I’m curious to see how everyone would rank the Mario Kart prior to 8 & World. IMO MKWii is a clear winner…though that’s almost entirely because (a.) I grew up on MKWii and never clicked with older Mario Kart games, and (b.) it was the only game I played and watched videos on for an entire year (March 2019 through March 2020).

Mario Kart Wii.

With how chaotic and crazy it is, it's pretty much the ultimate party games, and the many nights I spent with my mates in Uni playing it long into the a.m. powered by alcohol and cheap pizza were some of the best nights of my youth.

64, but though there’s merit to its gameplay I admit that a lot of my fondness for it is due to nostalgic memories of family.

Being as objective as possible, I’d say easily Mario Kart Wii. In fact even including 8 I’d say that one is peak Mario Kart. Great tracks and all around well balanced.

I personally love Double Dash the most. Primarily because of how hectic it was having the 2 player on a kart gimmick lol. It was so much fun playing with my cousins and friends at school. So many great tracks and music too!

My honorable mention would have to be MK Wii

The original. One of the most nostalgic games for me. Next in line is 64. Still my 2 favorites in the series. Just can't replace the feeling of seeing a series in 3D for the first time.

Double Dash and Wii are the two worst I played. Esp Wii. Bland tracks and the most unbalanced of the series.

The first one. Feels more Nintendo. Has the best themes/music. Feels more like it's actually what it purports to be, which is the absurd notion that one day, everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom decided to knock off the fighting for a change and have a racing tournament.

Well, aside from DK Jr., that is.

That never made sense.

Double Dash!! The two-character mechanic is so cool, especially for co-op with a less experienced player in the backseat while you drive.
Not to mention it introduced unique karts and has a cool set of battle modes. And there's hardly a skip in the 16 tracks. It's light on content compared to a lot of later entries, but what it does it does with greatness.
DS, Wii, and 7 all deserve a lot of love too. 64 has aged the most besides Super Circuit and Super Mario Kart which are my two least favorites.

My pick is Double Dash, although it's for largely the same reason as your choice. It came out early in my sophomore year at college, and quickly became a staple of game night. Both Double Dash and Smash Bros. Melee came out at just the perfect time for me :)

Mario Kart Wii being unbalanced and ridiculous is actually a point in its favour for me; if you play it as a serious competitive game its a mess, but as an outrageous party game where a bunch of people sit together on the couch and laugh and shout in triumph or dismay as they get owned, it's some of the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

64 because it was my most played one, spent so many hours playing it and even exploring it like free roam in MK World lol

I played it with other people (at my previous work place few years back) as well.