Mario Kart 64

"A game that makes other racing games wet themselves."

The Mario Kart series has almost become as popular as the main Mario series itself. With only 3 games to it’s belt (and a fourth one coming up shortly,) I would like to look back at the last Mario Kart for a console system, Mario Kart 64. Simply put, this is one of the greatest games of all time, and should be in every N64 owner’s library. The main reason that the Mario Kart games have gotten so popular over the 11 years of their existence are because of a thing key qualities that they all share: Simplicity, and multiplayer mayhem at heart. Not only does Mario Kart 64 have both of those qualities, it has them in abundance. Basically, Mario Kart stunned the casual game and hardcore gamer world, and the N64 version of the game is almost as good as it’s SNES counterpart. With great graphics for the time, tight and responsive controls, and gameplay that still makes break out the N64 when I need a quick fix on my Luigi racing skills, Mario Kart 64 is flat out amazing, and if you don’t think so, a spiky shell is right on your tail.

Even if you think the N64 controller is a three tentacled...triopus, anyone would be easily able to figure out Mario Kart 64’s controls. Though it may just seem like 3 buttons at first, the ability to powerslide greatly changes the amount of control you are given of your character. The A button is used to accelerate, the B button is used for braking, and the Z button is used for shooting out any weapons that you pick up. The R button is used for jumping, which has two main uses. One: To jump. Two: To Powerslide. A Powerslide is turning so that you lose less speed then braking. Without the overly sensitive Powersliding in to effect in MK64, this game may of ended up being a flop, because a few simple Powerslides can make or break a whole race, and make the casual look like...well, even more amateur after playing a true pro.

Graphics:
After a little while in the N64’s lifespan, people were finally beginning to see what it could do. Mario Kart 64 does not really show anything new; and it features many of the same disadvantage that most N64 games have: Muddy Textures. Every race course is full of them, making everything look like it went though a few hard rainstorms and mudslides. From DK’s Jungle Parkway to Frappe Snowland, everything looks washed out. The characters are not actually 3D, but pusedo sprite scaled ones, that sure don’t look pretty, but give you more detail then many of the 3D models that could have been used. The game holds most of the time at a steady framerate, but it may have sudden drops and slowdown if you play a course that has many moving obstacles (such as Toad’s Turnpike or Rainbow Road) usually after someone has hit an obstacle that makes you blow up. With most racing games, having things like slowdown is horrible, and make no mistake about it, it hampers driving, and could make you screw up what should have been a perfectly executed jump over a banana in to disaster. Though what I have been saying may seem to be that MK64’s graphics are the equivalent of dung, you must remember the hardware it was made on, and how early it was made on it. MK64 came on pretty early, and also it does not have any from an Expansion Pak, so the texturing capabilities of the N64 were very limited. Does that render it unwatchable? No, but it may seem quite ugly when compared to anything from the PS2/GC/Xbox era.

Gameplay:
This is where Mario Kart 64 truly shines, and no racing game out right now could be called it’s equal in delivering a pleasurable experience to gamers of all preferences. In the Grand Prix Mode, you are able to select four different Cups, the Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special Cup. Each of these Cups have four different race tracks, that all have different types of track and environments that can hinder of help you, depending on what kart racer you pick. There are eight different racers (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Wario, Bowser, and Donkey Kong) and they fall under 3 different categories: Light, Medium, and Heavyweight racers. Lightweight racers (Peach, Toad, Yoshi) can easily be knocked around by any other class, but have better top speeds. Middleweights (Mario, Luigi) are average in every aspect. Heavyweights (Wario, Bowser, DK) have slower top speeds, but make up for it in bumping power. Each course generally favors one of the classes, but each Cup has a varied amount of tracks, so any weight class could be good. All eight characters are in each race at a time in Mario Grand Prix, and a second player is able to join as well (sorry, but a third and fourth player cannot play in GP mode together, something that could of made this game even greater than it is now.)
With each race of MK64, you start in either the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, and 8 slot. If you have never played Mario Kart before, then you may think that it is just a regular racer, but you are sadly mistaken. Before long, you run in to power-up boxes, that can give your racer a multitude of items to help yourself and hinder others. Shells come in three varieties (green, red, and spiky) and could shoot randomly (green) homing (red) or go for the person in first place (spiky.) Bananas can make karts slip and lose speed, while mushroom give you a short burst of speed. All of these power-ups come in bunches as well, giving you more VROOM for your lap...or something. The Star and lightning power-ups are the most coveted in the game; a Star makes you invulnerable to attack and you get a speed boost; Lightning makes every other racer shrink, making them slower and susceptible to being run over. There are also others that could steal power-ups from other players, and one that even looks like a power-up itself, only it is actually a bomb! Using these power-ups, you could move from 8th place to 1st in a only a few seconds. Though each level, you can use new weapons, powerslide through corners to keep your speed up, and if you rank in (1st-4th), you move on to the next course. If you rank out (worse than fourth) you can try again. The first four spots gain you points (1st place gets 9, 2nd 6, 3rd 3, 4th, 1 little point.) After four courses, if you were able to get 3rd or higher in total rankings, you get a nice little trophy. Though three different difficulties, 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc, you play the same 16 courses over and over again, yet, for some strange reason, none of them ever get boring, due to the randomness of the power-ups, that could change the way a race is going in seconds.
Along with Mario GP, you have two different VS modes, and a Time Trial. Time Trial is basically you racing through the courses to get the best time. Simple, yet addictive to many. The two VS modes are the best part of the game, and they almost single handedly (Goldeneye was the other hand) made the N64 a multiplayer system. In the first mode, you, along with 3 other friends, can race through one of the sixteen levels, trying to knock each other out of contention. The game keeps track of the ranks you received (only as long as you stay in VS mode though) so you can know who sucked and who rocked in that session. Just great fun for anyone involved. The 2nd VS mode is Battle, which is also amazing simple yet complex at the same time. Each person begins with three balloons, and the main goal is to stay alive by having at least one balloon. You can use each power-up to knock off a balloon. Great fun for the whole family!

Audio:
Most of the music that is played throughout the levels is upbeat and could make you crack a smile on your face, but it is mostly not as memorable as the SNES Mario Kart. The two most memorable to me would have to be Mario Raceway and Sherbet Land, that both have catchy beats and tunes that could get stuck in your head, if you want them to be there or not. The tunes range from the oil drum heavy Koopa Troopa Beach, to the dark and somewhat spooky Banshee Boardwalk.
All eight characters have their own special little voice, though a few of them just yelp and snarl. When you start up the game, you’re greeted with a nice “Welcome to Mario Kart!” done by the Mario voice that has become known as him since SM64. Every time a racer is hit with a shell or someone who has star power, they scream, and most of the them are quite annoying (Toad’s scream is quite horrible actually.) All of them have Whas, Aye Yai Yais, and Ommphs! When you hit a banana peel, you can hear your tires beginning to spin out of control, followed by a Aye Yai Yai! If you do have an intense battle though, the screams of little plumbers and fungi become almost mind-benignly crazy to hear, and could drive you to the brink of insanity. Good thing you have a volume control on your TV/portable N64 player/(or the computer for all you people who didn’t feel like paying for Mario Kart goodness), otherwise prepare to clean up ear drum goo after they explode.

Replay:
Nothing really compares in any other racing game to the fun you will have playing against friends in Mario Kart 64. After you have accomplished getting trophies in all Cups and classes, you also can try and race through all the levels backwards, which in most chances, make the levels even harder. If you are playing MK64 all alone, you are missing out on one of the best multiplayer experiences on the N64 and possibly the best multiplayer experiences ever.

And if you just decided to skip all the way down and read the beginning and ending: Mario Kart 64 is one of the best game ever. Period.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/04/03