Mario Kart 64

"I'm-a gonna wiiiiiin!!"

Mario Kart 64 was one of the first games that I got after I received my Nintendo 64. I got it for Christmas, and I spent most of the day playing it. The tracks are creative with all kinds of Mario-related things in there, and the fact ,that a single item can turn the whole race around, makes this game an exciting one.

Graphics - 9/10
The games graphics are quite nice. You can easily pick out the characters, when they're in you view. The characters look very nice, and some even look better than they did in Super Mario 64. The items also look good, and they look plain awesome, when they're blazing right by you. The shells probably look the best, because they're nicely detailed, and colorful.

The tracks in this game look quite amazing. DK Jungle Parkway looks spectacular. It's a huge jungle with tree, plants, and water everywhere. There's plenty of colors and details, which make this track look nice. There are plenty of other nice looking tracks, too. Royal Raceway is easily one of the best looking tracks in the game. It's a long track, filled with many types of hazards and everything. The castle from Super Mario 64 is even in the track. It also has plenty of color in it, also. The game's graphics are great, and there deserve a 9 out of 10.

Sound and Music - 8/10
The music in MK64 is pretty good. It's filled with catchy tunes that you'll be humming in your head, while you race. Most of them are upbeat, and they build the suspense for the races. When you reach the final lap, the music speeds up, as does the urgency of the race.The music in Bowser's Castle is gloomy and quiet, which is excellent, because it fits the setting perfectly.

The sounds in this game are great. You'll hear things explode, people crash, and items being used. All the sounds are well done and can be heard clearly. There's also a bit of voice acting in this game. Sometimes you'll hear characters talk and make taunts or cries of pain.

Controls - 9/10
The controls in Mario Kart 64 are solid. Turning is easy, which is always a good thing. You just move the control stick, and your character will turn smoothly. You press "A" to accelerate. The karts don't go incredibly fast, but there is a good sense of speed in the game. The "B" slows down your kart. When you're completely stopped, you can hold "B" and press backwards on the control stick to go in reverse. An interesting technique is the Power Slide. You press "R" to hop, then you hold it and you will perform a Power Slide. It helps keep your speed, when you make turns. You can also get a speed boost from it, if you tap the control stick in the opposite direction that you're turning.

Gameplay - 9/10
Mario Kart improves upon the original, Super Mario Kart, by having better better and more interesting tracks. The tracks have greatly improved. They're longer and full of more obstacles, surprises, and shortcuts. There are four cups: The Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and the Special Cup. They all have four tracks in each. The tracks are brilliantly designed. Most of them are exceptionally fun and worth playing over and over.

The tracks are very creative. They are filled with things that you'd expect to see in a Mario game. There's Piranha Plants that an cause you to spin out. There's Thwomps that can flatten you, and cause you to be unable to move at your top speed for a while. There's also a train on this one level, that requires you to stop before the railroad tracks in order to avoid it. This game is filled with special thing like those, and it will keep you entertained.

The characters are separated into three groups: Lightweights (Peach, Toad, Yoshi), Middleweights (Mario and Luigi), and Heavyweights (Wario, DK, and Bowser). The Lightweights have the best acceleration, but low top speed. The Middleweights are average in all the categories. The Heavyweights have the best top speed, but low acceleration.

The items in MK64 are fun to use, and they are almost a necessity for winning races. It's also cool how the item you get depends on what place you're in. For instance, if you're in last place you have a good chance of getting a good item, like the Lightning Bolt or Star. In first you'll only get shells and bananas.

The game's multi-player is amazing. You can race against your friends or play Battle Mode. Battle mode has you and your friends trying to attack each other. Three hits kills them and get you a win. The normal racing is fun, too. You'll spend hours playing against your friends.

Replay Value - 10/10
The game's insane multi-player will keep you coming back. There's plenty of things to do in single player, too. There's also a Time Trial mode for setting record times.

Overall - 9/10
Mario Kart 64 is a brilliant game, that is a must-have for every N64 owner.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/08/04