Mario Kart Super Circuit

"Mario's latest game doesnt disappoint!"

I held the box in my hands. The clear, plastic wrapping glistened in the daylight sun. I couldn't wait to rip of the wrapper, ram it into my Game boy and play it. But was it worth it?

Graphics: 8/10
What struck me first, was the quality of it all, the bold colors, the SNES-like feel. Everything was crisp, and full of the expected Mario charm, always being nice to look at, never being too dark, too bright, too big,or too small. The amount of background detail is superb. On every level there are trees, volcanoes, statues, and other objects in the background. An excellent achievement.

Gameplay: 9/10
The game was easy to get into, and it only took a few minutes to get used to the comfortable, and simple, controls. The game is very smooth and fast, I have not experienced any slowdown yet. There are 7 racers to race against, so there is never a dull moment. There are plenty of weapons to help you get into pole position, such as homing shells, banana skins, and Invincibilitystars. There is no better feeling then beating Special Cup on 150cc. I nice 'addition', is that, unlike Mario Kart 64, the computer controlled opponents actually fire shells. There is a big selection of massive tracks, including Cheese lands, Castles, Beaches...a huge selection. Everything is spot on.

Sound:9/10
Brilliant. It is unbelievable that the sound is coming from a handheld system. There are lots of fantastic voices, from Mario's 'Letsa-go!', to Wario's 'WAAAH!'. There are clear, un-fuzzy sounds for every single action in the game. The sounds and music never get annoying, unlike some games.The GBA's speaker is terrible, so I recommend you get a good pair of headphones to be able to listen to the game at it's best.

Replayabilty:9/10
There are lots of cups to earn, and races to win, which will take you a while. Time Trial mode adds to the Replayability, you can swap your times and ghosts with friends, and the multi player rocks, you will NEVER get bored of thrashing your mates in 4 player! And there are loads of secrets to unlock, I won't spoil them by telling you.

To rent, or to buy?
Buy. You must buy this. If you don't you are missing out on possibly the best game ever! Rent it if you just want a quick dose of multi player fun.

Total Score:9
The ultimate portable gaming experience. It will last you ages, and is loads of fun. Buy it. NOW!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/01, Updated 06/14/03