Super Mario Kart Deluxe: the big SNES ROM hack is coming on 25 December

Super Mario Kart Deluxe, one of the most ambitious SNES ROM hacks, comes out on 25 December 2026: eight new racers, a mission mode and up to 300cc.


A date, at last

Born in late 2021 from a partnership between MrL314 (programming) and ScouB (graphics and tracks), Super Mario Kart Deluxe (SMKDX) is a ROM hack of Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo. Its authors have set its release for 25 December 2026, a date still described as tentative in the interview given to Time Extension on 11 October.


What it adds

• Eight new racers: Wario, Daisy, Bowser Jr., Kamek, Waluigi, Birdo, Dixie Kong and Toadette.
• Some new cups and new tracks, each one designed as a counterpart to an original track.
• A mission mode with brand-new bosses, and multiplayer modes such as Shine Thief, Gate Battle and Battle Race.
• The Mirror Mode on every track, missing from the 1992 game, and engine classes from 50cc to 300cc.
• An Endurance mode, new items (including the Spiny Shell, or blue shell), new music and new sound effects.

The additions do not overwrite anything: the original game remains fully playable.


What to play it on

The ROM hack is designed for real Super Nintendo hardware as well as emulators, in an NTSC version for now; a PAL version is being considered. Like any ROM hack, it is played from your own copy of Super Mario Kart; the distribution method has not been detailed yet. For emulation, see Super ZSNES 0.320 or our RetroArch guide.


Sources: Time Extension (release date) · Time Extension (interview)