Namco developed the Mario Kart Arcade GP series in collaboration with Nintendo. The first Mario Kart Arcade GP was released in arcades in 2005, bringing the console racing formula to dedicated cabinets with steering wheels and pedals.
The partnership grew from the Triforce arcade platform, a system associated with Nintendo, Namco, and Sega that was closely related to GameCube hardware. Nintendo licensed its characters and Mario Kart identity, while Namco handled the arcade development. Later entries were credited to Namco Bandai Games or Bandai Namco Studios as the company changed names and the collaboration evolved.
The arcade series includes Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, and Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. Its games added features uncommon in the home releases, including Pac-Man characters, camera-based player photos, large item selections, linked cabinets, and eventually virtual-reality gameplay. Sega is sometimes associated with the arcade hardware partnership, but Namco is the canonical developer answer for the series.