lagging far behind may receive more powerful items while the leader will only receive small defensive items.

The type of weapon received from an item box is random and often influenced by the player's position in the race. These power-ups include mushrooms to give players a speed boost, Koopa Shells to be thrown at opponents, and banana peels that can be laid on the track as hazards. One of the features of the series is the use of various power-up items obtained by driving into item boxes laid out on the course. Up to eight participants can compete in each race, with the exception of Mario Kart Wii, which holds twelve. In the Mario Kart series, players compete in go-kart races, controlling one of a selection of characters from the Mario franchise.

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