In Super Mario Kart, the player can choose from 8 playable characters.
The original Super Mario Kart, released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992, features Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong Jr., Koopa Troopa, and Toad. Each character has different kart characteristics, including variations in top speed, acceleration, and handling.
This roster helped establish Mario Kart as an ensemble racing series rather than a game centered only on Mario and Luigi. Super Mario Kart was also the first game to make several other Mario characters playable in a non-platforming title. Donkey Kong Jr. is especially notable because later games generally used Donkey Kong instead.
The number 8 can be confused with the game's standard race size. Super Mario Kart supports eight racers on the track, but that is also the number of selectable characters, not the number of tracks or cups. The game contains four cups with five tracks each, plus four Battle Mode courses.