Super Mario Kart

"An absolutely BRILLIANT addition to any Super NES owner's collection, and a classic example of how a racing game can, and SHOULD, be done just right !"

FOREWORD

Super Mario Kart on the Super NES was one of the first racing games I ever played on a home console. I had already seen examples of the Super NES' power (such as the Mode 7 scaling it used to great effect in Pilot Wings), and so I was hopeful for something special ...

... was I in for a treat ? Or a trick ?? Read on ...

OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME

Super Mario Kart is a racing track (don't let the K fool you - it has NOTHING to do with Mortal Kombat although the idea is quite compelling), where you pick your racer from one of the 8 on offer, and tear around a large number of circuits and courses, trying to best the competition and win one of a number of funky medals that are on offer.

It can be played as 1P -v- Com or 1P -v- 2P.

GRAPHICS - 9/10

I have to say, the graphics in Super Mario Kart are REALLY very impressive !! There are instances where there is noticeable sprite flicker, particularly when a lot of things are going on on-screen at the same time, but generally-speaking the graphics are very well detailed, crisp, colourful, and lively throughout the experience.

There is no lagging which is amazing given the amount of processing work the cart and console have to do together (think about how, when you're racing, every time you turn the game has to re-display the entire horizon for you, not to mention keep tabs on the locations of all the other racers, any power-ups or pitfalls on the track, incidental effects and so on), and the races move fluidly and quickly throughout.

The sprites used for each of the characters are very true to their Super Mario counterparts (and even though they never really get out of the karts to walk around, you will be able to see who is ahead of you and who is behind you at quite a distance given the way in which the characters are drawn), and each of the computer players has a power up his/her sleeve which is true to their character was well (for example the Princess can drop Toadstools on the road which shrink your character if you come into contact with them).

When you race, your screen is split in half, with the top half depicting what you can see in the race (from a 3/4 perspective), and the bottom-half depicting either the entire track from a 3/4 side-on aerial perspective, showing the positions of all the racers or, if you prefer, the view from YOUR rear-view mirror.

If you are playing 1P -v- 2P, then the top half is used by player 1, and the bottom half by player 2.

All told the graphical work in this cart is EXTREMELY impressive given its age, and even if you go back and play it today, you will be pretty impressed that they managed to get it all crammed in there.

Great stuff !! :)

SOUND - 8/10

The sounds in Super Mario Kart are extremely well-placed and well-planned, catering to the varying speeds and situations in which the racers find themselves with surprising ease. There is no attempt at digitised speech, which is a good thing, and so the sound effects are a variety of boings, blips, bleeps, plops, crashes, screeches and other car-related comic noises.

The music is light, refreshing and very varied, with courses having different tracks to keep them fun and enjoyable.

CONTROLS - 9/10

The control method in Super Mario Kart is SPOT on - it really is very crisp and very responsive. You have a number of controls available to you whilst you are playing, with the most commonly used being accelerate, jump, and select and fire your randomly-picked weapon.

Each of the drivers handles slightly differently, with them basically being paired off in terms of the driving style, so Bowzer and Donkey Kong Junior are both PAINFULLY slow to accelerate, but are big, heavy-set riders who will easily knock aside smaller competitors; Koopa Trooper and Toad are both very well-balanced riders, who accelerate and corner well, and have a decent top-speed, but who have to watch out for other drivers to avoid being wiped out, and so on and so forth.

Whichever driver you pick, you will find that the response time from pressing the buttons on your controller to your character responding on-screen is PERFECT - you act, they act - there's NO "I told him to do (x) and he did (y)", no "The game CHEATS !!", nothing like that - if you can't drive, it's 'coz you just can't drive !! It's that simple, and that is a very satisfying way for the game to be played.

PLOT - 1/10

There isn't really an awful lot of plot IN the game - in fact I cannot recall at any point being advised WHY the characters have decided to get together to have their massive bunch of races, but I very much doubt it would have anything to do with the winner being able to waltz off with the keys to the Princess' Palace.

Having said that, I have been UNIFORMLY disappointed with the plot of each and every Super Mario game to date, so I never buy one thinking "I hope this is going to address all the poorly devised plots to date" - I just know I'm going to enjoy the action, and DAMN the plot !!

GAMEPLAY - 9/10

And I'm right !! The action is where the game's enjoyment lies, and it comes at you thick, fast and relentless. With a large number of courses to race, all with their own perils and pitfalls, and many with their own shortcuts as well (which are HILARIOUSLY satisfying to master in parts), there is no shortage of venues to test your racing mettle, nor is there any shortage of fun to be had when you play either with the computer or against another human opponent.

This game is more addictive than Super Bomberman it's THAT good, and I say that hand on heart. I cannot count the number of nights my mates and I have wiled away playing this title to death, crowning and relinquishing our crowns to each other time after time, in our bid to find out which of us was the greatest racer out there.

Each of us had different courses that we were absolute kings at as well, and so there is no reason to suspect you and your friends will be any different - even now, WELL over a decade (in fact I think it's coming up for 15 years ?) since the game's release, I still have fond memories of my best courses, and THAT is the stuff video games legends are made of my friends.

During play you have the ability to drive over coins (which effectively give you a buffer against being wiped out - if you are struck by a car and have zero coins, you spin out - if you are struck by a car whilst you HAVE coins, you lose a coin each time you're struck), and question mark boxes (which you drive over to obtain a random power-up (although you can stop the selector from spinning so there is an element of control over what you pick up)).

It is through an intelligent use of shortcuts on the tracks, picking up the coins, avoiding your enemies' projectiles (which are NOT randomly-generated unless you're playing against a second player) and picking up and using the power-ups which will see you through the game.

Many of them can be fired in two-directions (either shot ahead of you, or dropped behind you) - just a little hint there ;)

REPLAY VALUE - 9/10

Make absolutely NO mistake, this game is addictive as all hell, so you should make sure you have plenty of snacky products to hand and your mate already en route to your place before you even consider putting it into your Super NES.

This addiction factor stems from a number of considerations, including the high speed of the game, the satisfaction at doing something deft on the track (like making that long jump to pip your enemies to the chequered flag, or dropping a banana skin right into the path of somebody right behind you), skidding around very sharp corners, and absolutely dominating your rivals on the tracks you are best at, and ensures that the replay value of the title at its short-, mid AND longer-term remains very, very high.

The only reason it dwindles slightly in the fullness of time is because this is a Super NES game, and is consequently graphically and acoustically seriously overshadowed by games like the Project Gotham Racing and Ridge Racer Series' for later, CD-based consoles.

VALUE FOR MONEY - 10/10

Ordinarily I would say that the age of the cart and the complexity in finding yourself a copy to play would make it impossible to give a high rating in this area - however, Super Mario Kart is the kind of title that makes such a journey worthwhile. I would suggest even going and buying the cart AND the console (and two controllers), just to have the opportunity to play it - it really is that good even now !!

OVERALL - 9/10 (This is NOT an average)

Super Mario Kart is a classic example (in fact possibly the BEST example) of how a racing game can and should be done right. Whilst the graphics and sounds are mighty impressive for the Super NES, the emphasis is placed squarely on the gameplay, and the developers have created an addictive and moreish blend of thrills, spills, and button-mashing to produce something that could ALMOST be considered a work of art, such is its completeness and perfection as a title.

MAIN GOOD POINTS

* Eight racers to pick from, falling into roughly four groups of two
* LOADS of tracks to race around, each with their own secrets to garner
* Great graphics
* Lovely sounds
* FANTASTICALLY addictive gameplay

MAIN BAD POINTS

* There aren't any really - the single worst thing about the game is that it's gotten older as the years have passed, but it can still mix it up with the best of 'em :)

SO SHOULD YOU GET IT ?

Yep yep yep DEFINITELY - if you can get your hands on a copy of this title then I would strongly recommend you do so. Don't bother renting it - just get it. This is one of the most enjoyable titles ever released on the Super NES, and deservedly so. Play it alone or with your mates and you will see why everybody loved Super Mario Kart !! :)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/04/07

Game Release: Super Mario Kart (EU, 01/21/93)