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Christmas dinner may need to make room for a few grudge matches this year. Super Mario Kart Deluxe is targeting December 25, 2026, bringing a huge fan-made expansion to the SNES racer that started it all. For anyone who spent afternoons trading shells, missing shortcuts, and demanding one more race, this is a very tempting reason to pick up the controller again.
The date appears in the new teaser shared by ScouBsmk on September 29. Developed by the SMKWorkshop team, including MrL314 and ScouBsmk, the project is usually shortened to SMKDX. It has been shown in public trailers for years, and its growing feature list explains why fans have been watching so closely.
A much bigger Super Mario Kart
The original 1992 game built an entire series around tight corners, slippery surfaces, and the satisfaction of a well-timed shell. SMKDX takes that familiar starting point and expands it across characters, courses, items, and modes.
Eight additional racers bring the announced roster to 16: Wario, Daisy, Bowser Jr., Kamek, Waluigi, Birdo, Dixie Kong, and Toadette join the original cast. Six extra cups take the total to ten, each with its own podium scene. The creators’ December 2023 feature trailer lists 50 race tracks and ten battle tracks, with new settings including Daisy Garden, Hazy Cavern, Stormy Jungle, and Fiery Volcano.
There is also Mirror Mode for every track and a choice of six speed classes: 50cc, 100cc, 150cc, 200cc, 250cc, and 300cc. Anyone who already finds the original game’s faster races demanding should have plenty to work toward.
Super Mario Kart Deluxe : Coming Soon…#SMKDX
☆ Original Artwork created for SMKDX by : Cajarito (Instagram: @el_cajarito)
☆ Original Music from this video composed for SMKDX by : Pinci (@MrPinci19) pic.twitter.com/8P0KxuS5yc— ScouB 🌟 (#SMKDX) (@ScouBsmk) September 29, 2026
Missions, battles, and a test of consistency
Mission Mode is one of the most intriguing additions. The team’s published feature list describes 81 missions and custom bosses, giving solo players another reason to return beyond chasing trophies and lap times. Multiplayer additions include Shine Thief, Gate Battle, and Battle Race.
Endurance Mode adds a different kind of pressure: keep completing laps before the timer runs out. In the version ScouBsmk demonstrated in 2025, the first lap starts with 30 seconds. Later limits depend on the previous lap time plus a configurable allowance. That makes a pace you can repeat valuable—a spectacular lap followed by a messy one could end the run.
The announced extras extend to new music and sound effects, staff ghosts, a speedometer, and adjustable item settings. New items include the Blue Shell and Blooper, while items once reserved for computer opponents can be used by players. The settings menu lets racers change which items appear and their probabilities, opening up more ways to tailor a session.
When and where can you play it?
December 25, 2026 is the announced release target. The team has said SMKDX is designed to work on original Super Nintendo and Super Famicom hardware as well as emulators. The release will be an unofficial ROM hack of Super Mario Kart; final patch instructions and compatibility requirements should come from the creators when it arrives.
The teaser does not provide a download link. For release updates, follow ScouBsmk and MrL314. The September announcement also credits Cajarito (@el_cajarito) for the original promotional artwork and Pinci (@MrPinci19) for the teaser’s original music.
We will have to play the finished hack before judging how all those additions fit together. For now, the appeal is easy to understand: another chance to race an old favorite, with enough new challenges to make even seasoned SNES drivers learn a few tricks. If your family’s Mario Kart rivalry has been dormant for a while, Christmas might be a good time to revive it.
Sources: release-date teaser, SMKDX feature trailer, and Endurance Mode announcement. Feature counts reflect the team’s published development previews; the final release may change.
