Mario Kart Super Circuit

"There is a trash can over there, so please don't leave your banana peels in the middle of the road"

Mario Kart 64 for the N64 combined two simple elements that made it among the top favorite titles for gamers. The first element was a simple, yet fast paced racing game that was fun even for gamers who aren't exactly turned on by a driving game. The second element is Mario characters beating each other up in friendly competition. The latter was what got me interested in the series in the first place. Mario Kart 64 was more than just a simple racing game. All the courses demand skill and precision to cut down the lap time, so people actually got good at that game. Now a few years later, Nintendo tries to repeat the popularity of Mario Kart 64 with this: Mario Kart Super Circuit. The concept behind this sequel is largely the same. Control a Mario Kart character and try to win the race by using violence and littering, evident by the number of turtle shells and banana peels flying all over the place. There are a bunch of tracks in this game that will keep you entertained for some time, but the overall atmosphere of the game is just not the same as it used to be.

The basic game play concept is unchanged from Mario Kart 64. The race courses are separated into different tournament levels, or cups. There are 4 total race courses in each cup, and you earn points by finishing in 4th place or higher. The character with the most points at the end of the 4 races wins the trophy. Besides the nice scenery in the courses, there are obstacles that will send you spinning that you must avoid. Natural obstacles aside, the other racers will also try to knock you off the course with their own weapons.

The part of the game that requires the most luck is getting items. There are crystal boxes located along each course, and by hitting these crystals, you get a random item. There are more items you can get in this game compared to the previous. The quality and usefulness of the item depend on your current place in the race. The higher your place, you tend to get more common items like green turtle shells and bananas. The farther behind you are, the higher tendency of rarer items to appear. These items are dead useful, because a red turtle shell could be the item that determines whether you finish first or second place.

There is also a new system in place that I really don't understand. You can now collect coins during the races, which are lying flat on the ground. These coins can make you go faster, but adds another twist to game I feel is kind of unnecessary. You have to keep your eyes on the road for obstacles and the opposing players. Now you have to collect coins, too? Oh well...

Now the weight system is more clearly defined. In Mario Kart 64, remember when Toad would be sent spinning whenever somebody like Bowser rams into him? Yeah, that happens here too. Character weights are ranked with stars, so characters with one star would be really easy to knock away, but compensated with speed instead. The attributes of characters are very important in determining the winner of the race. You could pick someone like Bowser, who is stronger but slower, or stick with the regular all around Mario or Luigi.

The game controls are very easy to pick up, but even harder to master. The A button will accelerate and the B button will brake, of course. The R button will fire weapons. The basic directional pads will control where you go, but that won't be enough to win races. The R button will allow you to power slide, when held. Those who have played Mario Kart 64 know the power slide quite well and how it is the secret to winning races. By sliding, you avoid unnecessary with walls and other obstacles that slow you down, as well as allowing you to save time cutting corners.

As expected, there are plenty of game modes to choose from. However, there is only so much you can do with just racing, so the game is still just mildly entertaining. You can start off with a little practice in the time trial mode. You start off with three mushroom speed boosts, and the goal is to finish the race as quickly as possible. You can save the results in the form of a "ghost", or a shadow image of your last run-through. You can basically race against yourself and try to get a higher score. You can also send your ghost save to another player. Then you have the standard tournament mode, which is further classified by the speed, 50 CC, 100 CC, and 150 CC. Winning these tournaments will unlock more race tracks for you to try. One last mode is the multi player feature, which I haven't used at all. If you can find someone else with this game who is still interested in playing, you can hook up two Game Boy Advances and race against each other or play the Battle mode. The Battle mode is where players each start out with three balloons, and lose balloons when they are hit or are sent spinning. The winner is the last person still with balloons.

There are many different track designs, which will have you racing around sand pits, gorges, and even rainbows. Each track has a particular nature that sets it apart from all the other tracks. The best thing of all is that one blunder generally won't cost you that much. Even if a fall lands you back into 8th place, there is a good chance you will be able to come back and compete so long as it isn't the last lap. Weapons and items will greatly assist you in that process. The controls become more second nature the longer you play, because practice makes perfect.

The graphics really aren't that impressive, but considering the limitations for the Game Boy Advance, the graphics are actually pretty good. The character models move smoothly and solidly even in the thickest of the races. The environment and scenery are new, so they are actually pleasant to look at. Even the game's interfaces are smooth and colorful. The tracks aren't lifeless and dull at all. The blue sky is as pretty as it always has been, and the different types of ecological systems you will race across all look sharp. The coloring can be a little bit confusing at times. Sometimes, you won't be able to clearly tell what kind of shell you got from the item crystals until you actually fire it.

The view of race is the same as it was before. You view the race in third person, meaning you see the back of your driver at all times. You can see their face too, sometimes, when you make turns. The obstacles on the races, such as leftover bananas, are clearly visible so you wouldn't run into them on purpose. Overall, the graphics here are excellent for the Game Boy Advance, and the scenery in particular is the most impressive.

The sound isn't as great as the graphics, but it's not really that important. The standard sounds of racing, like accelerating and braking are present. The sound of people slipping on bananas or getting clobbered by shells are sounds you will hear quite often and they are somewhat satisfying. Ok, I lied. It is incredibly fun and exciting to hear Peach getting whacked by a series of shells.

Don't think you'll be racing to nothing however, as each track has its own little tune for you to remember it by. Mind you, some of these tunes are actually quite enjoyable, so there is no pain to be felt by leaving the sound turned on. You may even find some familiar passages in these tunes that will remind you of previous games. Very tricky...

As for play time, actually going through and unlocking everything while gaining some skill in racing will take quite a bit of time. I'd say almost as long as a standard RPG. The play time can only get longer if you've got some friends you can play this game with. However, be prepared to frustration when you lose first place in a race because of one annoying banana. You can only do the same tracks so many times before you get bored, however. The boredom factor does set in quickly you aren't that interested from the start.

The replay value is moderate because of the multi player potential, and the unlockable tracks. If you can't find any multi player competition however, the novelty of the game will wear off within a week or two. After you've beaten the entire game and unlocked everything, you really wouldn't want to start over and do it all again. You might want to replay some of your favorite tracks a couple of times, but at that point, the game is over. As in, you'd want to do something else with your time.

I would recommend that you buy this game, just because it is a decent Mario game for any type of gamer. There haven't been any major changes from the previous games, but the new tracks, good sceneries, and new items make this game worth some of your time. Intelligence Systems did the best they could do with a driving game and the Game Boy Advance, and the result is a gaming experience isn't quite perfection, but still good enough to give consideration.

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