Which Mario Kart game introduced four-player racing to the series?

Mario Kart 64 introduced four-player racing to the Mario Kart series.

Released for the Nintendo 64, Mario Kart 64 expanded multiplayer beyond the original Super Mario Kart’s two-player racing. Its Versus and Battle modes support two to four local players using split-screen display, making four-player competition one of the game’s defining features.

The game was also a major technical step forward. It used 3D-rendered tracks, introduced drifting mini-turbos, added slipstreaming, and debuted items such as the Fake Item Box, Golden Mushroom, and Spiny Shell. The Nintendo 64’s four controller ports made simultaneous local racing especially convenient.

A common mix-up is confusing four-player racing with the number of racers in a standard Grand Prix. Mario Kart 64’s single-player Grand Prix usually has computer-controlled opponents, while its four-player Versus mode is the landmark multiplayer feature. Later games increased the field size, but they did not introduce four-player racing itself.