Myth Makers: Super Kart GP

"Mario Kart Clone without the fun"

A few notes to the readers before I begin:
1. I have never played any of the other Myth Makers games.
2. I am comparing this to mario kart on both the 64 and gc, I have not yet played mk on the wii, it may experience the same problems.

Most games have a unique idea coupled with standardized controll layouts and a basic genre of game, such as Role Playing or Action. There is not much left to add to the Racing genre. Mario Kart, however, revolutionized the market with outstanding controller responses and a new element of the game: attacking other players. To match such an outstanding game is near impossible. The creaters of mythmakers gp tried just that, by copying the entire idea and implementing unique stages and unique characters. It was a failed attempt.

There are some shining moments in this game. It is playable. The characters are more or less unique (Based off of legends such as witches and santa's elves). The weapons are not copies of any racing game, the makers of this game did actually try to make a good game. Any good qualities, however, are overwhelmed by the negative qualities. This game borders unplayability. The controlls are somewhat unresponsive; when you get stuck, it takes a great deal of effort to get unstuck. To make matters even worse, the manual's control layout listing is wrong in more than one space. For instance, the accelerate/decelerate are swapped, and the use item/special ability are swapped. A minor pain, though, since ACCURATE controls can be accessed in-game.

A quick synopsis of the game can sound deceptivly intriguing:
Race the Mythmakers around a track, fighting your foes with a powerful arsenal. Unlock more characters by collecting in-game stars, and conquer each stage with increasing difficulty.

To unlock any mythmaker, however, you need an insane amount of stars, 200 for the first character, and 500 for the final character. Although they have different stats, the characters are relatively the same in practice, so the new characters are basically a costume change. The levels are original, but monotonous, as new levels (cups) are the same stages over and over again, and only vary by the sky (race one at night). Some are poorly designed as well, as the boost spots can sometimes hinder you no matter what you do, and should at times actually be avoided. One in particular is near a 45 degree turn and propells you off of a cliff.

Power ups are also monotonous. The only three are the bow, mine, and boost. And unlike mario kart, when you pick up multiple items, you only carry one suped up item. Therefore you have to use it if you dont want it, which can be annoying if you get the boost on a tight course.

The special abilitys are incredibly difficult to get, as the only way to get them is to beat a 'ghost' in a time-trial. You cannot use them at all until you unlock them, and even then you have to collect silver stars to power them up on the course.

The most devestating setback in this game is the gameplay. The controlls are just the beginning. Going into the wall is instant death. Even on the slowest level, you are plagued with both sluggish controlls and poor polygonal collision. Often, you will fall through the wall. instead of colliding with it. The game developers had found this flaw, and 'fixed' it by making an automatic respawn if you are in the air for too long. This means that if you hit a hill after hitting a boost, you will respawn. Even more annoying is the fact that after you respawn, your items are gone.

This game is near unplayable, and not worth the money. If you are up for a challenge in simple playability, this game is for you. If you are after a cheap version of Mario Kart that you can torture your friends with, this game is for you. If you are looking for a good game, bypass this one.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 04/21/09

Game Release: Myth Makers: Super Kart GP (US, 12/07/07)