Mario Kart 64 (N64) Review

This review was originally published in 2016, and we are updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online.

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Taking a group of Mario characters and having them race around the racetracks using a variety of special items to rush or crush each other is something that has worked very well since the Mario Kart series began in 1992. The Mario Kart series is is among the most fun games on whatever platform they appear on, and many people who buy Nintendo hardware look forward to the inevitable go-kart action. Wii U and Switch have the brilliant Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe), of course, but the series’ hectic four-player local multiplayer made its debut in Mario Kart 64.

This second title in the series was originally released for the Nintendo 64 (the clue was in the title) and doubled the potential player count of the SNES original allowing split-screen races and battles for you and up to three friends in various modes.

Mario Grand Prix is ​​the main game mode where you choose one of eight characters and then compete with the other seven in four cups, each with four three-lap races. Available to play solo or in two-player mode, the cups can be tackled on the usual 50, 100 or 150cc difficulties and a mirror mode can also be unlocked.

Making use of the more powerful N64 hardware, there was an obvious graphical update over the first game, with the introduction of SNES Mode 7 ditched by a combination of polygons (the tracks) and pre-rendered sprites (the runners). There is more to look around the circuits and this is evident on the first track with billboards and trees to the side, a video screen reflecting the action and a tour of a tunnel with the light adjusted accordingly. In other parts of the game there are waterfalls, caves and a simple snow effect. The edges of the tracks and the landscape sometimes look very angular and the sprites of the corridors look a bit rough around the edges, but overall the bright and cartoonish style works well and you are usually circling too fast to pay much attention. to the visual disparity between karter and track.

Audio-wise, there are some very effective sounds, like when you’re driving over a rickety bridge or when the ice around you breaks after Lakitu has pulled you out of the icy water. The music is typically catchy and upbeat, blending the venues well with the Caribbean flavor of Koopa Troopa Beach, or the more sinister sound of Bowser’s Castle.

The biggest change that the switch to polygons provided was the addition of elevation to the tracks. The use of slopes, unevenness and rough terrain opened up different racing possibilities from its predecessor. There is the usual variety of locations on the 16 tracks, with relatively traditional circuits coupled with mountainous terrain and winter stages. Traversing vehicles on Toad’s Turnpike is particularly memorable, as is Choco Mountain, where you have to keep an eye out for falling rocks, or the Kalimari Desert, where you deal with a train crossing the track at inopportune times. Another highlight is Yoshi Valley, a field with multiple routes, many places to drop, and the positions of all the characters hidden until they finish the race.

Including tracks from previous games is something of a Mario Kart tradition, but that wouldn’t start until the third game. However, many of the tracks from Mario Kart 64 would return in later titles, so even if this entry is new to you, you may find that you are familiar with some of the circuits.

Of course, this is a Mario Kart from a simpler era; A time when go-karts were go-karts and all you had to do was choose a character instead of talking about tire selection. Characters have different top speeds and accelerations, of course, and the heavier you are, the more chances you have to fight your way through the platoon. The controls are as straightforward as you’d expect and it’s worth remembering that a quick push on the brake after hitting a banana peel will prevent it from spinning. The jumps are used to slide around corners and it is also possible to get a small increase in speed by moving the stick left and right while skating. It may take practice, but it pays to persevere if you hope to master the race.

This is the game that introduced multiple items (a bunch of bananas or triple Koopa shells) and also debuted with boxes of fake items, golden mushrooms, and the infamous blue shell. Having struggled on the field and achieved some fantastic lap times, you may find yourself in first place only to have someone fire said projectile from the back of the pack before it goes through the field and hits you at the last corner and destroys his career. Some people feel that it is unfair, while others think that it increases the excitement. This writer doesn’t have strong feelings about it, honestly. You just hope that the person who came up with the idea gets fired. From a cannon. In shark-infested waters.

In a change from Super Mario Kart (which has been stuck for later versions), CPU-controlled characters collect special items as well, though they seem to be primarily given banana skins and fake item boxes. Aside from bumping into you (which can certainly push you into danger), they don’t actually attack, although their secret weapon is the rubber band that keeps them in your rearview mirror. You can often send someone for a spin, take a series of corners without error, use a Super Mushroom and still find that they are right behind you.

With everyone together, it’s a lot of fun fighting your way through the pack, dodging a few karts, fighting others for a bit of a track, narrowly avoiding a penguin, and then taking someone out with a shell in due course. The downside is that if you are in second place, mid-lap 2 with a Red Shell, there is no reason to use it. You could eliminate the leader of the race, send him plummeting into a hole, and go to first, but what’s the point when your opponent will try again to overtake you before the last lap begins? Better to save it, stick with it, and use it towards the end of the race.

For those looking for human competition, there are a number of multiplayer options available. Versus mode sees them compete against each other on any of the tracks. There are no CPU controlled corridors, but there are scattered bombs that can penetrate you. Alternatively, there’s Battle mode where you drive through one of four maps, collecting items to blow up the balloons attached to your opponents. If you are playing with three or four players, there is a visual degradation with some effects (and a paddle vaporizer) removed and there is also a lack of music that may seem strange, but the chaotic battle provides a lot of enjoyment that greatly reduces any disappointment. .

Then there is the Time Attack mode. Trying to find the best spot to slide into a corner, or where to use one of the Super Mushrooms they give you, keeps you busy as you desperately try to improve your time by a small fraction. The original used a Controller Pak to save the ghosts, a feature that has not been replicated or emulated when the game has been re-released, so ghosts are limited unless you are playing with the original hardware. Retry a track immediately after your first attempt and the ghost of your previous attempt will run around the track with you, although it will disappear if you pause the game.

conclusion

Mario Kart 64 delivers the usual frenzied and colorful action, and while the rubber band AI can cause irritation, the races are still entertaining. Time trials will keep you busy after you’ve cleared the cups and there’s also the great multiplayer options. The loss of music when playing with three or four players is disappointing, but these modes can be enjoyed a lot. Mario Kart 64 has its flaws and later entries would refine the systems featured here, but there’s still plenty of fun here to keep you (and your friends) coming back for more.