"I Don't Normally Play Racing Games But This Game Rocks!"

I’m not a big fan of racing games. So when my younger brother brought this game home three months ago I was quite skeptical. But now having played both this game and its predecessor I've grown
addicted to it, playing it practically every day since. Mario Kart 64 is without a doubt THE best racing game ever, but there is a catch. You absolutely must have someone else to play with. The one player mode is fun, especially the Time Trial mode, but the real entertainment value lies in both the multi-player aspects and sheer comedic value. If you're anything like my brother and me you'll soon have a ton of catch phrases from this one game alone.

Gameplay – There are several different modes of gameplay. First off, there's the Mario GP, where one or two players can try to win a cup by racing four races on one of four selectable circuits. There are also different levels of each circuit, with each level being faster than the last, except for the fourth one, which is…something hidden and different. The AI can get pretty darn cheap, especially as the level increases. You can be half a lap ahead of everyone and all of a sudden you got three people zooming past you to put you in fourth. But as your skill progresses it becomes less of a problem. Then, as I mentioned earlier, there’s Time Trial Mode. Strictly one player, It’s the most fun thing about the game if you don’t have anyone to play against. There are a couple of secrets to be unlocked if you get some really good times in certain areas too. Next is Versus Mode, which is like Mario GP only it’s for two to four players. The computer opponents aren’t there, but the difficulty is greatly increased because of Bob-ombs roaming around the courses which seem to home in on you. Racing against three other players is pretty cool, but if you have a small TV you won’t be able to see jack squat. Lastly is Battle Mode, where your goal is to destroy your opponent as fast as possible, with the first player to score three hits against their opponent winning. It's relatively entertaining, but with only four battle courses it gets old after a while. Overall the various game modes and variety of courses add a replayability that you think just wouldn’t be in a game like this.

Gameplay Rating – 9

Controls – Nothing great or revolutionary here. Using the analog stick takes a few minutes getting used to, but after a little while its all good. Every character has their own unique handling and style, so play around before deciding which character is right for you. Some things to pay attention to are how fast they get to top speed and how much damage they can take before spinning out. Now there isn’t a damage meter or coins like in Super Mario Kart but after you try it you’ll know what I mean. Smaller guys like Toad or Yoshi will spin out if characters like Bowser or Donkey Kong look twice at them, while they take much longer to hit top speed. Making turns isn’t a major factor thanks to power sliding, so don’t worry too much if your chosen racer doesn’t turn on a dime.

Controls Rating – 8

Music/Sound Effects – The music is standard fare for a Mario related game. You won’t hear any beautiful melodies by Uematsu or Mitsuda. But the music serves it’s purpose by drowning out anything or anyone you just don’t want to hear. But the sound effects are something completely different. Here is where some of the games best comedic value lies. The voices are absolutely hysterical. From dropping a banana on Wario so he spins out and goes ”whaayaayaa?” to ramming into Peach while you have star power and emits a “iiiiieeeeeee!” the sounds are probably the best feature of the game. They’re pulled off nicely too with fading effects so if you hit someone with a shell way up ahead of you their screams will get louder as you get closer. Some of my other favorite parts are when you hit someone and the wrong sound effect kicks in. Like hitting Toad with a shell and instead of him screaming he’ll say “O.K.!” as if he’s quite pleased that you just sent him flying off the edge of the cliff you were both driving on.

Music/Sound Effects Rating – 10

Graphics – The look of the game is good but not spectacular. The 16 different courses are all composed of polygons, while the racers are made up of pre-rendered sprites. There’s nothing that will burn out your retinas, but there are no masterpieces either. I’m trying to judge the graphics by 96’s standards but basically they aren’t that exceptional.

Graphics Rating – 7

Overall – This game rocks. If you own a N64 you owe it to yourself to get this game. If you don’t own a N64 go get a used one and get this game! My brother bought it used for $2.50 and that was the best $2.50 he ever spent. But even now I’d pay $50 bucks for it. Now I just got to wait for Mario Kart GC!

Overall Rating – 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/07/03, Updated 03/07/03